Patents by Inventor Tomoichi Watanabe

Tomoichi Watanabe 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).

  • Publication number: 20240032594
    Abstract: A flavor inhaler includes a first component; and a second component detachably connected to the first component. One of the first and second components includes a first engaging part and a second engaging part for engaging the other of the first and second components. The first engaging part engages the other of the first and second components in a different way from the second engaging part. The first engaging part is provided on a first side in one of the first and second components and the second engaging part is provided on a second side opposed to the first side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2023
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicant: Japan Tobacco Inc.
    Inventor: Tomoichi WATANABE
  • Patent number: 11612186
    Abstract: A method for supplying a liquid to an inhaler cartridge includes a housing body including an accommodation space capable of accommodating a liquid, a first opening communicating with the accommodation space and opened in a first direction, and a second opening communicating with the accommodation space and opened in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a cap configured to be formed separately from the housing body and close the first opening. The method includes closing the first opening with the cap, and after the first opening is closed, supplying the liquid to the accommodation space through the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi Watanabe, Hirofumi Matsumoto, Takuma Nakano, Kei Oishi
  • Publication number: 20230022645
    Abstract: To provide an inhaler cartridge and an inhaler including a novel structure. Provided is a cartridge for an inhaler. The cartridge includes: a housing including an accommodation space capable of accommodating a liquid, an air flow passage, and a partition member partitioning the accommodation space and the air flow passage in a longitudinal direction; and a heater configured to be capable of heating the liquid and arranged in the air flow passage. The partition member includes an opening opened in a transverse direction to bring the accommodation space into communication with the air flow passage. The opening includes an upstream-side opening edge and a downstream-side opening edge. The partition member includes an upstream-side end and a downstream-side end. A distance between the upstream-side opening edge and the upstream-side end is smaller than a distance between the downstream-side opening edge and the downstream-side end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi WATANABE, Hirofumi MATSUMOTO, Takuma NAKANO, Kei OISHI
  • Patent number: 11484064
    Abstract: An aerosol inhaler cartridge is provided with a liquid storage unit and a thin metal heater. The metal heater has an obverse face, a reverse face, and a side face joining the obverse face and the reverse face, and is provided, on at least a part of the side face, with a tapered protrusion that protrudes in a tapered shape in a direction different from an imaginary line extending from the obverse face to the reverse face. The tapered protrusion has: a first tapered face formed in an inwardly curving manner extending from an obverse edge part whereat the obverse face and the side face are joined to the tip of the tapered protrusion; and a second tapered face formed in an inwardly curving manner extending from a reverse edge part whereat the reverse face and the side face are joined to the tip of the tapered protrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi Watanabe, Hidenori Muramoto, Takeshi Akiyama, Mitsuru Okada, Toshiki Kudo, Tomoaki Hongo
  • Patent number: 11457666
    Abstract: To provide an inhaler cartridge and an inhaler including a novel structure. Provided is a cartridge for an inhaler. The cartridge includes: a housing including an accommodation space capable of accommodating a liquid, an air flow passage, and a partition member partitioning the accommodation space and the air flow passage in a longitudinal direction; and a heater configured to be capable of heating the liquid and arranged in the air flow passage. The partition member includes an opening opened in a transverse direction to bring the accommodation space into communication with the air flow passage. The opening includes an upstream-side opening edge and a downstream-side opening edge. The partition member includes an upstream-side end and a downstream-side end. A distance between the upstream-side opening edge and the upstream-side end is smaller than a distance between the downstream-side opening edge and the downstream-side end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi Watanabe, Hirofumi Matsumoto, Takuma Nakano, Kei Oishi
  • Patent number: 11364356
    Abstract: To provide an inhaler cartridge and an inhaler including a novel structure. Provided is a cartridge for an inhaler. The cartridge includes: a housing including an accommodation space capable of accommodating a liquid, an air flow passage, and a partition member partitioning the accommodation space and the air flow passage in a longitudinal direction; a heater configured to be capable of heating the liquid and arranged in the air flow passage; and an air inlet port provided at a position facing the partition member and communicating with the air flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventor: Tomoichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11317652
    Abstract: To provide an inhaler cartridge and an inhaler including a novel structure. Provided is a cartridge for an inhaler with a tank capable of containing a liquid. The cartridge includes a cap configured to seal at least part of a space in the tank. The cap includes a seal region configured to seal at least part of the space in the tank, and a reception portion that receives a conductor constituting part of an electric path between a heater for heating the liquid and the battery portion. The reception portion is provided on an outer side of the seal region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventor: Tomoichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11272737
    Abstract: A vapor generation unit is for use in a non-combustion-type flavor inhaler that includes a wick, a wick support, a heater, a holder, and a positioning mechanism. The wick holds a liquid and is attached to the wick support. The heater includes a housing space that houses a wick assembly that is formed from the wick and the wick support and a heater element that is contacted by the wick. The holder is assembled on the heater element side of an assembly that is formed from the heater and the wick assembly. The positioning mechanism makes it possible for the wick assembly to be housed in the housing space such that the wick is not in contact with the heater element and moves the wick assembly as housed in the housing space so as to position the wick assembly such that the wick is in contact with the heater element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi Watanabe, Toshiki Kudo
  • Patent number: 11172709
    Abstract: A method for producing a vapor generation unit, which is for generating a vapor by heating a liquid and is to be used in a non-combustible flavor inhaler, includes: a support feeding step of feeding a wick support to a production line for the vapor generation unit; a wick feeding step of, after the support feeding step, feeding a wick toward the wick support and disposing the same on the wick support; a holder feeding step of, after the wick feeding step, feeding a wick holder toward the wick support and assembling the same on the wick support; and a heater feeding step of, after the holder feeding step, feeding a heater toward the wick holder and assembling the same on the wick support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi Watanabe, Masayoshi Saito, Toshiki Kudo, Hidenori Muramoto, Ryuji Saito, Masayuki Kimura
  • Patent number: 11160314
    Abstract: An inspection device is an inspection device for a battery unit for a smoking article having a battery embedded therein, the battery unit including a suction detection part that detects negative pressure in the battery unit, the inspection device including: a suction path to be connected to the suction detection part through a suction port, a suction source disposed in the suction path, a control unit that inspects operation of the battery unit on the basis of the negative pressure detected by the suction detection part, by operating the suction source to suck the suction detection part through the suction path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi Watanabe, Hidenori Muramoto, Kenta Mitsuchi, Toshiki Kudo, Takaya Takahashi
  • Publication number: 20210307393
    Abstract: A vapor generation unit is for use in a non-combustion-type flavor inhaler that includes a wick, a wick support, a heater, a holder, and a positioning mechanism The wick holds a liquid and is attached to the wick support. The heater includes a housing space that houses a wick assembly that is formed from the wick and the wick support and a heater element that is contacted by the wick. The holder is assembled on the heater element side of an assembly that is formed from the heater and the wick assembly. The positioning mechanism makes it possible for the wick assembly to be housed in the housing space such that the wick is not in contact with the heater element and moves the wick assembly as housed in the housing space so as to position the wick assembly such that the wick is in contact with the heater element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi WATANABE, Toshiki KUDO
  • Publication number: 20210235771
    Abstract: A method for producing a vapor generation unit, which is for generating a vapor by heating a liquid and is to be used in a non-combustible flavor inhaler, includes: a support feeding step of feeding a wick support to a production line for the vapor generation unit; a wick feeding step of, after the support feeding step, feeding a wick toward the wick support and disposing the same on the wick support; a holder feeding step of, after the wick feeding step, feeding a wick holder toward the wick support and assembling the same on the wick support; and a heater feeding step of, after the holder feeding step, feeding a heater toward the wick holder and assembling the same on the wick support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi WATANABE, Masayoshi SAITO, Toshiki KUDO, Hidenori MURAMOTO, Ryuji SAITO, Masayuki KIMURA
  • Publication number: 20200297032
    Abstract: An aerosol inhaler cartridge is provided with a liquid storage unit and a thin metal heater. The metal heater has an obverse face, a reverse face, and a side face joining the obverse face and the reverse face, and is provided, on at least a part of the side face, with a tapered protrusion that protrudes in a tapered shape in a direction different from an imaginary line extending from the obverse face to the reverse face. The tapered protrusion has: a first tapered face formed in an inwardly curving manner extending from an obverse edge part whereat the obverse face and the side face are joined to the tip of the tapered protrusion; and a second tapered face formed in an inwardly curving manner extending from a reverse edge part whereat the reverse face and the side face are joined to the tip of the tapered protrusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi WATANABE, Hidenori MURAMOTO, Takeshi AKIYAMA, Mitsuru OKADA, Toshiki KUDO, Tomoaki HONGO
  • Patent number: 10668233
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a flavor cartridge for a flavor inhalator, the method comprising the steps of filling a predetermined amount of a flavor generating material capable of emitting a flavor component in a frame compressing the flavor generating material in the frame by applying pressure thereto by a pusher and fixing a lid to the frame, wherein the flavor generating material contains a tobacco material obtained by shredding or pulverizing tobacco leaf, and the lid has air permeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Matsumoto, Takeshi Shinkawa, Atsuro Yamada, Kazuhiko Katayama, Manabu Yamada, Tomoichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 10653179
    Abstract: This cartridge is provided with a flavor source housing which houses a flavor source, and a mesh body which is arranged on at least one end of the flavor source housing. The mesh body has multiple openings. Each of the openings has a polygonal shape with interior angles of less than or equal to 180°. As lengths that pass through the center of gravity of each opening, each opening has a minimum length that is shortest and a maximum length that is longest. The minimum length is less than the smallest size of the raw material pieces, and the maximum length is greater than the minimum length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Hirofumi Matsumoto, Masafumi Tarora, Manabu Yamada, Tomoichi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20190373958
    Abstract: An inspection device is an inspection device for a battery unit for a smoking article having a battery embedded therein, the battery unit including a suction detection part that detects negative pressure in the battery unit, the inspection device including: a suction path to be connected to the suction detection part through a suction port; a suction source disposed in the suction path; a control unit that inspects operation of the battery unit on the basis of the negative pressure detected by the suction detection part, by operating the suction source to suck the suction detection part through the suction path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: Japan Tobacco Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoichi WATANABE, Hidenori MURAMOTO, Kenta MITSUCHI, Toshiki KUDO, Takaya TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20190357597
    Abstract: To provide a novel liquid supply method. Provided is a method for supplying a liquid to an inhaler cartridge including a housing body including an accommodation space capable of accommodating a liquid, a first opening communicating with the accommodation space and opened in a first direction, and a second opening communicating with the accommodation space and opened in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a cap configured to be formed separately from the housing body and close the first opening. The method includes the steps of: closing the first opening with the cap, and after the first opening is closed, supplying the liquid to the accommodation space through the second opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi WATANABE, Hirofumi MATSUMOTO, Takuma NAKANO, Kei OISHI
  • Publication number: 20190343186
    Abstract: To provide an inhaler cartridge and an inhaler including a novel structure. Provided is a cartridge for an inhaler. The cartridge includes: a housing including an accommodation space capable of accommodating a liquid, an air flow passage, and a partition member partitioning the accommodation space and the air flow passage in a longitudinal direction; and a heater configured to be capable of heating the liquid and arranged in the air flow passage. The partition member includes an opening opened in a transverse direction to bring the accommodation space into communication with the air flow passage. The opening includes an upstream-side opening edge and a downstream-side opening edge. The partition member includes an upstream-side end and a downstream-side end. A distance between the upstream-side opening edge and the upstream-side end is smaller than a distance between the downstream-side opening edge and the downstream-side end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Tomoichi WATANABE, Hirofumi MATSUMOTO, Takuma NAKANO, Kei OISHI
  • Publication number: 20190335819
    Abstract: To provide an inhaler cartridge and an inhaler including a novel structure. Provided is a cartridge for an inhaler with a tank capable of containing a liquid. The cartridge includes a cap configured to seal at least part of a space in the tank. The cap includes a seal region configured to seal at least part of the space in the tank, and a reception portion that receives a conductor constituting part of an electric path between a heater for heating the liquid and the battery portion. The reception portion is provided on an outer side of the seal region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventor: Tomoichi WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20190335820
    Abstract: To provide an inhaler cartridge and an inhaler including a novel structure. Provided is a cartridge for an inhaler. The cartridge includes: a housing including an accommodation space capable of accommodating a liquid, an air flow passage, and a partition member partitioning the accommodation space and the air flow passage in a longitudinal direction; a heater configured to be capable of heating the liquid and arranged in the air flow passage; and an air inlet port provided at a position facing the partition member and communicating with the air flow passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventor: Tomoichi WATANABE