Patents by Inventor Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra

Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220330621
    Abstract: A unit for mixing and dispensing an aerosol precursor composition, and containers to be dispensed therefrom. The unit includes a plurality of bulk material filling stations, the plurality of bulk material filling stations have at least one first filling station with aerosol former and at least one second filling station with a flavor material for creating the aerosol precursor. The unit also includes a bulk consumable pack staging a plurality of containers configured to receive the aerosol precursor, and a robot configured to retrieve a container from the bulk consumable pack and move the container through at least two dimensions to stop at at least two of the plurality of bulk material filling stations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2022
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Andries Don Sebastian, Charles Jacob Novak, III, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Eugenia Theophilus, Marielle Anitra Keyna Des Etages, Joseph Dominique, Wesley S. Jones, Bradley Phillips, Mark Dockrill, Simon A. English, Simon Philip Adam Higgins, Thomas Crugnale, Jeffrey Hughes, Robert Neil, David Pritchard
  • Patent number: 11432594
    Abstract: A unit for mixing and dispensing an aerosol precursor composition, and containers to be dispensed therefrom. The unit includes a plurality of bulk material filling stations, the plurality of bulk material filling stations have at least one first filling station with aerosol former and at least one second filling station with a flavor material for creating the aerosol precursor. The unit also includes a bulk consumable pack staging a plurality of containers configured to receive the aerosol precursor, and a robot configured to retrieve a container from the bulk consumable pack and move the container through at least two dimensions to stop at at least two of the plurality of bulk material filling stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Andries Don Sebastian, Charles Jacob Novak, III, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Eugenia Theophilus, Marielle Anitra Keyna des Etages, Joseph Dominique, Wesley Steven Jones, Bradley Phillips, Mark Dockrill, Simon A. English, Simon Philip Adam Higgins, Thomas Crugnale, Jeffrey Hughes, Robert Neil, David Pritchard
  • Publication number: 20200299012
    Abstract: A unit for mixing and dispensing an aerosol precursor composition, and containers to be dispensed therefrom. The unit includes a plurality of bulk material filling stations, the plurality of bulk material filling stations have at least one first filling station with aerosol former and at least one second filling station with a flavor material for creating the aerosol precursor. The unit also includes a bulk consumable pack staging a plurality of containers configured to receive the aerosol precursor, and a robot configured to retrieve a container from the bulk consumable pack and move the container through at least two dimensions to stop at at least two of the plurality of bulk material filling stations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Andries Don Sebastian, Charles Jacob Novak, III, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Eugenia Theophilus, Marielle Anitra Keyna des Etages, Joseph Dominique, Wesley Steven Jones, Bradley Phillips, Mark Dockrill, Simon A. English, Simon Philip Adam Higgins, Thomas Crugnale, Jeffrey Hughes, Robert Neil, David Pritchard
  • Patent number: 10759554
    Abstract: A unit for mixing and dispensing an aerosol precursor composition, and containers to be dispensed therefrom. The unit includes a plurality of bulk material filling stations, the plurality of bulk material filling stations have at least one first filling station with aerosol former and at least one second filling station with a flavor material for creating the aerosol precursor. The unit also includes a bulk consumable pack staging a plurality of containers configured to receive the aerosol precursor, and a robot configured to retrieve a container from the bulk consumable pack and move the container through at least two dimensions to stop at least two of the plurality of bulk material filling stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Andries Don Sebastian, Charles Jacob Novak, III, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Eugenia Theophilus, Marielle Anitra Keyna des Etages, Joseph Dominique, Wesley Steven Jones, Bradley Phillips, Mark Dockrill, Simon A. English, Simon Philip Adam Higgins, Thomas Crugnale, Jeffrey Hughes, Robert Neil, David Pritchard
  • Publication number: 20180215488
    Abstract: A unit for mixing and dispensing an aerosol precursor composition, and containers to be dispensed therefrom. The unit includes a plurality of bulk material filling stations, the plurality of bulk material filling stations have at least one first filling station with aerosol former and at least one second filling station with a flavor material for creating the aerosol precursor. The unit also includes a bulk consumable pack staging a plurality of containers configured to receive the aerosol precursor, and a robot configured to retrieve a container from the bulk consumable pack and move the container through at least two dimensions to stop at least two of the plurality of bulk material filling stations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Andries Don Sebastian, Charles Jacob Novak, III, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Eugenia Theophilus, Marielle Anitra Keyna des Etages, Joseph Dominique, Wesley Steven Jones, Bradley Phillips, Mark Dockrill, Simon A. English, Simon Philip Adam Higgins, Thomas Crugnale, Jeffrey Hughes, Robert Neil, David Pritchard
  • Publication number: 20170055576
    Abstract: A smoking article is provided and has opposed lighting and mouth ends. A mouth end portion is disposed at the mouth end and a heat generation portion is disposed about the lighting end. An outer wrapping material is wrapped at least about the heat generation portion and extends toward the mouth end portion, to define a cylindrical rod. An aerosol-generating portion is disposed within the outer wrapping material and between the heat generation and mouth end portions. The aerosol-generating portion is configured to generate an aerosol in response to heat received from the heat generation portion. The aerosol-generating and heat generation portions are further configured to cooperate to distribute heat received by the aerosol-generating portion from the heat generation portion, so as to prevent scorching of the outer wrapping material. An associated method is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Inventors: Dwayne William Beeson, Billy T. Conner, Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Paul G. Hoertz, Luis Monsalud, John-Paul Mua, Timothy F. Tilley, Stephen Cole, Darrell D. Williams, Samantha S. White, Karen Womble Wallace, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Yan PU, Michael F. Davis, Matthew E. Lampe, Karter R. Yutzy, Nicholas Harrison Watson
  • Patent number: 9486013
    Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source configured to be activated by combustion of a smokable material and an insulation layer of a non-glass material that is woven, knit, or both, and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment with aerosol-forming material disposed between, but physically separate from, each of the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the cigarette rod using tipping material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Andries Don Sebastian, Billy Tyrone Conner, Chandra K. Banerjee, Steven L. Alderman, Paul E. Braxton, Carolyn R. Carpenter, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Bradley J. Ingebrethsen, Kristen L. Murray, Timothy B. Nestor, Evon Llewellyn Crooks
  • Patent number: 9439453
    Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source and an insulation layer and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment including a substrate, which may include tobacco pellets and aerosol-forming material disposed in a substrate cavity between the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment and includes a foil strip laminated thereon; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the mouth-end segment using tipping material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Billy Tyrone Conner, Andries Don Sebastian, Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Timothy Frederick Thomas, James Richard Stone, Chandra K. Banerjee, Yi-Ping Chang, Vernon Brent Barnes, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, David Neil McClanahan, Carolyn R. Carpenter, Timothy B. Nestor, Jackie L. White
  • Publication number: 20150359259
    Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source and an insulation layer and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment including a substrate, which may include tobacco pellets and aerosol-forming material disposed in a substrate cavity between the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment and includes a foil strip laminated thereon; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the mouth-end segment using tipping material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Publication date: December 17, 2015
    Applicant: R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
    Inventors: Billy Tyrone Conner, Andries Don Sebastian, Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Timothy Frederick Thomas, James Richard Stone, Chandra K. Banerjee, Yi-Ping Chang, Vernon Brent Barnes, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, David Neil McClanahan, Carolyn R. Carpenter, Timothy B. Nestor, Jackie L. White
  • Patent number: 9149072
    Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source and an insulation layer and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment including a substrate, which may include tobacco pellets and aerosol-forming material disposed in a substrate cavity between the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment and includes a foil strip laminated thereon; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the mouth-end segment using tipping material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Billy Tyrone Conner, Andries Don Sebastian, Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Timothy Frederick Thomas, James Richard Stone, Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Yi-Ping Chang, Vernon Brent Barnes, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, David Neil McClanahan, Carolyn Rierson Carpenter, Timothy Brian Nestor, Jackie Lee White
  • Publication number: 20130233329
    Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source configured to be activated by combustion of a smokable material and an insulation layer of a non-glass material that is woven, knit, or both, and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment with aerosol-forming material disposed between, but physically separate from, each of the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the cigarette rod using tipping material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Inventors: Andries Don Sebastian, Billy Tyrone Conner, Chandra K. Banerjee, Steven L. Alderman, Paul E. Braxton, Carolyn R. Carpenter, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Bradley J. Ingebrethsen, Kristen L. Murray, Timothy B. Nestor, Evon Llewellyn Crooks
  • Patent number: 8464726
    Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source configured to be activated by combustion of a smokable material and an insulation layer of a non-glass material that is woven, knit, or both, and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment with aerosol-forming material disposed between, but physically separate from, each of the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the cigarette rod using tipping material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Andries Don Sebastian, Billy Tyrone Conner, Chandra K. Banerjee, Steven L. Alderman, Paul E. Braxton, Carolyn R Carpenter, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Bradley J. Ingebrethsen, Kristen L. Murray, Timothy B. Nestor, Evon Llewellyn Crooks
  • Publication number: 20120067360
    Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source and an insulation layer and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment including a substrate, which may include tobacco pellets and aerosol-forming material disposed in a substrate cavity between the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment and includes a foil strip laminated thereon; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the mouth-end segment using tipping material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Inventors: Billy Tyrone Conner, Andries Don Sebastian, Evon Llewellyn Crooks, Timothy Frederick Thomas, James Richard Stone, Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Yi-Ping Chang, Vernon Brent Barnes, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, David Neil McClanahan, Carolyn Rierson Carpenter, Timothy Brian Nestor, Jackie Lee White
  • Publication number: 20110041861
    Abstract: A cigarette includes lighting and mouth ends. It may include a smokable segment disposed at the lighting end. It also includes a mouth-end segment; an aerosol-generation system disposed between the lighting and mouth ends, which includes (i) a heat-generation segment adjacent the smokable segment, including a heat source configured to be activated by combustion of a smokable material and an insulation layer of a non-glass material that is woven, knit, or both, and (ii) an aerosol-generating segment with aerosol-forming material disposed between, but physically separate from, each of the heat generation segment and the mouth end; a piece of outer wrapping material that provides an overwrap around at least a portion of the aerosol-generating segment, the heat-generation segment, and at least a portion of the smokable segment; those segments being connected together by the overwrap to provide a cigarette rod; that is connected to the cigarette rod using tipping material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Andries Don Sebastian, Billy Tyrone Conner, Chandra K. Banerjee, Steven L. Alderman, Paul E. Braxton, Carolyn R. Carpenter, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Bradley J. Ingebrethsen, Kristen L. Murray, Timothy B. Nestor, Evon Llewellyn Crooks
  • Publication number: 20080173320
    Abstract: A smoking article is provided including (a) a tobacco rod comprising a smokable filler material contained within a circumscribing outer wrapping material, wherein the smokable filler material comprises at least about 45% by weight flue-cured tobacco based on the total dry weight of the smokable filler material; (b) one or more inner wrapping strips positioned between the tobacco rod and the outer wrapping material and extending longitudinally along the tobacco rod and including a burley tobacco; and (c) a filter element connected to the tobacco rod, the filter element having an end proximal to the tobacco rod and an end distal from the tobacco rod, wherein the filter element includes at least one fibrous tow section of filter material, a general adsorbent, and an ion exchange resin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Inventors: Sharon Pitts Dunlap, Scott William Foor, Daniel Verdin Cantrell, Jerry Wayne Marshall, Dwayne William Beeson, Susan Marlene Adams, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, David Neil McClanahan, Timothy Brian Nestor
  • Patent number: 5415186
    Abstract: Disclosed is a stabilized substrate composition for smoking articles, particularly cigarettes. In general, the stabilized substrate composition comprises an admixture of a binder and an aerosol forming material which plasticizes the binder, together with optional fillers and/or base materials. In the stabilized substrate compositions of the present invention the relative amounts of binder and aerosol former depend particularly on the situation in which the substrate composition is used. In general, the ratio of aerosol former to binder is between about 3:1 and about 40:1. When the stabilized composition is used on a base material such as tobacco cut filler, the ratio of aerosol former to binder should be at least about 15:1, and preferably is from about 25-35:1, with a maximum ratio of about 40:1. If the composition is formed into a cast sheet, the minimum ratio is about 3:1, the preferred ratio is about 8:1, and the maximum ratio is about 10:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: William J. Casey, III, Jeffery S. Gentry, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Aju N. Lekwauwa, Dennis M. Riggs, Gary R. Shelar, Kenneth W. Swicegood, Ronald O. Wagoner, Jeffrey A. Willis, Walter R. D. Young, Jr., Kelly K. Hutchison
  • Patent number: 5396911
    Abstract: Disclosed is a stabilized substrate composition for smoking articles, particularly cigarettes. In general, the stabilized substrate composition comprises an admixture of a binder and an aerosol forming material which plasticizes the binder, together with optional fillers and/or base materials. In the stabilized substrate compositions of the present invention the relative amounts of binder and aerosol former depend particularly on the situation in which the substrate composition is used. In general, the ratio of aerosol former to binder is between about 3:1 and about 40:1. When the stabilized composition is used on a base material such as tobacco cut filler, the ratio of aerosol former to binder should be at least about 15:1, and preferably is from about 25-35:1, with a maximum ratio of about 40:1. If the composition is formed into a cast sheet, the minimum ratio is about 3:1, the preferred ratio is about 8:1, and the maximum ratio is about 10:1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 14, 1995
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: William J. Casey, III, Jeffery S. Gentry, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Aju N. Lekwauwa, Dennis M. Riggs, Gary R. Shelar, Kenneth W. Swicegood, Ronald O. Wagoner, Jeffrey A. Willis, Walter R. D. Young, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5318050
    Abstract: Flavorful tobacco extracts are provided by subjecting a moist spray dried tobacco extract to heat treatment. The moist extract is contacted with a furanone, a pyranone or an alpha-dicarbonyl compound, and exposed to a temperature above about 100.degree. C. in a pressure controlled vessel. Resulting flavorful extracts are useful as forms of tobacco in cigarettes and other smoking articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1994
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Thomas A. Perfetti, Jackie L. White
  • Patent number: 5178167
    Abstract: It has been found that the addition of specific levels of sodium, advantageously in the form of sodium carbonate, to low sodium level binder, e.g., ammonium alginate, containing carbonaceous fuel compositions results in dramatic changes in the performance of both the fuel element themselves and, cigarettes (or other smoking articles) incorporating the fuel elements. These performance differences include variation in the yields of aerosol and/or flavorants. The addition of sodium carbonate to the fuel elements greatly improves the smolder rates and also improves puff calories, without overheating the cigarette, thereby resulting in substantial improvements in total (and puff by puff) aerosol yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 12, 1993
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Dennis M. Riggs, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra
  • Patent number: 4991596
    Abstract: A smoking article includes a short, combustible, carbonaceous fuel element in a heat exchange relationship with a substrate carrying glycerin, tobacco extract, and a portion of an essential oil gland bearing plant. For example, fragments of cinnamon bark, lovage root, chamomile flowers or cardamon physically separate from the fuel element provide for a controlled release of a flavor profile during use of the smoking article. Heat provided by the burning fuel element acts to release essential oils from the glands to provide a complex flavor and aroma profile. The smoking article is capable of providing the user with many of the pleasures of smoking by heating but not necessarily burning tobacco.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Brian M. Lawrence, Milly M. L. Wong, Thomas A. Perfetti, Thomas L. Gentry, Alvaro Gonzalez-Parra, Jerry W. Lawson, Gary R. Shelar, Gary W. Worrell