Product for storing materials such as tobacco materials or tobacco substitute materials having electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10940662-B2
Application number	US-201716075058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 2, 2016
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

A product for holding a tobacco material or a tobacco substitute material includes a body defining a storage environment and an electronic device. The electronic device includes an input means to generate an input signal from an external stimulus; an output means to generate an output signal in response to the input signal; wherein at least the output means is arranged on a substrate; and wherein a protective layer is arranged to at least cover the substrate and the output means so as to prevent egression of compounds therefrom to the tobacco material or tobacco substitute material within the storage environment. The electronic device includes an appropriately adapted protective layer. A user may therefore assess the freshness and quality of a tobacco material within the product, without any risk or altering the properties of the tobacco material via egression from the electronic device to the storage environment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A product for holding a tobacco material or a tobacco substitute material comprising:
a body defining a storage environment for holding a tobacco material or a tobacco substitute material; and
an electronic device including:
a substrate;
an input means to generate an input signal from an external stimulus;
an output means to generate an output signal in response to the input signal;
wherein at least the output means is arranged on the substrate;

wherein a protective layer is arranged to at least cover the substrate and the output means so as to prevent egression of compounds therefrom to the tobacco material or the tobacco substitute material within the storage environment and to allow transmission of the output signal, and
wherein the input means comprises at least one of a wireless signal receiver and a sensor.

2. The product according to claim 1 , further comprising a barrier layer arranged to cover the input means so as to prevent egression of compounds therefrom to the tobacco material or the tobacco substitute material within the storage environment, the barrier layer adapted to allow interaction of the input means with the external stimulus to generate the input signal.

3. The product according to claim 2 , wherein the barrier layer comprises at least one cut or opening.

4. The product according to claim 3 , wherein the barrier layer comprises a deformable region, the product further comprising an activation means adapted to cause deformation of the deformable region so as to selectively broaden the at least one cut or opening such that the input means are directly exposed to the external stimulus for a predefined time period, the at least one cut or opening otherwise remaining closed so as to prevent direct exposure of the input means to the storage environment.

5. The product according to claim 4 , wherein the activation means is at least one of a piezoelectric element and a substantially flexible region of the substrate.

6. The product according to claim 4 , wherein the activation means include a user-actuatable switch.

7. The product according to claim 2 , wherein the barrier layer is a selective barrier.

8. The product according to claim 7 , wherein the selective barrier is configured to allow air through.

9. The product according to claim 7 , wherein the selective barrier is configured to prevent the passage of select compounds through the selective barrier into the storage environment.

10. The product according to claim 7 , wherein the selective barrier is configured to allow the passage of electromagnetic radiation of a predetermined frequency range.

11. The product according to claim 2 , wherein the barrier layer is a part of, integrally formed with or attached to the protective layer.

12. The product according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the protective layer and the barrier layer is made of printable material.

13. The product according to claim 1 , wherein the input means are arranged on the substrate.

14. The product according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate is substantially flexible.

15. The product according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is an integrated electronic device.

16. The product according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the input means and the output means is printed on the substrate.

17. The product according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the protective layer and the barrier layer is laminated.

18. The product according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the protective layer and the barrier layer is a varnish.

19. The product according to claim 1 , wherein the protective layer is a film sleeve material arranged to encapsulate at least the substrate and the output means.

20. The product according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic device further comprises:
a power source;
digital processing means to process the input signal and deliver a command signal to the output means based at least in part on processing of the input signal; and
circuitry connecting the power source, the input means, the output means and the digital processing means;
wherein at least the power source, the output means, the digital processing means and the circuitry are arranged on the substrate; and
wherein the protective layer is arranged to at least cover the substrate, the power source, the output means, the digital processing means and the circuitry so as to prevent egression of compounds therefrom to the tobacco material or the tobacco substitute material within the storage environment and to allow transmission of the output signal.

21. The product according to claim 20 , wherein at least one of the power source, the input means, the output means and the digital processing means is printed on the substrate.

22. The product according to claim 20 , wherein the protective layer is a film sleeve material arranged to encapsulate at least the substrate, the power source, the output means, the digital processing means and the circuitry.

23. A product for holding a tobacco material or a tobacco substitute material comprising:
a body defining a storage environment for holding a tobacco material or a tobacco substitute material; and
an electronic device including:
a substrate;
a power source;
an input means to generate an input signal from an external stimulus;
an output means to generate an output signal;
digital processing means to process the input signal and deliver a command signal to the output means based at least in part on processing of the input signal; and
circuitry connecting the power source, the input means, the output means and the digital processing means;
wherein at least the power source, the input means, the output means, the digital processing means and the circuitry are arranged on the substrate;

wherein a protective layer is arranged to at least cover the substrate, the power source, the output means, the digital processing means and the circuitry so as to prevent egression of compounds therefrom to the tobacco material or the tobacco substitute material within the storage environment and to allow transmission of the output signal.

24. A product for holding a tobacco material or a tobacco substitute material comprising:
a body defining a storage environment for holding a tobacco material or a tobacco substitute material; and
an electronic device including:
a substrate;
a power source;
an input means to generate an input signal from an external stimulus;
an output means to generate an output signal;
digital processing means to process the input signal and deliver a command signal to the output means based at least in part on processing of the input signal; and
circuitry connecting the power source, the input means, the output means and the digital processing means;
wherein at least the power source, the input means, the output means, the digital processing means and the circuitry are arranged on the substrate; and

wherein a protective layer is arranged to at least cover the substrate, the power source, the output means, the digital processing means and the circuitry so as to prevent egression of compounds therefrom to the tobacco material or the tobacco substitute material within the storage environment and to allow transmission of the output signal; and
wherein a barrier layer is arranged to cover the input means so as to prevent egression of compounds therefrom to the tobacco material or the tobacco substi

Assignees

• Jt Int Sa

Inventors

• Kümpel Jürgen
• Janson Olaf

Classifications

• A24F23/04 Primary

  combined with other objects, e.g. with filling devices for pipes · CPC title

• A24B9/00

  Control of the moisture content of tobacco products, e.g. cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco ({final drying of cigars A24C1/383, of cigarettes A24C5/603}; devices for use by the smoker for controlling the moisture content of tobacco products A24F25/00) · CPC title

• A24F15/18

  combined with other objects · CPC title

• A24F15/08

  combined with other objects · CPC title

• B32B1/02 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic