Vaporizer cooling unit

Abstract

A vaporizer cooling unit including a housing defining an air flow path. The air flow path having an inlet configured to receive air and vaporized compounds, and an outlet configured to deliver the air and vaporized compounds to a user. The air flow path is configured so that a temperature of the air and vaporized compounds decreases from the inlet to the outlet. An adjuster may be coupled to the housing to adjust an air flow rate through the outlet. The housing may have interior and exterior walls spaced form each other such that air entering the inlet contacts the interior wall. The air flow path may include first and second sections on different planes within the housing. The cooling unit may include a mouthpiece with a hands free engagement structure for hands free holding of the unit.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows: 
     
         1 . A cooling unit for a vaporizer, comprising:
 a housing defining an air flow path with an inlet configured to receive air and vaporized compounds and an outlet configured to deliver the air and vaporized compounds to a user, the air flow path being configured so that a temperature of the air and vaporized compounds decreases from the inlet to the outlet; and   an adjuster coupled to the housing and positioned in the air flow path, the adjuster operable to alter a cross-sectional area of the air flow path at a location between the inlet and the outlet, wherein alteration of the cross-sectional area adjusts an air flow rate through the outlet for a constant negative gauge pressure at the outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a first opening forming part of the air flow path between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the adjuster defines an aperture, wherein the adjuster is movable with respect to the housing to selectively alter the cross-sectional area of the air flow path by varying an area of the first opening that is in fluid communication with the aperture. 
     
     
         3 . The cooling unit of  claim 2 , wherein the adjuster is rotatable with respect to the housing between a first position, in which a first area of the first opening is in fluid communication with the aperture, and a second position, in which a second area of the first opening is in fluid communication with the aperture, wherein the second area is greater than the first area. 
     
     
         4 . The cooling unit of  claim 3 , wherein the first area is zero such that the air flow rate through the outlet is close to zero when the adjuster is in the first position, and wherein the second area is the entire area of the first opening such that the adjuster does not restrict air flow through the first opening when in the second position. 
     
     
         5 . The cooling unit of  claim 3 , wherein a first stop of the housing engages the adjuster when the adjuster is in the first position, and wherein a second stop of the housing engages the adjuster when the adjuster is in the second position, wherein the adjuster is rotatable from the first stop to the second stop. 
     
     
         6 . The cooling unit of  claim 2 , wherein a portion of the adjuster is accessible through a second opening in an exterior wall of the housing, wherein the adjuster comprises a first seal in sealing engagement with a first surface of the housing, and a second seal in sealing engagement with a second surface of the housing, the first and second seals sealing the air flow path from the second opening. 
     
     
         7 . The cooling unit of  claim 6 , wherein the first seal is formed by a first surface of the adjuster, and the second seal is formed by a second surface of the adjuster, wherein the adjuster is positioned in a slot of the housing with an interference fit that causes the first and second surfaces of the adjuster to be pressed into sealing engagement with the first and second surfaces, respectively, of the housing. 
     
     
         8 . The cooling unit of  claim 6 , wherein the first and second seals comprise O-ring seals or individual silicon seals mounted on a base of the adjuster. 
     
     
         9 . The cooling unit of  claim 6 , wherein the adjuster is formed from a base overmolded with or coupled to a resilient material, and wherein at least one of the first and second seals is formed by the resilient material. 
     
     
         10 . The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the adjuster is positioned within a slot of the housing, wherein a first alignment structure of the adjuster mates with a second alignment structure of the housing when the adjuster is positioned in the slot. 
     
     
         11 . The cooling unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a first screen positioned in the housing adjacent the inlet, and a second screen positioned in the housing between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the first and second screens extend across the air flow path to filter particles carried by air entering the inlet, and wherein the second screen is configured to filter particles of a smaller size than the first screen. 
     
     
         12 . The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a top section defining the outlet and a bottom section defining the inlet, wherein a portion of the bottom section is removably received within a cavity of the top section. 
     
     
         13 . The cooling unit of  claim 12 , further comprising a fastener that removably couples the top section to the bottom section. 
     
     
         14 . The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises an exterior wall and an interior wall spaced apart from the exterior wall to define a gap between the exterior wall and the interior wall, the gap containing at least one of air or a thermally insulative material, the air flow path configured so that air entering the housing through the inlet contacts the interior wall before contacting the exterior wall along the air flow path or exiting through the outlet. 
     
     
         15 . The cooling unit of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a first end adjacent the inlet and a second end adjacent the outlet, wherein the air flow path comprises a first section that is positioned adjacent the first end, a second section that is spaced from the first section toward the second end, and a transition section that connects the first and second sections, wherein the first section extends from the inlet to the transition section, and the second section extends from the transition section to the outlet. 
     
     
         16 . The cooling unit of  claim 15 , wherein the adjuster is positioned in the second section of the air flow path. 
     
     
         17 . The cooling unit of  claim 1 , further comprising a mouthpiece coupled to the housing, the mouthpiece defining a channel in fluid communication with the outlet, the mouthpiece comprising a hands free engagement structure configured for engaging at least one tooth of a user or the user's lips or mouth so that the user can hold the housing and mouthpiece in a hands free manner. 
     
     
         18 . A cooling unit for a vaporizer, comprising:
 a housing defining an air flow path with an inlet configured to receive air and vaporized compounds and an outlet configured to deliver the air and vaporized compounds to a user, the air flow path being configured so that a temperature of the air and vaporized compounds decreases from the inlet to the outlet,   wherein the housing comprises an exterior wall and an interior wall spaced apart from the exterior wall to define a gap between the exterior wall and the interior wall, the gap containing at least one of air or a thermally insulative material, the air flow path configured so that air entering the housing through the inlet contacts the interior wall before contacting the exterior wall along the air flow path or exiting through the outlet.   
     
     
         19 . The cooling unit of  claim 18 , wherein the air flow path is configured so that air enters the inlet in a first direction and is redirected to flow in a second direction before contacting the interior wall. 
     
     
         20 . The cooling unit of  claim 18 , wherein the housing comprises a first end adjacent the inlet and a second end adjacent the outlet, wherein the air flow path comprises a first section that is positioned adjacent the first end, a second section that is spaced from the first section toward the second end, and a transition section that connects the first and second sections, wherein the first section extends from the inlet to the transition section, and the second section extends from the transition section to the outlet. 
     
     
         21 . The cooling unit of  claim 18 , further comprising a first screen positioned in the housing adjacent the inlet, and a second screen positioned in the housing between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the first and second screens extend across the air flow path to filter particles carried by air entering the inlet. 
     
     
         22 . The cooling unit of  claim 18 , wherein the housing comprises a top section defining the outlet and a bottom section defining the inlet, wherein a portion of the bottom section is removably received within a cavity of the top section. 
     
     
         23 . The cooling unit of  claim 18 , further comprising a mouthpiece coupled to the housing, the mouthpiece defining a channel in fluid communication with the outlet, the mouthpiece comprising a hands free engagement structure configured for engaging at least one tooth of a user or the user's lips or mouth so that the user can hold the housing and mouthpiece in a hands free manner. 
     
     
         24 . A cooling unit for a vaporizer, comprising:
 a housing defining an air flow path with an inlet configured to receive air and vaporized compounds and an outlet configured to deliver the air and vaporized compounds to a user, the air flow path being configured so that a temperature of the air and vaporized compounds decreases from the inlet to the outlet,   wherein the housing comprises a first end adjacent the inlet and a second end adjacent the outlet, wherein the air flow path comprises a first section that is positioned adjacent the first end, a second section that is spaced from the first section toward the second end, and a transition section that connects the first and second sections, wherein the first section extends from the inlet to the transition section, and the second section extends from the transition section to the outlet.   
     
     
         25 . The cooling unit of  claim 24 , wherein the first section of the air flow path extends from the inlet toward a first side of the housing, from the first side toward a second side of the housing, and from the second side to the transition section. 
     
     
         26 . The cooling unit of  claim 24 , wherein the housing comprises a divider that divides the first and second sections of the air flow path, the divider extending from the first side to the second side of the housing, and the divider positioned between the first and second ends of the housing, the divider presenting an opening through which the transition section extends. 
     
     
         27 . The cooling unit of  claim 24 , further comprising a first screen positioned in the housing adjacent the inlet, and a second screen positioned in the housing between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the first and second screens extend across the air flow path to filter particles carried by air entering the inlet. 
     
     
         28 . The cooling unit of  claim 27 , wherein the second screen is positioned between the first section of the air flow path and the transition section. 
     
     
         29 . The cooling unit of  claim 24 , wherein the housing comprises a top section defining the outlet and a bottom section defining the inlet, wherein a portion of the bottom section is removably received within a cavity of the top section. 
     
     
         30 . The cooling unit of  claim 29 , wherein the first and second sections of the air flow path are each positioned between the top and bottom sections of the housing. 
     
     
         31 . The cooling unit of  claim 24 , further comprising a mouthpiece coupled to the housing, the mouthpiece defining a channel in fluid communication with the outlet, the mouthpiece comprising a hands free engagement structure configured for engaging at least one tooth of a user or the user's lips or mouth so that the user can hold the housing and mouthpiece in a hands free manner. 
     
     
         32 . A cooling unit for a vaporizer, comprising:
 a housing defining an air flow path with an inlet configured to receive air and vaporized compounds and an outlet configured to deliver the air and vaporized compounds to a user, the air flow path being configured so that a temperature of the air and vaporized compounds decreases from the inlet to the outlet; and   a mouthpiece coupled to the housing, the mouthpiece defining a channel in fluid communication with the outlet, the mouthpiece comprising a hands free engagement structure configured for engaging at least one tooth of a user or the user's lips or mouth so that the user can hold the housing and mouthpiece in a hands free manner.   
     
     
         33 . The cooling unit of  claim 32 , wherein the hands free engagement structure includes a tooth receiver configured to receive the at least one tooth of the user. 
     
     
         34 . The cooling unit of  claim 33 , wherein the tooth receiver is configured for receiving a bottom tooth of the user. 
     
     
         35 . The cooling unit of  claim 33 , wherein the tooth receiver is a notch defined by an outer surface of the mouthpiece.