Patents Assigned to British-American Tobacco
  • Patent number: 6595217
    Abstract: Cigarette filter rod employs as filtration material moisture disintegrative paper. The moisture disintegration index of the paper does not exceed 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco Company Limited
    Inventors: Paul David Case, Martin Coleman
  • Patent number: 6578584
    Abstract: The invention relates to a smoking article (1) having a high proportion of non-combustible, inorganic material and a relatively low level of visible sidestream. The smoking article includes a substantially non-combustible, wrapper (5) which extends along the full length of the smoking material rod and enwraps a combustible fuel source (6) and aerosol generator (7), both of which extend substantially along the length of the smoking material rod. Various suitable fuel source systems and aerosol generating systems are described. The article has a visible burn line which advances along the article and produces an ash which can be removed by the smoker in the normal way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2003
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventors: John Lawson Beven, David John Dittrich, Colin Campbell Greig, Richard Geoffrey Hook, Kevin Gerard McAdam, Rosemary Elizabeth O'Reilly
  • Patent number: 6550483
    Abstract: A cigarette is provided with a filter comprising a filter element of water-disintegratable paper. The paper is water swellable and/or the filter element comprises a water swellable agent. Tipping which interattaches the filter to the tobacco rod of the cigarette is anchored by means of water susceptible adhesive. Thus when the cigarette comes into contact with sufficient water, the filter element swells and the tipping opens away from the filter. This facilitates disintegration of the water-disintegratable paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2003
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventor: David John Dittrich
  • Patent number: 6542234
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of detecting the particles of a tobacco particle stream in the production of smokable articles by scanning by means of a fine-beam light barrier, the diameter of which is smaller than the dimensions of the tobacco particles, and from the distribution of the dimensions of the tobacco particles determined by darkening of the fine-beam light barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Reinhard Ulrich, Arno Weiss, Gerald Schmekel, Heinz-Werner Masurat, Uwe Werner Ehling
  • Publication number: 20030047470
    Abstract: A rigid pack of smoking articles is made to have improved shelf life and to be resealable. A barrier material is sealed around the rigid pack. The rigid pack has a potential or actual access aperture extending from a top face into a major face. The barrier material has a line of severance or weakening defining a flap, which is in register with the potential or actual access aperture. Over the flap is a layer which overlaps it on each severable side with a portion having permanently-tacky adhesive. A non-adhered pull tab is preferably provided on the layer. To open the pack the user lifts the flap and if necessary the access aperture. After removal of a smoking article the gap in the barrier layer is reclosed and released by the repositioning of the adhesive layer, carrying with it the flap of barrier material. A machine for assembling the pack is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2002
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Applicant: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventor: Michael Patrick Parker
  • Patent number: 6505735
    Abstract: A label (7) for resealing an enclosure of a cigarette pack is provided with a pull tab (10) defined by a cut (16) through one layer (14) of a two-layer structure (14, 15), the tab surface (19) being non-adhesive but at least part of the corresponding surface of the major portion of the label being permanently tacky (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventor: Michael Patrick Parker
  • Publication number: 20020189624
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprising a Laval nozzle, in which the speed of sound is attained in the narrowest cross section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
  • Publication number: 20020185755
    Abstract: The invention relates to process gas conditioning for tobacco dryers. In particular, it relates to a device for conditioning process gas for a tobacco dryer, in particular a flow dryer, comprising a means for introducing and vaporizing water to be added to the process gas, wherein the means comprises a vaporization unit arranged before the tobacco dryer and before the tobacco is introduced into the process gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2002
    Publication date: December 12, 2002
    Applicant: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss, Dietmar Franke
  • Patent number: 6488142
    Abstract: The invention relates to a banderole handling device including at least one cassette arranged for supplying banderoles to a banderoling machine, a closure for the discharge end of each cassette and including a cassette support, wherein each cassette is arranged substantially vertically at the cassette support and is positionable above a banderole feeder chute of the banderoling machine. In addition, the invention relates to device for arresting a cassette including banderoles relative to a banderole feeder chute of a banderoling machine, including a closure for the discharge opening of the cassette wherein the closure is configured so that it is accommodated in a receiving portion arranged in a fixed position relative to the banderoling machine or banderole feeder chute during its opening operation. The invention relates further to a system for filling cassettes with stacks of banderoles, in which the cassettes are filled by means of a banderole stack feeder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Herrmann, Thomas Jung, Rolf Kramp, Norbert Schulte, Wolfgang Wurf, Heiko Hertrich
  • Patent number: 6478032
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cigarette paper having a low total filler content, 20% by weight of the paper or less, a proportion of the filler being a filler capable of effecting visible sidestream smoke reduction. The basis weight of the paper is about 30 g m−2 or more. Smoking articles made with such papers provide a synergistic sidestream smoke component reduction when compared with control cigarettes. Papers according to the invention with the addition of various burn additives are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventors: Paul David Case, Alan George Stephenson
  • Patent number: 6478149
    Abstract: A rigid pack of smoking articles is made to have improved shelf life and to be resealable. A barrier material is sealed around the rigid pack. The rigid pack has a potential or actual access aperture extending from a top face into a major face. The barrier material has a line of severance or weakening defining a flap, which is in register with the potential or actual access aperture. Over the flap is a layer which overlaps it on each severable side with a portion having permanently-tacky adhesive. A non-adhered pull tab is preferably provided on the layer. To open the pack the user lifts the flap and if necessary the access aperture. After removal of a smoking article the gap in the barrier layer is reclosed and resealed by the repositioning of the adhesive layer, carrying with it the flap of barrier material. A machine for assembling the pack is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Ltd.
    Inventor: Michael Patrick Parker
  • Patent number: 6435342
    Abstract: A pack for cigarettes and the like has the action of a conventional “flip-top” hinge-lid pack. Cigarettes (22) inside the pack are arranged with the axes parallel to the axis of pivot (10) of the lid (3) and are presented when the lid is open in an enclosure formed by a liner (13) of the pack, with a side wall (16) preventing sideways escape of the cigarettes but with an access opening allowing withdrawal of cigarettes by movement along their axis (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventor: Hjarald Edgar Agnes
  • Patent number: 6408856
    Abstract: The invention relates to a smokable filler material which attempts to mimic tobacco leaf in its simplest components in order to provide a simpler smoke to the smoker. The smokable filler material comprises aerosol generating means, a substantially non-combustible inorganic filler, a binder and an extract from a flavorful fuel source material. It may also comprise a biopolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2002
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventor: Kevin Gerard McAdam
  • Patent number: 6397852
    Abstract: A smokeable filler material which includes casing material as a fuel material, along with an inorganic filler, a binder and an aerosol generating source. This material has good taste and flavour characteristics and contains relatively little tobacco material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventor: Kevin Gerard McAdam
  • Patent number: 6397851
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprising a Laval nozzle, in which the speed of sound is attained in the narrowest cross section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
  • Patent number: 6311696
    Abstract: The invention relates to low delivery cigarettes, usually having a mainstream particulate matter delivery of about 9 mg or less. An embodiment has a rod of tobacco material and a filter element. The filter element is an alkali filter material section having a loading level of less than 12% by weight of the section. The characteristics of the cigarettes are arranged so that, when smoked, the alkaline filter material is exposed to an amount of smoke acceptable to achieve an increased perception of smoke impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco Company Limited
    Inventors: David John Dittrich, Richard Thomas Fiebelkorn
  • Patent number: 6296113
    Abstract: A hinge lid cigarette packet has an upper lid and a lower lid. The packet is constructed from a blank which is of a configuration which is symmetrical about the longitudinal centerline thereof. The upper lid is formed, in conventional fashion, of specifically lid panels of the blank, whereas the lower lid is formed of portions of what in a conventional single hinge lid packet are body panels. In order for the second lid to be moved from its closed position on the first opening thereof, front and side panels of the lid are separated at lines of weakening from bounding body panels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) LTD
    Inventors: Jochen Bartels, Jürgen Fiebiger, Thomas Weinhold
  • Patent number: 6289897
    Abstract: A smoking article filler material which comprises a proportion of a non-tobacco, plant material which has an initially high fat or high oil content. The high fat or high oil containing material in combination with a non-combustible inorganic filler, a binder, and an aerosol generating source provides a smokable filler material which may also have a low coal static peak burning temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: British-American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventors: Kevin Gerard McAdam, Rosemary Elizabeth O'Reilly, Delphine Vernet
  • Patent number: 6276522
    Abstract: The invention relates to a non-hinge lid smoking article pack, blank and print layout therefor which blank and print layout utilize a reduced amount of cartonboard and have reduced cartonboard waste from the print layout arrangement. Attempts to maximize interdigitation of blanks is proposed, whereby a saving of about 10% or more of cartonboard usage over a conventional hinge-lid pack can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventor: Sidney John Walter
  • Patent number: D462139
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: British American Tobacco (Investments) Limited
    Inventors: Stefan Sagmeister, Hjalti Karlsson