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We've seen our fair share of eyebrow-raising patent filings from Apple, but this one from Cupertino might be the most unexpected yet.

The company has filed a patent application for a vaporizer, yes a vaporizer.

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The application, which was first spotted by Digital Trends, was published on Thursday, although it was originally filed in July 2016. It describes "an apparatus for vaporization or sublimation of a substance." The filing doesn't speculate how the vaporizer may be used or what type of substances would be vaporized.

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Though vaporizers have been used in a number of settings for decades, vaping -- the act of consuming nicotine or marijuana via personal vaporizers -- has become its own kind of subculture as technology costs have dropped.

But while the thought of a Jony Ive-designed vape is intriguing, that may not be what Apple has in mind. The image accompanying the patent looks more like a device that would be used in an industrial setting than toking on your couch.

Credit: USPTO

It also goes without saying that a personal vaporizer wouldn't exactly be "on brand" for the controversy-adverse Apple, which is rumored to be eyeing a bigger play in the healthcare industry.

Still, if Apple ever did decide to make a company-branded vaporizer, we're pretty sure it would be an instant hit.

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TopicsAppleGadgets