Patents by Inventor Dietmar Franke

Dietmar Franke has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230371573
    Abstract: A method of processing tobacco fines into a non-continuous tobacco material includes providing a pre-sized tobacco stem material that has a Dp90 particle size of less than 2.5 mm and a Dp50 particle size of between 0.7 mm and 1.5 mm, combining the pre-sized tobacco stem material with tobacco fines to provide a tobacco initial material, wherein the tobacco initial material includes between 40% and 60% pre-sized tobacco stem material (by mass). The method can include processing the initial material by setting the initial material to a predefined increased moisture content, subjecting the initial material to an increase in temperature and subjecting the initial material an increased pressure in order to bind the tobacco fines to the tobacco stem material, and conveying the initial material through a conveyor. The method can include feeding the processed tobacco material through a shearing gap such that the processed tobacco material is defibrated by expansion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Matthias LINK, Dietmar FRANKE, Frank PLÜCKHAHN
  • Publication number: 20230354876
    Abstract: A method of processing tobacco fines into a non-continuous tobacco material, the method including providing a pre-sized tobacco stem material that has a Dp90 particle size of less than 3 mm and a Dp50 particle size of less than 2 mm. The method also includes combining the pre-sized tobacco stem material with tobacco fines to provide a tobacco initial material, and processing the initial material by setting the initial material to a predefined increased moisture content, subjecting the initial material to an increase in temperature and subjecting the initial material an increased pressure in order to bind the tobacco fines to the tobacco stem material. There is also provided a non-continuous tobacco material produced by the method, a component for a delivery system including non-continuous tobacco material produced by the method, a product and a smoking article including the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Matthias LINK, Dietmar FRANKE, Frank PLÜCKHAHN
  • Publication number: 20230082455
    Abstract: A method of treating tobacco material including combining pre-cut and/or pre-expanded stem with lamina to form an initial combination of stem and lamina; cutting the initial combination of stem and lamina; expanding the combination of stem and lamina; and intermittently contacting the expanded combination of stem and lamina with a heated surface to produce a treated tobacco material. An apparatus is also provided for treating tobacco material. Also provided is a treated tobacco material, as well as products including the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Dietmar Franke, Josef Knothe, Frank Plueckhahn, Matthias Link
  • Patent number: 11484055
    Abstract: A tobacco preparation method, where a tobacco material is prepared through at least one extrusion process including compressing the material with an increase in pressure and temperature and mechanically processing and abruptly flash drying the material at an extruder outlet, where the tobacco material includes a tobacco lamina material, where a tobacco preparation device includes a dosing conveyor and an extruder 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, where the components are designated as a unit which can be modularly delimited for processing a tobacco material including a tobacco lamina material, where an arrangement of several tobacco preparation devices and a smoking article or cigarette manufacturing device includes such a device or such a device arrangement which is connected upstream of a cigarette maker or a secondary unit as a tobacco preparation module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (GERMANY) GMBH
    Inventors: Dietmar Franke, Gerald Schmekel
  • Publication number: 20220110361
    Abstract: Tobacco constituent releasing components comprising an agglomerated structure formed from a precursor composition comprising tobacco particles and one or more aerosol forming agents, processes for preparing tobacco constituent releasing components, and various tobacco industry products including the tobacco constituent releasing components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Publication date: April 14, 2022
    Inventors: Matthias LINK, Ugurhan YILMAZ, Dietmar FRANKE, Frank PLÜCKHAHN
  • Patent number: 11269800
    Abstract: An integrated communication unit includes a motherboard, at least one RJ45 interface and an SPI. The motherboard includes a microcontroller that has a middleware. The RJ45 interface provides a cable-based connection to an external control unit. The SPI interface couples to a further SPI interface of an application unit. The SPI interface is configured for receiving application data of the application unit and provides the application data to the microcontroller by transmission. The microcontroller is configured to process the application data and provide the application data to an external control unit via the RJ45 interface. The integrated communication unit is configured to be mounted on a printed circuit board of the application unit by THT or SMT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Port Industrial Automation GmbH
    Inventors: Dietmar Franke, Christian Bornschein, Marcus Tangermann
  • Publication number: 20210274829
    Abstract: A method of treating cut stem tobacco material by expanding the cut stem to provide a first expanded tobacco material having a fill value at least about 10% greater than the fill value of the untreated cut stem tobacco material; intermittently contacting the first expanded tobacco material with a heated surface to provide a second expanded tobacco material with a moisture content of from 0 to about 10% OV and a fill value at least 5% greater than the fill value of the first expanded tobacco material; and (c) adjusting the moisture content of the second expanded tobacco material from about 5% to about 30% OV to provide an expanded product, wherein the fill value of the expanded product is at least 50% greater than the fill value of the untreated cut stem tobacco material when measured at a normalized moisture content of 14.5% OV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2019
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Dietmar FRANKE, Frank PLUECKHAHN, Matthias LINK, Horst GRZONKA, Thomas LINDNER
  • Publication number: 20210068443
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating tobacco material comprising intermittently contacting a tobacco starting material with a heated surface to produce a dried treated tobacco material. Also provided is an apparatus for treating tobacco material. The invention also provides treated tobacco material that is seared and dried, as well as products comprising the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Dietmar FRANKE, Oliver GRÜNER, Josef KNOTHE, Thorsten KÖNIG, Volker KUHL, Matthias LINK, Frank PLÜCKHAHN, Ruediger HARTMAN
  • Publication number: 20200163377
    Abstract: The invention relates to tobacco constituent releasing components for inclusion in an aerosol provision device, the tobacco constituent releasing component including tobacco particles, optionally in an agglomerated structure. The invention also relates to apparatus including the tobacco constituent releasing components and to methods of manufacturing the tobacco constituent releasing components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Dietmar FRANKE, Oliver GRÜNER, Josef KNOTHE, Thorsten KÖNIG, Volker KUHL, Matthias LINK, Frank PLÜCKHAHN
  • Publication number: 20190357588
    Abstract: A tobacco preparation method, where a tobacco material is prepared through at least one extrusion process including compressing the material with an increase in pressure and temperature and mechanically processing and abruptly flash drying the material at an extruder outlet, where the tobacco material includes a tobacco lamina material, where a tobacco preparation device includes a dosing conveyor and an extruder 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, where the components are designated as a unit which can be modularly delimited for processing a tobacco material including a tobacco lamina material, where an arrangement of several tobacco preparation devices and a smoking article or cigarette manufacturing device inlcudes such a device or such a device arrangement which is connected upstream of a cigarette maker or a secondary unit as a tobacco preparation module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Dietmar FRANKE, Gerald SCHMEKEL
  • Patent number: 10398166
    Abstract: A tobacco preparation method, where a tobacco material is prepared through at least one extrusion process including compressing the material with an increase in pressure and temperature and mechanically processing and abruptly flash drying the material at an extruder outlet, wherein the tobacco material includes a tobacco lamina material, where a tobacco preparation device includes a dosing conveyor and an extruder 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, where the components are designated as a unit which can be modularly delimited for processing a tobacco material including a tobacco lamina material, where an arrangement of several tobacco preparation devices and a smoking article or cigarette manufacturing device includes such a device or such a device arrangement which is connected upstream of a cigarette maker or a secondary unit as a tobacco preparation module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (GERMANY) GMBH
    Inventors: Dietmar Franke, Gerald Schmekel
  • Publication number: 20170035097
    Abstract: A tobacco preparation method, where a tobacco material is prepared through at least one extrusion process including compressing the material with an increase in pressure and temperature and mechanically processing and abruptly flash drying the material at an extruder outlet, wherein the tobacco material includes a tobacco lamina material, where a tobacco preparation device includes a dosing conveyor and an extruder 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 are designated as a unit which can be modularly delimited for processing a tobacco material including a tobacco lamina material, where an arrangement of several tobacco preparation devices and a smoking article or cigarette manufacturing device includes such a device or such a device arrangement which is connected upstream of a cigarette maker or a secondary unit as a tobacco preparation module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Dietmar Franke, Gerald Schmekel
  • 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: 9173433
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tobacco shredding device with a heatable pressure chamber (3), which has a tobacco material inlet (5) at the low-pressure end, an expansion gap outlet at the pressure end and a shaft-mounted conveyor screw (1) for conveying the tobacco material from the inlet to the outlet, and the conveyor screw shaft (19) is supported at the inlet end, and the shaft (19) extends on behind the outlet, where it is supported again by a counter bearing (17). It further relates to a method of shredding tobacco, whereby the tobacco material is introduced at the low-pressure end of a pressure chamber and is expanded and discharged at the pressure end of the chamber at a gap outlet, and the tobacco material is conveyed from the inlet to the outlet by means of a conveyor screw shaft-mounted at both end portions, and the conveyor screw is operated in a speed range of up to 600 min?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GMBH
    Inventors: Volker Kuhl, Gerald Schmekel, Dietmar Franke
  • Patent number: 9101164
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for extracting agents from a tobacco material, wherein the tobacco material is conveyed through a housing to which an extraction agent is fed and from which the extraction agent is again discharge, wherein the extraction occurs in an extruder under increased extrusion pressure by way of contacting the tobacco material with the extraction agent during a tobacco material extrusion process. The invention further relates to an extraction device for tobacco material, having a housing and a conveyor unit in the housing, and having an extraction agent inlet and an extract outlet, wherein the housing is associated with a screw extruder, wherein the extract is separated from the extruder to the outside environment by means of the pressure generated therein across the drop of pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Schmekel, Dietmar Franke
  • Publication number: 20150136151
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for extracting agents from a tobacco material, wherein the tobacco material is conveyed through a housing to which an extraction agent is fed and from which the extraction agent is again discharge, wherein the extraction occurs in an extruder under increased extrusion pressure by way of contacting the tobacco material with the extraction agent during a tobacco material extrusion process. The invention further relates to an extraction device for tobacco material, having a housing and a conveyor unit in the housing, and having an extraction agent inlet and an extract outlet, wherein the housing is associated with a screw extruder, wherein the extract is separated from the extruder to the outside environment by means of the pressure generated therein across the drop of pressure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (GERMANY) GMBH
    Inventors: Gerald SCHMEKEL, Dietmar FRANKE
  • Patent number: 8931491
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for extracting agents from a tobacco material, wherein the tobacco material is conveyed through a housing to which an extraction agent (14, 24) is fed and from which the extraction agent is again discharged, wherein the extraction occurs in an extruder (10, 20) under increased extrusion pressure by way of contacting the tobacco material with the extraction agent during a tobacco material extrusion process. The invention further relates to an extraction device for tobacco material, having a housing (13, 23) and a conveyor unit (5) in the housing, and having an extraction agent inlet (3) and an extract outlet (7), wherein the housing is associated with a screw extruder (10, 20), wherein the extract is separated from the extruder (10, 20) to the outside environment by means of the pressure generated therein across the drop of pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Gerald Schmekel, Dietmar Franke
  • Patent number: 8857075
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a smoking product from a tobacco material, wherein the tobacco material is treated using at least one extrusion process, which comprises compaction with an increase in pressure and temperature and a mechanical treatment and sudden flash drying of the material at an outlet of an extruder (1), wherein a heated process fluid (7) is supplied as a heat transfer medium to the tobacco material in the extruder (1) to supply process heat. The invention further relates to a device for producing a smoking product from a tobacco material using an extruder (1) which performs a compaction of a tobacco material with an increase in pressure and temperature and a mechanical treatment and sudden flash drying of the material at the extruder outlet, wherein the extruder (1) is associated with a heater (11), which heats a process fluid (7) that is supplied to the extruder (1) for supplying process heat as a heat transfer medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Dietmar Franke, Gerald Schmekel
  • Patent number: 8820328
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing cut tobacco material, whereby a tobacco initial material is heated and placed under pressure and once heated and placed under pressure, the material is fed through a shearing gap and expanded and defibrated. It further relates to a device for producing cut tobacco material with a pressure chamber, which has a tobacco material inlet at the low-pressure end and a tobacco material outlet at the pressure end and a conveyor system for conveying the tobacco material from the inlet to the outlet, and the tobacco material outlet has a gap through which the material passes and expands, and the gap has walls which can be moved towards one another. It further relates to a smoking article containing such a cut, defibrated tobacco material product and the use of a plug screw feeder-extruder with a shearing gap outlet for defibrating tobacco material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Werner Ehling, Gerald Schmekel, Dietmar Franke, Matthias Link
  • Patent number: 8418697
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of producing cut tobacco material, whereby a tobacco starting material is heated and brought to a first increased pressure in one method stage; whereby the tobacco material is pumped to a second increased pressure in the second method stage which is higher than the first increased pressure; and whereby the tobacco material, heated and placed under pressure, is expanded and fed through a forming tool (23).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Werner Ehling, Dietmar Franke, Gerald Schmekel