Patents Assigned to Philip Morris USA Inc.
  • Patent number: 10537131
    Abstract: Electrically heated cigarettes used in an electrical smoking system include a flavoring-release additive and sorbent effective to remove one or more gas-phase constituents of mainstream tobacco smoke. The flavoring-release additive includes gamma cyclodextrin and at least one flavoring. Flavoring is released in a cigarette upon the flavoring-release additive reaching at least a minimum temperature during smoking. The flavoring-release additive can have various forms including, for example, powder and films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra, Susan E. Wrenn, Jay A Fournier
  • Publication number: 20190380392
    Abstract: An electrically heated aerosol generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate includes at least one heating element for heating the substrate to form the aerosol and a power supply for supplying power to the at least one heating element. The power supply includes a voltage source, two or more supercapacitors, and switches between the voltage source and the two or more supercapacitors. The switches are arranged so that, during a charging mode, the supercapacitors are connected so as to be charged by the voltage source and, during a heating mode, the supercapacitors are connected so as to discharge through the at least one heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Felix FERNANDO, Franck Pourrat, Jean-Pierre Cordey
  • Publication number: 20190364953
    Abstract: A consumable tobacco film strip adapted to dissolve in the oral cavity includes a tobacco component, a binder, a humectant, and optionally a flavorant. The tobacco component can include ground or powdered tobacco and/or a tobacco extract. Tobacco flavoring can be incorporated in the film strip by casting or extruding a mixture or the tobacco component may be added to a film strip after formation of the film. The film strips are adapted to dissolve and provide tobacco satisfaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Susan E. Wrenn, Maria Carolina Marun
  • Publication number: 20190364975
    Abstract: An electrically heated smoking system includes a secondary unit capable of receiving a smoking article having an aerosol-forming substrate. The secondary unit includes at least one heating element and an interface for connection to a primary power supply for supplying electrical power to the at least one heating element during a pre-heating mode, to increase the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate to an operating temperature. The secondary unit further includes a secondary power supply arranged to supply electrical power to the at least one heating element during a smoking mode, to maintain the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate at substantially the operating temperature. The secondary unit also includes secondary circuitry. The electrically heated smoking system optionally includes a primary unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Felix Fernando, Marc-Robert Chemla, Fredrik Stahle
  • Patent number: 10497223
    Abstract: A system and method for distribution of product price and/or sales data in a retail establishment. Product price and/or sales data is stored locally, either in a central computer or master electronic cash register (ECR) or remotely at a master computer. The product price data is stored in the form of a price look-up (PLU) table. The price data can be pushed from the master ECR, local or master computers to and ECR emulation hub to an ECR emulation hub. Similarly, the ECR emulation hub can request product price data from the master ECR, local or master computers. Once the product price data arrives at the ECR emulation hub, it can be processed and sent to a display, which will be located near the appropriate product. The ECR emulation hub can also record and/or transmit prices actually charged for products over time to allow for automatic auditing of promotional pricing offers such as those made by manufacturers of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventor: William R. Sweeney
  • Patent number: 10492523
    Abstract: An oral pouched product comprising a pouch containing moist botanical beads comprising compacted loose, fibrous moist botanical material and method of manufacture thereof. The loose, fibrous moist botanical material can comprise moist smokeless tobacco. The pouch comprises a porous outer web, and the beads comprise a majority amount of loose, fibrous moist botanical material having a moisture content of at least about 50% OV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Diane L. Gee, David Golob, Stephen G. Zimmermann
  • Publication number: 20190361863
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to a method and apparatus for storing data for a batch of manufactured items. The method comprises defining in a processor, using a lower limit identifier and an upper limit identifier, a range of unique item identifiers for the batch, wherein each manufactured item in the batch is allocated a unique item identifier falling within the range. The item identifiers are stored in allocated storage space. If an upper limit identifier is specified for each time interval, an amount of storage specified for all manufactured items during a production time period is calculated as a sum of a first product and a second product, the first product being a product of a production time and a size allocated to each upper limit identifier, and the second product being a product of the production time, a total number of manufactured items, and a percentage of unused identifiers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicant: PHILIP MORRIS USA INC.
    Inventors: Erwan FRADET, Alain SAGER, Patrick MAUROUX, Patrick CHANEZ, Philippe CHATELAIN
  • Patent number: 10485266
    Abstract: A smoking system includes a capillary wick for holding liquid, at least one air inlet, at least one air outlet and a chamber between the air inlet and air outlet. The air inlet, the air outlet and the chamber are arranged so as to define an air flow route from the air inlet to the air outlet via the capillary wick so as to convey aerosol formed from the liquid to the air outlet. The smoking system further includes at least one guide for channeling the air flow in the air flow route, so as to control particle size in the aerosol. The smoking system optionally includes at least one heater for heating the liquid in at least a portion of the capillary wick to form the aerosol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Michel Thorens, Jean-Marc Flick, Olivier Yves Cochand, Flavien Dubief
  • Patent number: 10489615
    Abstract: An intermetallic or iron aluminide magnetically readable medium and a method of forming and reading the same are provided herein. Also provided is an identification card or tag, a key, an anti-counterfeiting measure, an anti-forging measure. The intermetallic or iron aluminide magnetically readable medium includes a magnetically readable surface, wherein the magnetically readable surface contains one or more first magnetically readable regions of the intermetallic or iron aluminide surrounded by one or more second magnetically readable regions. Additionally, the intermetallic or iron aluminide magnetically readable medium can be coated, encapsulated or concealed within a material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Seetharama C. Deevi, Kudumboor Venkat Rao, Valter Strom, Ziyan Gu
  • Patent number: 10485265
    Abstract: Wrapper for cigarette manufacture includes transversely extending band regions applied by a printing technique, such as gravure printing. The band regions comprise starch, an anti-wrinkling agent such as 1,2 propylene glycol or glycerin, and optionally calcium carbonate. Any suitable printing technique can be used to apply the aqueous solution to the banded regions. The pattern of banded regions may be bands, stripes, two-dimensional arrays, undulated regions, and the like along and/or around the tobacco rod. The pattern can be applied in one or more layers. The pattern may be configured so that when a smoking article is placed on a substrate, at least two longitudinal locations along the length of the tobacco rod have film-forming compound located only on sides of the smoking article not in contact with the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Ping Li, Firooz Rasouli, Rajesh K. Garg, Randall E. Baren, Marc W. Rose, Peter J. Lipowicz, Tony A. Phan, Timothy S. Sherwood, Szu-Sung Yang, Donald E. Miser, Milton E. Parrish
  • Publication number: 20190307114
    Abstract: An insect trap useful for trapping flying insects, the insect trap comprising an upper housing including at least one horizontal row of light emitting diodes extending across an outer surface of a curved front wall such that light from each of the light emitting diodes is projected outwardly from the upper housing at a different angle than adjacent light emitting diodes in the horizontal row of light emitting diodes, a base housing including an opening through which insects can enter an interior of the base housing, and an insect trapping element facing the opening in the base housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Lizbel I. Cajigas, Hoc V. Nguyen, Peter Edde, Anh N. Dinh, David Gabriel Bustos
  • Publication number: 20190300273
    Abstract: A reclosable container for consumer items includes a box, a lid hingedly connected to the box, an inner liner wrapped around the consumer items, the inner liner including a section defining an opening for allowing access to the consumer items, means to open and reclose the opening, and an inner frame attached to the box. The inner frame includes a free inner frame portion protruding from the box towards the opening in the inner liner. The free inner frame portion includes a cut out and the inner frame is attached to the inner liner proximate to the cut out.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventor: Bodo-Werner Lutzig
  • Patent number: 10426190
    Abstract: A portioned moist tobacco product with a super-hydrated membrane coating and method of manufacturing is disclosed. The super-hydrated membrane coating is formed by ionic cross-linking using two polymers. The soluble component of the super-hydrated membrane coating dissolves upon placement in the mouth, while the insoluble component maintains the tobacco within the coating for the duration of the use of the product. The moist tobacco product is soft and flexible so as to fit comfortably in an oral cavity when placed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra, William R. Sweeney, Shensheng Liu, Kenneth A. Newman, Steven J. Hovjacky
  • Publication number: 20190289903
    Abstract: A smoking article includes a sheet material including a fibrous layer formed of cellulosic fibres and at least 50% by weight of inorganic filler material having a particle size in range of from 0.1 microns and 50 microns, wherein the sheet material has a tensile strength of at least 900 N/m. The fibrous layer includes a binder material, such as an organic binder material. The organic binder material can be a cellulosic binder material. A coating layer may be provided on at least one side of the fibrous layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2019
    Publication date: September 26, 2019
    Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Laurent Poget, Alexandre Malgat, Christoph Sorg, Andreas Hofenauer, David Croll, Rolf Gericke
  • Publication number: 20190269171
    Abstract: An apparatus and processes for producing compound cigarette filters by horizontally assembling multiple filter segments onto the horizontally oriented transverse flutes of a continuous belt. Spaced apart hoppers are serially arranged above the belt, and each hopper contains at least one of the multiple segments of the compound filter being assembled. A transfer structure between each hopper and the belt serially delivers the filter segments to the flutes on the belt, and after such assembly the various filter segments are removed as a group from each flute of the continuous belt. The filter segments are then combined as a group with wrapped tobacco rods to thereby produce filtered cigarettes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Michael S. BRAUNSHTEYN, Raquel M. OLEGARIO
  • Patent number: 10398170
    Abstract: An electrically heated aerosol generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate includes at least one heating element for heating the substrate to form the aerosol and a power supply for supplying power to the at least one heating element. The power supply includes a voltage source, two or more supercapacitors, and switches between the voltage source and the two or more supercapacitors. The switches are arranged so that, during a charging mode, the supercapacitors are connected so as to be charged by the voltage source and, during a heating mode, the supercapacitors are connected so as to discharge through the at least one heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: PHILIP MORRIS USA INC.
    Inventors: Felix Fernando, Franck Pourrat, Jean-Pierre Cordey
  • Publication number: 20190261694
    Abstract: An electrically heated aerosol-generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate includes a heating element including a first electrically conductive element electrically insulated from a second electrically conductive element by an electrically insulating portion. The first and second elements are elongate and are electrically connected to each other by an electrically resistive portion. At least one electrically conductive element and the electrically resistive portion are arranged such that they are at least partially in contact with the aerosol-forming substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Olivier GREIM, Julien Plojoux, Dani Ruscio
  • Patent number: 10390564
    Abstract: An electrically heated smoking system includes a secondary unit capable of receiving a smoking article having an aerosol-forming substrate. The secondary unit includes at least one heating element and an interface for connection to a primary power supply for supplying electrical power to the at least one heating element during a pre-heating mode, to increase the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate to an operating temperature. The secondary unit further includes a secondary power supply arranged to supply electrical power to the at least one heating element during a smoking mode, to maintain the temperature of the aerosol-forming substrate at substantially the operating temperature. The secondary unit also includes secondary circuitry. The electrically heated smoking system optionally includes a primary unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: PHILIP MORRIS USA INC.
    Inventors: Felix Fernando, Marc-Robert Chemla, Fredrik Stahle
  • Publication number: 20190261460
    Abstract: A heater for heating an aerosol-forming substrate includes a plurality of elongate heating elements arranged in an elongate array. The elongate array has a support end with a first dimension, a heating end with a second dimension and a middle portion with a third dimension. The array is arranged to heat the substrate to form an aerosol. The third dimension is greater than the first dimension and greater than the second dimension. An electrically heated aerosol generating system can include the heater.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Applicant: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Olivier GREIM, Felix FERNANDO, Charles HIGGINS
  • Patent number: 10383355
    Abstract: A consumable tobacco film strip adapted to dissolve in the oral cavity includes a tobacco component, a binder, a humectant, and optionally a flavorant. The tobacco component can include ground or powdered tobacco and/or a tobacco extract. Tobacco flavoring can be incorporated in the film strip by casting or extruding a mixture or the tobacco component may be added to a film strip after formation of the film. The film strips are adapted to dissolve and provide tobacco satisfaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Susan E. Wrenn, Maria Carolina Marun