Patents Examined by James Harvey
  • Patent number: 12185761
    Abstract: The e-vaping method includes providing a reservoir within a housing, the reservoir being configured to contain a pre-vapor formulation, first configuring ejectors to eject droplets of the pre-vapor formulation towards a vaporizing heater, the ejectors being in fluid communication with the reservoir, and second configuring a vaporizing heater to vaporize at least some of the droplets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Lau, Eric Hawes, Terry Bache, Ryan Newcomb, John Glenn Edelen, James D. Anderson, Jr., Byron Bell
  • Patent number: 12185764
    Abstract: An electronic vaping device includes a liquid storage portion, an electric heater and electronic circuitry. The liquid storage portion is configured to store liquid vapor-forming substrate. The electric heater includes at least one heating element, the at least one heating element configured to heat the liquid vapor-forming substrate. The electronic circuitry is configured to self-activate the electric heater for a first time interval during a period of inactivity of the electric heater to determine depletion of the liquid vapor-forming substrate based on a relationship between a power applied to the at least one heating element and a resulting temperature change of the at least one heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
    Inventor: Tony Reevell
  • Patent number: 12185758
    Abstract: A cartridge for an aerosol-generating system may comprise a liquid storage portion, which includes a housing holding a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The housing has a first and a second opening. The cartridge may further comprise a first and a second permeable planar heater assembly, wherein the first permeable planar heater assembly is fixed to the housing and extends across the first opening of the housing, and the second permeable planar heater assembly is fixed to the housing and extends across the second opening of the housing. The first and second permeable planar heater assemblies are arranged opposite each other such that they face each other and form an airflow channel in between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Charles Silvestrini, Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik
  • Patent number: 12191600
    Abstract: The invention provides a plug-in module (10) for a rail-mounted device (1), comprising a housing (G), which has a first axial end portion (10a) and a second axial end portion (10b); wherein, between the first axial end portion (10a) and the second axial end portion (10b), the housing (G) has a plurality of substantially planar side surfaces (S1, S2, B1, B2); also comprising a first resiliently elastic tongue (12), which is fitted on a first side surface (S1) of the housing (G); wherein the first resiliently elastic tongue (12) has a first axial end portion (12a), which is fitted on the housing (G), and a second axial end portion (12b), which can be moved in a resiliently elastic manner; wherein a first latching nose (12c) is formed between the first and second axial end portions (12a, 12b) and protrudes from the first side surface (S1) of the housing (G); and further comprising a first actuating element (16), which is mounted in a movable manner on the first side surface (S1) and can be moved from a first pos
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: DEHN SE
    Inventors: Julius Schrafl, Florian Gäck
  • Patent number: 12178253
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an aerosol delivery device. The aerosol delivery device may include one or more fill ports. Thereby, a reservoir of the aerosol delivery device may be refillable. The fill ports may be defined in a base of a cartridge of the aerosol delivery device. The aerosol delivery device may further include a flow director. An atomizer may extend through the flow director transversely to a longitudinal length of the flow director. The atomizer may include a liquid transport element with a capillary channel extending therethrough, which may receive aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir. There aerosol precursor composition may be drawn through the liquid transport element to a heating element of the atomizer, which may vaporize the aerosol precursor composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. Davis, Percy D. Phillips
  • Patent number: 12149021
    Abstract: A hermetic feedthrough terminal pin connector for an active implantable medical device (AIMD) includes an electrical insulator hermetically sealed to an opening of an electrically conductive ferrule. A feedthrough terminal pin is hermetically sealed to and disposed through the insulator, the feedthrough terminal pin extending outwardly beyond the insulator on the inside of the casing of the AIMD. A circuit board is disposed on the inside of the casing of the AIMD. A terminal pin connector includes: an electrically conductive connector housing disposed on the circuit board, wherein the connector housing is electrically connected to at least one electrical circuit disposed on the circuit board; and at least one electrically conductive prong supported by the connector housing, the at least one prong contacting and compressed against the feedthrough terminal pin, the at least one prong making a removable electrical connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Greatbatch Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Marzano, Keith W. Seitz, Robert A. Stevenson, Christine A. Frysz, Marc Gregory Martino
  • Patent number: 12126112
    Abstract: Novel tools and techniques are provided for implementing an enclosure for protecting at least one connector of a cable. In some embodiments, an enclosure comprises an enclosure housing. The enclosure housing includes a first part and a second part. The first part of the enclosure housing is attached to the second part of the enclosure housing. The first part of the enclosure housing and the second part of the enclosure housing together define a chamber to fully enclose a connector assembly and a connector housing the at least one connector of the cable. The enclosure includes at least one opening disposed at a first end of the enclosure housing. The at least one opening is configured to allow a boot of the at least one connector or the cable of the at least one connector to extend through the at least one opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC
    Inventors: Pete A. Kawamoto, Diana L. Unser
  • Patent number: 12035749
    Abstract: An aerosol delivery device is provided, and includes a control body serially engaged with a cartridge, the cartridge having an aerosol precursor source housing an aerosol precursor and defining a mouth opening configured to direct an aerosol therethrough to a user. A heater device is operably engaged with the cartridge, wherein the heater device comprises an electrically-conductive carbon element disposed adjacent to a heat-conductive substrate. The heater device is configured to receive the aerosol precursor from the aerosol precursor source onto the heat-conductive substrate, such that the aerosol precursor on the heat-conductive substrate forms the aerosol in response to heat from the electrically-conductive carbon element conducted through the heat-conductive substrate. An associated apparatus and method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventor: Rajesh Sur
  • Patent number: 12022870
    Abstract: The vaporizer includes a tube element defining an inner volume for receiving an amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate, a mesh in the inner volume of the tube element, and a heater outside, the heater including an electrical resistive heater, and the heater is configured to heat the mesh and the received amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate to a temperature sufficient to volatilize at least a part of the received amount of liquid aerosol-forming substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
    Inventors: Michel Bessant, Fabien Duc, Zachary Elliott, Robert Emmett, Hossein Ostadi, Shaun Phillips, Bruce Renfrew, Eva Saade Latorre, Saad Ali
  • Patent number: 12011038
    Abstract: An electronic vaporizer device with a sealed, disposable, fillable cartridge is described, along with a method for refilling the cartridge. The electronic vaporizer includes a body which is held by the user and houses a battery. The body receives and couples with a cartridge with a reservoir for oil or other fluid to be vaporized. The cartridge also includes an atomizer which is powered by the battery via a connector terminal, a wick to provide oil to the atomizer from the oil reservoir, a vapor tube which transmits the vaporized oil to the user though a mouthpiece. In some embodiments, the user fills the reservoir of the cartridge by inserting a needle through a self-sealing septum. Further, the electronic vaporizer device includes a haptic device to provide haptic feedback to a user of the electronic vaporizer to communicate operating states of the electronic vaporizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: Jupiter Research, LLC
    Inventor: Mark Scatterday
  • Patent number: 12004574
    Abstract: The present disclosure teaches provision of a method for an aerosol provision device. The method includes operating a wireless communication interface of the aerosol provision device in a listening mode. During operation of the listening mode, data is received data from the wireless communication interface of another aerosol provision device. The received data is stored in a memory of the aerosol provision device. A connectionless-state advertising packet that includes information relating to an identity and advertising state of the aerosol provision device is created using the wireless communication interface of the aerosol provision device and transmitted via the wireless communication interface. A connectionless-state request packet is received from a remote wireless device, via the wireless communication interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: NICOVENTURES TRADING LIMITED
    Inventors: Patrick Moloney, Robert Kersey, Darryl Baker
  • Patent number: 11998054
    Abstract: An electronic smoking device is provided comprising a power supply, a liquid reservoir storing a liquid therein and having a liquid reservoir opening, and an atomizer adapted to atomize the liquid stored in the liquid reservoir when operated by the power supply. Further provided are at least two plates provided with an adjustable spacing therebetween, wherein a liquid flow passage is formed between the at least two plates extending from the liquid reservoir opening to the atomizer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Fontem Ventures B.V.
    Inventors: Vaclav Borkovec, Nicole Tschierske
  • Patent number: 11998042
    Abstract: A water pipe (1) comprises a receptacle (3) and a heating chamber (4) communicating therewith, said heating chamber (4) having a receiving portion (5) for a capsule (10) which holds a smoking medium, said receiving portion at the same time being a heating element for the capsule (10). The receiving portion (5) accurately fits the capsule (10).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: AIR IP HOLDINGS LIMITED
    Inventor: Klaus Hagen
  • Patent number: 11986022
    Abstract: Vaporization devices, systems, and methods with automated thermal profile control are disclosed. Thermal profile information for a particular vaporizable material is encoded to control the operation of the vaporizer. The thermal profile is defined by a plurality of set points specified by power/temperature setting for a specified time. The thermal profile may be configured to be applied during a single or multiple inhalations. A thermal profile recipe code containing thermal profile information associated with the vaporizer cartridge and/or vaporizable material contained therein may be used to control the thermal profile. The thermal profile information may be automatically read by or communicated to the vaporizer and used thereby to automatically control the vaporizer heating element to implement the desired thermal profile associated with the vaporization material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: The Kanvas Company Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Gordon Doyle, Andy Fathollahi, Alexander Wayne Gordon, Thomas Doyle
  • Patent number: 11986014
    Abstract: An atomizer includes a first glass tube, a second glass tube, a heating element, and a base. The first glass tube includes a first hollow column and the second glass tube is partially disposed in the first hollow column and is integrated with the first glass tube. The heating element is in the shape of a disc. The heating element includes a central hole. The base includes a top portion and the heating element is disposed on the top portion. The first glass tube further includes a first opening configured to receive the base. The heating element is disposed in the first opening. The second glass tube is disposed above the central hole; a space between the first glass tube and the second glass tube is configured to store e-liquid; and the second glass tube further includes a second hollow column functioning as a smoke or vapor passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Inventor: Tuanfang Liu
  • Patent number: 11969009
    Abstract: A cover assembly includes a mouthpiece including one end, that is configured to come into contact with a mouth of a user, and another end opposite to the one end, the mouthpiece configured to move to an open position and a closed position by rotation of the mouthpiece around the other end; and an accommodation unit for accommodating the one end of the mouthpiece in the closed position. The accommodation unit includes a button unit including a body, the button unit configured to contact the one end of the mouthpiece and to be displaced in a longitudinal direction based on the one end being pressed; and a locking unit including a body, the body of the locking unit including a first portion that is configured to contact the one end of the mouthpiece and a second portion that is configured to contact the button unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: KT&G CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dong Sung Kim, Heon Jun Jeong, Won Kyeong Lee, Jae Sung Choi
  • Patent number: 11969020
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating system may include a liquid storage portion, a vaporizer, and a pump. The liquid storage portion may be configured to store a liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The vaporizer may be configured to volatilize the liquid aerosol-forming substrate. The pump may be configured to pump air into the liquid storage portion so as to push out a volume of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate from the liquid storage portion and to supply the volume of the liquid aerosol-forming substrate to the vaporizer. A method for generating an aerosol may be performed with the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Ben Mazur, Eva Saade Latorre, Alain Tabasso
  • Patent number: 11950633
    Abstract: An atomizer and an aerosol delivery device are described, where the atomizer has a fluid transport element formed from a rigid monolith having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. The atomizer also has a heater. The heater provides a substantially planar heating surface. The heating surface is positioned to face the first side of the rigid monolith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventor: Vahid Hejazi
  • Patent number: 11942749
    Abstract: A plug connection device for connecting an electrical cable and establishing a ground connection to an external component may have at least one plug connector and fastening means electrically and mechanically connectable therewith. The plug connector may have a housing and a plug body which is connectable to a conductor of the electrical cable and receivable in an axial direction in a receptacle of the housing. The contact element may plug into the housing to make electrical contact with the plug body received in the receptacle. The contact element and connection element are electrically connected to one another. The connection element may be connected to a ground cable that is connectable with the external component to establish, independently of the electrical cable, the ground connection with the external component via the plug body, contact element, connection part and the ground cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik Gmbh & Co KG
    Inventor: Till Bredbeck
  • Patent number: 11937632
    Abstract: There is provided a cartridge (100) for use in an aerosol-generating system (10) for the generation of an aerosol comprising nicotine salt particles. The cartridge (100) comprises a first compartment (110) containing a nicotine source (210) comprising a first carrier material (211) impregnated with nicotine, the first compartment (110) having a first air inlet (132) and a first air outlet (133). The first compartment (110) defines a first airflow path (217) extending across a first surface (213) of the first carrier material (211) between the first air inlet (132) and the first air outlet (133). The cartridge (100) also comprises a second compartment (120) containing an acid source (220) comprising a second carrier material (221) impregnated with an acid, the second compartment (220) having a second air inlet (134) and a second air outlet (135).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Irene Taurino, Igor Zinovik