Patents by Inventor Mary Ellen Counts
Mary Ellen Counts 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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Patent number: 6688313Abstract: An electrical smoking system comprising a cigarette and an electric lighter, wherein the cigarette comprises a tubular tobacco mat partially filled with material tobacco so as to define a filled tobacco rod portion and an unfilled tobacco rod portion. The cigarette and the lighter are mutually arranged so that when the cigarette is received in the lighter, the electrical heater element of the lighter at least partially superposes at least a portion of the filled tobacco rod portion. The cigarette and the lighter are also mutually arranged so that when the cigarette is received in the lighter, the free end of the cigarette is occluded. The cigarette includes a zone of perforations at a location along the filled tobacco rod portion, with the cigarette being free of perforations along the unfilled tobacco rod portion. An apparatus for perforating a cigarette which can be smoked in an electrical smoking device includes a drum link-up assembly and a laser perforating apparatus.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2001Date of Patent: February 10, 2004Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: Susan E. Wrenn, A. Clifton Lilly, Jr., Traci L. Franklin, Patrick H. Hayes, Mary Ellen Counts, William James Crowe
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Patent number: 6418938Abstract: A brush cleaning unit for a heater fixture of a smoking device includes a holder such as a tube wherein the heater fixture can be washed with a liquid by a movable brush. The tube can include first and second ends, a portion of a key for cooperating with a corresponding portion of the key on the heater fixture for orienting the heater fixture, and an arrangement for preventing the brush from rotating. The brush can be arranged to be axially movable relative to the tube and the heater fixture attached thereto.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2000Date of Patent: July 16, 2002Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: Grier Fleischhauer, Brett Stevenson, Shodo Minagawa, Mary Ellen Counts
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Publication number: 20020005207Abstract: An electrical smoking system comprising a cigarette and an electric lighter, wherein the cigarette comprises a tubular tobacco mat partially filled with material tobacco so as to define a filled tobacco rod portion and an unfilled tobacco rod portion. The cigarette and the lighter are mutually arranged so that when the cigarette is received in the lighter, the electrical heater element of the lighter at least partially superposes at least a portion of the filled tobacco rod portion. The cigarette and the lighter are also mutually arranged so that when the cigarette is received in the lighter, the free end of the cigarette is occluded. The cigarette includes a zone of perforations at a location along the filled tobacco rod portion, with the cigarette being free of perforations along the unfilled tobacco rod portion. An apparatus for perforating a cigarette which can be smoked in an electrical smoking device includes a drum link-up assembly and a laser perforating apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2001Publication date: January 17, 2002Inventors: Susan E. Wrenn, A. Clifton Lilly, Traci L. Franklin, Patrick H. Hayes, Mary Ellen Counts, Wesley G. Sanderson, Brett W. Stevenson, William James Crowe, Charles W. Harris, Donald H. Jones, Barry S. Smith, Jeffrey A. Swepston, Mikhail S. Braunshteyn, James W. Hall
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Patent number: 6116247Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 21, 1998Date of Patent: September 12, 2000Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: 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.
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Patent number: 5954979Abstract: A novel electrical smoking system and method of establishing resistance to draw upon a cigarette while smoking a cigarette in an electrical smoking system comprising the step of operatively interposing a frit between a source of ambient air and the cigarette.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 1997Date of Patent: September 21, 1999Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: Mary Ellen Counts, William J. Crowe, John L. Felter, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Mohammad R. Hajaligol, Patrick H. Hayes, Willie G. Houck, H. Neal Nunnally
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Patent number: 5915387Abstract: A novel cigarette adapted for use in an electrical cigarette system comprising a tobacco rod having filled and unfilled tobacco rod portions and being arranged so that electrical heater elements may overlap the filled and unfilled tobacco rod portions. The tobacco rod includes a tobacco web rolled into tubular form. The tobacco web is constructed in accordance with a novel process comprising the steps of converting tobacco feedstock into a continuous sheet of tobacco web and converting the continuous sheet of tobacco web into one or more bobbins of tobacco web suitable for automated manufacture of cigarettes.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 1996Date of Patent: June 29, 1999Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: James D. Baggett, Jr., David A. Clark, Mary Ellen Counts, Patrick C. Cowling, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Michael A. Moore, Wesley G. Sanderson, Richard G. Uhl, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn
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Patent number: 5865185Abstract: A smoking article is provided in which a replaceable tobacco flavor unit containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of permanent reusable heaters to evolve flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. Each heater heats only a portion of the available tobacco flavor material so that a plurality of individual puffs of tobacco flavor substance can be delivered sequentially to the smoker. The replaceable tobacco flavor unit can also include a filter to reduce the effect of residual aerosol which settles or condenses on the permanent portions of the article and which can result in undesirable flavor generation when reheated. A method and apparatus for manufacturing the replaceable tobacco flavor unit is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 1995Date of Patent: February 2, 1999Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: Alfred L. Collins, Mary Ellen Counts, Amitabh Das, Seetharama C. Deevi, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Charles T. Higgins, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Billy J. Keen, Jr., Robert E. Lee, III, A. Clifton Lilly, Jr., D. Bruce Losee, Jr., Hugh J. McCafferty, Constance H. Nichols, Wynn R. Raymond, Robert L. Ripley, Renzer R. Ritt, Sr., G. Robert Scott, F. Murphy Sprinkel, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn, Francis V. Utsch
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Patent number: 5816263Abstract: A novel cigarette adapted for use in an electrical cigarette system comprising a tobacco rod having filled and unfilled tobacco rod portions and being arranged so that electrical heater elements may overlap the filled and unfilled tobacco rod portions. The tobacco rod includes a tobacco web rolled into tubular form. The tobacco web is constructed in accordance with a novel process comprising the steps of converting tobacco feedstock into a continuous sheet of tobacco web and converting the continuous sheet of tobacco web into one or more bobbins of tobacco web suitable for automated manufacture of cigarettes.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 1996Date of Patent: October 6, 1998Inventors: Mary Ellen Counts, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Michael A. Moore, Wesley G. Sanderson, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn
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Patent number: 5708258Abstract: A smoking system is provided in which a replaceable cigarette containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of electrical heater elements contained within a lighter to evolve tobacco flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. The cigarette and lighter are adapted to provide air flow patterns through the smoking system such that air flows transversely into the cigarette. Such patterns improve aerosol and flavor delivery to the smoker and reduce the condensation of residual heater-region vapor/aerosol in the smoking system.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 1995Date of Patent: January 13, 1998Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: Mary Ellen Counts, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Mohammad R. Hajalogol, Patrick H. Hayes, Charles T. Higgins, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Bernard C. Laroy, Peter J. Lipowicz, Constance H. Nichols, Mantharam Subbiah, Michael L. Watkins
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Patent number: 5692525Abstract: A cigarette adapted for use in an electrical cigarette system having a tobacco rod having filled and unfilled tobacco rod portions and being arranged so that electrical heater elements may overlap the filled and unfilled tobacco rod portions. The tobacco rod includes a tobacco web rolled into tubular form. The tobacco web is constructed in accordance with a process having the steps of converting tobacco feedstock into a continuous sheet of tobacco web and converting the continuous sheet of tobacco web into one or more bobbins of tobacco web suitable for automated manufacture of cigarettes.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 1995Date of Patent: December 2, 1997Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: Mary Ellen Counts, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Michael A. Moore, Wesley G. Sanderson, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn
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Patent number: 5692526Abstract: A novel cigarette of an electrical cigarette system and method of making same, the cigarette comprising a tubular tobacco web and a plug disposed within said tubular tobacco web which provides a structural connection that remains intact after a smoking of the cigarette. The disclosure includes a double-belled plug extending between a free end and a tipped end of a tobacco rod, or in the alternative, a column of tobacco with higher and lower density segments. The disclosure includes a method comprising the steps of producing a continuous plug, passing same through a die, overwrapping the rod with tobacco mat and overwrap, and severing the rod.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: December 2, 1997Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: John M. Adams, Mary Ellen Counts, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Kenneth S. Houghton, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Billy J. Keen, Jr., Wesley G. Sanderson, Susan E. Wrenn
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Patent number: 5666976Abstract: A method of manufacturing cigarettes including the steps of establishing a succession of 2-up hollow plugs in alternating relation to 2-up tobacco plugs and wrapping same in a tobacco web and overwrap, severing the resultant continuous rod at mid points of preselected 2-up tobacco plugs and severing again to establish associated pairs of singular tobacco rod plugs, separating the members of associated pairs of tobacco rod plugs and placing 2-up filter tipping plugs therebetween, and subsequently wrapping the interposed 2-up filter tipping plug together with adjacent portions of the singular tobacco rod plugs and severing the resultant tipped structure into individual cigarettes. Also provided are cigarettes constructed in accordance with the novel method.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 1995Date of Patent: September 16, 1997Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: John M. Adams, Mikhail S. Braunshteyn, Mary Ellen Counts, Gerald M. Dale, Charles W. Harris, Donald H. Jones, Billy J. Keen, Jr., Wesley G. Sanderson, Barry S. Smith, Brett W. Stevenson, Susan E. Wrenn
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Patent number: 5666978Abstract: A smoking system is provided in which a replaceable cigarette containing tobacco flavor material is electrically heated by a set of electrical heater elements contained within a lighter to evolve tobacco flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form for delivery to a smoker. The cigarette and lighter are adapted to provide air flow patterns through the smoking system such that air flows transversely into the cigarette. Such patterns improve aerosol and flavor delivery to the smoker and reduce the condensation of residual heater-region vapor/aerosol in the smoking system.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1995Date of Patent: September 16, 1997Assignee: Philip Morris IncorporatedInventors: Mary Ellen Counts, Seetharama C. Deevi, Grier S. Fleischhauer, Mohammad R. Hajalogol, Patrick H. Hayes, Charles T. Higgins, Willie G. Houck, Jr., Billy J. Keen, Jr., Bernard C. Laroy, Peter J. Lipowicz, Donald E. Miser, Constance H. Nichols, William H. Stevens, Mantharam Subbiah, Michael L. Watkins, Susan E. Wrenn
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Patent number: D537561Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2005Date of Patent: February 27, 2007Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.Inventors: Mary Ellen Counts, Barry S. Smith, Xuan M. Pham
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Patent number: D539474Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2005Date of Patent: March 27, 2007Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.Inventors: Mary Ellen Counts, Barry S. Smith, Xuan M. Pham
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Patent number: D541978Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2005Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc.Inventors: Mary Ellen Counts, Barry S. Smith, Xuan M. Pham