Patents by Inventor Frank Pluckhahn
Frank Pluckhahn 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).
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Publication number: 20230371573Abstract: A method of processing tobacco fines into a non-continuous tobacco material includes providing a pre-sized tobacco stem material that has a Dp90 particle size of less than 2.5 mm and a Dp50 particle size of between 0.7 mm and 1.5 mm, combining the pre-sized tobacco stem material with tobacco fines to provide a tobacco initial material, wherein the tobacco initial material includes between 40% and 60% pre-sized tobacco stem material (by mass). The method can include processing the initial material by setting the initial material to a predefined increased moisture content, subjecting the initial material to an increase in temperature and subjecting the initial material an increased pressure in order to bind the tobacco fines to the tobacco stem material, and conveying the initial material through a conveyor. The method can include feeding the processed tobacco material through a shearing gap such that the processed tobacco material is defibrated by expansion.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2021Publication date: November 23, 2023Inventors: Matthias LINK, Dietmar FRANKE, Frank PLÜCKHAHN
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Publication number: 20230354876Abstract: A method of processing tobacco fines into a non-continuous tobacco material, the method including providing a pre-sized tobacco stem material that has a Dp90 particle size of less than 3 mm and a Dp50 particle size of less than 2 mm. The method also includes combining the pre-sized tobacco stem material with tobacco fines to provide a tobacco initial material, and processing the initial material by setting the initial material to a predefined increased moisture content, subjecting the initial material to an increase in temperature and subjecting the initial material an increased pressure in order to bind the tobacco fines to the tobacco stem material. There is also provided a non-continuous tobacco material produced by the method, a component for a delivery system including non-continuous tobacco material produced by the method, a product and a smoking article including the component.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 14, 2021Publication date: November 9, 2023Inventors: Matthias LINK, Dietmar FRANKE, Frank PLÜCKHAHN
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Publication number: 20220110361Abstract: Tobacco constituent releasing components comprising an agglomerated structure formed from a precursor composition comprising tobacco particles and one or more aerosol forming agents, processes for preparing tobacco constituent releasing components, and various tobacco industry products including the tobacco constituent releasing components.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2020Publication date: April 14, 2022Inventors: Matthias LINK, Ugurhan YILMAZ, Dietmar FRANKE, Frank PLÜCKHAHN
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Publication number: 20210068443Abstract: The present invention provides a method of treating tobacco material comprising intermittently contacting a tobacco starting material with a heated surface to produce a dried treated tobacco material. Also provided is an apparatus for treating tobacco material. The invention also provides treated tobacco material that is seared and dried, as well as products comprising the same.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2019Publication date: March 11, 2021Inventors: Dietmar FRANKE, Oliver GRÜNER, Josef KNOTHE, Thorsten KÖNIG, Volker KUHL, Matthias LINK, Frank PLÜCKHAHN, Ruediger HARTMAN
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Publication number: 20200163377Abstract: The invention relates to tobacco constituent releasing components for inclusion in an aerosol provision device, the tobacco constituent releasing component including tobacco particles, optionally in an agglomerated structure. The invention also relates to apparatus including the tobacco constituent releasing components and to methods of manufacturing the tobacco constituent releasing components.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2018Publication date: May 28, 2020Inventors: Dietmar FRANKE, Oliver GRÜNER, Josef KNOTHE, Thorsten KÖNIG, Volker KUHL, Matthias LINK, Frank PLÜCKHAHN
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Patent number: 7387128Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous method for pressure-conditioning material for food and/or semi-luxury consumables, wherein said material (12) is introduced through an entrance (4) into a hyperbarically pressurized conditioning chamber (2), where it is treated with a conditioning agent, and extracted again from said conditioning chamber (2) at an exit (8), wherein the material (12) is conveyed continuously from said entrance (4) to said exit (8) in a conditioning chamber (2) inclined obliquely upwards, by means of a mixing conveyor, in particular a conveying screw (3).Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2004Date of Patent: June 17, 2008Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbHInventors: Uwe Werner Ehling, Gerald Schmekel, Frank Plückhahn, Hans-Werner Fuchs, Matthias Link
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Patent number: 7380554Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous method for pressure-conditioning material for food and/or semi-luxury consumables, wherein said material (12) is introduced through an entrance (4) into a hyperbarically pressurized conditioning chamber (2), where it is treated with a conditioning agent, and extracted again from said conditioning chamber (2) at an exit (8), wherein the material (12) is conveyed continuously from said entrance (4) to said exit (8) in a conditioning chamber (2) inclined obliquely upwards, by means of a mixing conveyor, in particular a conveying screw (3).Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2004Date of Patent: June 3, 2008Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbHInventors: Uwe Werner Ehling, Gerald Schmekel, Frank Plückhahn, Hans-Werner Fuchs, Matthias Link
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Publication number: 20050098186Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous method for pressure-conditioning material for food and/or semi-luxury consumables, wherein said material (12) is introduced through an entrance (4) into a hyperbarically pressurized conditioning chamber (2), where it is treated with a conditioning agent, and extracted again from said conditioning chamber (2) at an exit (8), wherein the material (12) is conveyed continuously from said entrance (4) to said exit (8) in a conditioning chamber (2) inclined obliquely upwards, by means of a mixing conveyor, in particular a conveying screw (3).Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2004Publication date: May 12, 2005Applicant: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbHInventors: Uwe Ehling, Gerald Schmekel, Frank Pluckhahn, Hans-Werner Fuchs, Matthias Link
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Patent number: 6880814Abstract: The invention relates to process gas conditioning for tobacco dryers. In particular, it relates to a device for conditioning dryer which includes a vaporization unit with a chamber for introducing and vaporizing water to be added to the process gas, wherein the vaporization unit is arranged before the tobacco dryer and before the tobacco is introduced into the process gas. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vaporization unit for introducing water vapor into the flow of process gas in a tobacco dryer which includes a through-flow tank in which water introduced via a number of spray jets is completely vaporized, in contact with the process gas, and to a method for conditioning process gas for a tobacco dryer, in particular a flow dryer, wherein vapor is added to the process gas by introducing and vaporizing water, the water in the flow of process gas being vaporized in an vaporization unit before the tobacco dryer and before the tobacco is introduced into the process gas.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2002Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany GmbH)Inventors: Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss, Dietmar Franke
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Patent number: 6834653Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprising a Laval nozzle, in which the speed of sound is attained in the narrowest cross section.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2002Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbHInventors: Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
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Publication number: 20040206367Abstract: The invention relates to a method for conditioning comminuted tobacco material by heating and moistening with water vapor, wherein the comminuted tobacco material free-falls down through a chamber operating in a continuous process and is treated during free-fall with water vapor via nozzles; a hyperbaric pressure is maintained in said chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2004Publication date: October 21, 2004Applicant: British American Tobacco (Germany)Inventors: Uwe Werner Ehling, Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
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Publication number: 20040182258Abstract: The invention relates to a continuous method for pressure-conditioning material for food and/or semi-luxury consumables, wherein said material (12) is introduced through an entrance (4) into a hyperbarically pressurized conditioning chamber (2), where it is treated with a conditioning agent, and extracted again from said conditioning chamber (2) at an exit (8), wherein the material (12) is conveyed continuously from said entrance (4) to said exit (8) in a conditioning chamber (2) inclined obliquely upwards, by means of a mixing conveyor, in particular a conveying screw (3).Type: ApplicationFiled: February 5, 2004Publication date: September 23, 2004Inventors: Uwe Werner Ehling, Gerald Schmekel, Frank Pluckhahn, Hans-Werner Fuchs, Matthias Link
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Patent number: 6779527Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for conditioning comminuted tobacco material by heating and moistening with water vapor, wherein the comminuted tobacco material free-falls down through a chamber operating in a continuous process and is treated during free-fall with water vapor via nozzles; a hyperbaric pressure is maintained in said chamber.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2001Date of Patent: August 24, 2004Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbHInventors: Uwe Werner Ehling, Frank Plückhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
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Publication number: 20020189624Abstract: The invention concerns a method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprising a Laval nozzle, in which the speed of sound is attained in the narrowest cross section.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2002Publication date: December 19, 2002Applicant: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbHInventors: Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
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Publication number: 20020185755Abstract: The invention relates to process gas conditioning for tobacco dryers. In particular, it relates to a device for conditioning process gas for a tobacco dryer, in particular a flow dryer, comprising a means for introducing and vaporizing water to be added to the process gas, wherein the means comprises a vaporization unit arranged before the tobacco dryer and before the tobacco is introduced into the process gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2002Publication date: December 12, 2002Applicant: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbHInventors: Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss, Dietmar Franke
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Patent number: 6397851Abstract: A method and an apparatus for expanding foodstuffs and luxury foodstuffs/tobacco materials capable of being expanded, in particular moist tobacco materials, wherein said materials in a carrier flow comprising steam pass through an expansion zone, comprising a Laval nozzle, in which the speed of sound is attained in the narrowest cross section.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2000Date of Patent: June 4, 2002Assignee: British American Tobacco (Germany) GmbHInventors: Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss
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Publication number: 20020033182Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for conditioning comminuted tobacco material by heating and moistening with water vapor, wherein the comminuted tobacco material free-falls down through a chamber operating in a continuous process and is treated during free-fall with water vapor via nozzles; a hyperbaric pressure is maintained in said chamber.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2001Publication date: March 21, 2002Inventors: Uwe Werner Ehling, Frank Pluckhahn, Gerald Schmekel, Arno Weiss