Heat Exchanging And/or Insulating Patents (Class 131/194)
  • Patent number: 11007330
    Abstract: A vapor-generating system includes a cartridge, a vapor-generating device and a piercing element. The cartridge includes a cartridge housing configured to hold a solid vapor-forming substrate within the cartridge housing interior, a liquid storage housing configured to hold a liquid vapor-forming substrate within the liquid storage housing interior, and a frangible seal on the liquid storage housing. The vapor-generating device includes a device housing at least partially defining a cavity, an electric heater, and a power supply. The piercing element is configured to pierce the frangible seal of the cartridge to expose the liquid storage housing interior to be in fluid communication with the electric heater based on the vapor-generating device coupling with the cartridge such that the device housing at least partially receives the cartridge into the cavity. The electric heater is located externally from the piercing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventor: Tony Reevell
  • Patent number: 10993478
    Abstract: A heater and a vaporization device using the same are provided. The heater comprises an end for insertion into a cartridge, a body having a sidewall and at least one opening on the sidewall, and a chamber inside the body. The end has an outlet. The chamber and the opening provide an airflow path for an aerosol to be vented outside the heater through the outlet. The aerosol is generated from the vaporizable material when the body is heated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SHENZHEN GEEKVAPE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Xianghui Wang, Wenlong Lu
  • Patent number: 10986869
    Abstract: The inductive heating device (1) for aerosol-generation comprises a device housing (10) comprising a cavity (13) having an internal surface for receiving at least a portion of an aerosol-forming insert (2) comprising an aerosol-forming substrate and a susceptor. The device housing (10) further comprises a pin (14) extending into the cavity (13). The device (1) further comprises an induction coil (15) arranged along the pin (14) and a power source (11) connected to the induction coil (15) and configured to provide a high frequency current to the induction coil (15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik, Oleg Mironov
  • Patent number: 10966461
    Abstract: A heating element module for an aerosol-generating device is provided, including an elongate heating element having a heating portion; a heating element mount, wherein the heating element extends substantially perpendicularly from a first surface of the heating element mount; and first and second projections extending substantially perpendicularly from the first surface of the heating element mount and abutting first and second sides of the heating element. An aerosol-generating device incorporating the heating element module is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Julien Plojoux, Dani Ruscio
  • Patent number: 10966454
    Abstract: A device and system for packaging, storing, and smoking an organic smoking material, and a method of using same. In one embodiment, the system includes a container that includes a housing defining a chamber, a first compartment within the chamber, the first compartment having a first depth, a second compartment within the chamber adjacent the first compartment, the second compartment having a second depth that is less than the first depth, and a lid configured to provide an airtight seal to at least the second compartment. In one embodiment, the system further includes a smoking device having a bowl portion with a sharpened free edge that can be used to simultaneously cut organic smoking material within the second compartment and load the cut organic smoking material into the bowl portion. The system may also include a loading funnel and a pushing device for inserting organic smoking material into the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: BUDDY BOX, LLC
    Inventor: Harold Scot Goradesky
  • Patent number: 10961000
    Abstract: A method of forming groups of smoking articles so that each group forms an individual bundle of smoking articles for receipt in a respective smoking article pack is disclosed. The method includes supplying a receptacle of an apparatus for forming groups of smoking articles with different types of smoking articles such that they mix in the receptacle and each group is formed from the mixture of different types of smoking articles by said apparatus. An apparatus for forming groups of smoking articles and a multipack comprising a plurality of smoking article packs is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO MEXICO, S.A. DE C.V.
    Inventor: Lucio Arredondo
  • Patent number: 10952471
    Abstract: An electrically heated aerosol-generating device is configured for use with a consumable cartridge including a storage portion containing an aerosol-forming substrate and having a fluid permeable internal surface surrounding an open-ended passage extending through the cartridge. The device includes a housing having a cavity for receiving the cartridge and a heater assembly positioned in the cavity. The heater assembly includes an electrically conductive hollow shaft portion connected to the housing and an electric heater positioned along the hollow shaft portion and having at least one heating element for heating the aerosol-forming substrate. The hollow shaft portion defines an airflow passage forming part of an airflow pathway through the device and is arranged to extend into the open-ended passage of the cartridge. The hollow shaft portion comprises a plurality of apertures, and the heating element is one or more narrow regions of the hollow shaft portion between adjacent apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Rui Nuno Batista, Laurent Manca
  • Patent number: 10939705
    Abstract: Provided herein is a portable aerosol device including, in some embodiments, a mouthpiece, a cartridge, and a shell configured for inserting the cartridge into the shell. Regarding the cartridge, the cartridge can include a tank configured to hold a vaporizable material, a wick and a heating element for vaporizing the material, an air path to the wick and the heating element, an aerosol path from the wick and the heating element, and a battery configured to power the portable aerosol device. The air and aerosol paths can be at least partially positioned in a space between the tank and the battery. Regarding the shell, the shell can include an air intake hole, a viewing window, a closed end, and an insertion opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: TMA Labs LLC
    Inventors: Tomiei Kuwa, Mark Hoashi, Vardan Kushkyan, Gayk Mikaelyan
  • Patent number: 10939703
    Abstract: An exemplary heating assembly includes a liquid conducting and heating body and an inductive coil corresponding to the liquid conducting and heating body. The liquid conducting and heating body includes a micro-porous ceramic main body and a metallic powder evenly distributed in the ceramic main body. The inductive coil is configured for generating high frequency magnetic field in response to an alternating current, so that eddy current and heat are generated in the liquid conducting and heating body. The liquid conducting and heating body is configured for absorbing tobacco liquid and heating the tobacco liquid to form aerosol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: SHENZHEN FIRST UNION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yonghai Li, Zhongli Xu, Shuyun Hu
  • Patent number: 10933206
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an inhaler component for producing a steam/air mixture or/and condensation aerosol in an intermittent and inhalation- or pull-synchronous manner, the inhaler component including: a housing; a chamber arranged in the housing; an air inlet opening for the supply of air from the surroundings to the chamber; an electrical heating element for evaporating a portion of a liquid material; and a wick having a capillary structure, which wick forms a composite structure with the heating element and automatically supplies the heating element with fresh liquid material after evaporation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: BATMARK LIMITED
    Inventor: Helmut Buchberger
  • Patent number: 10925311
    Abstract: There is provided a filter for a smoking article, the filter including a filter segment of filter material and a flow restrictor. The flow restrictor is embedded in the filter segment and surrounded on all sides by the filter material. A cross sectional dimension of the flow restrictor measured perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the filter is between about 60% and about 95% of the diameter of the filter segment. There is also provided a smoking article including such a filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Leonardo Nappi, Clement Besso
  • Patent number: 10912330
    Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including an aerosol-generating device including an electrically powered heating element; and a heated aerosol-generating article including an aerosol-forming substrate radially encircled by a sheet of thermally-conductive material, which is a thermally conducting flame barrier configured to spread heat and to mitigate against a risk of igniting the substrate by application of a flame to the article, and a plurality of elements, assembled together with the substrate within a wrapper to form a rod having a mouth end and a distal end upstream from the mouth end, the substrate being disposed at the distal end of the rod, the elements including a spacer element disposed within the rod downstream of the substrate and a mouthpiece element extending upstream from the mouth end of the rod, the device being configured to receive the article and the heating element is configured to heat the substrate of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Alexandre Malgat, Stephane Roudier, Ana Carolina Borges De Couraca, Frederic Lavanchy, Cedric Meyer
  • Patent number: 10912329
    Abstract: A capsule for use in an aerosol-generating system includes a shell including a base and at least one side wall extending from the base. The capsule further includes a lid sealed on the at least one side wall for forming a sealed capsule. The shell contains an aerosol-forming substrate and susceptor material for heating the aerosol-forming substrate in the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A.
    Inventor: Cristina Apetrei Birza
  • Patent number: 10912335
    Abstract: In an electronic smoking system, a capsule (6) contains a liquid (28) to be supplied to an atomizer (20) and is mounted on an electronic smoking device (1). The capsule (6) may have a controller (40), which receives data from and transmits data to control electronics (14) of the electronic smoking device (1). The control electronics (14) of the electronic smoking device (1) and the controller (40) of the capsule (6) are adapted to execute a challenge response authentication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: FONTEM HOLDINGS 1 B.V.
    Inventor: Roland Zitzke
  • Patent number: 10905165
    Abstract: An electronic smoking article includes a heater in communication with a liquid supply reservoir including liquid material and operable to heat the liquid material to a temperature sufficient to volatilize the liquid material contained therein and form an aerosol. The volatilized material flows through a sheath flow and aerosol promoter insert that is operable to cool the aerosol, reduce the particle size of the aerosol and increase the delivery rate of the aerosol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: David B. Kane, David R. Schiff, Chris Carrick, Chris Phelan, Christopher S. Tucker
  • Patent number: 10888119
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and related methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for controlling operation of a device based on a read request. For example, a method for performing an operation in response to a read request may include a first computing device receiving a request to read a value sent to the first computing device by a second computing device via a wireless communication link between the first and second computing devices. The method may further include the first computing device determining an operation corresponding to the value. The method may additionally include the first computing device performing the operation corresponding to the value in response to the request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederic Philippe Ampolini, Raymond Charles Henry, Jr., Glen Kimsey, Wilson Christopher Lamb
  • Patent number: 10888115
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices, methods of forming such devices, and elements of such devices. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides a heating member that can be formed of a heating element conformed to a heater substrate configured as a truncated cone (or similar shape) having a first end of a first size and a second end of greater size. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides methods of forming an aerosol delivery device, which can include providing a shell, providing a heating member formed of a heating element conformed to a substrate, configuring the heating member as a truncated cone (or similar shape) having a first end of a first size and a second end of greater size, and inserting the heating member within the shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
    Inventors: Karen V. Taluskie, Stephen Benson Sears, Eric Taylor Hunt, William Robert Collett, Yi-Ping Chang, Kristen Dodds Weight, Jeffrey A. Karg, Graham P. Eacock, Matthew C. Ebbs, Robert C. Uschold, Walker MacLaughlin Sloan, III
  • Patent number: 10888120
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating rod is provided, including a gathered sheet of non-tobacco material circumscribed by a wrapper. The sheet of non-tobacco material includes a sorbent substrate such as paper, a nicotine salt, and an aerosol-former. The sheet of non-tobacco material is textured or crimped. An aerosol-generating article is also provided, including the aerosol-generating rod as a component element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Gerard Zuber
  • Patent number: 10874146
    Abstract: A heat-not-burn tobacco-type device for heating a cigarette has a heater and a vaporizer. The heater heats the cigarette at a heating temperature not greater than 450° C. for discouraging formation of harmful substances, such as tar and carbon monoxide, during heating the cigarette. The vaporizer is used to vaporize a liquid for producing smoke and/or for enhancing a taste of the cigarette. The vaporizer and the heater are arranged to work simultaneously or independently to generate two bodies of aerosol, wherein these two bodies of aerosol pass through two independent gas channels and meet together for a smoker to inhale thereafter. Hence, the device not only meets visual needs of the smoker in the smoke and/or enhances the taste of the cigarette, but also discourages generation of the harmful substance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Acoustic Arc International Limited
    Inventors: Boa Fung Chau, Kak Man Chan, Yubin Xiao
  • Patent number: 10874143
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an exemplary connector for an electronic cigarette, and the connector is configured for connecting an atomizer and a power supply. The connector includes a substrate served as a first electrode, a second electrode, a third electrode, and a first spring body. The substrate and the second electrode are configured for inputting power to the atomizer. The third electrode is insulated from the substrate. The second electrode nests the third electrode. The third electrode is configured for feeding back an electronic signal, and is an elastic electrode. The third electrode is movable along an axial direction of the connector relative to the second electrode. The first spring body nests the second electrode, and is configured such that the second and the third electrodes as a whole are movable along an axial direction of the connector relative to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: SHENZHEN FIRST UNION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yonghai Li, Zhongli Xu, Xiaoqiang Zhao
  • Patent number: 10863770
    Abstract: The aerosol-generating system comprises a nicotine source, a second substance source and a susceptor (2) for heating the nicotine source and the second substance source. The system further comprises a power source connected to a load network, the load network comprising an inductor for being inductively coupled to the susceptor. The invention also relates to an aerosol-generating article comprising a cartridge comprising a first compartment (11) with a nicotine source and a second compartment (12) with a second substance source and a susceptor arranged between the first compartment and the second compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: PHILIP MORRIS PRODUCTS S.A.
    Inventors: Oleg Mironov, Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik, Oleg Fursa
  • Patent number: 10856569
    Abstract: An electrically operated aerosol-generating system is provided, including an aerosol-generating device including an electrically powered heating element; and a heated aerosol-generating article including an aerosol-forming substrate radially encircled by a sheet of thermally-conductive material, which is a thermally conducting flame barrier configured to spread heat and to mitigate against a risk of igniting the substrate by application of a flame to the article, and a plurality of elements, assembled together with the substrate within a wrapper to form a rod having a mouth end and a distal end upstream from the mouth end, the substrate being disposed at the distal end of the rod, the elements including a spacer element disposed within the rod downstream of the substrate and a mouthpiece element extending upstream from the mouth end of the rod, the device being configured to receive the article and the heating element is configured to heat the substrate of the article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Alexandre Malgat, Stephane Roudier, Ana Carolina Borges De Couraca, Frederic Lavanchy, Cedric Meyer
  • Patent number: 10856580
    Abstract: An electronic cigarette comprises nicotine without harmful tar. The cigarette includes a shell, a cell, nicotine solution, control circuit, and an electro-thermal vaporization nozzle installed in the air suction end of the shell. The advantages of the present invention are smoking without tar, reducing the risk of cancer, the user still gets a smoking experience, the cigarette is not lit, and there is no fire danger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: FONTEM HOLDINGS 1 B.V.
    Inventor: Lik Hon
  • Patent number: 10856575
    Abstract: A cartridge for an electronic vapour inhaler is provided and includes an elongate induction heatable element and a flavour-release medium adhered to a surface of the elongate induction heatable element. The induction heatable element can include a tube having a wall with inner and outer wall surfaces and the flavour-release medium can be adhered to the outer or inner wall surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: JT International SA
    Inventors: Mark Gill, Daniel Vanko, Lubos Brvenik
  • Patent number: 10856583
    Abstract: The invention refers to an aerosol-generating article comprising a susceptor assembly (1). The susceptor assembly for heating an aerosol-forming substrate comprises a first susceptor material (11) having an elongate shape and being coated with a coating material (3). The assembly further comprises a second susceptor material provided in the form of a plurality of susceptor particles (12) and having a second Curie temperature below 500 degree Celsius, wherein the susceptor particles are embedded in the coating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Oleg Fursa, Oleg Mironov
  • Patent number: 10849358
    Abstract: An e-vaping cartridge includes an inner tube defining a channel. A heater is positioned near a first end of the channel, and a hydrogel is located near a second end of the channel. The hydrogel includes a flavorant that releases flavors and/or aromas to the vapor as the vapor passes the hydrogel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra, Shaoyong Yu, Raymond Lau, Pauline Marcq
  • Patent number: 10834972
    Abstract: An electrically heated aerosol-generating system is provided, including an aerosol-generating device and a cartridge configured to be removably coupled with the device, the device including a device housing comprising a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the cartridge when the device housing is engaged with the device housing, an inductor coil disposed around or adjacent to the cavity, and a power supply connected to the inductor coil and configured to provide a high frequency oscillating current to the inductor coil; and the cartridge including a cartridge housing configured to engage the device housing and containing an aerosol-forming substrate, the cartridge housing having an external surface surrounding the aerosol-forming substrate, at least a portion of the external surface being formed by a fluid permeable susceptor element configured to allow the aerosol-forming substrate, in liquid phase, to permeate therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Oleg Mironov, Ihar Nikolaevich Zinovik, Michel Thorens
  • Patent number: 10834971
    Abstract: An atomizing assembly includes a tubing section having an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end of the tubing section is connectable to a liquid storage portion, and the outlet end of the tubing section is in fluid communication with an atomizing nozzle. The tubing section is configured to deliver a flow of liquid aerosol-forming substrate through the atomizing nozzle. The atomizing nozzle includes an air channel configured to establish an air flow through the nozzle. The air flow is mixed with the flow of liquid aerosol-forming substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Laurent Manca, Rui Nuno Batista
  • Patent number: 10820630
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device configured to wirelessly heat an atomizer. The aerosol delivery device may include a control body and a cartridge. The control body may include an induction transmitter. The cartridge may include an induction receiver and an aerosol precursor composition. When electrical current is directed to the induction transmitter, the induction receiver may be inductively heated. The heat produced by the induction receiver may form an aerosol from the aerosol precursor composition at the substrate. Related methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael F. Davis, Stephen Benson Sears, Carolyn Rierson Carpenter, Melissa Ann Clark, Shierina A. Fareed, Denise Fox, Tao Jin, Percy D. Phillips, Alfred Charles Bless, Karen V. Taluskie, Brian Keith Nordskog, David T. Szabo, Josef Strasser, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10820633
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating system includes a cartridge and an aerosol-generating device. The cartridge includes a cartridge housing, a first aerosol-forming substrate and a second aerosol-forming substrate in the cartridge housing. The aerosol-generating device defines a cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the cartridge along a first direction and the aerosol-generating device includes a transfer element extending from an end wall of the cavity, the transfer element having a longitudinal axis extending substantially parallel to the first direction, the transfer element contacts the second aerosol-forming substrate when the portion of the cartridge is in the cavity, an electric heater including a resistive heating coil wrapped around a portion of the transfer element, the resistive heating coil being wrapped around the longitudinal axis of the transfer element, a power supply, and a controller configured to control a supply of electrical power to the electric heater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: ALTRIA CLIENT SERVICES LLC
    Inventor: Tony Reevell
  • Patent number: 10798975
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technique which, while avoiding excessive conduction of heat to the flavor source, reduces variance of heat conduction, and which makes it possible to reduce the weight and the cost of the flavor inhaler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventors: Takeshi Akiyama, Takashi Oda
  • Patent number: 10772352
    Abstract: A cartridge for an e-vaping device includes an ethanol-free gel formulation. The ethanol-free gel formulation includes a vapor former, water, and a biopolymer. The biopolymer may be included in an amount ranging from about 0.01% by weight based on the weight of the ethanol-free gel formulation to about 2.0% by weight based on the weight of the ethanol-free gel formulation. The biopolymer may be one or more of agar, kappa carrageenan, gelatin, sodium alginate, gellan gum, pectin, and combinations thereof. The cartridge also includes a heater configured to heat liquid from the gel formulation to a temperature sufficient to release a liquid/semi-liquid component from the gel, which component thereupon forms a vapor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra, Shaoyong Yu, Raymond Lau, Pauline Marcq, Geoffrey Brandon Jordan, Christopher S. Tucker
  • Patent number: 10736358
    Abstract: A flue-cured tobacco device and a heating control method thereof, the flue-cured tobacco device comprises a shell, an opening section is provided at an end of the shell, a fixing canister communicating with the opening section is provided in the shell, an end of the fixing canister is communicated with a first receiving section and a second receiving section successively, at least one net filter layer structure is defined in the first receiving section, a heating element is defined in the second receiving section; one end of a cigarette inserts into the first receiving section to abut the filter layer structure, the other end of the cigarette extends out the shell from the opening section. The flue-cured tobacco device of present invention makes users experience a taste of a real cigarette without the condition of producing tar, and the taste of the cigarette is soft to improve the users' experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: SHENZHEN JIANAN TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
    Inventor: Jianjun Ding
  • Patent number: 10729169
    Abstract: There is provided a multi-segment component for an aerosol generating article, the multi-segment component including a combustible heat source; an aerosol-forming substrate downstream of the combustible heat source; a wrapper circumscribing the combustible heat source along at least part of a length of the combustible heat source; and an intumescent layer between the combustible heat source and the wrapper and circumscribing the combustible heat source, the intumescent layer being formed from an intumescent inorganic glue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Alexandre Malgat
  • Patent number: 10729183
    Abstract: The e-vaping device includes a housing, the housing defining one or more inlets, a power source, and a cartridge. The cartridge includes a reservoir containing a pre-vapor formulation. A heater and wick arrangement is in fluid communication with the reservoir. An annular seal is in fluid communication with the one or more inlets. The annular seal defines a first air passage. A flow restrictor is held by the annular seal. The flow restrictor defines a second air passage, the second air passage being configured to provide a desired resistance-to-draw (RTD) for the e-vaping device. A combined airflow cross-sectional area of the one or more inlets is greater than an airflow cross-sectional area of the second air passage. The flow restrictor is made from a first material that is harder than a second material for the annular seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventors: Srinivasan Janardhan, Eric Hawes, Yezdi B. Pithawalla
  • Patent number: 10721964
    Abstract: An electronic hookah apparatus comprising a core unit attachable with a stem piece and a base. The core comprises at least one airflow sensor to detect airflow from air pathways, a plurality of cartridges including a wick and a heating element, and a plurality of flavor selection buttons, each of the flavor selection buttons connected to a switch that activates and deactivates a respective one of the plurality of cartridges. The core further comprises a microcontroller that provides power to cartridges activated by the flavor selection buttons based on the detection of airflow by the airflow sensor, wherein providing power to the cartridges causes the cartridges to produce vapor, at least one air chamber that collects flows of vapor from a set of activated cartridges, and at least one hose port coupled to a hose, the at least one hose port tapping the collected vapor from the at least one air chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: NGEN SMOKE LLC
    Inventors: Ryan L. Eng, Eric Wong
  • Patent number: 10701977
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for vaporizing concentrate that will substantially eliminate general or localized burning of concentrate during the vaporization process and a device adapted for carrying out said method. The vaporization method is based on heating concentrate that has been absorbed into a frit, preferably fitted glass. Fritted glass is characterized by open-pore interstices that allow free passage of fluid through the frit. It is commonly used as a filtering element, particularly in high-temperature applications. It was discovered that concentrate placed in contact with fitted glass is absorbed through capillary action. Although room temperature concentrate may not readily seep fully into fritted glass, as concentrate is heated its viscosity is reduced such that it is readily absorbed by the fitted glass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Vuber Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: David Crowe
  • Patent number: 10694784
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cartridge (10), comprising: An outer shell (20) defining an inner volume containing: A first reservoir (30) containing a first component and having a first aperture (32) for discharge of the first component; a second reservoir (40) containing a second component and having a second aperture (42) for discharge of the second component; A first removable film (34) impermeable to the first component sealing the first aperture; A second removable film (44) impermeable to the second component sealing the second aperture; A seat (12) having an opening (14) in said outer shell and delimiting walls within said inner volume, said first and second apertures being formed in said delimiting walls, the seat being configured to house a piercer (50) of an external component; and Wherein a portion of the first film or a portion of the second film is protruding from said opening or it faces said opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Frederic Nicolas, Rui Nuno Batista
  • Patent number: 10694782
    Abstract: A flavored vapor generator (100, 200, 300, 400) used for an electronic smoking apparatus (10) comprises a housing; a liquid retention material (155, 255) which is filled, soaked or immersed with a flavored liquid and received inside the housing; an electric heater (150, 350, 450) for heating the liquid retention material (155, 255) to generate flavored vapor; and a sensor (156, 356, 456) for monitoring soaking or wetness conditions of the liquid retention material (155, 255) and providing signals for determining whether the flavored liquid in the liquid retention material (155, 255) is exhausted or almost exhausted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventor: Loi Ying Liu
  • Patent number: 10687555
    Abstract: A vaporizer assembly comprising a vaporizer and a matrix suitable for retaining a vaporizable liquid, wherein the vaporizer includes first and second surfaces forming a common edge, the first surface having a greater surface area than the second surface, wherein the vaporizer is in contact with the matrix via the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: BATMARK LIMITED
    Inventors: Helmut Buchberger, Colin John Dickens
  • Patent number: 10676687
    Abstract: A combustible heat source for a smoking article is provided, including carbon and a binding agent. The binding agent includes a combination of three binder components: an organic polymeric binder material, a carboxylate burn salt, and at least one non-combustible inorganic binder material. The at least one non-combustible inorganic binder material includes a sheet silicate material. Preferably, the combustible heat source further includes an ignition aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Alexandre Malgat, Laurent Poget
  • Patent number: 10674770
    Abstract: There is provided an aerosol generating device configured for user inhalation of a generated aerosol, including a heater element configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate; a power source connected to the heater element; and a controller connected to the heater element and to the power source, wherein the controller is configured to control the power supplied to the heater element from the power source to maintain the temperature of the heater element at a target temperature, and is configured to monitor changes in the temperature of the heater element or changes in the power supplied to the heater element to detect a change in air flow past the heater element indicative of a user inhalation. The controller may determine when a user has inhaled and may use this for dynamic control of the device as well as provide user inhalation data for subsequent analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Pascal Talon
  • Patent number: 10667554
    Abstract: Smoking articles are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a smoking article includes a heat source configured to generate heat upon ignition thereof, a first substrate material having an aerosol precursor composition associated therewith and a first end being fixedly engaged with the heat source, and an aerosol delivery component having opposed first and second ends, the first end of the aerosol delivery component being engaged with the second end of the first substrate material. In some aspects, the aerosol delivery component includes a second substrate material having the aerosol precursor composition associated therewith and being disposed about the first end of the aerosol delivery component and a tobacco material disposed between the second substrate material and the mouthpiece, the aerosol precursor composition associated with the first and second substrate materials being configured to produce an aerosol in response to the heat generated by the ignited heat source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: RAI Strategic Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Percy D. Phillips, Michael F. Davis, Karen V. Taluskie, Stephen Benson Sears
  • Patent number: 10645972
    Abstract: An aerosol-generating device includes an electrical power supply, a cavity structure configured to receive an aerosol-generating article, and a plurality of semiconductor heaters within the cavity structure. Each of the plurality of semiconductor heaters includes a substrate layer and a heating layer on the substrate layer. The heating layer is a continuous layer. The aerosol-generating device includes a controller configured to control a supply of electrical power from the electrical power supply to each of the plurality of semiconductor heaters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Altria Client Services LLC
    Inventor: Rui Nuno Batista
  • Patent number: 10645971
    Abstract: An electronic smoking (1) device comprises a housing (2), control electronics (14) and a puff detector (18). The housing (2) accommodates a battery (10) as an electric power source powering an electrically heatable atomizer (20) comprising an electric heater (22) and adapted to atomize a liquid supplied from a reservoir (6) to provide an aerosol exiting from the atomizer (20). The control electronics (14) controls the heater (22) of the atomizer (20) and is adapted to operate the heater (22) in at least two predetermined modes. The puff detector (18) indicates an aerosol inhaling puff to the control electronics (14). The control electronics (14) selects a specific mode for operating the heater (22) via a control signal initiated by the puff detector (18).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: FONTEM HOLDINGS 1 B.V.
    Inventor: Roland Zitzke
  • Patent number: 10638794
    Abstract: A heating assembly for heating an aerosol-forming substrate is provided, including a heater including an electrically resistive heating element and a heater substrate; and a heater mount coupled to the heater, the heating element including a first portion and a second portion configured such that, when an electrical current is passed through the heating element, the first portion is heated to a higher temperature than that of the second portion, the first portion of the heating element being disposed on a heating area of the heater substrate and the second portion of the heating element being disposed on a holding area of the heater substrate, the heater mount being fixed to the holding area of the heater substrate, and the second portion of the heating element being longer than the first portion of the heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Boris Mahler, Mirko Minzoni, Julien Plojoux
  • Patent number: 10624385
    Abstract: A rod for use in a smoking article comprises a gathered sheet of homogenised tobacco material circumscribed by a wrapper. The sheet of homogenised tobacco material may comprises one or more aerosol-formers and have an aerosol former content of greater than 5% on a dry weight basis or of between 5% and 30% by weight on a dry weight basis. The rod may comprise a continuous element to which one or more additives have been applied, which is incorporated into the gathered continuous sheet of homogenised tobacco material. A method of forming the rod comprises the steps of: providing a continuous sheet of homogenised tobacco material; gathering the continuous sheet of homogenised tobacco material transversely relative to the longitudinal axis thereof; circumscribing the gathered continuous sheet of homogenised tobacco material with a wrapper to form a continuous rod; and severing the continuous rod into a plurality of discrete rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventor: Pierre-Yves Gindrat
  • Patent number: 10617147
    Abstract: An electronic cigarette has a conduit arranged in a atomizing stem, the conduit has a first segment and a second segment in communication with the first segment, the first segment has a wider inner space than the inner space of the second segment; a storage chamber is outside and surrounds the conduit; and a heating device arranged inside the inner space of the first segment of the conduit for atomizing an atomizable material coming from the storage chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: SHENZHEN KONTLE ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Xiaochun Zhu
  • Patent number: 10588337
    Abstract: The method for manufacturing inductively heatable tobacco rods comprises the steps of providing a continuous profile of a susceptor, guiding an aerosol-forming tobacco substrate along a tobacco substrate converging device, positioning the continuous profile of susceptor in the aerosol-forming tobacco substrate and converging the aerosol-forming tobacco substrate to a final rod shape. Therein, the step of positioning the continuous profile of susceptor in the aerosol-forming tobacco substrate is performed before performing the step of converging the aerosol-forming tobacco substrate to its final rod shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Philip Morris Products S.A.
    Inventors: Ivan Prestia, Daniele Sanna, Christian Agostini, Alessandro Balboni
  • Patent number: 10588353
    Abstract: An atomizing electronic cigarette has an atomizing core component and a liquid storage component, including an electric heater. The electric heater may have a through hole aligned with a channel passing through the liquid storage component. The cigarette can heat and uniformly vaporize liquid from the liquid storage component, with the user inhaling the vaporized liquid. The vapor generated by the atomizing process may be cooled as it flows through the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: FONTEM HOLDINGS 1 B.V.
    Inventor: Lik Hon