Patents Assigned to RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11806471
    Abstract: A control body is coupled or coupleable with a cartridge to form an aerosol delivery device, with the cartridge being equipped with a heating element. The control body includes a power source and a microprocessor. The power source is connected to an electrical load that includes the heater when the control body is coupled with the cartridge, and includes a supercapacitor configured to provide power to the electrical load. The microprocessor is configured to operate in an active mode in which the control body is coupled with the cartridge. In the active mode, the microprocessor is configured to direct power from the supercapacitor to the heating element to activate and vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajesh Sur, Stephen B. Sears
  • Patent number: 11805806
    Abstract: A smoking article may include a cigarette incorporated within an electrically powered aerosol generating device that acts as a holder for that cigarette. The smoking article possesses at least one form of tobacco. The smoking article also possesses a mouth-end piece that is used by the smoker to inhale components of tobacco that are generated by the action of heat upon components of the cigarette. A representative smoking article possesses an outer housing incorporating a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), a sensing mechanism for powering the device at least during periods of draw, and a heating device (e.g., at least one electrical resistance heating element) for forming a thermally generated aerosol that incorporates components of tobacco. During use, the cigarette is positioned within the device, and after use, the used cigarette is removed from the device and replaced with another cigarette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: John Howard Robinson, David William Griffith, Jr., Billy Tyrone Conner, Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Dempsey Bailey Brewer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11801354
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides aerosol delivery devices. In an example implementation, an aerosol delivery device comprises an aerosol source member that defines an outer surface and an interior area and includes a substrate material having an aerosol precursor composition associated therewith, a control body having a housing that is configured to receive the aerosol source member, an electrical energy source coupled with the housing, and a heating assembly operatively connected to the electrical energy source. The heating assembly includes a plurality of spikes that may be configured to articulate between a retracted position, in which the plurality of spikes is not in contact with the aerosol source member, and a heating position, in which the plurality of spikes pierces through the outer surface of the substrate material and into a portion of the interior area thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Luis Monsalud, Andries Sebastian, Stephen B. Sears, John-Paul Mua, Vahid Hejazi, Rajesh Sur
  • Patent number: 11796732
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an aerosol delivery device comprising a control device that is connectable with a cartridge and that can include one or more additional elements for improving one or both of visible indications of use to a user and resistance to infiltration of liquid into the control device. More particularly, the control device may include a light guide configured for transmitting to a window from a light source that is off-set from the window and a controller configured to direct a varying level of light from the light source. The control device may include one or more elements that are configured to limit infiltration of liquids into the control device and thus may be consider to be water-resistant or water-proof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Charles Jacob Novak, III, Sean A. Daugherty, Michael Ryan Galloway, Justin Holt
  • Patent number: 11793242
    Abstract: A system for testing a vapor product with a mouthpiece that has a non-circular cross section includes an adaptor coupled to a neck portion of a filter pad holder. The adaptor includes a nose to receive the neck portion and an adaptor body coupled to the nose. An opening is defined by the adaptor body and the nose, the opening extending through the adaptor body and the nose and configured to receive the neck portion. A sealing member is configured to be received by the adaptor and the filter pad holder. The sealing member includes a sealing member nose configured to be received by the neck portion, and a sealing member body coupled to the sealing member nose and configured to be received by the opening. The sealing member body defines an orifice, the orifice extending through the sealing member body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Sean Smith, Robert Underly, Jason M. Short, Cassidy McMahan, Yi-Ping Chang, Bradley Brown
  • Patent number: 11793238
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices. The aerosol delivery devices may include a reservoir containing a liquid aerosol precursor composition and an atomizer including an electrical resistance heating element and a nonfibrous liquid transport element having a microtextured surface adapted for surface wicking of the liquid aerosol precursor composition across the microtextured surface, the microtextured surface of the liquid transport element being in fluid communication with the reservoir and in fluid communication with the electric resistance heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. Davis, Frederic Philippe Ampolini, James William Rogers, Andries Don Sebastian, Eric Taylor Hunt, Sawyer Hubbard, David Allan Brammer
  • Patent number: 11785990
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an input for production of atomizers and atomizers formed from a sheet of a material, and which may be employed in an aerosol delivery device such as a smoking article. The input may include a carrier and heating elements coupled thereto. The heating elements may include first and second ends and interconnected alternating loops disposed therebetween. The heating elements may be oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis of the carrier, or perpendicular thereto. The heating elements may be coupled to a liquid transport element by bending the interconnected loops at least partially around the liquid transport element. The ends of the heating element may be coupled to heater terminals. A related method for forming atomizers is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: John DePiano, David Smith, Charles Jacob Novak, III, Frank S. Silveira, Michael Laine, Robert Alden Metcalfe, John William Wolber
  • Patent number: 11785991
    Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided. The aerosol delivery device includes a power source, and a heating element powerable to heat and thereby vaporize components of an aerosol precursor composition. The aerosol delivery device also includes processing circuitry configured to control voltage from the power source to the heating element to power the heating element. The aerosol delivery device further includes an infrared temperature sensor coupled to the processing circuitry, and configured to measure an infrared energy emitted by the heating element or aerosol precursor composition. The processing circuitry is configured to determine the temperature of the heating element or aerosol precursor composition from the infrared energy measured by the infrared temperature sensor, and adjust the voltage from the power source to the heating element when the temperature deviates from a predetermined set point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Rajesh Sur
  • Patent number: 11785978
    Abstract: A smoking article may include a cigarette incorporated within an electrically powered aerosol generating device that acts as a holder for that cigarette. The smoking article possesses at least one form of tobacco. The smoking article also possesses a mouth-end piece that is used by the smoker to inhale components of tobacco that are generated by the action of heat upon components of the cigarette. A representative smoking article possesses an outer housing incorporating a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), a sensing mechanism for powering the device at least during periods of draw, and a heating device (e.g., at least one electrical resistance heating element) for forming a thermally generated aerosol that incorporates components of tobacco. During use, the cigarette is positioned within the device, and after use, the used cigarette is removed from the device and replaced with another cigarette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: John Howard Robinson, David William Griffith, Jr., Billy Tyrone Conner, Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Dempsey Bailey Brewer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11785988
    Abstract: A security device for an aerosol generation device includes an engagement assembly configured to releasably engage a portion of the aerosol generation device and a locking assembly operably coupled to the engagement assembly. The locking assembly is configured to have a locked state in which the engagement assembly is affixed to the portion of the aerosol generation device, and an unlocked state in which the engagement assembly is released from being affixed to the portion of the aerosol generation device. The engagement assembly is further configured to perform a benefit denial function responsive to removal of the security device from the aerosol generation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Sean Lukan, TJ Root, Patrick Bailey, Rae McNeil, Benjamin Gatti
  • Patent number: 11779051
    Abstract: The present invention describes articles, such as smoking articles, that can provide an inhalable substance in a form suitable for inhalation by a consumer. The article comprises a cartridge with an inhalable substance medium therein, control housing that includes an electrical energy source and an electrical power source, and a heating member that may be located in either the cartridge or the control housing. The control housing further may include puff-actuated current actuation components and current regulation components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven L. Worm, David Glen Christopherson, Stephen Benson Sears, Dennis Lee Potter, Frederic Philippe Ampolini, Balager Ademe
  • Patent number: 11783395
    Abstract: Identity information can be stored in a decentralized structure. The identity information may include age verification information for the purchase or operation of certain tobacco products, such as an electronic nicotine delivery systems (“ENDS”) device, which may include aerosol delivery devices. The tobacco products or devices may have an age verification requirement or other identity requirements needed to authenticate a user and that information must be stored. A decentralized structure for storing the identity information may improve the security of that identity information while also providing a mechanism for accessing the information for verification or authentication purposes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Sawyer Hubbard, Jared Aller, Rajesh Sur
  • Patent number: 11771132
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides aerosol delivery devices having a variety of configurations and arrangements. Some aspects of the disclosure provide aerosol delivery devices having a first pump configured to deliver a flow of air; a second pump configured to deliver a flow of liquid; and a nozzle configured to receive the flow of air and the flow of liquid and output the liquid in an atomized form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Vahid Hejazi
  • Patent number: 11771136
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides aerosol delivery devices having a variety of configurations and arrangements. Some aspects of the disclosure provide aerosol delivery devices having a housing with an air pathway extending at least partially therethrough, a reservoir configured to contain a content of a liquid composition, an intermediate chamber configured to temporarily store a fractional content of the liquid composition, a micropump interconnecting the reservoir and the intermediate chamber and configured to deliver the fractional content of the liquid composition from the reservoir to the intermediate chamber under pressure, and a mesh layer positioned at least partially between the intermediate chamber and the air pathway, the mesh layer being adapted to transfer the liquid composition received from the immediate chamber into the air pathway forming an aerosol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Vahid Hejazi, Cassidy S. McMahan
  • Patent number: 11758936
    Abstract: A smoking article may include a cigarette incorporated within an electrically powered aerosol generating device that acts as a holder for that cigarette. The smoking article possesses at least one form of tobacco. The smoking article also possesses a mouth-end piece that is used by the smoker to inhale components of tobacco that are generated by the action of heat upon components of the cigarette. A representative smoking article possesses an outer housing incorporating a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), a sensing mechanism for powering the device at least during periods of draw, and a heating device (e.g., at least one electrical resistance heating element) for forming a thermally generated aerosol that incorporates components of tobacco. During use, the cigarette is positioned within the device, and after use, the used cigarette is removed from the device and replaced with another cigarette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: John Howard Robinson, David William Griffith, Jr., Billy Tyrone Conner, Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Dempsey Bailey Brewer, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11764687
    Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes an aerosol precursor composition and a quasi-resonant flyback converter configured to cause components of the aerosol precursor composition to vaporize to produce an aerosol. The quasi-resonant flyback converter includes a transformer including an induction transmitter and an induction receiver, a capacitor that with the induction transmitter forms a tank circuit. The quasi-resonant flyback converter also includes a transistor that is switchable in cycles to cause the induction transmitter to generate an oscillating magnetic field and induce an alternating voltage in the induction receiver when exposed to the oscillating magnetic field, the alternating voltage causing the induction receiver to generate heat and thereby vaporize components of the aerosol precursor composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Rajesh Sur
  • Patent number: 11759584
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device that includes a reservoir housing that defines a mouthpiece channel. The aerosol delivery device includes a sealing member configured to be received within the reservoir housing to define a reservoir chamber configured to retain an aerosol precursor composition therein. The aerosol delivery device also includes a substrate member that is configured to be received within the reservoir housing and to be directly engaged with a vaporizing assembly for forming an aerosol. The reservoir housing, sealing member, substrate member, and/or vaporizing assembly can be used for forming aerosols with precise and reproducible compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Taylor Hunt, Timothy Brian Nestor, Paul Andrew Brinkley, Stephen Benson Sears, John DePiano, Matthew C. Ebbs, Kristen Dodds Weight, Michael F. Davis
  • Patent number: 11754540
    Abstract: A system for testing a vapor product with a mouthpiece that has a non-circular cross section includes an adaptor coupled to a neck portion of a filter pad holder. The adaptor includes a nose to receive the neck portion and an adaptor body coupled to the nose. An opening is defined by the adaptor body and the nose, the opening extending through the adaptor body and the nose and configured to receive the neck portion. A sealing member is configured to be received by the adaptor and the filter pad holder. The sealing member includes a sealing member nose configured to be received by the neck portion, and a sealing member body coupled to the sealing member nose and configured to be received by the opening. The sealing member body defines an orifice, the orifice extending through the sealing member body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Sean Smith, Jason M. Short, Robert Underly
  • Patent number: 11754635
    Abstract: A system for testing a aerosol delivery device includes a test fixture configured to couple to a power unit for an aerosol delivery device and a vacuum source configured to fluidly couple to the power unit. The vacuum source induces a vacuum within the power unit. A power storage device is configured to electrically couple to the power unit, the power storage device configured to store power provided by the power unit. A power measurement device is electrically coupled to the power storage device, and the power measurement device is configured to measure the power stored in the power storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventor: Jacob A. Meadows
  • Patent number: 11707088
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an aerosol precursor consumable, and an aerosol delivery device that comprises a control unit that defines a receiving chamber, and a removable and replaceable aerosol precursor consumable, at least a portion of the consumable configured to be received into the receiving chamber. The aerosol precursor consumable comprises a housing defining an outer wall, an aerosol precursor composition reservoir located in the housing and configured to contain an aerosol precursor composition, an atomizer located in the housing, and at least one aroma diffuser. The atomizer is configured to vaporize the aerosol precursor composition to generate an aerosol for oral delivery to a user, and the at least one aroma diffuser is configured to diffuse an aroma composition for olfactory delivery to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Vahid Hejazi