Patents Examined by Dennis Cordray
  • Patent number: 9788573
    Abstract: Smoke filters that reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide and phenols in a smoke stream may include a porous mass section comprising a plurality of active particles, a plurality of binder particles, and an active coating disposed on at least a portion of the active particles and the binder particles, wherein the active particles and the binder particles are bound together at a plurality of contact points; and a filter section. In some instances, a filter may include a porous mass section comprising a plurality of active particles and a plurality of binder particles, wherein the active particles and the binder particles are bound together at a plurality of contact points without an adhesive; and a filter section comprising an active dopant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Celanese Acetate LLC
    Inventors: Lawton E. Kizer, Raymond M. Robertson
  • Patent number: 9777436
    Abstract: Compositions and methods related to new wet strength resins are provided. By using functionally-symmetrical cross-linkers and mono-functional modifiers, and separating the steps of reacting a prepolymer with the cross-linkers from the reaction of intermediate cross-linked prepolymer with epichlorohydrin, new wet strength resin products are provided having improved properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC
    Inventors: Clay E. Ringold, Cornel Hagiopol, Dexter C. Johnson
  • Patent number: 9775378
    Abstract: A cigarette paper contains pulp fibers and filler particles, whereby at least 20% of the filler particles, by mass or by particle number, have a flaked shape. The flaked filler particles have a length l, a width b and a thickness d, which correspond to the respective maximum extension in three mutually orthogonal spatial directions, whereby the length l as well as the width b are at least twice as large as the thickness d. The mass-specific median value d50 of the particle size distribution measured according to ISO 13317-3 is between 0.2 ?m and 4.0 ?m, and the flaked particles are formed by calcium carbonate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: delfortgroup AG
    Inventors: Dieter Möhring, Roland Zitturi, Dietmar Volgger
  • Patent number: 9775377
    Abstract: A tobacco product wrapping, material comprising composite particles is described, the composite particles being obtainable by a method in which an aqueous suspension containing calcium carbonate particles is prepared, and a metal salt comprising an aluminum cation is added. The metal salt is able to form a basic metal component in the suspension; and has a solubility of greater than 9.0 mg/L in water, measured at the pH value of the prepared suspension and at a temperature of 20° C. The invention further relates to a method for the production of the tobacco product wrapping material, the use of such tobacco product wrapping material for the production of tobacco products, and the tobacco products produced with the tobacco product wrapping material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Julius Glatz GMBH
    Inventors: Thomas Fritzsching, Christoph Nover, Marijan Vucak
  • Patent number: 9765483
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing paper, card and board. The present invention is based on the discovery that controlling solids content during the process in a specified manner provide enhanced initial web strength of the paper prior to drying and allows for higher machine speeds in the paper production process as compared to known processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Anton Esser, Hans-Joachim Haehnle
  • Patent number: 9756875
    Abstract: A smokeless tobacco product includes smokeless tobacco and a polymeric material in intimate contact with the smokeless tobacco and stabilized in conformance to a surface topography of the tobacco's fibrous structures such that the stabilized polymeric material secures the smokeless tobacco together. The smokeless tobacco product has a moisture-permeable porous surface and an overall oven volatiles content of at least 10 weight percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
    Inventors: Frank Scott Atchley, James M. Rossman, Munmaya K. Mishra
  • Patent number: 9750280
    Abstract: Disclosed is a pH-stabilized oral tobacco composition comprising a buffer of at least two pH stabilizing substances comprising potassium carbonate and at least one additional pH stabilizing substance that can maintain a low total drop in pH-value over prolonged time at ambient as well as refrigerated temperature, so that the freshness and shelf life of the oral tobacco composition can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: JT International S.A.
    Inventor: Rory Parsons
  • Patent number: 9752283
    Abstract: A method of preparing a stable dispersion of flocculated filler particles for use in papermaking processes comprises use of an anionic first flocculating agent to an aqueous dispersion of filler particles, followed by addition of a second anionic flocculating agent to the dispersion and further optional shearing of the resultant filler flocs to the desired particle size resulting in shear resistant filler flocs with a defined and controllable size distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: ECOLAB USA INC.
    Inventors: Weiguo Cheng, Katherine M Broadus, Dorota Smoron, Shawnee M Wilson
  • Patent number: 9730468
    Abstract: A smoking article includes a sheet material including a fibrous layer formed of cellulosic fibers 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: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Laurent Poget, Alexandre Malgat, Christoph Sorg, Andreas Hofenauer, David Croll, Rolf Gericke
  • Patent number: 9732475
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition for coating paper wrapper for smoking articles, which comprises a combination of gum arabic, preferably between 40% and 95% by weight with respect to the total dry material weight of the composition, and a filler that comprises calcium carbonate, preferably in an amount of at least 5% by weight with respect to the dry material weight of the composition, alone or in combination with other substances such as, for example, kaolin, calcium sulphate, titanium dioxide and mixtures thereof, and to the use thereof for producing a paper wrapper for smoking articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: MIQUEL Y COSTAS & MIQUEL, S.A.
    Inventors: Agustin Tosas Fuentes, Pablo De Mariscal Ruigomez
  • Patent number: 9730469
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of producing a tobacco smoke filter or filter element comprising: • heat treating a continuously advancing longitudinally extending strand of material; • cooling the heat treated continuously advancing strand; and • forming a longitudinally extending outer layer of tobacco smoke filtering material around the continuously advancing strand, to form a continuously advancing rod comprising a longitudinally extending strand (1a) of material and a longitudinally extending outer layer (2a) of tobacco smoke filtering material engaged around the longitudinally extending strand (1a). An apparatus for carrying out the method, and products of the method, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: ESSENTRA FILTER PRODUCTS DEVELOPMENT CO. PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Ahmad Fashihul Lisan, Sudirman Widiarto
  • Patent number: 9723869
    Abstract: An example smoking apparatus for use with smoking materials in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a mouthpiece, a bowl piece, and an inner tube, connecting the mouthpiece and the bowl piece. The smoking apparatus comprises an ejection mechanism to eject used smoking materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Inventor: Ryan Daniel Selby
  • Patent number: 9725600
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an aqueous calcium carbonate containing composition, to methods for producing such aqueous calcium carbonate containing compositions and to the use of the aqueous calcium carbonate containing composition in paper, paper coating, plastics and/or paint applications and as filler in paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Omya International AG
    Inventors: Samuel Rentsch, Daniel E. Gerard, Matthias Buri, Patrick A. C. Gane, Vesa Kukkamo
  • Patent number: 9717274
    Abstract: The invention relates to a smokeless cigarette, cigar, or pipe having at least one depot (10) for storing and for defined release due to external heat input of nicotine and/or compound comprising nicotine to an airflow to be guided through the depot (10). According to the invention the depot (10) comprises at least one heat transfer segment (16) for targeted heat input for defined release of the nicotine and/or nicotine compound to the airflow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignees: SURFLAY NANOTEC GMBH, SEVERUS PATENT AG
    Inventors: Lars Daehne, Gabriella Egri
  • Patent number: 9708773
    Abstract: The invention generally relates to a security sheet or document having one or more enhanced watermarks. In one exemplary embodiment, the inventive security sheet or document is a single-ply paper that is made up of a paper layer including one or more watermarks, and a micro-optic security device (e.g., a patch or thread) that at least partially covers an upper or face portion of the watermark(s). The overlying patch or thread increases the durability of the watermark(s), thereby allowing for the watermark(s) as well as reduced fiber density areas therein to be made larger, and further allowing for the reduced fiber density areas to be made thinner. In a preferred embodiment, the micro-optic security device projects one or more synthetic images that coordinate or link in with the watermark design(s). In a more preferred embodiment, the micro-optic security device offers a machine detectable/readable feature in the form of enhanced IR-brightness, especially when measured in transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignees: Crane & Co., Inc., Crane Security Technologies, Inc., Crane AB
    Inventors: William Blake, Jeffrey Boody, Kraig M. Brigham, James Callahan, Paul F. Cote, Michael Darroch, Manish Jain, Karin Mörck Hamilton, Giles D. Prett
  • Patent number: 9681681
    Abstract: A method of modifying the content of certain bacteria in uncured tobacco material is provided, the method including contacting an uncured tobacco material with a treatment solution, wherein the treatment solution is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a solution comprising salt, sugar, or a combination thereof; (ii) a solution comprising one or more enzymes; and (iii) a solution comprising one or more probiotics, wherein said contacting provides a treated tobacco material having a reduced total bacterial content following harvest. In certain embodiments, the treated tobacco material is subsequently cured, and can optionally be fermented. Smoking articles and smokeless tobacco products including such treated tobacco materials are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Serban C. Moldoveanu, Marvin Glenn Riddick, Jerry Wayne Marshall
  • Patent number: 9675104
    Abstract: A cigarette paper additive having harm reduction function and application thereof are provided. The additive contains alkali metal salts of butane tetracarboxylic acid or cyclobutane tetracarboxylic acid which are prepared by reacting the butane tetracarboxylic acid or cyclobutane tetracarboxylic acid with alkali. The application thereof is evenly adding the aqueous additive solution at different concentrations to cigarette paper by a metering rod-type film transfer sizing machine in a sizing section of the cigarette paper production, and the produced cigarette paper is used for cigarette production that can effectively reduce release of CO, phenol and tar in the mainstream smoke, and has better effects of harm reduction and tar reduction. The method of the invention is easy, does not need to alter the existing cigarette paper production process, and has low cost and higher industrial application value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignees: CHINA TOBACCO SICHUAN INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD., CHINA TOBACCO CHONGQING INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ya Dai, Deqing Zhao, Kefu Chen, Kunyan Chen, Lijun Zhu, Yufeng Sun, Lanlan Tan
  • Patent number: 9668523
    Abstract: A device includes a casing extending in a longitudinal direction, a vaporizer configured to generate, a vapor, a mouth-end insert at an end of the casing, and a power supply configured to supply power to the vaporizer. The mouth-end insert includes a single, non-recessed end surface, and a plurality of non-diverging outlets in the mouth-end insert. The outlets are generally coplanar at the single, non-recessed end surface of the mouth-end insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Christopher S. Tucker, Geoffrey B. Jordan, Barry S. Smith, Ali A. Rostami
  • Patent number: 9670617
    Abstract: A system for fabricating a sheet product includes a first rotatable roller assembly operative to emit a pressurized fluid through an outer surface of the first rotatable roller assembly, and a second rotatable roller assembly having an outer surface arranged proximate to the outer surface of the first rotatable roller assembly, the second rotatable roller assembly and the first rotatable roller assembly are operative to rotate in opposing directions, the second rotatable roller assembly and the first rotatable roller assembly defining a gap therebetween through which a sheet material passes in contact with the outer surface of the first rotatable roller assembly and the outer surface of the second rotatable roller assembly, the emitted pressurized fluid operative to impinge a surface of the sheet material and separate contact between the outer surface of the first rotatable roller assembly and the sheet material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products LP
    Inventor: Hung Liang Chou
  • Patent number: 9663875
    Abstract: This invention relates to a sheet comprising fibers and fibrids wherein either comprises a mixture of at least a first polymer and a second polymer; the first polymer derived from the reaction of one or more amine monomers and a plurality of acid monomers, wherein the one or more amine monomers includes at least 60 mole percent 5(6)-amino-2-(p-aminophenyl)benzimidazole, based on the total amount of amine monomers; and the plurality of acid monomers include those having a structure of Cl—CO—Ar1—CO—Cl & Cl—CO—Ar2—CO—Cl wherein Ar1 is an aromatic group having para-oriented linkages and Ar2 is an aromatic group having meta-oriented linkages, and wherein the plurality of acid monomers has at least 50 mole percent of the monomer containing aromatic group Ar2; and the second polymer derived from the reaction of metaphenylene diamine and isophthaloyl chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: EI DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY
    Inventor: Kiu-Seung Lee