Patents Examined by Eric Yaary
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Patent number: 12201139Abstract: A device and method for converting a consumable into an aerosol with high heat without burning the consumable by packaging the consumable containing an internal susceptor inside a housing. The consumable can be in the form of a compressed powder. A first end of the housing can be capped with an end cap and a second end of the housing can have a mouthpiece. The housing containing the consumable and the susceptor can be placed inside a case with an inductive heating element configured to heat the susceptor. Heating the susceptor results in the consumable being released as an aerosol for inhalation.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2022Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Inventors: Alexander Chinhak Chong, William Bartkowski, David Crosby, David Wayne
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Patent number: 12201156Abstract: An electronic cigarette with a memory and ability to record the amount and duration of inhalation of nicotine vapor. The electronic cigarette may be integrated with a smart phone application or other software to record usage and provide feedback to the smoker. The application may include an algorithm for the development of a withdrawal schedule for the user to quit smoking or vaping.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2022Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Assignee: SMOKEWATCHERS SASInventors: Benjamin Choukroun, Thomas Serval
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Patent number: 12201154Abstract: A device for converting a consumable into an aerosol with high heat without burning the consumable by packaging the consumable containing an internal susceptor inside an encasement having a plurality of holes with an induction heating element wrapped around the consumable-containing package to heat the susceptor using a magnetic field generated by the induction heating element. Combustion of the consumable-containing package can be minimized by limiting air inside the consumable-containing package by coating the encasement material that melts at high temperatures. The coating may also include a flavoring. Efficiency of the device can be enhanced with a self-resonant oscillator, moving coils, multi-prong susceptors, sensors, heat dissipation, air flow control, alignment mechanisms, and the like.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2022Date of Patent: January 21, 2025Inventors: Alexander Chinhak Chong, William Bartkowski, David Crosby, David Wayne
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Patent number: 12193517Abstract: A device assembly includes a controller, which is configured to control the non-nicotine electronic vaping device to output an indication of a current level of the non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation in the non-nicotine reservoir of a non-nicotine pod assembly in response to determining that an aggregate amount of non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation drawn from the non-nicotine reservoir or an aggregate amount of vaporized non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation is greater than or equal to the at least one non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation level threshold.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2020Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: 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: 12193476Abstract: An exemplary smoking article includes a smoking rod filled with a combination including tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material. The tobacco filler material and cellulose filler material can be arranged such that the constituent material particles are generally distributed throughout the smoking rod, the tobacco filler material at least partially surrounds the cellulose filler material along a length of the smoking rod, and/or the cellulose filler material particles have a higher concentration along a central axis of the smoking rod than the tobacco filler material particles.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2022Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Munmaya K. Mishra, Shaoyong Yu, Bernard S. Appleton, Weiling Li
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Patent number: 12200832Abstract: An aerosol-generating system includes a main body, a cartridge, and a connecting component. The main body includes a main body housing enclosing a power supply. The cartridge includes a cartridge housing enclosing a reservoir of liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The cartridge is releasably connectable to the main body by the connecting component. The connecting component is fixed to the main body housing and is less stiff in at least one direction than the main body housing. The connecting component that is less stiff the main body housing and the cartridge housing can act as a shock absorber when the aerosol-generating system experiences a significant impact, such as when dropped on a surface. This reduces damage to other components of the system and, in particular, may prevent leaks of liquid resulting from damage to the liquid reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2022Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Keethan Dasnavis Fernando, Guillaume Frederick, Alasdair David MacBean, Khai Shin Chong
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Patent number: 12193472Abstract: A liquid aerosol formulation for an electronic smoking article includes an aerosol former, water, nicotine, and an acid including tartaric acid. The acid is included in an amount sufficient to provide the liquid aerosol formulation with a pH ranging from about 4 to about 8.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2022Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Peter Lipowicz, Pauline Marcq, Gerd Kobal, Munmaya K. Mishra, Georgios D. Karles, San Li
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Patent number: 12193492Abstract: A cartridge for use with an aerosol generating device includes a housing defining a closed end, an open end, and an aperture between the closed end and the open end. The cartridge further includes a composition including nicotine in the housing in proximity to the closed end. The cartridge also includes a flow control apparatus in the housing. The flow control apparatus includes a proximal end, a distal end, and an internal airflow passageway between the distal end and the proximal end. A seal is formed between an exterior of the flow control apparatus and an interior of the housing. The seal is between the open end of the housing and the aperture of the housing. A channel is at least partially defined by the interior of the housing. The channel is in communication with the aperture and directs air from the aperture towards the composition including nicotine.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2022Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Onur Dayioglu, Jean-Yves Vollmer, Gerard Zuber
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Patent number: 12194226Abstract: A capsule for a heat-not-burn (HNB) aerosol-generating device may include a first frame, a second frame, a first heater, a second heater, and/or an aerosol-forming substrate. The first frame has a first interior face and a first exterior face. In addition, the first frame defines a first opening. The first heater may be secured to the first frame so as to cover the first opening. The second frame is connected to the first frame. The second frame has a second interior face and a second exterior face. Furthermore, the second frame defines a second opening. The second heater may be secured to the second frame so as to cover the second opening. The aerosol-forming substrate may be between the first heater and the second heater.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2022Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Gregory Griscik, Thien Nguyen, Carl Kite, David Alvarez, Terrance Bache, Zack Blackmon, Patrick Good, Raymond Lau, Eric Hawes, Cristian Popa, James Yorkshades, Adam Parrott
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Patent number: 12193519Abstract: A saturation sensor measures at least one electrical characteristic of the wick between the heating element and the probe wire at a first time and a second time, wherein the at least one electrical characteristic includes a resistance, a capacitance, or both a resistance and a capacitance. Control circuitry is configured to cause the nicotine e-vaping device to: calculate a refill rate at which the nicotine pre-vapor formulation flows onto the wick based on the at least one electrical characteristic at the first time and the at least one electrical characteristic at the second time; determine that the refill rate is less than a threshold refill rate; and output a low nicotine pre-vapor formulation alert in response to determining that the refill rate is less than the threshold refill rate.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2023Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLCInventors: Robert C. Lacovara, Phillip Diana, Nam Tran
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Patent number: 12193470Abstract: An oral tobacco product includes a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a mouth-stable polymer matrix and tobacco fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix. The oral tobacco product can be formed by extruding a mixture of mouth-stable polymer and tobacco fibers.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2022Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Feng Gao, Frank Scott Atchley, Gregory James Griscik, Christopher Joseph Dinovi, Phillip M. Hulan, Diane L. Gee, Munmaya K. Mishra, James Arthur Strickland
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Patent number: 12193514Abstract: An electronic smoking article, a method of manufacturing an electronic smoking article, and a method of achieving a smoking experience without combusting tobacco are disclosed. The electronic smoking article includes an authenticated first section, which includes an aerosol generation unit having at least one heater; an authenticated second section, which includes a power supply operable to apply voltage to the at least one heater for heating a liquid in at least a portion of the aerosol generation unit to form an aerosol; and a conductive ink circuit embedded within the first and second sections, and wherein the power supply and the aerosol generation unit are electrically connected upon joining the first and second sections, and wherein each of the first and second sections has a portion of the conductive ink circuit.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2022Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventor: Eric Hawes
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Patent number: 12178239Abstract: A system for portioning a beaded substrate in a rod. The system includes a suction conveyor belt. The suction conveyor belt includes a belt suction chamber, a first belt end, and a second belt end, the second belt end opposite and downstream of the first belt end. The system also includes a metering device configured to provide the beaded substrate to the suction conveyor belt, and more specifically to the first belt end. The metering device includes a reach and a hopper. The metering device may provide the beaded substrate to the first belt end prior to the suction conveyor belt biasing a filler material onto the first belt end. The system may further includes a cutting mechanism that cooperates with the metering device to position the beaded substrate a first distance away from a first cut end.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2022Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco CompanyInventor: Balager Ademe
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Patent number: 12178258Abstract: An aerosol delivery device may include a rechargeable power source configured to provide power to generate an aerosol, device electronics configured to generate the aerosol responsive to application of the power from the power source, and a lock assembly configured to perform either one or both of preventing recharging the power source and preventing the application of the power from the power source to the device electronics in a locked state, and to enable recharging the power source and the application of power from the power source to the device electronics in an unlocked state. The lock assembly may be configured to detect a wake event while the lock assembly is in the locked state, wake the lock assembly in response to the wake event, perform an authentication process, and, in response to completing the authentication process, transition the lock assembly between the locked state and the unlocked state.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2021Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.Inventors: Sean Daugherty, Sean Lukan, Vincent Ireland
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Patent number: 12178248Abstract: An electronic cigarette and a heating assembly and a heating member thereof. The heating assembly comprises a porous member for absorbing an e-liquid and at least one heating member for heating and atomizing the e-liquid absorbed by the porous member. The at least one heating member comprises an elongated sheet-shaped heating portion. At least part of the sheet-shaped heating portion is partially embedded in the porous member. The porous member comprises an atomization surface corresponding to the at least part of the sheet-shaped heating portion. The at least part of the sheet-shaped heating portion has a through hole for adjusting resistance distribution.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2018Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: SHENZHEN SMOORE TECHNOLOGY LIMITEDInventors: Xiaoping Li, Changyong Yi, Zhenlong Jiang
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Patent number: 12174255Abstract: The present disclosure relates to articles (and the manufacture thereof) that use electrical energy to heat a material to form an inhalable substance, the articles being sufficiently compact to be considered “hand-held” devices. In certain embodiments, the articles can particularly be characterized as smoking articles. The smoking article can be adapted to detect the status of a cartridge portion of the smoking article. The smoking article includes a control body portion having a control body engagement end, wherein the control body portion houses a control component and a power source therein. The article further includes a cartridge body portion that has a cartridge body engagement end configured to removably engage the control body engagement end of the control body portion. The cartridge body portion houses a consumable arrangement and a heating connection operably engaged therewith comprising at least one heating element and a fusible link.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2022Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.Inventors: Charles Jacob Novak, III, Frederic Philippe Ampolini, Allen Michael East, Raymond C. Henry, William Robert Collett
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Patent number: 12171256Abstract: The method includes transporting tobacco into and through a shaft of a tongue of a compression box, and compressing the tobacco into a tobacco rod as the tobacco is transported through the compression box, the compression box including a first plate, a first portion of the first plate being formed over an upper portion of the shaft, the first portion running along a majority of a longitudinal length of the shaft.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2021Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Dwight D. Williams, Charles David Howe
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Patent number: 12167743Abstract: An oral product includes a body that is wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a mouth-stable polymer matrix, cellulosic fibers embedded in the mouth-stable polymer matrix, and nicotine or a derivative thereof dispersed in the mouth-stable polymer matrix. The oral product is adapted to release the nicotine or derivative thereof from the body when the body is received within the oral cavity and exposed to saliva.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2022Date of Patent: December 17, 2024Assignee: Altria Client Services LLCInventors: Feng Gao, Frank Scott Atchley, Gregory James Griscik, Christopher Joseph Dinovi, Phillip M. Hulan, Diane L. Gee, Jason Flora, Shuzhong Zhuang
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Patent number: 12161152Abstract: Disclosed herein is an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-generating material, which is heated during intended use to release an aerosol, but is not burnt, and a wrapping material. Therein, the wrapping material has a thickness of at least 50 ?m and at most 350 ?m, a basis weight of at least 50 g/m2 and at most 200 g/m2, a specific density of at least 500 kg/m3 and at most 1300 kg/m3, and a bending stiffness of at least 0.15 Nmm and at most 1.50 Nmm. The wrapping material further comprises at least two layers, wherein the layers are connected to each other and wherein one layer is a paper layer, which has a thickness of at least 40 ?m and at most 70 ?m, a basis weight of at least 50 g/m2 and at most 80 g/m2, and a density of at least 700 kg/m3 and at most 1300 kg/m3, and a specific density that is higher than the specific density of any of the other layers of the wrapping material.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2019Date of Patent: December 10, 2024Assignee: DELFORTGROUP AGInventors: Christian Mair, Dietmar Volgger
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Patent number: 12150486Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a heater element; a power source; and a controller configured to control a power supplied from the power source to the heater element to maintain a temperature of the heater element at a target temperature, and adjust the target temperature when a change in airflow past the heater element is detected. An aerosol-generating system including the aerosol-generating device, and a method of controlling an aerosol-generating device, are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2022Date of Patent: November 26, 2024Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.Inventor: Pascal Talon