Patents by Inventor Enrico Stura

Enrico Stura 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: 11140923
    Abstract: A method is provided for measuring a temperature of a susceptor of an inductive heating arrangement configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate, the inductive heating arrangement including: a cavity to receive the substrate, at least one inductor coil configured to generate a varying magnetic field when a varying electric current flows through the at least one inductor coil, at least one susceptor arranged relative to the at least one inductor coil such that the at least one susceptor is heatable by penetration of the varying magnetic field, the at least one susceptor being configured to heat the substrate, and at least one temperature sensor; and the method including: providing the at least one temperature sensor in thermal contact with the at least one susceptor, and measuring the temperature of the at least one susceptor when the varying electric current does not flow through the at least one inductor coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Jerome Christian Courbat, Oleg Mironov, Enrico Stura
  • Publication number: 20210244103
    Abstract: A method is provided for measuring a temperature of a susceptor of an inductive heating arrangement configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate, the inductive heating arrangement including: a cavity to receive the substrate, at least one inductor coil configured to generate a varying magnetic field when a varying electric current flows through the at least one inductor coil, at least one susceptor arranged relative to the at least one inductor coil such that the at least one susceptor is heatable by penetration of the varying magnetic field, the at least one susceptor being configured to heat the substrate, and at least one temperature sensor; and the method including: providing the at least one temperature sensor in thermal contact with the at least one susceptor, and measuring the temperature of the at least one susceptor when the varying electric current does not flow through the at least one inductor coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Publication date: August 12, 2021
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Jerome Christian COURBAT, Oleg MIRONOV, Enrico STURA
  • Publication number: 20210235759
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a storage container containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate; a heating element spaced from the container for vaporising the substrate to form an aerosol; a transfer element between the container and the heating element to receive and retain the substrate, and to be coupled with the heating element to supply the received substrate to the heating element, at least one of the transfer element and the heating element being movable between a loading position and a heating position, such that when the movable element is in the loading position, the transfer element is in fluid communication with the outlet of the container and/or with the heating element, and such that when the movable element is in the heating position, the transfer element is in fluid communication with the heating element and the heating element is activated to vaporise the substrate retained in the transfer element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Jerome Christian COURBAT, Oleg MIRONOV, Enrico STURA
  • Publication number: 20210204604
    Abstract: A susceptor assembly for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, the susceptor assembly including a multi-layer susceptor tube defining a cavity configured to receive an induction coil inside the multi-layer susceptor tube, the multi-layer susceptor tube includes an inner tubular layer, which includes a first electrically conductive material, and an outer tubular layer surrounding the inner tubular layer, which includes a second electrically conductive material, and an electrical resistivity of the first electrically conductive material is greater than an electrical resistivity of the second electrically conductive material. An inductive heating assembly for inductively heating an aerosol-forming substrate, an aerosol-generating article for an aerosol-generating device, and an aerosol-generating system are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Oleg MIRONOV, Jerome Christian COURBAT, Enrico STURA
  • Publication number: 20210195962
    Abstract: There is provided a cartridge (300) for a handheld aerosol-generating system, comprising: a cartridge body (305) comprising an outer wall (325) and an inner airflow tube (320) within the outer body, wherein the inner airflow tube is spaced from the outer wall; and a reservoir (340) of aerosol-forming substrate between the outer wall and the inner airflow tube; wherein the outer wall and inner airflow tube are connected to one another through one or more ribs (326) extending between the outer wall and inner airflow tube, and wherein the outer wall, inner airflow tube and one or more ribs are integrally moulded. With this arrangement a robust cartridge can be inexpensively and reliably manufactured. The ribs provide mechanical support between the outer wall and the inner airflow tube. The integral moulding of the outer wall, inner airflow tube and one or more ribs can ensure or minimise leakage of liquid from the cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2019
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Oleg Mironov, Jerome Christian Courbat, Enrico Stura
  • Publication number: 20210186104
    Abstract: A vaporiser assembly for an electrically operated aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a substantially planar, fluid-permeable heating element having opposing first and second sides; a liquid transport medium having a first side in contact with the second side of the heating element, a second side opposite to the first side, and a thickness between the first and the second sides of the medium is between 1 mm and 5 mm, the heating element extending over a first area of the first side of the medium; and a liquid supply conduit having a first end in contact with the second side of the medium and extending over only a second area of the second side of the medium, the second area being smaller than the first area, and the medium being configured to transport liquid from the conduit to the first area of the second side of the heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Applicant: Phi|ip Morris Products s A
    Inventors: Oleg MIRONOV, Jerome Christian COURBAT, Enrico STURA
  • Publication number: 20210161208
    Abstract: An inductively heatable aerosol-generating article for an inductively heating aerosol-generating device is provided, the article including: an aerosol-forming rod segment having a cylindrical shape with a constant outer cross-section including an elongate susceptor element and an aerosol-forming substrate surrounding the susceptor element so as to define the cylindrical shape of the rod segment, the susceptor element including at least one narrower portion at each extreme end of the susceptor element, and the narrower portion at each extreme end including a reduced transverse cross-section as compared to one or more portions of the susceptor element along a length extension of the susceptor element including a maximum transverse cross-section of the susceptor element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Oleg MIRONOV, Andreas Michael ROSSOLL, Jerome Christian COURBAT, Enrico STURA, Roberto MANCINI
  • Publication number: 20210145062
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing defining a chamber having an open end configured for insertion of an aerosol-generating article into the chamber and a closed end disposed opposite the open end; a flat spiral inductor coil disposed at the closed end of the chamber; a susceptor element disposed within the chamber at the closed end; and a power supply and a controller connected to the flat spiral inductor coil and configured to provide an alternating electric current to the flat spiral inductor coil such that the flat spiral inductor coil is configured to generate an alternating magnetic field to inductively heat the susceptor element and thereby to heat at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article received within the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Jerome Christian COURBAT, Michel BESSANT, Tony REEVELL, Andreas Michael ROSSOLL, Enrico STURA
  • Patent number: 10945456
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing having a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming article; a first coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the chamber; and a second coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the chamber, with an inductance of the first coil being between 1.1 and 2 times greater than an inductance of the second coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Oleg Mironov, Jerome Christian Courbat, Tony Reevell, Enrico Stura
  • Publication number: 20200375255
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: an aerosol-generating device, including a housing, a heating chamber defining a heating zone and being sized to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate within the heating zone, an induction element disposed around, or adjacent to, the heating zone, a power supply, and a controller connected to the induction element and configured to provide an alternating electric current to the induction element to generate an alternating magnetic field within the heating zone, the induction element being configured to be controlled to sequentially provide a first alternating magnetic field having a first frequency for a first period of time followed by a second alternating magnetic field having a second frequency for a second period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Jerome Christian COURBAT, Oleg MIRONOV, Tony REEVELL, Andreas Michael ROSSOLL, Enrico STURA
  • Publication number: 20200245684
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing having a chamber sized to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming substrate, the chamber defining a heating zone; a first coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the heating zone; and a second coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the heating zone, the first coil being a drive coil couplable to a source of alternating current, and the second coil being a resonant coil of a resonant circuit, the second coil being inductively couplable to the first coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Oleg MIRONOV, Jerome Christian COURBAT, Tony REEVELL, Enrico STURA
  • Publication number: 20200237000
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including an induction heater configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate, the heater including an induction coil and a heating element, the heating element being arrangeable within the induction coil; and a housing including first and second housing portions, the first housing portion including a power supply configured to supply power to the induction coil and a controller configured to control the supply of power to the induction coil, and the second housing portion includes the induction coil, and is configured to receive a consumable containing the aerosol-forming substrate, the first and the second housing portions are movable between a first operable position and a second position in which the first and the second housing portions are displaced and the heating element is accessible, and the heating element is configured to be replaced when the first and the second housing portions are in the second position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Enrico STURA, Oleg MIRONOV, Oleg FURSA, Tony REEVELL
  • Publication number: 20200237001
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: an induction heater configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate and including an induction coil and a heating element, the heating element being arrangeable within the induction coil, the induction coil including a first side opening along a longitudinal length of the induction coil, and the first side opening being configured to enable access to the heating element; and a housing, the induction coil being arranged within the housing, and the housing including a second side opening, which corresponds to the first side opening of the induction coil within the housing. A method for manufacturing the aerosol-generating device is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2018
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Enrico STURA, Oleg MIRONOV, Tony REEVELL
  • Publication number: 20200221772
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing having a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming article; a first coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the chamber; and a second coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the chamber, with an inductance of the first coil being between 1.1 and 2 times greater than an inductance of the second coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Oleg MIRONOV, Jerome Christian COURBAT, Tony REEVELL, Enrico STURA
  • Publication number: 20200221775
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing having a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-forming article; a first coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the chamber; and a second coil disposed at least partially around, or adjacent to, the chamber, the first coil being part of a first resonant circuit having a first resonant frequency and the second coil forming part of a second resonant circuit having a second resonant frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Oleg Mironov, Jerome Christian Courabt, Tony Reevell, Enrico Stura
  • Publication number: 20200214350
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including: a housing having a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article; an inductor coil disposed around at least a portion of the chamber; a plurality of elongate susceptor elements projecting into the chamber and spaced apart from each other, the susceptor elements each extending substantially parallel to a magnetic axis of the inductor coil; and a power supply and a controller connected to the inductor coil and configured to provide an alternating electric current to the inductor coil such that the inductor coil generates an alternating magnetic field to heat the susceptor elements and thereby heat at least a portion of the article received in the chamber, the inductor coil being helical and having a non-circular cross-sectional shape. An aerosol-generating system including the device, the article, and the susceptor elements, is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Applicant: Philips Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Jerome Christian COURBAT, Oleg MIRONOV, Tony REEVELL, Enrico STURA
  • Publication number: 20200163384
    Abstract: An electronic aerosol-generating device includes a housing extending between first and second ends along a longitudinal axis. The second end of the housing defines a cavity for receiving a consumable containing an aerosol generating substrate. The device further includes a heating component comprising a heating element extending along the longitudinal axis within the cavity and configured to penetrate into the aerosol generating substrate when the consumable is inserted into the cavity. The heating element comprises a material having a Curie temperature of less than 500° C. The device also includes an inductor comprising an inductor coil positioned to transfer magnetic energy to the heating element. The inductor is configured to induce eddy currents and/or hysteresis losses in the heating element. The device further includes a power supply operably connected to the inductor and control electronics operably connected to the power supply and configured to control heating of the heating element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Andreas Michael Rossoll, Oleg Fursa, Enrico Stura, Jerome Christian Courbat, Oleg Mironov, Rui Nuno Batista
  • Publication number: 20200163385
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including a housing defining a chamber configured to receive at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article; an inductor coil disposed around at least a portion of the chamber; an elongate susceptor element configured for removable attachment to the housing within the chamber and projecting into the chamber when the element is removably attached to the housing; an aperture positioned on a side of the housing, the aperture and the element being configured for insertion of the element into the chamber through the aperture and configured for removal of the element from the chamber through the aperture; and a power supply and a controller connected to the coil and to provide an alternating electric current to the coil such that the coil generates an alternating magnetic field to heat the element and thereby heat at least a portion of the article received within the chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Jerome Christian COURBAT, Oleg FURSA, Oleg MIRONOV, Tony REEVELL, Andreas Michael ROSSOLL, Enrico STURA
  • Publication number: 20200128878
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device is provided, including one or more DC power sources; a load network including an inductor and a capacitor connected in series; first drive circuitry connected to the DC power source(s) and across the network and being configured to provide a first voltage drop across the network; second drive circuitry connected to the DC power source(s) and across the network and being configured to provide a second voltage drop across the network, the second voltage drop being in an opposite direction to the first voltage drop; and a controller connected to the first and the second drive circuitry and being configured to control the first and the second drive circuitry so that both the first and the second voltage drops are provided across the network periodically and so that the second voltage drop is not provided across the network simultaneously with the first voltage drop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Publication date: April 30, 2020
    Applicant: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Enrico STURA, Jerome Christian COURBAT, Oleg MIRONOV
  • Publication number: 20200060348
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device (100) for use with a plurality of aerosol-forming substrates. The device comprises a receiving sleeve (102) which in turn comprises an inner receiving zone (110) within the receiving sleeve for receiving at least a first aerosol-forming substrate, and an outer receiving zone (120) extending across at least a portion of an outer circumferential periphery of the receiving sleeve for receiving at least a second aerosol-forming substrate. The device further comprises an electrical heater for heating at least the first aerosol-forming substrate or the second aerosol-forming substrate when being received in the first or second receiving zone, respectively. The invention further relates to an aerosol-generating article (200), in particular for use with such a device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Oleg Mironov, Jerome Christian Courbat, Michael Paton, David Cross, Enrico Stura