Patents Assigned to ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
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Patent number: 12708137Abstract: A cartridge of an electronic vaping device includes a flavor carrier. The flavor carrier includes an outer housing extending in a longitudinal direction, an inner housing extending in the longitudinal direction, and a flavor chamber between the outer housing and the inner housing. The outer housing includes at least one outer housing perforation defined in a wall of the outer housing. The inner housing includes at least one inner housing perforation defined in a wall of the inner housing. The flavor chamber is configured to contain a flavoring material.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2023Date of Patent: August 18, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Ali A. Rostami, Dmitriy S. Kirzhner, Eric Hawes, Yezdi Pithawalla
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Patent number: 12709084Abstract: At least some example embodiments relate to a container including a body and a lid. The body includes a base, a side wall, and an interior region at least partially defined by the base and the side wall. The lid includes a lid wall and a skirt that extends from a periphery of the lid wall. The skirt engages the body to retain the lid on the body. The skirt cooperates with the lid wall to define a cavity. The lid is formed from a laminate including a metal layer and a polymer layer coupled to the metal layer. The polymer layer is disposed inside of the metal layer with respect to the cavity. A portion of the body is disposed inside the cavity when the container is in a closed configuration. At least some example embodiments relate to a forming of manufacturing the lid.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2023Date of Patent: August 18, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Christopher J. Hession, Drew Wilkins, Todd Mccandless
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Patent number: 12708726Abstract: An aerosol-generating system includes a storage portion configured to hold an aerosol-forming substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode spaced from the first electrode, and a control system. At least a portion of the storage portion is between the first electrode and the second electrode. The portion of the storage portion between the first electrode and the second electrode holds the aerosol-forming substrate when the aerosol-forming substrate is held in the storage portion. The control system is configured to measure an electrical quantity between the first electrode and the second electrode, and identify the liquid aerosol-forming substrate held in the storage portion based on the measured electrical quantity information.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2021Date of Patent: August 18, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Oleg Mironov, Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik, Jerome Christian Courbat, Tony Reevell
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Patent number: 12708133Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring tobacco for packaging in pouches are disclosed. A system includes a hopper structured and arranged to hold a granular material in a hopper cavity. The system also includes a measuring system including a measuring cavity and a tube that is slidable in the hopper cavity between a first position unaligned with the measuring cavity and a second position over and aligned with the measuring cavity. The measuring system is configured to continuously communicate a vacuum to the measuring cavity. The measuring system is configured to move a portion of the granular material from the hopper cavity to the measuring cavity when the tube is in the first position. The measuring system is configured to move the portion of the granular material from the measuring cavity to a pouch making machine using pressurized gas that overcomes the vacuum when the tube is in the second position.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2025Date of Patent: August 18, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Herbert C. Longest, Jarrod W. Chalkley, Tamika S. Murrell, Jeremy J. Straight, Travis M. Garthaffner, Leah A. Meyers, James D. Evans
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Publication number: 20260232009Abstract: A breakable capsule such as a seamless breakable capsule useful in a smoking article or a smokeless tobacco product includes an outer shell formed of a cross-linked agar matrix including at least one filler, and an inner core surrounded by the outer shell which comprises a liquid or gel based composition of a flavorant and/or non-flavorant. The cross-linked agar matrix is reinforced with carboxymethyl cellulose that is dispersed throughout the agar matrix so as to fill empty spaces in the agar matrix and inhibit the composition from passing through the empty spaces of the agar matrix.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2026Publication date: August 13, 2026Applicant: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Munmaya K. MISHRA, Douglas FERNANDEZ
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Patent number: 12703872Abstract: The present disclosure provides approaches for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in tobacco. Some of these approaches include genetically engineering tobacco plants to increase one or more antioxidants, increase oxygen radicle absorbance capacity (ORAC), increase phenylalanine, or reduce nitrite. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants and tobacco products therefrom comprising reduced TSNAs.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 2024Date of Patent: August 11, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Chengalrayan Kudithipudi, Dongmei Xu, James Strickland, Yanxin Shen
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Patent number: 12702162Abstract: A reservoir assembly for a nicotine e-vaping device includes an outer shell, a wick, and a membrane. The outer shell includes a first opening, an inner surface of the outer shell at least partially defining a reservoir configured to hold a nicotine pre-vapor formulation. The wick extends from an interior of the reservoir to an exterior of the reservoir. The wick is configured to draw the nicotine pre-vapor formulation held in the reservoir to the exterior of the reservoir. The first membrane covers the first opening. The first membrane is one or more layers of a fabric that is liquid impermeable and air permeable.Type: GrantFiled: August 1, 2023Date of Patent: August 11, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: John H. Miller, Christopher S. Tucker
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Patent number: 12696930Abstract: Some embodiments of a smokeless tobacco system include a container including a plurality of preformed smokeless tobacco products configured to generally retain their shape and integrity during processing, shipping, and consumer handling. One or more of the preformed smokeless tobacco products are compressed between a lid and a base of the container to hinder movement of the one or more preformed smokeless tobacco products within the container. Each preformed smokeless tobacco product can include a moist smokeless tobacco in combination with a selected binder such that the final product is configured to have material properties providing improved handling, an improved mouth feel, and a satisfying flavor profile.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2022Date of Patent: August 4, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Jason Andrew Macko, James Lindsay Clark, Shannon Maxwell Black, Andrew Nathan Carroll, Srinivasan Janardhan
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Publication number: 20260218221Abstract: The present disclosure relates to tobacco plants, plant parts, seeds, compositions, and methods related to modulating the expression of novel genes in tobacco to regulate alkaloid levels.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2026Publication date: July 30, 2026Applicant: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Chengalrayan KUDITHIPUDI, Rajanikanth GOVINDARAJULU, Raja S. PAYYAVULA
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Publication number: 20260218220Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods related to tobacco plants with altered total alkaloid and nicotine levels and commercially acceptable leaf grade, their development via breeding or transgenic approaches, and production of tobacco products from these tobacco plants.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2026Publication date: July 30, 2026Applicant: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Chengalrayan KUDITHIPUDI, Dong QI, Yanxin SHEN, Ujwala WAREK, James A. STRICKLAND, Dongmei XU
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Patent number: 12690613Abstract: A capsule for a heat-not-burn (HNB) aerosol-generating device may include an inner body, an outer body around the inner body, the inner body and the outer body being concentric, the inner body and the outer body at least partly defining a cavity, an aerosol-forming substrate in the cavity, a first cap at a first end of the cavity and a second cap at a second end of the cavity, the first and second caps being configured to permit air flow from the first end of the cavity to the second end of the cavity.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2022Date of Patent: July 28, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Raymond W. Lau, Eric Hawes, James McLaren, Shaoyong Yu, Rangaraj S. Sundar, Zack W. Blackmon
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Publication number: 20260206864Abstract: A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system may include a container, a susceptor material, and an aerosol-forming substrate. The container defines a cartridge cavity. The susceptor material is positioned within the cartridge cavity. The susceptor material may define a plurality of interconnected interstices. The aerosol-forming substrate may be in the form of a gel that is solid at room temperature. The gel may be provided so as to be positioned within the plurality of interconnected interstices.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 20, 2026Publication date: July 23, 2026Applicant: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Oleg MIRONOV, Enrico STURA
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Publication number: 20260208234Abstract: A cleaner assembly for an apparatus for making pouch products includes a cleaner roller and a poker roller. The cleaner roller may counter rotate with a rotatable drum of the apparatus, in contact with an upper surface of a first elastic layer on the rotatable drum, and at a greater tangential speed than at least one surface of an outer circumferential surface of the rotatable drum or an upper surface of the first elastic layer. The poker roller includes projections that are each configured to extend into one or more divots of the rotatable drum. The poker roller may counter rotate with the rotatable drum and at a same tangential speed as the at least one surface such that the projections extend into and out of separate, respective divots of the rotatable drum based on the counter rotation of the poker roller and the rotatable drum.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 18, 2026Publication date: July 23, 2026Applicant: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Jarrod W. CHALKLEY, Robert POWELL, Christopher R. NEWCOMB, Jeremy STRAIGHT, Isaac J. MCGILL, James David EVANS, Patrick MCELHINNEY
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Publication number: 20260208894Abstract: At least one example embodiment relates to a system for filling a plurality of containers with oral products. The system comprises a container station and a shuttle assembly. The container station is configured to provide a plurality of containers. The shuttle assembly is configured to move between a first shuttle position to receive a plurality of oral products and a second shuttle position to deposit the oral products into the containers. At least one example embodiment relates to a method of filling a plurality of containers with oral products.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2026Publication date: July 23, 2026Applicant: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Travis Martin GARTHAFFNER, Tamika MURRELL, Ahmet ERCELEBI
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Patent number: 12685332Abstract: A exhausted-tobacco tablet that includes a solid solution of soluble fiber and one or more sugar alcohols, the solid solution having a glass transition temperature of less than 40° C., and exhausted-tobacco is dispersed in the solid solution, and one or more additives dispersed in the solid solution such that at least one additive is released from the tablet when the tablet is chewed or dissolved within an adult tobacco consumer's oral cavity.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2023Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Feng Gao, Diane L. Gee, Shuzhong Zhuang, Phillip M. Hulan, William J. Burke
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Patent number: 12685340Abstract: The nicotine electronic vaping device includes a nicotine reservoir, a heater and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to: determine a plurality of resistance values for the heater during a time window; calculate a percent change in resistance of the heater between a first of the plurality of resistance values and a second of the plurality of resistance values; decide whether the percent change in resistance of the heater exceeds a percent change in resistance threshold; and disable power to the heater in response to deciding that the percent change in resistance of the heater exceeds the percent change in resistance threshold.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2020Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Niall Gallagher, Terrance Theodore Bache, Rangaraj S. Sundar, Jarrett Keen, Raymond W. Lau, Eric Hawes
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Patent number: 12685336Abstract: The method includes establishing a housing defining chambers, the chambers including a first chamber and a second chamber, each of the chambers being configured to accept a consumable, and configuring a mouthpiece to be selectively connected to the housing on an end of the chambers in at least a first position or a second position, the first position aligning an inlet opening of the mouthpiece to direct at least one first airflow in a first direction through the first chamber and in a second direction through the second chamber, the second position aligning the inlet opening of the mouthpiece to direct the at least one first airflow in the first direction through the second chamber and in the second direction through the first chamber, the first direction and the second direction being substantially opposite directions.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2023Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventor: Tony Reevell
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Patent number: RE50963Abstract: An aerosol-generating system includes a liquid-storage portion configured to hold a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a control system. The second electrode is spaced from the first electrode. At least a portion of the liquid storage portion is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode. The control system is configured to measure an electrical quantity between the first electrode and the second electrode, and detect a draw on the aerosol-generating system based on the measured electrical quantity information.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2022Date of Patent: July 21, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Oleg Mironov, Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik, Jerome Christian Courbat, Tony Reevell
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Patent number: D1137851Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2025Date of Patent: July 28, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Bayden Filleul, Michael Nolan, Florent Cuchet
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Patent number: D1142434Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2024Date of Patent: August 18, 2026Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Terry Bache, Ryan Mcginley, Nicola Westgarth-Flynn, Eric Hawes, Raymond W. Lau, Zack W. Blackmon