Tobacco-containing smoking article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11758936-B2
Application number	US-202217673424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2022
Priority date	Oct 18, 2006
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A smoking article may include a cigarette incorporated within an electrically powered aerosol generating device that acts as a holder for that cigarette. The smoking article possesses at least one form of tobacco. The smoking article also possesses a mouth-end piece that is used by the smoker to inhale components of tobacco that are generated by the action of heat upon components of the cigarette. A representative smoking article possesses an outer housing incorporating a source of electrical power (e.g., a battery), a sensing mechanism for powering the device at least during periods of draw, and a heating device (e.g., at least one electrical resistance heating element) for forming a thermally generated aerosol that incorporates components of tobacco. During use, the cigarette is positioned within the device, and after use, the used cigarette is removed from the device and replaced with another cigarette.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article comprising:
a tubular outer housing having a mouth-end and an end distal to the mouth-end, the housing comprising an opening adapted for intake of air into the smoking article;
an electrical power source within the outer housing;
a rod-shaped carrier device removably engaged with the mouth-end of the outer housing and comprising a tubular mouth-end piece and a tubular cartridge with two open ends allowing air to flow therethrough, wherein the cartridge includes a tobacco material and an aerosol-generating material;
an electrical resistance heater in contact with the tobacco material and the aerosol-generating material and adapted for heating at least a portion of the tobacco material and the aerosol-generating material;
a plurality of walls within the outer housing configured to direct air drawn into the smoking article through the tobacco material; and
a controller adapted for regulating current flow through the electrical resistance heater.

2. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the tubular outer housing has an outer diameter of about 1.5 cm.

3. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 1 , further comprising: a switch, wherein actuation of the switch causes pre-heating of the tobacco material and the aerosol-generating material.

4. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 3 , wherein the switch is configured to be actuated based on a movement by a user of the smoking article.

5. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 4 , wherein the movement by the user is a pressing movement.

6. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 3 , wherein the actuation of the switch causes the pre-heating to occur for a predetermined amount of time.

7. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 3 , further comprising a timer, wherein the pre-heating of the tobacco material and the aerosol-generating material occurs for a predetermined amount of time based on the timer.

8. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the electrical resistance heater is positioned between the electrical power source and the cartridge.

9. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of walls are substantially non-permeable.

10. A tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article comprising:
a tubular outer housing having a mouth-end and an end distal to the mouth-end, the housing comprising an opening adapted for intake of air into the smoking article;
a structure within the outer housing configured to hold an electrical power source;
a rod-shaped carrier device removably engaged with the mouth-end of the outer housing and comprising a tubular mouth-end piece and a tubular cartridge with two open ends allowing air to flow therethrough, wherein the cartridge includes a tobacco material and an aerosol-generating material;
an electrical resistance heater in contact with the tobacco material and the aerosol-generating material and adapted for heating at least a portion of the tobacco material and the aerosol-generating material; and
a controller adapted for regulating current flow through the electrical resistance heater.

11. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 10 , wherein the structure configured to hold the electrical power source has a tubular shape.

12. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 10 , wherein the controller is positioned within the structure configured to hold the electrical power source.

13. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 10 , wherein the tubular outer housing has an outer diameter of about 1.5 cm.

14. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 10 , further comprising: a switch, wherein actuation of the switch causes pre-heating of the tobacco material and the aerosol-generating material.

15. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 14 , wherein the switch is configured to be actuated based on a movement by a user of the smoking article.

16. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 15 , wherein the movement by the user is a pressing movement.

17. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 14 , wherein the actuation of the switch causes the pre-heating to occur for a predetermined amount of time.

18. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 14 , further comprising: a timer, wherein the pre-heating of the tobacco material and the aerosol-generating material occurs for a predetermined amount of time based on the timer.

19. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 10 , wherein the electrical resistance heater is positioned between the electrical power source and the cartridge.

20. The tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article of claim 10 , further comprising: a plurality of walls within the outer housing configured to direct air drawn into the smoking article through the tobacco material.

Assignees

• Rai Strategic Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Robinson John Howard
• Griffith Jr David William
• Conner Billy Tyrone
• Crooks Evon Llewellyn
• Brewer Jr Dempsey Bailey

Classifications

• A24F40/485

  Valves; Apertures · CPC title

• A24F40/40

  Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts · CPC title

• A24B3/14 Primary

  Forming reconstituted tobacco products, e.g. wrapper materials, sheets, imitation leaves, rods, cakes; Forms of such products (delustering A24C1/40) · CPC title

• A24D1/002

  with additives, e.g. for flavouring · CPC title

• A24D1/20

  Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices · CPC title