DCT

2:18-cv-03883

Inhale Inc v. Gravitron LLC

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I. Executive Summary and Procedural Information

  • Parties & Counsel:
  • Case Identification: 2:18-cv-03883, C.D. Cal., 07/13/2018
  • Venue Allegations: Plaintiff alleges venue is proper in the Central District of California because Defendant is a limited liability company that resides in the district, has a regular and established place of business there, and a substantial part of the events giving rise to the claims occurred in or were aimed at the district.
  • Core Dispute: Plaintiff alleges that Defendant’s "GRAV Grinder" infringes a patent related to a handheld tobacco grinder featuring transparent windows for viewing the contents.
  • Technical Context: The technology is within the consumer smoking accessories market, addressing the design of multi-chamber mechanical grinders used for herbs and tobacco.
  • Key Procedural History: The filed document is an Amended Complaint. The complaint does not mention any prior litigation, inter partes review (IPR) proceedings, or licensing history related to the patent-in-suit.

Case Timeline

Date Event
2010-12-29 U.S. Patent No. 8,393,563 Priority Date
2013-03-12 U.S. Patent No. 8,393,563 Issued
2018-07-13 Complaint Filing Date

II. Technology and Patent(s)-in-Suit Analysis

  • Patent Identification: U.S. Patent No. 8,393,563, “Handheld tobacco grinder with windows,” issued March 12, 2013.

The Invention Explained

  • Problem Addressed: The patent asserts that conventional tobacco grinders suffer from a "major disadvantage" in that the user cannot see the amount of material collected in the final chamber without opening it. This process is described as "burdensome" and can lead to "accidental spillage." (’563 Patent, col. 2:1-12).
  • The Patented Solution: The invention is a multi-part grinder with a housing that incorporates "windows or plastic covered openings that provide visual access to the interior of the compartment in which the finely grinded tobacco is collected." (’563 Patent, col. 2:22-26). This allows a user to assess the quantity of ground material without disassembling the device. The specification also describes a manufacturing method where a single injection of clear plastic can flow through a "passageway" between the window openings to form a single, sealed, transparent part. (’563 Patent, col. 4:20-34).
  • Technical Importance: The described solution aims to improve user convenience and reduce material waste by eliminating the trial-and-error process of repeatedly opening the grinder to check its contents. (’563 Patent, col. 6:7-17).

Key Claims at a Glance

  • The complaint asserts independent claim 1 and dependent claim 2. (Compl. ¶16, ¶20).
  • Independent Claim 1 of the ’563 Patent recites:
    • a top cap having a bottom opening and a plurality of top grinding knives protruding downward;
    • a middle section having a top opening that is removably inserted into said bottom opening of said top cap, a bottom opening, and a plate, wherein said plate comprises a plurality of bottom grinding knives protruding upward and a plurality of holes;
    • a housing having an interior, a top opening that is removably attached to said bottom opening of said middle section, a means for filtering, a bottom opening, a sidewall having a plurality of openings that are interconnected to each other by a passageway, and wherein said plurality of openings are completely covered by a clear transparent material that allows visual access to said interior; and
    • a bottom cap having a top opening that is removably attached to said bottom opening of said housing.

III. The Accused Instrumentality

  • Product Identification: The accused product is the "GRAV Grinder." (Compl. ¶10).
  • Functionality and Market Context:
    • The GRAV Grinder is described as a multi-chamber grinder made of CNC aluminum. (Compl., Ex. B). Its central chamber features "Three polycarbonate windows" that "allow a snapshot of the grinder's contents." (Compl., Ex. B). A product image provided in the complaint shows a multi-piece cylindrical grinder with several visible, transparent windows in its middle section. (Compl., Ex. B, p. 20). The complaint alleges the product is manufactured in China and imported into the United States through a port in the Central District of California for distribution and sale. (Compl. ¶12-14).
    • The complaint alleges that the GRAV Grinder copies Plaintiff's technology and that its sale is part of Defendant's business in the smoking products industry. (Compl. ¶5, ¶10-11).

IV. Analysis of Infringement Allegations

’563 Patent Infringement Allegations

| Claim Element (from Independent Claim 1) | Alleged Infringing Functionality | Complaint Citation | Patent Citation |
|:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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|
| a housing having an interior... a sidewall having a plurality of openings... wherein said plurality of openings are completely covered by a clear transparent material that allows visual access to said interior | The GRAV Grinder's central chamber has "Three polycarbonate windows" which "allow a snapshot of the grinder's contents." | Ex. B | col. 6:36-41 |
| a plurality of openings that are interconnected to each other by a passageway | The complaint does not explicitly identify a "passageway" or how the openings are interconnected in the accused product. Infringement of this element is alleged generally. | ¶16, ¶20 | col. 6:38-39 |
| a means for filtering grinded material within said middle section | The accused product's description mentions a "bottom chamber" with a "magnetic kief screen that can be removed for easy scraping," which may perform the filtering function. | Ex. B | col. 6:35-36 |
| a top cap... a middle section... a bottom cap... | The accused product is shown as a multi-piece grinder with components that appear to correspond to a top, middle, and bottom section. | Ex. B | col. 6:27-42 |

  • Identified Points of Contention:
    • Technical Questions: A primary question will be whether the accused GRAV Grinder contains a "passageway" that interconnects its "plurality of openings" as required by the claim. The complaint provides no specific evidence on this point, focusing only on the existence of the windows themselves. The patent specification links this "passageway" to a specific manufacturing process (single-shot injection molding), raising the question of whether the accused product, which uses discrete "polycarbonate windows," incorporates such a feature.
    • Scope Questions: The interpretation of "interconnected to each other by a passageway" will be critical. The court will need to determine if this requires a physical channel suitable for injection molding, as described in the patent, or if it can be satisfied by other structural relationships not alleged in the complaint.

V. Key Claim Terms for Construction

  • The Term: "a plurality of openings that are interconnected to each other by a passageway"
  • Context and Importance: This limitation appears to be a key point of novelty and a potential focus of the infringement dispute. The existence of windows in grinders may be common, but the claim requires a specific interconnection via a "passageway." Practitioners may focus on this term because the infringement case could fail if the accused product’s separate windows are found not to be "interconnected" by a "passageway" as the patent requires.
  • Intrinsic Evidence for Interpretation:
    • Evidence for a Broader Interpretation: A party could argue that the plain meaning of "passageway" does not require a specific purpose, such as for injection molding, and that any form of connection between the openings meets the limitation. The language of independent claim 1 does not explicitly tie the passageway to the manufacturing method.
    • Evidence for a Narrower Interpretation: The specification states, "The passageway 39 allows the clear plastic to flow between the openings 38 so that a single injection of the clear plastic is needed to cover all the openings 38." (’563 Patent, col. 4:25-29). Furthermore, dependent claim 2 explicitly adds the functional limitation: "wherein said passageway allows plastic to be injected on to said housing to create a single piece that covers and seals said plurality of openings." (’563 Patent, col. 6:46-49). A party could argue this context from the specification and dependent claim strongly suggests the term "passageway" in claim 1 should be construed as a feature enabling this specific manufacturing benefit.

VI. Other Allegations

  • Indirect Infringement: The complaint includes a conclusory allegation of "contributory and/or induced infringement" but does not plead specific facts to support the knowledge and intent elements required for such claims, such as identifying specific instructions or actions by Defendant that would encourage direct infringement by others. (Compl. ¶20).
  • Willful Infringement: Plaintiff alleges that Defendant's infringement "is and has been intentional, deliberate, and willful" based on alleged "actual and constructive notice of the Patent." (Compl. ¶17, ¶22). The complaint does not specify when or how any pre-suit notice or knowledge was acquired by Defendant.

VII. Analyst’s Conclusion: Key Questions for the Case

The resolution of this case may turn on the following central questions:

  1. A core issue will be one of definitional scope: How will the court construe the claim term "a plurality of openings that are interconnected to each other by a passageway"? Will the term be limited to the specification's disclosed embodiment of a channel for single-shot injection molding, or will it be given a broader structural meaning?
  2. A key evidentiary question will follow: What proof can Plaintiff provide that the accused GRAV Grinder, with its discrete polycarbonate windows, actually contains the structure recited as a "passageway" under the court's forthcoming claim construction? The complaint's current allegations are silent on this critical technical detail.