US2088743A - Vaporizer - Google Patents

Description

Patented Aug. 3, 1937 EATENT OFFICE VAPORIZER Louis B. Heckel, Santa Monica, Calif., assignor to Curtis P. Heckel,

Santa Monica, Calif.

Application December 31, 1935 SerialNo. 56,928

2 Claims.

This invention relates to heaters and inhalers and has for an object the provision of a medicament container and vaporizer by means of which medicament in a vaporous state can be discharged in a downward direction from a canopy where it can be inhaled by a patient lying in bed.

A further object is to provide a heater and inhaler in which the means employed for converting the medicament into vapor will be characterlO" ized by a structure by means of which an updraft will be induced at the vaporizing zone of a heater and the force of the induced draft employed to insure forced downward discharge of the vapor when the hood is lowered relative to the head of the patient and the vapor thereby effectively distributed at a position where the full benefit thereof can be had when inhaled.

' Another object is to provide a heater and inhaler having a vapor discharge hood, the design, form and construction of which will enable the vapor to occupy an area of large proportion, in which area the head of the patient is adapted to be disposed, the construction of the device being otherwise such that the vapor will be confined against lateral displacement when in transit between the vaporizer and said hood.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for simplifying the work of inserting a charge of medicament in the vaporizing chamber of the device.

A further object is to provide a heater and inhaler in which an ordinary incandescent lamp can be used for subjecting the medicament to a vaporizing temperature.

A further object is to provide a heater and inhaler having means by which vertical adjustment of the hood can be effected as desired, whereby it can be closely related to the head of the patient.

A further object is to provide a heater and inhaler having means by which any vapor which may possibly condense upon discharge from the vaporizer will be trapped and prevented from falling upon the face of the patient.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a preferred embodiment of the invention with parts shown in full lines;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the device showing the sections of the vaporizing chamher separated relative to each other for the introduction of a charge of medicament thereto;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In carrying the invention into practice, use is made of a portable standard In having a flat base i I adapted to rest upon a floor or othersupporting surface, as shown in Figure 1. Said standard is formed with a vertical straight length section l2 on which a vaporizing chamber I3 is mounted.

The vaporizing chamber [3 comprises a vertically disposed cylindrical body having a lining M of' heat insulating material such as asbestos. The body has a bottom l5 formed with an annular series of vertical draft passages It by means of which air can be taken into the chamber as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1.

At the top, the chamber is provided with an inverted conical cover H, the same being separable from the chamber or adjustable vertically relative thereto, as shown in Figure 2. When said cover is adjusted as just stated, the body of the chamber may be supported in a position of lowered adjustment by engagement of the body supporting bracket IS with a horizontal branch IQ of standard IE! as also shown in Figure 2. The bracket 18 may be held in a fixed position on the extension l2 by a clamp bolt 20, the latter serving when adjusted to one position to enable the vaporizer body to be turned about the axis of the branch 12, at which time quick and convenient access can be had to the interior thereof when charging the chamber with medicament.

Within the chamber I3 at the center of the bottom I5 thereof is a heater 2|, preferably in the form of an incandescent lamp of suitable wattage. This lamp is surrounded at its base by the aforestated draft openings l6, and same directly underlies a medicament cup 22 which is supported by a wing 23, the latter having an annular series of openings 24.

At the apex of the inverted conical top I! is attached one end of a conduit 25, the same curved outwardly at 26 and passed through a clamp collar 28 of the upper conical section 29 of a canopy 30. This canopy is provided with a depending skirt 3| of suitable fabric material.

The base H has a tubular portion 32 in which standard II) can be raised and lowered, and same can be secured in an intended position of vertical adjustment by a clamping device 33.

The end of the conduit 25 to which the canopy section 29 is attached is provided with supporting arms 34 to the lower ends of which the upper open end of a condensation cup 35 is removably fitted, the upper end of said cup being disposed in spaced relation to the discharge end of the conduit as shown in Figure 1.

A patient to be treated may be seated beneath the large diameter canopy of the device and the canopy lowered to either dispose the head in the canopy or in such relation thereto as will enable the generated medicament vapor to be freely inhaled. If desired, however, the patient can lie in bed and the canopy can be lowered as desired relative to the face of the patient.

When the canopy has been adjusted as above stated, the lamp 2| is lighted 'so as to generate sufficient heat to vaporize the medicament in the cup 22. By the action of suction induced by the heat of the lamp, air will be drawn into the chamber I3 from whence it passes into the conduit 25 by way of openings 24 in ring 23. In this manner, the vapor will be discharged into the hood at an effective velocity to provide a zone within the canopy in which a large volume of vapor will be constantly present in order that it can be freely inhaled by the patient. Any condensation passing from the conduit 25 will be caught by the cup 35 and thus held from direct contact with the face of the patient.

Various changes in the forms, constructions and design of the parts employed can be made without departing from the broad idea of a means to convert a volatile, or other suitable well known medicament into vapor and effect a discharge thereof from the vaporizing chamber by an up-draft formed in the chamber in the manner herein stated and the vapor passed to a location where it can be freely inhaled by the patient.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a vaporizing chamber having a heater therein: a medicament holder in the chamber above the heater, the chamber formed with a draft opening for admission of air to thechamber by suction induced by heat generated by the heater and to provide an up-draft in the chamber above and around the medicament holder; a vapor discharge conduit leading from the chamber above the medicament holder, and having a depending cover separably associated with the chamber to close the open top thereof; a Vertical support; means for securing the discharge conduit to the support; means for mounting the chamber on the support for rectilinear movement vertically from a closed position to an open position relative to said cover, in order to render the medicament holder accessible; and means for releasably retaining the chamber in closed position.

2. In a device of the class described, a standard; a vaporizing chamber mounted on the standard and including a cover section having a discharge conduit secured to the standard, and a body section vertically adjustable on the standard from a closed position to an open position relative to the cover section so as to expose the interior of the body section; means for retaining the body section in closed position; means for generating vapor in thechamber; and meansfor effecting forced ejection of vapor from said.

chamber through said discharge conduit when the body section occupies closed position.

LOUIS P. HECKEL.

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