Patents Examined by Phu Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9351519
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tobacco preparation method, wherein a tobacco material is prepared through at least one extrusion process comprising compressing the material with an increase in pressure and temperature and mechanically processing and abruptly flash drying the material of an extruder outlet, wherein the tobacco material comprises a tobacco lamina material. The invention further relates to a tobacco preparation device comprising a dosing conveyor (2) and an extruder (3) which compresses a tobacco material with an increase in pressure and temperature and mechanically process and abruptly flash dries the material at the extruder outlet, wherein the components (3, 4) are designated as a unit which can be modularly delimited for processing a tobacco material comprising a tobacco lamina material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (GERMANY) GMBH
    Inventors: Dietmar Franke, Gerald Schmekel
  • Patent number: 9340367
    Abstract: A feeder system and associated method are provided for feeding rod components of a tobacco product, particularly a rod-shaped, cylindrical, or stick-type tobacco product, wherein such a tobacco product may be intended to be used in a smokeless manner. A hopper is configured to receive a plurality of rod components therein. A separator device is operably engaged with the hopper and is configured to receive one of the plurality of rod components at a time therefrom. An orienting device is operably engaged with the separator device. The orienting device is configured to receive the one of the plurality of rod components in a first orientation and to direct the one of the plurality of rod components into a second orientation, different from the first orientation, and toward a subsequent process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Charles Jacob Novak, III, Jerry Wayne Pipes, Robert William Benford, Timothy Frederick Thomas
  • Patent number: 9339062
    Abstract: An electronic cigarette includes a battery assembly, an atomizer assembly and a cigarette bottle assembly. An external thread electrode is located in one end of battery assembly. An internal thread electrode is located in one end of atomizer assembly. The battery assembly and the atomizer assembly are connected by the screwthread electrode. The cigarette bottle assembly is inserted into the other end of the atomizer assembly and both form a cigarette type or cigar type body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 B.V.
    Inventor: Lik Hon
  • Patent number: 9326550
    Abstract: An electronic cigarette includes a battery assembly, an atomizer assembly and a cigarette bottle assembly. An external thread electrode is located in one end of battery assembly. An internal thread electrode is located in one end of atomizer assembly. The battery assembly and the atomizer assembly are connected by the screwthread electrode. The cigarette bottle assembly is inserted into the other end of the atomizer assembly and both form a cigarette type or cigar type body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 B.V.
    Inventor: Lik Hon
  • Patent number: 9326551
    Abstract: An electronic cigarette includes a battery assembly, an atomizer assembly and a cigarette bottle assembly. An external thread electrode is located in one end of battery assembly. An internal thread electrode is located in one end of atomizer assembly. The battery assembly and the atomizer assembly are connected by the screwthread electrode. The cigarette bottle assembly is inserted into the other end of the atomizer assembly and both form a cigarette type or cigar type body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 B.V.
    Inventor: Lik Hon
  • Patent number: 9320300
    Abstract: An electronic cigarette has a power device (1), a sensor (2), an atomizing core component and a liquid storage component (3). The atomizing core component includes an electric heater (5) and a liquid permeating component (6). The electric heater (5) has a through hole (51), the liquid storage component (3) has a channel (31), and the sensor (2) is connected with the through hole (51) and the channel (31) to form an airflow loop by the auxiliary air inlet. The liquid permeating component (6) is directly sleeved on the electric heater (5), so that the cigarette can adequately heat gasified smoke with uniform small drops. The electric heater (5) and the liquid storage component (3) are connected with the through hole (51) and the channel (31), so that the vapor generated by the atomizing process can be cooled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Fontem Holdings 1 B.V.
    Inventor: Lik Hon
  • Patent number: 9307788
    Abstract: A filtered cigarette possesses a smokable rod and a filter element. The smokable rod is secured to the filter element using tipping material. The cigarette possesses more than one layer of tipping material. An outer layer of tipping material can overlie at least a portion of an underlying inner layer of tipping material, and during use by the smoker, the outer layer can be removed from the cigarette. Thus, it is possible for a cigarette manufacturer to provide a cigarette that can be used as such by the smoker, or that can be adapted by the smoker to provide a different sensory experience (e.g., the visual, organoleptic, trigeminal, aromatic, and tactile characteristics of the cigarette can be altered by removal of the outer tipping material). Alternatively, the use of the outer layer of tipping material can be used to improve the physical integrity of the cigarette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Michael Francis Dube, Paul Stuart Chapman
  • Patent number: 9302522
    Abstract: A process for making patterned cigarette wrapper includes the steps of: preparing a printing solution including the steps of: mixing at least water and a starch to form a starch mixture, heating the starch mixture to a temperature of at least about 180° F. preferably for at least about 30 minutes to release amylopectin and amylose, adding propylene glycol to the starch mixture, and mixing the starch mixture and propylene glycol to form a printing solution, wherein the solution is maintained and applied at elevated temperature (120° F. to 150° F.). The process also includes providing a base web of wrapper and applying the printing solution to the wrapper in a predetermined pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
    Inventors: Timothy S. Sherwood, Robert N. Smith, Marc W. Rose
  • Patent number: 9282765
    Abstract: A method of constructing a cigar includes the providing of a plurality of frusto-conically shaped tubes, each tube being of a smokable material such as a spirally wrapped layer of tobacco material. The tubes are nested, one tube inside the other tube. The nested tubes are then attached to a mouthpiece having a socket that is internally threaded. The nested tubes and mouthpiece are packaged either filled with tobacco filler material, partially filled, or unfilled in a container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Blunt Wrap U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel S. Sinclair, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9277768
    Abstract: An electronic simulation cigarette comprises a shell. One end of the shell installs the air inlet port while in the shell the power source, atomization and spray device, capsule with smoke solution in it are set up. Connect the power source and the heater, the capsule and the atomization and spray device. Install the capsule aspiration device at one end of the atomization and spray device and penetrate the device in the capsule. Spraying solutions used for the electronic simulation cigarette include the polyethylene glycol, the propylene glycol and the taste modifier. A smoking set of the electronic simulation cigarette includes the suction nozzle which is linked with the shell of the smoking set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Inventor: Yunqiang Xiu
  • Patent number: 9265285
    Abstract: A low ignition propensity cigarette paper includes a coating portion including a hydrophobic starch and a hydrophilic starch, and a plurality of pores including a micrometer-size pore and a nanometer-size pore, wherein the hydrophobic starch and the hydrophilic starch cover the micrometer-size pore and the nanometer-size pore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: KT & G CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ik won Gwak, Jong-Oh Kim, Seong-Ho Ju, Young-Sin Kim, Kwang Se Lee
  • Patent number: 9255361
    Abstract: Methods for the in situ formation of catalyst particles in cigarette paper are provided. A catalyst precursor, which can be incorporated into the cigarette papermaking process or can be combined with cigarette paper after formation of the paper, can be decomposed to form catalyst particles that are incorporated within the cigarette paper. Cigarette paper comprising the catalyst particles can be used to form a cigarette. During the smoking of a cigarette comprising the catalyst particles the amount of carbon monoxide in the mainstream smoke of the cigarette can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: PHILIP MORRIS USA INC.
    Inventors: Shalva Gedevanishvili, Shahryar Rabiei
  • Patent number: 9247772
    Abstract: A hookah bowl, hookah utilized the hookah bowl, and process for using a hookah is disclosed. The hookah bowl includes two principal members, a bowl shell and an adjustable bowl burner that alters its position within the bowl shell. The bowl burner may adjust its position longitudinally, radially, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Mya Saray, LLC
    Inventor: Nizar Youssef Mehio
  • Patent number: 9237769
    Abstract: The invention provides a process for preparing a tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobacco composition, the process including: providing a slurry comprising water and a tobacco material, the slurry comprising at least about 75% by weight water, based on the total weight of the slurry; heating the slurry to a temperature of at least about 60° C. for a time sufficient to pasteurize the tobacco material; adding an amount of a base to the slurry sufficient to raise the pH of the slurry to at least about 8.5, thereby forming a pH-adjusted slurry; and continuing to heat the pH-adjusted slurry to a temperature of at least about 60° C. for a time sufficient for the pH of the slurry to drop at least about 0.5 pH unit following the adding step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: John-Paul Mua, Luis Rosete Monsalud, Jr., Darrell Eugene Holton, Jr., James Neil Figlar
  • Patent number: 9220299
    Abstract: The present invention is a smoking device which departs from a traditional “bowl and stem” design utilized for centuries, and rather comprises a series of generally cylindrically shaped layers that when stacked and secured together provide the user an effective means to safely store, transport and smoke a plurality of smoking materials. The smoking device may incorporate a bowl selection ranging in number between seven (7) to an unlimited amount, depending upon the size, desired portability and intended use. A rotatable bowl selector dial which positions a flame inlet over one of the plurality of bowls in an adjacent smoking material retention cartridge offers a means for easy bowl selection. The user may draw from the plurality of smoking materials without inhaling smoke from, or through excess burnt ash. The smoking device may further be utilized as a practical means of proportionally and consistently regulating each draw of tobacco smoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Inventor: William Curtis Descamp
  • Patent number: 9220297
    Abstract: Cigarettes are manufactured using modified automated cigarette making apparatus. Those cigarettes possess smokable rods having wrapping paper having additive materials applied thereto as patterns. The additive materials, which can include a starch and/or a polymer, are applied to a continuous paper web either online or offline the cigarette making apparatus. The formulation can be applied to the paper web using application apparatus possessing a series of rollers. In particular, a wrapping paper for a smokable rod can include a pattern of bands having a water-insoluble material comprising a starch ester, a starch-coated inorganic filler, and/or a thermoplastic polymer in an amount such that the material is sufficiently deformable so as to (a) reduce an amount of pressure to apply the bands, (b) decrease paper diffusivity, and (c) maintain paper opacity at a level acceptable for commercial production of the smokable rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Andries D. Sebastian, Alan Benson Norman, Paul Stuart Chapman, Robert Leslie Oglesby, Scott William Foor
  • Patent number: 9179710
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a Hookah otherwise known as a water pipe or Nargile. The hookah is used to smoke tobacco or other herbs that are heated using a hot charcoal. With multiple tobacco bowls, this hookah allows the user to consume a mixture of smoke from different flavored tobaccos. The various bowls are independent from each other and spaced apart so that the heat from one does not affect the others. The spacing of the bowls also protects the user from burn injuries while replacing the tobacco or charcoal in each bowl. The smoke from each bowl is directed into a stem tube where it is mixed before being filtered and cooled by water in preparation for consumption. Each tobacco bowl can be connected to a flow control device that allows the user to fine tune the amount of smoke from each bowl and achieve the preferred flavor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Inhale, Inc.
    Inventor: Rani A. Chaoui
  • Patent number: 9167849
    Abstract: A pipe comprises a combustion chamber with vents, the combustion chamber able to receive a cigarette; an inhalation path for drawing smoke from the combustion chamber through the bowl vents during inhalation; an exhalation filter; and an exhalation path for channeling exhaled smoke through the exhalation filter during exhalation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Inventor: Kelly J. Adamic
  • Patent number: 9161568
    Abstract: A tobacco product is formed by rolling moistened tobacco leaves about a cylindrical form casing and allowing the leaves to dry to form a shell. After the form casing is removed a consumer can fill the shell with crushed tobacco leaves of a favorite blend, thereby eliminating some steps in the making of a “roll-your-own” tobacco product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Blunt Wrap U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel S. Sinclair
  • Patent number: 9161567
    Abstract: A portion tobacco product includes a tobacco filler containing leaf tobacco or a leaf tobacco component, and a first pouch containing a wrapping material having a function of controlling the permeation of a compound contained in the tobacco filler, wherein the tobacco filler is included in the first pouch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Hiroki Shikata, Michinori Yokoi, Yasunobu Inoue, Yuta Yoshimura, Atsuro Yamada