Patents Examined by Christopher M Rodd
  • Patent number: 12268235
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for manufacturing cut reconstituted tobacco, the apparatus being based on a method whereby: a flavoring solution is supplied on an initial reconstituted tobacco sheet by using a flavoring apparatus; a plurality of intermediate reconstituted tobacco sheets are manufactured by cutting the initial reconstituted tobacco sheet using a primary cutter, a plurality of reconstituted tobacco strands are manufactured by cutting the plurality of intermediate reconstituted tobacco sheets in the longitudinal direction using a plurality of secondary cutters; and a plurality of pieces of cut reconstituted tobacco are manufactured by cutting the plurality of reconstituted tobacco strands in the transverse direction using a plurality of tertiary cutters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: KT&G CORPORATION
    Inventor: Dae Nam Han
  • Patent number: 12268238
    Abstract: A consumable for a smoking substitute device. The consumable comprising: a heating device, for heating a vapourisable liquid; an electrical contact, for connecting to a power supply terminal of the smoking substitute device; and a boss, located adjacent to the electrical contact. The boss resists physical deformation of the electrical contact when the electrical contact is connected to the power supply terminal of the smoking substitute device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Imperial Tobacco Limited
    Inventors: Peter Lomas, Chris Lord
  • Patent number: 12268233
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating article is provided, including an aerosol-forming substrate, the aerosol-forming substrate including a sheet, including: a fibrous material including cellulose fibres; one or more nicotine salts; sugar; and at least one aerosol former, the sheet having an aerosol former content of at least 15% by weight on a dry weight basis, and the sheet including no tobacco material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Deforel, Judith Waller, Gerard Zuber
  • Patent number: 12268234
    Abstract: A heatable aerosol-generating article is provided, including an aerosol generating rod, the aerosol generating rod including a sheet for an aerosol-generating device, the sheet including: cellulosic material including cellulose powder, a weight ratio of cellulose powder to total cellulosic material in the sheet on a dry weight basis being greater than about 1:2; one or more nicotine salts; and at least one aerosol former, the sheet having an aerosol former content of at least 10% by weight on a dry weight basis, the sheet including no tobacco material, and a weight ratio of aerosol former to nicotine salt in the sheet on a dry weight basis being between 15:1 and 3:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Corinne Deforel, Judith Waller, Gerard Zuber
  • Patent number: 12268232
    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: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) LIMITED
    Inventors: Dietmar Franke, Oliver Grüner, Josef Knothe, Thorsten König, Volker Kuhl, Matthias Link, Frank Plückhahn, Ruediger Hartman
  • Patent number: 12262729
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides aerosol generating substrates and aerosol source members comprising aerosol generating substrates, as well as methods of manufacturing thereof. In an example implementation, an aerosol generating substrate may comprise a fibrous filler material, an aerosol forming material, and a plurality of heat conducting constituents, wherein the substrate is formed as a sheet, and wherein the heat conducting constituents are part of the sheet. The heat conducting constituents may be incorporated within the sheet, or may be formed on a surface of the sheet. In another example implementation, an aerosol source member may comprise a substrate portion formed of a collection of intermingled pieces cut from an aerosol substrate sheet. In addition, or alternatively, a substrate portion may be formed of a series of overlapping layers of an aerosol substrate sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Andries Sebastian, Stephen Benson Sears, Billy Tyrone Conner, Rajesh Sur, S. Keith Cole, Thaddeus Jackson, Timothy Frederick Thomas, Paul E. Braxton, Curtis Foster Doe, Vahid Hejazi, Kathryn Lynn Wilberding
  • Patent number: 12262739
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating system includes a cigarette and an aerosol-generating apparatus. The cigarette includes a medium part including a tobacco material, a flavor unit including a flavoring material and a moisturizer, and a wrapper configured to wrap the medium part and the flavor unit. The aerosol-generating apparatus includes a first heater arranged on a portion corresponding to the medium part and configured to directly heat the medium part and indirectly heat the flavor unit by using heat transmitted through the wrapper, and a processor configured to control the first heater to make the aerosol-generating apparatus operate in a smoke-free mode in which no visible smoke is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: KT&G CORPORATION
    Inventors: Sun Hwan Jung, Sung Hoon Ha, Chan Min Kwon
  • Patent number: 12262737
    Abstract: A lavatory door including an ashtray is disclosed herein. The lavatory door includes a door panel having a first side and an opposing second side and the ashtray disposed within the door panel. The ashtray includes a first outer panel disposed along the first side of the door panel and configured to move away from the door panel, a second outer panel, opposite the first outer panel, disposed along the second side of the door panel and configured to move away from the door panel, and a bottom surface extending from the first outer panel to the second outer panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: B/E AEROSPACE, INC.
    Inventors: Scott Marley, Oscar Ruiz Lara, Travis John Vaninetti, Charles F. Forster
  • Patent number: 12263629
    Abstract: A mold includes a position adjustment mechanism that receives a shaft portion extending from a cavity mold, which accommodates a preform, and adjusts a position where the cavity mold is held on a plane intersecting an extending direction of the shaft portion. The position adjustment mechanism includes a first member in which a linear cam hole that receives the shaft portion is formed, and a second member that is disposed to overlap the first member in the extending direction of the shaft portion and rotates with respect to the first member along a plane. The second member has an elongated hole that intersects the cam hole in a direction of the plane and positions the shaft portion together with the cam hole. Further, a position where the cam hole and the elongated hole intersect each other moves along a longitudinal direction of the cam hole by rotation of the second member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: NISSEI ASB MACHINE CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daizaburo Takehana, Yukihiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 12262731
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cut-stem separating and baffling apparatus and a primary air separation apparatus. The cut-stem separating and baffling apparatus includes a cut-stem separating baffle and struts; and the strut includes a base, a hanging panel, and an inner hexagon adjustment bolt, where the base includes a connecting segment and a support segment that are connected to each other, where the connecting segment is located above the cut-stem separating baffle, and the support segment is located behind the cut-stem separating baffle; the hanging panel includes a transverse hanging panel, and a longitudinal hanging panel, and a connecting hanging panel is disposed in a direction of the longitudinal hanging panel toward the cut-stem separating baffle, where the connecting hanging panel is connected to the cut-stem separating baffle; and the connecting segment of the base is connected to the transverse hanging panel using the inner hexagon adjustment bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Zhangjiakou Cigarette Factory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhen Wang, Shubin Jin, Peng Ji, Jianlong Zhang, Duanduan Li, Laihong Zhou, Huge Liu, Xiaohua Yang, Zhaohui Ma
  • Patent number: 12257568
    Abstract: A method of preparing a superabsorbent polymer includes preparing a base resin in which an acrylic acid-based monomer having acidic groups which are at least partially neutralized and an internal crosslinking agent are crosslinked; and heating the base resin in the presence of a surface crosslinking agent to carry out surface modification of the base resin, wherein the internal crosslinking agent includes a first epoxy crosslinking agent having an epoxy equivalent weight of 100 g/eq or more to less than 130 g/eq, and a second epoxy crosslinking agent having an epoxy equivalent weight of 130 g/eq or more. A superabsorbent polymer having improved rewetting property liquid permeability is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Young Jae Hur, Taebin Ahn, Dong Hoon Park, Jihye Ryu
  • Patent number: 12250969
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an aerosol delivery device and a holder for use with a removable substrate cartridge. In one implementation, the holder includes a main body defining a proximal end and a distal end, the main body further defining a receiving chamber configured to receive at least a portion of a substrate cartridge, and an aerosol passageway that extends through at least a portion of the main body, a power source, and a modular lighter configured to ignite the ignitable heat source. The modular lighter is powered by the power source and is engageable with and separable from the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
    Inventors: Thaddeus Jackson, Jared Aller, Billy T. Conner, Bill Webb, Chris Harsacky
  • Patent number: 12252610
    Abstract: Disclosed is a blended polyester thin film, comprising a copolyester and a homopolyester. The thin film is composed of upper, middle, and lower layers. Each of the three layers is a homogeneous mixture of the copolyester and the homopolyester. The copolyester comprises 800-2000 ppm by mass of SiO2 added by means of in-situ polymerization. A dihydric alcohol component in the copolyester comprises ethylene glycol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, and 1,4-butanediol. The melting point of the copolyester is between 200-240° C. The blended polyester film of the present invention has excellent processability, excellent chemical resistance, such as acid and alkali resistance, and excellent uniformity. A film-coated metal plate prepared from the blended polyester thin film can meet performance requirements of metal containers for food and beverage packaging with complex molding processing and high corrosion resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: BAOSHAN IRON & STEEL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Long Xie, Hongxing Chen, Jingge Dai
  • Patent number: 12254728
    Abstract: A self-authenticating cartridge-accepting device includes a cartridge receptacle adapted to accept a cartridge containing vaporizable material, a battery, a vaporization circuit electrically connected to the battery, the vaporization circuit configured to provide power from the battery to a heating element, wherein the heating element is configured to vaporize the vaporizable material, and an authentication circuit electrically connected to the battery, the authentication circuit configured to interface with an identification circuit in the cartridge and determine an authenticity of the cartridge as a function of the identification circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Inventors: Stephen S. Milt, Loucinda C. Bistany, William D. Hargett, Robert S. Mawrey
  • Patent number: 12245640
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a smoke-free cigarette comprising a heat source disposed in a container, a reservoir containing nicotine and/or one or mote flavouring agents, and a trigger mechanism for the heat source. According to the claimed invention, the cigarette has an outer shell defining a space in which the heat source and the reservoir are disposed, the outer shell and/or the wall of the container being made of aluminium and/or stainless steel or comprising one or more of these materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: OLIG AG
    Inventors: Stefan Weber, Petra Werner
  • Patent number: 12245626
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus for use in a flue-cured barn. The apparatus comprises a combustion chamber for burning fuel; an exhaust pipe for allowing combustion gases to leave the combustion chamber; and a fan for drawing the combustion gases along the exhaust pipe away from the combustion chamber and for generating a negative pressure within the combustion chamber and exhaust pipe compared with the pressure outside the apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) LIMITED
    Inventors: Daniel Augusto Ritt, Jeronimo Scremin, Valdir Milak, Irving Joseph Berger, Paula Fabiane Martins, Vando Braz de Oliveira
  • Patent number: 12247101
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a powder comprising a PEEK-PEoEK copolymer, wherein the PEEK-PEoEK copolymer having RPEEK and RPEoEK repeat units in a molar ratio RPEEK/RPEoEK ranging from 95/5 to 5/95. The present invention also relates to a method of preparing a three-dimensional (3D) object by sintering layers of the powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: SOLVAY SPECIALTY POLYMERS USA, LLC
    Inventors: Chantal Louis, Mohammad Jamal El-Hibri
  • Patent number: 12246479
    Abstract: A blow molding apparatus is configured to blow mold a preform into a container by supplying a pressurized incompressible fluid into the preform from a pressurized fluid supply unit. The blow molding apparatus includes: a drawing and discharging flow path connected to a drawing orifice; a fluid drawing source to apply drawing force to the drawing and discharging flow path, after blow molding is completed and after and/or while the blow nozzle is moved to a standby position, to draw the incompressible fluid adhering to the blow nozzle; and a pressurized gas supply source to supply a pressurized gas to the drawing and discharging flow path, after blow molding is completed and after a next preform is placed into the mold, to cause the incompressible fluid inside the drawing and discharging flow path to flow out toward the inside of the preform or toward the inside of a container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: YOSHINO KOGYOSHO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Hoshino, Mitsuru Shiokawa, Yuichi Okuyama
  • Patent number: 12242242
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for indexing a layup mandrel for a composite part. The apparatus identifies a surface of a layup mandrel that travels in a process direction during fabrication of a composite part. A lamination head is in contact with the surface traversing the surface of the layup mandrel. A stream of 3D coordinates of the lamination head is acquired as the lamination head traverses the surface. The layup mandrel is characterized based on the stream of 3D coordinates. A Numerical Control (NC) program is alters such that a controller directs layup of fiber reinforced material at the layup mandrel based on a difference between the alignment of the layup mandrel and a nominal alignment of the layup mandrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jordan Seth Erickson, Michael Kenneth-Que Louie
  • Patent number: 12239161
    Abstract: The presently disclosed subject matter is generally directed to a device that can be used for smoking a smokable product (such as tobacco). Particularly, the device includes a housing, cap, tube, and retainer. The housing and cap cooperate to provide a closed interior for burning an associated smokable product. The retainer functions to releasably attach the product (e.g., a cigarette) to one end of the tube. The tube passes through an opening in the cap such that a first portion of the tube is housed within the device interior and a second portion is positioned exterior to the device. The smokable product is burned within the interior of the device, and the user has access to the smoke produced by inhaling through the tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Inventor: Gloria O. Dublin