Patents Examined by Phu Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9161569
    Abstract: Disclosed is a smoking article wrapping material comprising a base wrapping material to which has been applied, at least in discrete zones, a composition comprising a mechanically fragmented, chemically crosslinked polysaccharide having a particle size (weighted average) in the range from 1 to 1000 ?m for the dry product; a process for production thereof; and a smoking article comprising the smoking article wrapping material described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: GLATZ FEINPAPIERE JULIUS GLATZ GMBH
    Inventor: Thomas Fritzsching
  • Patent number: 9149067
    Abstract: Supported catalyst particles, which can be incorporated in the tobacco cut filler, cigarette wrapper and/or cigarette filter of a cigarette, are useful for low-temperature and near-ambient temperature catalysis of carbon monoxide and/or nitric oxide. The supported catalyst comprises catalyst particles that are supported on particles of an electrically conductive support selected from the group consisting of graphitic carbon and a partially reduced oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Phillips Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Donald Miser, Diane Gee
  • Patent number: 9131730
    Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for registering different objects in filter rod shaped articles, for example as found in the tobacco processing industry. The method, system and apparatus can include a rod containing cigarette filter components; one or more sensors that determine the constitution of segments of the rod and transmits one or more signals regarding segments of the rod; a processor that receives the one or more signals from the one or more sensors, performs a comparison between the one or more signals and known data and transmits a signal based upon results of the comparison; and an ejector that receives the signal from the processor and removes any segment of the rod that does not conform with the known data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: AIGER GROUP AG
    Inventors: Todor Burov, Dimitar Yanchev
  • Patent number: 9125435
    Abstract: A method of constructing a cigar includes the providing of a plurality of frusto-conically shaped tubes, each tube being of a smokable material such as a spirally wrapped layer of tobacco material. The tubes are nested, one tube inside the other tube. The nested tubes are then attached to a mouthpiece having a socket that is internally threaded. The nested tubes and mouthpiece are packaged either filled with tobacco filler material, partially filled, or unfilled in a container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Blunt Wrap U.S.A., Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel S. Sinclair, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9119418
    Abstract: A smoking article (1) in which a patch of web material (7) such as paper containing an adsorbent material therein, such as activated carbon, is positioned towards the mouth end of the smoking article (1) to achieve a flatter puff profile compared to a conventional cigarette by decreasing the smoke constituents in the final few puffs. Characteristics of the smoking articles may be changed to increase the delivery of smoke constituents in the first few puffs in order to maintain a constant ISO NFDPM yield. The adsorbent-containing paper extends over only a portion of the smoking article towards the mouth end and does not comprise a flavorant therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO (INVESTMENTS) LIMITED
    Inventor: Richard Thomas Fiebelkorn
  • Patent number: 9119421
    Abstract: A wrapper for a smoking article includes a web; and a patterned deposit on at least a portion of one surface of the wrapper, wherein the patterned deposit comprises catalyst particles. The patterned deposit can include a nanoparticle catalyst that is capable of catalyzing the conversion of a constituent gas component in the mainstream and/or sidestream smoke of the smoking article. The constituent gas component can be carbon monoxide and/or nitric oxide and the catalyst particles can be iron oxide. Also provided is a smoking article comprising a tobacco rod having a wrapper formed around the tobacco rod, the wrapper including a patterned deposit on at least a portion of one surface of the wrapper. A method of making the wrapper and a method of making a smoking article utilizing the wrapper are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Ping Li, Shalva Gedevanishvili, Firooz Rasouli, Weijun Zhang, Rajesh K. Garg, Hector Alonso
  • Patent number: 9107456
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a hookah hose, hookah system, and process for cooling hookah smoke in a hookah. The hookah hose includes a shank, a conduit, a mouthpiece, and a reservoir bearing a coolant cartridge. The shank permits the hookah hose to connect to a stem of a hookah generally or the hookah system of the present invention. The use of coolant cartridges permits a user to manipulate both wet smoke temperature and velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Mya Saray, LLC
    Inventor: Nizar Mehio
  • Patent number: 9101165
    Abstract: A cigarette includes a tobacco rod in which a tobacco filler containing cut tobacco is wrapped with a cigarette paper, the tobacco rod being constituted by a distal end portion, a proximal end portion and a center portion, and a filter, the proximal end portion being connected to the filter. The distal end portion includes a volatile flavor-containing material incorporated in a gel of a polysaccharide, the center portion includes or does not include the volatile flavor-containing material, the proximal end portion includes or does not include the volatile flavor-containing material, and there is no case where both the center portion and the proximal end portion include the volatile flavor-containing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Fumio Sashide, Tatsuya Kusakabe, Yasuo Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9095173
    Abstract: A smoking article provides one or more sheets of material that can be rolled and packaged, at least one sheet including cellulose. In one embodiment, cellulose and tobacco sheet material are separately rolled layers that can optionally be wrapped around a form casing (or pre-rolled inside) and then packaged. In another embodiment, the sheet is a laminated sheet of tobacco and cellulose layers that can be optionally wrapped around (or pre-rolled inside) a form casing. These sheets can be filled with custom tobacco to make one or more new cigars for an end user. In another embodiment, a complete cigar filled with tobacco material can be disassembled by an end user to produce tobacco and cellulose sheets, enabling the end user to form two new cigars using his or her own custom tobacco.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Blunt Wrap USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel S. Sinclair, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9089167
    Abstract: A cigar splitter comprises: a housing having two open ends, an inside wall and outside surface, and a long axis, wherein the open ends are in line with each other permitting a cigar to be inserted through one end and out the other. A blade is attached to the inside of the housing, the blade oriented for cutting an outer sheath of the cigar as the cigar is inserted through one end of the splitter housing and out the other end. An apparatus for lighting and splitting a cigar comprising a cigar splitter as described above and can maintain active and inactive configurations of the splitter for safety of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: MyGizmart, Inc.
    Inventors: Young Jin Lee, Young Min Lee
  • Patent number: 9084440
    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: November 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: GĂ©rard Zuber, Olivier Greim, Julien Plojoux, Dani Ruscio
  • Patent number: 9078470
    Abstract: Cigarettes are provided which contain a filtering system and flavorants encapsulated with polyvinyl acetate, wherein deactivation of a sorbent by the flavorant is reduced through the encapsulation of the flavorant within the polyvinyl acetate. A preferred flavorant is menthol. The encapsulated flavorants are prepared by mixing at least one flavorant with polyvinyl acetate and a solvent, such as ethanol, and forming the encapsulated flavorants. Methods of making cigarettes and smoking the articles are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrike Becker, Tony Howell, Lixin Xue, Georgios D. Karles, Jay A Fournier
  • Patent number: 9066539
    Abstract: An apparatus for producing a flavor for expanded tobacco material has an extraction vessel (2) for bringing supercritical carbon dioxide into contact with tobacco material (A) to dissolve tobacco components in the carbon dioxide; a separation vessel (14) connected to the extraction vessel (2), for separating fat-soluble ingredients of the tobacco components from the tobacco components dissolved in the carbon dioxide to retrieve the fat-soluble ingredients; and a circulation path for circulating the supercritical carbon dioxide between the extraction vessel (2) and the absorption vessel (38) storing purified water while purifying the carbon dioxide by the purification layer (4) made of activated carbon, and absorbing water-soluble ingredients of the tobacco components in purified water; and a retrieval vessel (52) for retrieving the purified water, in which the water-soluble ingredients of the tobacco components are absorbed, from the absorption vessel (38) as absorption water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Hiromi Uematsu, Yukio Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9049886
    Abstract: Methods for the selective removal of specific constituents of tobacco extract include contacting an extract with a nitrosamine selective adsorption agent, a metal selective adsorption agent and/or a nitrate selective adsorption agent. Preferred characteristics of such agents are identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen G. Zimmermann
  • Patent number: 9044049
    Abstract: A pouched tobacco product includes a lined pouch material of a web and a water-soluble liner adjacent the web and a tobacco component at a moisture content of 10 to 15% contained within the lined pouch material. The water-soluble liner is interposed between the web and the tobacco component. The liner preferably reduces staining of the web by the tobacco component. Additionally, the liner may include a flavorant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2015
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Warren D. Winterson, Timothy D. Cochran, Tommy C. Holland, Karen M. Torrence, Steve Rinehart, G. Robert Scott
  • Patent number: 9039839
    Abstract: A smokeless tobacco product is configured for insertion into the mouth of a user and incorporates materials from Nicotiana species (e.g., tobacco-derived materials) and plant materials from non-Nicotiana species (e.g., non-tobacco plant materials). The tobacco material can have the form of processed tobacco material (e.g., granulated, reconstituted, heat treated, or otherwise processed tobacco laminae and/or stem), tobacco extract (e.g., an extract of water soluble tobacco components obtained by extracting tobacco with water), or a combination thereof. The non-tobacco material can have the form of vegetable pulp (e.g., sugar beet pulp), pulp obtained after removal of water soluble components as a result of water extraction treatment, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Dwayne William Beeson, Jack Gray Flinchum, Jr., Huamin Gan
  • Patent number: 9034106
    Abstract: A smoking composition for inclusion in a combustible smoking article includes a combustible organic material, such as tobacco and/or tobacco substitutes and at least one alkanoylated glycoside for enhancing the flavor of mainstream smoke. Optionally, dry hops extract can also be included in the smoking composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: W. Geoffrey Chan, Christophe Galopin, Andreas Czepa, Mike Nuckols, Beverley Woodson
  • Patent number: 9032971
    Abstract: A portioned moist tobacco product with a super-hydrated membrane coating and method of manufacturing is disclosed. The super-hydrated membrane coating is formed by ionic cross-linking using two polymers. The soluble component of the super-hydrated membrane coating dissolves upon placement in the mouth, while the insoluble component maintains the tobacco within the coating for the duration of the use of the product. The moist tobacco product is soft and flexible so as to fit comfortably in an oral cavity when placed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra, William R. Sweeney, Shensheng Liu, Kenneth A. Newman, Steven J. Hovjacky
  • Patent number: 9027567
    Abstract: An oral pouch product includes a dual layer pouch wrapper and an inner botanical filling material contained within the pouch wrapper. The pouch wrapper includes an inner web, an outer web and a coating, such as a water soluble flavorant containing coating therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.
    Inventors: Diane L. Gee, Gregory J. Griscik, Mark S. North, Robley Eugene Pitts, Jr., Yahaira R. Ramos
  • Patent number: 9022041
    Abstract: A method of converting tea leaves into a smoking product suitable for use with a smoking device such as, but not limited to, a hookah. In one embodiment the method comprises the steps of heating a batch of sundried tea leaves in water to provide a batch of wetted tea leaves; fermenting the wetted tea leaves to provide a batch of fermented tea leaves; rinsing the fermented tea leaves with water to provide rinsed fermented tea leaves; drying the rinsed fermented tea leaves to provide dried fermented tea; and adding glycerine to the dried fermented tea leaves to provide a tea leaf based smoking product. In another embodiment a nicotine free smoking product is provided comprising of glycerin treated dried fermented tea leaves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Inventor: Rodney Masri