Patents by Inventor Susan E. Wrenn

Susan E. Wrenn 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).

  • Patent number: 5666976
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing cigarettes including the steps of establishing a succession of 2-up hollow plugs in alternating relation to 2-up tobacco plugs and wrapping same in a tobacco web and overwrap, severing the resultant continuous rod at mid points of preselected 2-up tobacco plugs and severing again to establish associated pairs of singular tobacco rod plugs, separating the members of associated pairs of tobacco rod plugs and placing 2-up filter tipping plugs therebetween, and subsequently wrapping the interposed 2-up filter tipping plug together with adjacent portions of the singular tobacco rod plugs and severing the resultant tipped structure into individual cigarettes. Also provided are cigarettes constructed in accordance with the novel method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: John M. Adams, Mikhail S. Braunshteyn, Mary Ellen Counts, Gerald M. Dale, Charles W. Harris, Donald H. Jones, Billy J. Keen, Jr., Wesley G. Sanderson, Barry S. Smith, Brett W. Stevenson, Susan E. Wrenn
  • Patent number: 5666978
    Abstract: A smoking system is provided in which a replaceable cigarette containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of electrical heater elements contained within a lighter to evolve tobacco flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. The cigarette and lighter are adapted to provide air flow patterns through the smoking system such that air flows transversely into the cigarette. Such patterns improve aerosol and flavor delivery to the smoker and reduce the condensation of residual heater-region vapor/aerosol in the smoking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 16, 1997
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Counts, Seetharama C. Deevi, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Mohammad R. Hajalogol, Patrick H. Hayes, Charles T. Higgins, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Billy J. Keen, Jr., Bernard C. Laroy, Peter J. Lipowicz, Donald E. Miser, Constance H. Nichols, William H. Stevens, Mantharam Subbiah, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn
  • Patent number: 5649554
    Abstract: A lighter is provided having a tobacco flavor heating system which includes a rotatable tobacco containing disc or spiral. This disc or spiral is registered in thermal proximity to a heating element and heated to generate tobacco flavors in response to a sensor. The disc and spiral are sized to provide a convenient number of puffs before disposal. Housings are provided for the disc and spiral to store, register and dispose the tobacco product efficiently. An induction heating system can be employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1997
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: F. Murphy Sprinkel, Amitabh Das, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Everett C. Grollimund, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Peter J. Lipowicz, Ulysses Smith, James M. Washington, Susan E. Wrenn
  • Patent number: 5613504
    Abstract: A smoking article is provided in which a replaceable tobacco flavor unit containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of permanent reusable heaters to evolve flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. Each heater heats only a portion of the available tobacco flavor material so that a plurality of individual puffs of tobacco flavor substance can be delivered sequentially to the smoker. The replaceable tobacco flavor unit can also include a filter to reduce the effect of residual aerosol which settles or condenses on the permanent portions of the article and which can result in off-tastes when reheated. A method and apparatus for manufacturing the replaceable tobacco flavor unit is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Alfred L. Collins, Mary E. Counts, Amitabh Das, Seetharama C. Deevi, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Charles T. Higgins, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Billy J. Keen, Jr., Robert E. Lee, III, A. Clifton Lilly, Jr., D. Bruce Losee, Jr., Hugh J. McCafferty, Constance H. Nichols, Wynn R. Raymond, Robert L. Ripley, Renzer R. Ritt, Sr., G. Robert Scott, F. Murphy Sprinkel, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn, Francis V. Utsch
  • Patent number: 5613505
    Abstract: An induction heating source is provided for use with an electrical smoking article. The induction heating source provides an alternating electromagnetic field which inductively heats a susceptor in thermal proximity with tobacco flavor medium to generate aerosols. A plurality of induction heaters are employed and/or the tobacco flavor medium is translated with respect to the induction heater or susceptor. The tobacco flavor medium can form an intimate structure with the susceptor and can take the form of a cylindrical cigarette or a web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: John M. Campbell, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Charles T. Higgins, Robert L. Ripley, David E. Sharpe, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn
  • Patent number: 5505214
    Abstract: A smoking article is provided in which a replaceable tobacco flavor unit containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of permanent reusable heaters to evolve flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. Each heater heats only a portion of the available tobacco flavor material so that a plurality of individual puffs of tobacco flavor substance can be delivered sequentially to the smoker. The replaceable tobacco flavor unit can also include a filter to reduce the effect of residual aerosol which settles or condenses on the permanent portions of the article and which can result in undesirable flavor generation when reheated. A method and apparatus for manufacturing the replaceable tobacco flavor unit is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Alfred L. Collins, Mary E. Counts, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Billy J. Keen, Jr., D. Bruce Losee, Jr., Constance H. Nichols, Wynn R. Raymond, F. Murphy Sprinkel, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn, Francis V. Utsch
  • Patent number: 5499636
    Abstract: A novel cigarette adapted for use in an electrical cigarette system comprising a tobacco rod having filled and untilled tobacco rod portions and being arranged so that electrical heater elements may overlap the filled and untilled tobacco rod portions. The tobacco rod includes a tobacco web rolled into tubular form. The tobacco web is constructed in accordance with a novel process comprising the steps of converting tobacco feedstock into a continuous sheet of tobacco web and converting the continuous sheet of tobacco web into one or more bobbins of tobacco web suitable for automated manufacture of cigarettes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: James D. Baggett, Jr., David A. Clark, Patrick C. Cowling, Richard G. Uhl, Susan E. Wrenn
  • Patent number: 5479948
    Abstract: An electrical smoking article is provided in which tobacco flavor medium is carried past a heater by a continuous web. The web, which preferably is substantially non-combustible, may bear continuous tobacco flavor medium or spaced-apart portions of tobacco flavor medium. A flavor cassette for such an electrical smoking article is also provided. The cassette resembles a conventional recording tape microcassette, having the web in place of magnetic tape. The cassette may also include the heater past which the tape is indexed to heat individual portions of tobacco flavor medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Mary E. Counts, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Kenneth S. Houghton, A. Clifton Lilly, Jr., Peter J. Lipowicz, James L. Myracle, F. Murphy Sprinkel, James M. Washington, Susan E. Wrenn
  • Patent number: 5388594
    Abstract: A smoking system is provided in which a replaceable cigarette containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of electrical heater elements contained within a lighter to evolve tobacco flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. The cigarette and lighter are adapted to provide air flow patterns through the smoking system such that air flows transversely into the cigarette. Such patterns improve aerosol and flavor delivery to the smoker and reduce the condensation of residual heater-region vapor/aerosol in the smoking system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1995
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Mary E. Counts, Seetharama C. Deevi, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Mohammad R. Hajalogol, Patrick H. Hayes, Charles T. Higgins, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Billy J. Keen, Jr., Bernard C. Laroy, Peter J. Lipowicz, Donald E. Miser, Constance H. Nichols, William H. Stevens, Mantharam Subbiah, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn
  • Patent number: 5369723
    Abstract: A tobacco flavor unit is provided for use in a smoking article for delivering to a smoker a tobacco flavor substance, the smoking article having electrical heating means disposed in a cavity. The tobacco flavor unit includes a carbon fibrous mat and tobacco flavor medium disposed on the mat for providing for the efficient generation of tobacco flavor substance. The carbon mat includes carbon fibers that are made from a precursor selected from the group consisting of rayon, pitch and polyacrylonitrile. A smoking article incorporating the tobacco flavor unit is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Mary E. Counts, Susan E. Wrenn