Patents Examined by Phu H Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11272738
    Abstract: An electrically heated smoking system for receiving an aerosol forming substrate includes a heater for heating the substrate to form the aerosol. The heater includes a heating element. The electrically heated smoking system and the heating element are arranged such that, when the aerosol forming substrate is received in the electrically heated smoking system, the heating element extends a distance only partially along the length of the aerosol forming-substrate, and the heating element is positioned towards the downstream end of the aerosol forming substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: PHILIP MORRIS USA INC.
    Inventors: Gerard Zuber, Olivier Greim, Julien Plojoux, Dani Ruscio
  • Patent number: 11252988
    Abstract: Some embodiments of a tobacco article may include tobacco disposed in a porous matrix. The tobacco article may provide tobacco, tobacco constituents, or both tobacco and tobacco constituents to the consumer's mouth in the form of particles, liquid, or vapor so as to provide tobacco satisfaction to the consumer. In some circumstances, the tobacco may be integrally molded with a plastic material so that at least a portion of the tobacco is disposed in pores of the matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC
    Inventors: James Arthur Strickland, Frank Scott Atchley
  • Patent number: 11246334
    Abstract: An encapsulated flavorant or artificial sweetener for use with smokeless tobacco and related products. The encapsulated flavorant or artificial sweetener comprises a core encapsulated with a lipid-based coating that provides stability when in contact with tobacco, yet releases flavor over time when the product is used. The core comprises a carrier, such as silica, tobacco, beet fiber, citrus fiber, artificial sweetener, or the like, coated or loaded with a flavorant. Flavor loading may be in the range of approximately 10% to 60%, by weight. Flavorants include, but are not limited to, methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen), cinnamon (e.g., cinnamon oil), peppermint (e.g., peppermint oil), and spearmint (oil of spearmint).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventor: Frank Atchley
  • Patent number: 11246344
    Abstract: The present invention provides a conductive substrate useful for Joule heating, such as in an electronic smoking article. Particularly, the invention provides a resistive heating element formed of a conductive substrate. The conductive substrate comprises an electrically conductive material and a carbonaceous additive, such as a binder material. The conductive substrate is carbonized in that it is subjected to calcining conditions to effectively reduce the carbonaceous additive to its carbon skeleton. It has been found that such carbonized substrate has surprisingly improved resistance properties in relation a substrate of the same formulation that is not carbonized. The carbonized substrate can include an aerosol precursor material. The formed resistive heating element can be included in an electronic smoking article to simultaneously provide resistive heating and aerosol formation with a single, unitary component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: David William Griffith, Jr., Yi-Ping Chang, Calvin W. Henderson, Ricky Lee Montgomery, Walter Charles Liebscher, II, Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Paul E. Braxton, Stephen Benson Sears, Kenneth Allen Beard, Timothy Brian Nestor, Balager Ademe, Frederic Philippe Ampolini, Dennis Lee Potter
  • Patent number: 11241039
    Abstract: The split airflow system for an electrically heated smoking system for generating aerosol, the split airflow system having a downstream end comprises a first channel defining a first flow route and a second channel defining a second flow route. The first flow route directs ambient air from outside the system to the downstream end of the system. The second flow route directs ambient air from outside the system towards a preferably substantially flat, fluid permeable, heating element before conveying the ambient air to the downstream end. The first channel and the second channel define a total volume of ambient air passing through the system and the first channel provides at least 50 percent of the total volume of ambient air passing through the system. The invention also refers to a method for guiding an airflow in an electrically heated smoking system for generating aerosol and an electrically heated smoking system comprising the split airflow system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Eric Force, Oleg Mironov, Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik, Keethan Dasnavis Fernando
  • Patent number: 11219239
    Abstract: A smoking article includes a tobacco substrate and a mouthpiece axially aligned in an abutting end to end relationship with the tobacco substrate. Hydrophobic tipping paper is disposed about the mouthpiece. The tipping paper is hydrophobic due to hydrophobic groups covalently bonded to the tipping paper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Clément Besso, Aurélien Guyard, Alen Kadiric
  • Patent number: 11191295
    Abstract: The inductively heatable tobacco product for aerosol-generation comprises an aerosol-forming substrate containing a susceptor in the form of a plurality of particles. The aerosol-forming substrate is a crimped tobacco sheet comprising tobacco material, fibers, binder, aerosol-former and the susceptor in the form of the plurality of particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A.
    Inventor: Oleg Mironov
  • Patent number: 11166490
    Abstract: An e-cigarette vaporizer device filling system and method. The system and method is particularly adapted for filling sealed vaporizer devices by use of a needle, such as a hypodermic needle, and facilitates separation of the needle from the device after filling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Inventors: Christopher A. Gardella, Justin Levi Rettger
  • Patent number: 11154670
    Abstract: A cartridge assembly for an aerosol-generating system is provided, including a cartridge and a mouthpiece. The cartridge includes a cartridge body and a cartridge cover, the body having a first side defining a first recess and a second side defining a second recess. The cover includes a cartridge cover cavity in which the cartridge body is slidably received and an actuation aperture configured to receive an actuation portion of an aerosol-generating device. The cartridge assembly is configured so that, when an actuation portion of an aerosol-generating device is received against the cartridge body through the actuation aperture, the cartridge body is slidable within the cartridge cover cavity from a first position to a second position. In the first position, airflow through the first and second recesses is prevented. In the second position, airflow through the first and second recesses is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Ali Murat Saygili
  • Patent number: 11154087
    Abstract: A method of isolating compounds from a tobacco-derived black liquor, including receiving a black liquor from a pulping process of an input material comprising a plant of the Nicotiana species, treating the black liquor with an acid to lower the pH of the black liquor to about 7 or lower in order to produce a precipitate and an acidified black liquor, separating the precipitate and the acidified black liquor, extracting the acidified black liquor with an organic solvent in order to produce an organic layer extract and an aqueous layer extract, and separating the organic layer extract and the aqueous layer extract.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Christopher Junker, Michael Francis Dube, Anthony Richard Gerardi
  • Patent number: 11129792
    Abstract: Use of a nicotine-cellulose combination for the preparation of a snuff composition for achievement of a fast onset of action of nicotine after application of the snuff composition to the oral cavity of a subject, wherein the composition has a high release rate so that when subjected to an in vitro dissolution test about 45% or more of the total content of nicotine is released within 30 minutes. Moreover, the invention relates to an improved snuff composition for application to the oral cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Modoral Brands Inc.
    Inventors: Anders Axelsson, Arne Kristensen, Henri Hansson
  • Patent number: 11122836
    Abstract: An atomizer with adjustable air intake quantity is disclosed including: an atomizer body, having a liquid storage chamber formed therein for storing tobacco liquid; an aerosol generator, configured for aerosolizing the tobacco liquid from the liquid storage chamber to generate an aerosol; at least one air inlet, formed on the atomizer body; an air pipe, disposed inside of the atomizer body and configured for conducting the aerosol to flow along the air pipe; the air inlet being in communication with the air pipe; and an adjusting cover, connected with the atomizer body by a thread to cover the air inlet; the adjusting cover is configured for being rotated to move up and down along axial direction of the atomizer body, to adjust a clearance between an edge of the adjusting cover and the atomizer body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Shenzhen First Union Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhanjun Jiang, Yonglu Guo, Yonghai Li, Zhongli Xu
  • Patent number: 11103008
    Abstract: An atomizer with an oil locking function includes a cigarette holder and an atomizer body provided with an oil chamber. An inner wall of the oil chamber is composed of a fixing component and a rotating component that are in a rotating fit. The fixing component is provided with an oil guiding hole and is connected to the cigarette holder. The rotating component includes a first rotation angle causing the oil locking hole and the oil guiding hole to be aligned with each other, and a second rotational angle causing the oil locking hole and the oil guiding hole to be mutually staggered from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: SHENZHEN BUDDY TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD
    Inventor: Xiang Liu
  • Patent number: 11064726
    Abstract: An extraction method of a flavor constituent comprises: a step A for heating a tobacco raw material which is subjected to an alkali treatment; and a step B for bringing a release component released in the gas phase in the step A into contact with a collection solvent at normal temperature until any time from when a first condition is satisfied to when a second condition is satisfied. The total amount of saccharides contained in the tobacco raw material is 9.0 wt % or less when a gross weight of the tobacco raw material in the dry state is 100 wt %. The first condition is determined based on variations in the pH of the collection solution. The second condition is determined based on the remaining amount of nicotine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Fujisawa, Takuma Nakano, Manabu Yamada
  • Patent number: 11051553
    Abstract: An atomizer with an upgraded air passage structure includes a housing, a heating piece and an air passage disposed in the housing; the heating piece is disposed inside an atomizer chamber, a blocking piece is disposed in the air passage and configured for blocking an airflow; the blocking piece divides the air passage into an air inlet area and an air outlet area; the air outlet area and the air inlet area are both disposed at a different axial position with the atomizing chamber; the atomizing chamber is respectively communicated with the air inlet area and the air outlet area; the airflow in the air inlet area flows downwards to the atomizing chamber, then flows upwards to the air outlet area. An electronic cigarette having the aforementioned atomizer is further disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Shenzhen First Union Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Zhanjun Jiang, Yonghai Li, Zhongli Xu
  • Patent number: 11044944
    Abstract: An atomizing electronic cigarette has an atomizing core component and a liquid storage component including an electric heater. The electric heater may have a through hole aligned with a channel passing through the liquid storage component. The cigarette can heat and uniformly vaporize liquid from the liquid storage component, with the user inhaling the vaporized liquid. The vapor generated by the atomizing process may be cooled as it flows through the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: FONTEM HOLDINGS 1 B.V.
    Inventor: Lik Hon
  • Patent number: 11039639
    Abstract: A producing method of a tobacco raw material comprises: a step A1 for heating a tobacco raw material in a closed space which is treated with alkali and for taking a flavor constituent released in the gas phase from the tobacco raw material to an outside of the closed space; a step B1 for allowing a first solvent to capture the flavor constituent by bringing the flavor constituent released in the gas phase in the step A1 into contact with the first solvent which is a liquid substance at normal temperature on the outside of the closed space; and a step C1 for adding the first solvent capturing the flavor constituent in the step B1 to the tobacco raw material in the closed space after the step B1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Fujisawa, Takeshi Akiyama, Shinya Osuga, Manabu Takeuchi, Manabu Yamada
  • Patent number: 11006676
    Abstract: An assembly for an aerosol-generating system is provided, including: a liquid storage portion configured to hold a liquid aerosol-forming substrate; a mouthpiece having an outlet opening at a proximal end; and a heater assembly including an electrical heating element configured to heat the substrate to form an aerosol, and a porous capillary material disposed in contact with the heating element and including a ceramic or a ceramic-based material, the heating element being disposed along a surface of the capillary material, the liquid storage portion being disposed at a first side of the heater assembly and a first airflow channel is disposed at a second side of the heater assembly, the first airflow channel defining an airflow path that extends in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the capillary material and is directed at a center of the heating element. An aerosol-generating system and a heater assemble are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A.
    Inventors: Eric Force, Oleg Mironov, Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik, Keethan Dasnavis Fernando
  • Patent number: 10986861
    Abstract: A method of transferring a portion (12) of smokable material from a casing (11) into a smokable tube (202), the method comprising advancing at least one of the casing and the portion of smokable material toward the other to advance the casing and the portion into the tube by a first distance less than the length of the space within the tube, at least partially withdrawing the casing from the tube, while holding the portion in the tube, and further driving the tobacco portion into the tube, as well as a corresponding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Inventors: Christian Kissling, Peter Preisig, Stephen Meyer
  • Patent number: 10952469
    Abstract: There is described an aerosol-forming substrate for use in combination with an inductive heating device. The aerosol-forming substrate comprises a solid material capable of releasing volatile compounds that can form an aerosol upon heating of the aerosol-forming substrate and at least a first susceptor material for heating of the aerosol-forming substrate. The first susceptor material is arranged in thermal proximity of the solid material. The aerosol-forming substrate further comprises at least a second susceptor material having a second Curie-temperature which is lower than a predefined maximum heating temperature of the first susceptor material. There is also described an aerosol-delivery system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Oleg Mironov