Patents by Inventor Chandra Kumar Banerjee

Chandra Kumar Banerjee 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).

  • Patent number: 11602175
    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: May 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    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: 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
  • Publication number: 20210112860
    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: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    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
  • Publication number: 20200260784
    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: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    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: 10701979
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides components useful in heating, particularly heating of an aerosol precursor solution so as to vaporize the solution and form an aerosol. The disclosure particularly provides an electrically conductive, porous carbon heater. The heater may be combined with an aerosol precursor transport element that also is formed of carbon. The heater and transport element may form an atomizer that can be useful in an electronic smoking article, such as in a cartridge that is adapted for attachment to a control body. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a cartridge of an electronic smoking article, the cartridge being formed substantially completely of carbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. Davis, Balager Ademe, Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Susan K. Pike, David William Griffith, Jr., Stephen Benson Sears, Evon L. Crooks, Karen V. Williams, Timothy Brian Nestor, David Bovender
  • Patent number: 10667562
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides components useful in heating, particularly heating of an aerosol precursor solution so as to vaporize the solution and form an aerosol. The disclosure particularly provides an electrically conductive, porous carbon heater. The heater may be combined with an aerosol precursor transport element that also is formed of carbon. The heater and transport element may form an atomizer that can be useful in an electronic smoking article, such as in a cartridge that is adapted for attachment to a control body. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a cartridge of an electronic smoking article, the cartridge being formed substantially completely of carbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. Davis, Balager Ademe, Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Susan K. Pike, David William Griffith, Jr., Steven Benson Sears, Evon L. Crooks, Karen V. Williams, Timothy Brian Nestor, David Bovender
  • Patent number: 10624390
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for making a fuel element for a smoking article comprising forming a combustible carbonaceous material into a fuel element adapted for use in a smoking article; incorporating a metal-containing catalyst precursor into the fuel element or onto the surface thereof to form a treated fuel element, the incorporating step occurring before, during, or after said forming step; and optionally heating or irradiating the treated fuel element at a temperature and for a time sufficient to convert the catalyst precursor to a catalytic metal compound. Examples of metal-containing catalyst precursors include iron nitrate, copper nitrate, cerium nitrate, cerium ammonium nitrate, manganese nitrate, magnesium nitrate, and zinc nitrate. Fuel elements treated according to the invention, and smoking articles including such fuel elements, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Stephen Benson Sears
  • Publication number: 20190191760
    Abstract: An aerosol-generation system for a smoking article comprises an aerosol-generating segment and a heat generation segment. The heat generation segment has a length and includes a heat source. The aerosol-generation system for a smoking article also comprises an insulator disposed between the aerosol-generating segment and the heat source of the heat generation segment. Each segment is physically separate and in a heat exchange relationship. The heat source comprises a carbonaceous material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Stephen Benson Sears, Joanne Naomi Taylor
  • Patent number: 10258079
    Abstract: A smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes a carbonaceous heat source. A mouth end piece segment is located at the mouth end of the smoking article, and the mouth end piece segment allows the smoking article to be placed in the mouth of the smoker to be drawn upon. The smoking article further incorporates an aerosol-generating segment located between the heat generation segment and the mouth end piece segment. The aerosol-generating segment incorporates an aerosol-forming material (e.g., glycerin and flavors). The heat generation segment is in a heat exchange relationship with the aerosol-generating region such that heat generated by the burning fuel element acts to volatilize aerosol-forming material for aerosol formation. The carbonaceous heat source is in intimate contact with coarse, fine or ultrafine particles of materials such as cerium oxide, or mixtures of cerium oxide and palladium chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
    Inventors: Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Stephen Benson Sears, Joanne Naomi Taylor
  • Publication number: 20190098938
    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: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2018
    Publication date: April 4, 2019
    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
  • Publication number: 20190090549
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides components useful in heating, particularly heating of an aerosol precursor solution so as to vaporize the solution and form an aerosol. The disclosure particularly provides an electrically conductive, porous carbon heater. The heater may be combined with an aerosol precursor transport element that also is formed of carbon. The heater and transport element may form an atomizer that can be useful in an electronic smoking article, such as in a cartridge that is adapted for attachment to a control body. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a cartridge of an electronic smoking article, the cartridge being formed substantially completely of carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Michael F. Davis, Balager Ademe, Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Susan K. Pike, David William Griffith, JR., Steven Benson Sears, Evon L. Crooks, Karen V. Williams, Timothy Brian Nestor, David Bovender
  • Publication number: 20190090548
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides components useful in heating, particularly heating of an aerosol precursor solution so as to vaporize the solution and form an aerosol. The disclosure particularly provides an electrically conductive, porous carbon heater. The heater may be combined with an aerosol precursor transport element that also is formed of carbon. The heater and transport element may form an atomizer that can be useful in an electronic smoking article, such as in a cartridge that is adapted for attachment to a control body. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a cartridge of an electronic smoking article, the cartridge being formed substantially completely of carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Michael F. Davis, Balager Ademe, Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Susan K. Pike, David William Griffith, JR., Steven Benson Sears, Evon L. Crooks, Karen V. Williams, Timothy Brian Nestor, David Bovender
  • Patent number: 10172387
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides components useful in heating, particularly heating of an aerosol precursor solution so as to vaporize the solution and form an aerosol. The disclosure particularly provides an electrically conductive, porous carbon heater. The heater may be combined with an aerosol precursor transport element that also is formed of carbon. The heater and transport element may form an atomizer that can be useful in an electronic smoking article, such as in a cartridge that is adapted for attachment to a control body. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a cartridge of an electronic smoking article, the cartridge being formed substantially completely of carbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael F. Davis, Balager Ademe, Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Susan K. Pike, David William Griffith, Jr., Stephen Benson Sears, Evon L. Crooks, Karen V. Williams, Timothy Brian Nestor, David Bovender
  • Patent number: 9554594
    Abstract: A filter element incorporating an adsorbent material is provided. The filter element may comprise a first section of filter material and a second section of filter material spaced apart to form a compartment therebetween. The compartment may be filled with one or more adsorbents or the compartment may be divided into two regions, wherein one compartment region is filled with an adsorbent and the other compartment region is either filled with an ion-exchange resin or remains empty. The section of filter material adjacent to the tobacco rod may include one or more channels therethrough for passaging smoke directly from the tobacco rod into the adsorbent-filled compartment. The mouth end section of filter material may contain a breakable capsule, wherein the breakable capsule is filled with a flavoring agent capable of altering the taste characteristics of mainstream smoke.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Melissa Ann Clark, Sharon Pitts Dunlap, Chandra Kumar Banerjee
  • Patent number: 9332784
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for making a fuel element for a smoking article including the steps of mixing a metal-containing catalyst precursor with a filler material or graphite or a combination thereof to form a pre-treated fuel element component; optionally calcining the pre-treated fuel element component in order to convert the catalyst precursor to a catalytic metal compound; after the optional calcining step, combining the pre-treated fuel element component with a carbonaceous material and a binder to produce a fuel element composition; and forming the fuel element composition into a fuel element adapted for use in a smoking article. Examples of metal-containing catalyst precursors include iron nitrate, copper nitrate, cerium nitrate, cerium ammonium nitrate, manganese nitrate, magnesium nitrate, and zinc nitrate. Fuel elements treated according to the invention, and smoking articles including such fuel elements, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Stephen Benson Sears, Susan K Pike
  • Publication number: 20160073687
    Abstract: A smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes a carbonaceous heat source. A mouth end piece segment is located at the mouth end of the smoking article, and the mouth end piece segment allows the smoking article to be placed in the mouth of the smoker to be drawn upon. The smoking article further incorporates an aerosol-generating segment located between the heat generation segment and the mouth end piece segment. The aerosol-generating segment incorporates an aerosol-forming material (e.g., glycerin and flavors). The heat generation segment is in a heat exchange relationship with the aerosol-generating region such that heat generated by the burning fuel element acts to volatilize aerosol-forming material for aerosol formation. The carbonaceous heat source is in intimate contact with coarse, fine or ultrafine particles of materials such as cerium oxide, or mixtures of cerium oxide and palladium chloride.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Applicant: R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
    Inventors: Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Stephen Benson Sears, Joanne Naomi Taylor
  • Patent number: 9220301
    Abstract: A smoking article, such as a cigarette, includes a carbonaceous heat source. A mouth end piece segment is located at the mouth end of the smoking article, and the mouth end piece segment allows the smoking article to be placed in the mouth of the smoker to be drawn upon. The smoking article further incorporates an aerosol-generating segment located between the heat generation segment and the mouth end piece segment. The aerosol-generating segment incorporates an aerosol-forming material (e.g., glycerin and flavors). The heat generation segment is in a heat exchange relationship with the aerosol-generating region such that heat generated by the burning fuel element acts to volatilize aerosol-forming material for aerosol formation. The carbonaceous heat source is in intimate contact with coarse, fine or ultrafine particles of materials such as cerium oxide, or mixtures of cerium oxide and palladium chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Stephen Benson Sears, Joanne Naomi Taylor
  • 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: 20150059780
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides components useful in heating, particularly heating of an aerosol precursor solution so as to vaporize the solution and form an aerosol. The disclosure particularly provides an electrically conductive, porous carbon heater. The heater may be combined with an aerosol precursor transport element that also is formed of carbon. The heater and transport element may form an atomizer that can be useful in an electronic smoking article, such as in a cartridge that is adapted for attachment to a control body. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a cartridge of an electronic smoking article, the cartridge being formed substantially completely of carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Applicant: R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
    Inventors: Michael F. Davis, Balager Ademe, Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Susan K. Pike, David William Griffith, JR., Stephen Benson Sears, Evon L. Crooks, Karen V. Williams, Timothy Brian Nestor, David Bovender
  • Publication number: 20140083439
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for making a fuel element for a smoking article including the steps of mixing a metal-containing catalyst precursor with a filler material or graphite or a combination thereof to form a pre-treated fuel element component; optionally calcining the pre-treated fuel element component in order to convert the catalyst precursor to a catalytic metal compound; after the optional calcining step, combining the pre-treated fuel element component with a carbonaceous material and a binder to produce a fuel element composition; and forming the fuel element composition into a fuel element adapted for use in a smoking article. Examples of metal-containing catalyst precursors include iron nitrate, copper nitrate, cerium nitrate, cerium ammonium nitrate, manganese nitrate, magnesium nitrate, and zinc nitrate. Fuel elements treated according to the invention, and smoking articles including such fuel elements, are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO COMPANY
    Inventors: Chandra Kumar Banerjee, Stephen Benson Sears, Susan K. Pike