Patents by Inventor Jay Fournier

Jay Fournier 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: 6367481
    Abstract: A cigarette includes an ignition element in contact with tobacco, surrounded by a composite outer wrapper. The outer wrapper is impervious to oxygen causing the tobacco to extinguish between puffs. The ignition element, however, has a longer static burn time than the tobacco and remains smoldering between puffs. Upon a subsequent puff, the smoldering ignition element re-ignites the tobacco. One or more initially-occluded perforations in the outer layer maintain the uniformity in combustion of the tobacco and the ignition element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2002
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Walter A. Nichols, John R. Hearn, F. Murphy Sprinkel, Jr., Jay A Fournier, Jerry F. Whidby
  • Patent number: 6311694
    Abstract: A smoking article comprises a smoking accessory and a cigarette. The smoking accessory includes a holder and a substantially air-impermeable sleeve which is coupled to a distal portion of the holder and is coaxial therewith. The cigarette is received in the smoking accessory such that a distal end of the cigarette is located substantially flush with a distal end of the sleeve. The cigarette includes a column of tobacco which is shorter than that used in conventional cigarettes, e.g., 20 mm in length or less. An air gap separates an outer surface of the cigarette from the sleeve, and plural openings are formed in the sleeve to supply air to the cigarette. In use, the sleeve restricts the flow of air to the cigarette, thereby slowing combustion and reducing sidestream smoke between puffs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Walter A. Nichols, John R. Hearn, F. Murphy Sprinkel, Jr., Jay A. Fournier, Jerry F. Whidby
  • Patent number: 6289898
    Abstract: The invention relates to a tobacco smoking article wrapper which selectively reduces the content of gaseous components in the smoke delivered during the use of the smoking article. The gaseous components can be low molecular weight aldehydes in the smoke produced during combustion/pyrolysis of the smoking article. The wrapper can comprise cigarette paper having an ammonium-containing compound filler therein for reducing the aldehyde content in the smoke. The ammonium-containing compound filler evolves ammonia upon combustion/pyrolysis of the smoking article which can chemically react with aldehydes in tobacco smoke and/or modify the combustion/pyrolysis reactions thereby reducing the initial formation of aldehydes to selectively reduce such aldehydes from the smoke inhaled by a smoker. The ammonium-containing compound can be magnesium ammonium phosphate used alone or in combination with one or more other fillers such as calcium carbonate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Jay A Fournier, John B. Paine, III
  • Patent number: 6116247
    Abstract: A cleaning unit used to clean condensates formed during use of a component of a smoking system. The component can be a heating fixture having a cigarette receiving section and a plurality of longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced apart heating elements located within a can which accumulates the condensates. During a cleaning operation, the heating fixture is fitted within a cavity in the cleaning unit such that the cigarette receiving end of the heating fixture engages an O-ring and the terminal base portion abuts against an indented stop in an interior sidewall of a removable portion of the housing. The cleaning unit includes a water inlet connected to a source of pressurized water such as a faucet and a spray member extends into the cigarette receiving section to spray jets of water against the interior of the can.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Joseph Leslie Banyasz, Aubry T. Burton, John M. Campbell, Woontung Geoffrey Chan, Mary Ellen Counts, William James Crowe, Jay A Fournier, Patrick H. Hayes, Willie Gray Houck, Jr., Robert E. Lee, III, Donald Bruce Losee, John B. Paine, III, Robert L. Ripley, Charles Edwin Thomas, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5979461
    Abstract: Hydromagnesite-magnesium hydroxide compositions which, when used as fillers in smoking article wrappers, significantly reduce the amount of sidestream smoke produced by the burning smoking article while providing the smoking article with good subjective characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Philip Morris Inc.
    Inventors: Azzedine Bensalem, Warren Chang, Jay A Fournier, Andrew G. Kallianos, John B. Paine, III, Kenneth F. Podraza, Donald M. Schleich, Jeffrey I. Seeman
  • Patent number: 5927288
    Abstract: Hydromagnesite-magnesium hydroxide compositions are prepared which, when used as fillers in smoking article wrappers, significantly reduce the amount of sidestream smoke produced by the burning smoking article while providing the smoking article with good subjective characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 27, 1999
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Azzedine Bensalem, Warren Chang, Jay A Fournier, Andrew G. Kallianos, John B. Paine, III, Kenneth F. Podraza, Donald M. Schleich, Jeffrey I. Seeman
  • Patent number: 5878752
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for cleaning an electrical lighter are provided. A sleeve, e.g., ceramic or metal, surrounds the heater fixture, and a resistive heating element is in thermal proximity with the sleeve. The resistive heating element is either a dedicated element or the cigarette heating elements. The sleeve serves as a aerosol barrier and condensate accumulator to protect other components. Periodically, e.g., substantially contemporaneously with a battery recharge, the heating element is activated to thermally liberate condensates deposited on the sleeve during smoking and also heats, and thereby cleans, other components. Also, a cleaning element is optionally inserted into the cigarette receptacle of the electrical lighter or placed at the exit thereof to absorb, attract and/or catalytically break down the thermally liberated condensates. The sleeve also directs a desired flow path for drawn air within an electrical lighter toward the cigarette.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: John M. Adams, William J. Crowe, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Jay A. Fournier, Mohammad R. Hajaligol, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Donald B. Losee, Constance H. Morgan, John D. Naworal, H. Neal Nunnally, John B. Paine, III, Wynn R. Raymond, Robert L. Ripley, Jeffrey I. Seeman, Francis M. Sprinkel, Michael L. Watkins
  • Patent number: 5502019
    Abstract: Provided are improved catalyst compositions for use in oxidizing carbon monoxide and methods of preparing these catalysts. The catalyst compositions are particularly useful at ambient temperatures. The catalyst compositions, prepared by a coprecipitation method, comprise an oxide of cobalt as the principal component with one or more metals selected from the group consisting of manganese (Mn), aluminum (Al), bismuth (Bi), cerium (Ce), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lanthanum (La), magnesium (Mg), titanium (Ti), zinc (Zn), and zirconium (Zr).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Robert L. Augustine, Jay A. Fournier, John B. Paine, III, Kenneth H. Shafer, Setrak K. Tanielyan
  • Patent number: 5228463
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of co-crystalline magnesite/magnesium hydroxide compositions as fillers for smoking article wrappers. Smoking articles made with wrappers containing these compositions exhibit significantly reduced sidestream smoke and does not compromise subjective attributes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 20, 1993
    Assignee: Philip Morris Inc.
    Inventors: Jay A. Fournier, Andrew G. Kallianos, John B. Paine, III, Kenneth F. Podraza, Jeffrey I. Seeman
  • Patent number: 5092306
    Abstract: An improved smoking article wrapper which significantly reduces sidestream smike using magnesium carbonate in the form of magnesite as a filler. Smoking articles which employ the wrappers exhibit a significant reduction in sidestream smoke without adverse effect on subjective characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1990
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1992
    Assignee: Philip Morris Incorporated
    Inventors: Gordon H. Bokelman, Jay A. Fournier, Andrew G. Kallianos, John B. Paine, III, Kenneth F. Podraza, Jeffrey I. Seeman