US 12,232,529 B2
Vaporizer including positive temperature coefficient of resistivity heater
William W. Alston, San Jose, CA (US); Adam Bowen, San Mateo, CA (US); Ian Garcia-Doty, Oakland, CA (US); Joshua A. Kurzman, San Francisco, CA (US); James Monsees, San Francisco, CA (US); and Paul R. Vieira, Oakland, CA (US)
Assigned to JUUL Labs, Inc., Washington, DC (US)
Filed by Juul Labs, Inc., San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/372,357.
Application 17/372,357 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2020/013224, filed on Jan. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/959,737, filed on Jan. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/898,522, filed on Sep. 10, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/816,452, filed on Mar. 11, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/791,709, filed on Jan. 11, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0337872 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A24F 40/46 (2020.01); A24F 40/10 (2020.01); A24F 40/42 (2020.01); A24F 40/44 (2020.01); A24F 40/485 (2020.01); H05B 1/02 (2006.01); H05B 3/06 (2006.01)
CPC A24F 40/46 (2020.01) [A24F 40/10 (2020.01); A24F 40/42 (2020.01); A24F 40/44 (2020.01); A24F 40/485 (2020.01); H05B 1/0244 (2013.01); H05B 3/06 (2013.01); H05B 2203/02 (2013.01); H05B 2203/022 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vaporizer device comprising:
a housing including an air inlet;
a heating element within the housing, the heating element including a nonlinear positive temperature coefficient of resistance material including an electrical resistivity transition zone in which electrical resistivity increases over a temperature range, such that when the heating element is heated above a first temperature within the electrical resistivity transition zone, current flow from a power source is reduced to a level that limits further temperature increases of the heating element; and
a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the heating element and arranged to receive an airflow from the air inlet, the heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between the heating element and the airflow to produce a heated airflow, wherein the heated airflow exiting the heat exchanger is configured to vaporize a vaporizable material.