US2450444A - Electric vaporizer - Google Patents

Description

SEARCH ROGM Si? OR 2 9 450 144 8 Q ,Oct. 5, 1948. J. ROBINSON ELECTRIC VAPORIZER Original Filed May 25, 1942 R S m wm Wm m I B Patented Oct. 5, 1948 ELECTRIC VAPORIZER,

Joseph Robinson, New York, N. Y.

Original application May 25, 1942, Serial No. 444,360. Divided and this application June 21, 1944, Serial No. 541,321

3 Claims.

This application is in part a division of my copending application, Serial No. 444,360, filed May 25, 1942, now Patent No. 2,366,753, which was itself carved out of my application Serial No. 264,358 filed March 27, 1939, now Patent No. 2,283,952. The divisional subject matter is shown in Figure 16 of my application Serial No. 264,358, and in Figures 1, 3 and of this application.

My invention relates to electric Vaporizers of the hand type for generating hot medicated vapors for inhalation in relieving head colds, sinus infection, catarrh and other afflictions of the upper respiratory regions. Among the objects is to simplify and improve the heater, container and applicator unit." and support therefor, shown in my copending application Serial No. 433,380 filed March 4, 1942, now Patent No. 2,358.349. In that construction the support for the heater, container and applicator unit is a stand containing a vertically depressible switch actuated by pressing down on the "heater, container and applicator unit causing it to move vertically on the stand (to which it is loosely fitted), whereas in the present improvement the support is a long, graceful hollow handle having a simple thumb actuated laterally flexing switch arranged therein, the heater, container and applicator unit being firmly, though removably, supported on the handle. In the copending structure the heater and container are locked together and are removed from the one-piece applicator as an assembled unit when it is desired to place in the container the medicament to be vaporized. If the container of the copending structure is hot, its removal is not simple, whereas with the present improvement the container is never removed from the applicator except for repair, Hence, whether it is hot or cold need not be considered. The improved applicator being in two parts, the upper or nasal part 2 is removable at will to clean the container or to place a medicament therein. The permanent assembly of the heater and container in the base of the applicator is not for this purpose disturbed. Associated with these-improvements is the novel arrangement of the resistance coil III in the heater ceramic ll whereby the terminal screws l2--l3 may be advantageously positioned, and the novel mounting of the switch blades -2! in the handle. These features are shown in original Figure 1 of my copending application Serial No. 444,360, filed May 25, 1942, and in Figures 1, 3 and 5 of this application. Other advantages and objects of my invention will appear from the following description and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical section, approximately twice size, through my improved vaporizer;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the heater, container and applicator unit shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the heater shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the handle B with the heater, container and applicator unit removed;

Figure 5 is a sectional plan view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional detail of a modified method of mounting the switch blades in the handle, and

Figure '7 is a plan view of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings: My improvement comprises the heater, container and applicator unit" A wedgingly but removablymounted on the handle B. The unit includes a base I and a nasal piece 2 removably mounted and frictionally held in an annular seat on the upper end of the base I as shown in Figure 1. The nasal piece is provided with a sleeve or skirt 3 by which the currents of air that enter the vents 4 on inhalation are directed down into the container C where they entrain the vapors from the medicament and carry them up through the nasal piece 2 into the nasal passage of the user, the currents of air being heated in the journey. The container C is suitably secured permanently in the base I by molding it and its retaining flange 5 in place when the base is formed, or by other satisfactory securing means. The heater Dis anchored in the base I by a lock washer 8 provided with one or more prongs I that have a tight press fit with spaced vertical ridges or ribs 8 formed on the inner wall of the base I of the applicator A, a shoulder 9 being provided as a stop for the prongs 1 when they are pressed into retainin position. The heater D includes the usual resistance coil Ill suitably wound in ways in the upper face of the heater ceramic II. The ends of the coil are anchored under terminal screws 12-]! a novel feature of which arrangement is that the screws are equally laterally from, and close to, the vertical axis of the heater, a suitable insulating disc l4 being interposed between the coil and the bottom on the container C. This desirable arrangement of the screws is obtained by counter-sinking the heads of the screws until they lie, as shown, safely below the coil, and by passing the lead wire I5 of the inner end of the coil down through the central small opening IS in the heater and winding it around the screw I2 and under the securing washer and nut l1. Arranging the screws in this novel manner permits the plug of a standard electric razor cord to be passed over the unthreaded lower ends of the screws to direct current through the coil l and vaporize the medicament in the container C in case the handle B is mislaid or the switch assembly therein is out of order. Removal of the plug will, of course, break the circuit thus formed.

The handle B is preferably, though not necessarily, of one piece and is provided with an inter annular seat l8 for receiving the switch assembly. The assembly includes a separator E comprising a single piece of insulating material or a plurality of insulating washers l9 having spaced slots therein through which the lower perforated ends of the switch blades -2l are pressed, a stop 22 being formed on a wall of the handle to align the separator and blades in the handle, and with the equally spaced terminal screws l2-I3, whilst serving also to prevent the separator turning in the handle. The blades are positioned vertically in the separator by the off-set portions 23 which act as stops, and the assembled separator and blades are positioned vertically in the handle B by the annular seat I 8 aforesaid. The blades 202| are centrally ribbed at 24 to wedgingiy fit tightly in slots in the separator of suflicient width for economical manufacture. The ends of the blades which extend through and below the separator are perforated or are otherwise arranged to receive the ends 25 of the usual electric cord F extending into the handle B. A modification of this means for anchoring the blades 20-2| in the handle is shown in Figures 6 and 7 and consists in arranging slots 26 in opposite sides of the inner walls of the handle, and quite near the top of the handle, into which slots the lower perforated ends 2'I--28 of the blades are pressed, such ends being U-shaped in cross section as shown, or ribbed as at 24 in- Figures 1 and 5, to tightly fit in the relatively wide slots 26.

The upper end of the handle B is closed by a plain or artistic closure 29 of insulating material pressed tightly against an annular shoulder 30 after the switch and electric cord have been assembled therein. The closure is perforated in line with the outer ends of the blades 20-21 to receive the lower unthreaded ends of the terminal screws |2|3. These screw ends extend substantially into the handle with screw I2 constantly in resilient engagement with the blade 20, and with blade 2| only when the blade is pressed against it through the medium of the switch button 3|. Blade 20 is bowed at 32, or is otherwise arranged, to constantly and resiliently bear against the handle and the screw l2, as shown. The handle terminates at its upper end in an enlarged head 33 which tapers downwardly and outwardly complementarily to the taper of the ridges or serrations 8 of the "heater, container and applicator unit A whereby wobbling and accidental dislodgement of the unit from the handle is prevented. The serrations aid in dissipating the heat from the heater D that otherwise would accumulate in the handle and in the lower portion of the base I of the heater, container and applicator unit A. For like purpose the housing 34 in which the heater is mounted is larger in diameter than the heater to avoid direct contact of the heater with the walls of the base I.

My improvement provides an electric vaporizer of the type described in which the heater, container and applicator unit is uprightly mounted 'on an elongated handle when it is desired to vaporize the contents of the container, and is removed therefrom if desired for transport and use independently of the handle B, the heater and container being permanently mounted in the applicator and the applicator having a removable nasal tip to facilitate filling the container.

What I claim is:

1. An electric vaporizer comprising in combination, an elongated hollow handle, an electric cord and pressure actuated switch assembly in said handle, a heater-container-applicator unit into the bottom of which said handle removably projects to support said unit and to bring said switch and electric cord assembly into circuit with said heater, said heater-container-applicator unit including a base and being adapted to be carried by said handle for use thereon or to be removed therefrom as a unit and transported and used independently thereof, said heater and container being insulated by said base, means for permanently locking said heater and container in said base with the heater engaging the bottom of said container, said locking means having direct engagement with said base, and a nasal part mounted on said base above said container for directing the vapors, said nasal part being removable from said base to permit access to said container while the container remains in said base.

2. An electric vaporizer comprising in combination, a handle, a container for the substance to be vaporized mounted on said handle, a heater engaging said container, an electric cord and switch blade assembly in said handle, and means for positioning and anchoring said blade in said handle, said means comprising a plurality of perforated discs pressed tightly on the lower part of said blade and adapted to firmly engage the inner walls of said handle, said blade being ofiset above said discs to form a stop for the discs and to position the blade vertically in said discs, said electric cord being secured to said blade at a point below said discs.

3. An electric medicinal vaporizer comprising a supporting handle, an electric circuit connected to said handle, a heater-container-applicator unit having a socket portion for removably receiving an end of said handle to support the said unit, an electrical heater contained within said unit, releasable electrical connections carried by said handle and heater to connect said heater to said circuit when the unit is carried by the handle, a container carried by said unit in proximity to said heater to be heated thereby, and a nasal inhalation element removably carried by said unit, whereby the unit may be used while in position on said handle or separately, as desired, and the nasal inhalation unit may be removed from the unit to permit access to the container while the unit is in position on said handle or removed therefrom, as desired.

JOSEPH ROBINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,723,093 Strit Aug. 6, 1929 2,000,988 Robinson May 14, 1935 2,151,719 Robinson Mar. 28, 1939 2,197,840 Robinson Apr. 23, 1940 2,227,662 McHarg Jan. 7, 1941 2,358,349 Robinson Sept. 19, 1944"

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