Tobacco-containing smoking article

• US 10,219,548 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2018
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Inventors: Robinson, John Howard, Griffith, Jr., David William, Conner, Billy Tyrone, Crooks, Evon Llewellyn, Brewer, Jr., Dempsey Bailey
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu H
• Application Number:
  US15/961,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20180235286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 315 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 13/02 Flakes or shreds of tobacco
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/12 of reconstituted tobacco
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/167 in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 3/14 Forming reconstituted tobacco products, e.g. wrapper materials, sheets, imitation leaves, rods, cakes; Forms of such products delustering A24C1/40
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/002 with additives, e.g. for flavouring preparing tobacco, e.g. flavouring, A24B
• CPC Class Codes: A24D 1/20 Cigarettes specially adapted for simulated smoking devices
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/10 Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/20 Devices using solid inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/40 Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 40/42 Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 2203/021 Heaters specially adapted for heating liquids
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/42 non-flexible

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.

Claims

1. An electrically-powered, aerosol-generating smoking article having a mouth end and an end distal to the mouth end, the smoking article comprising:

a battery at the distal end;

a mouthpiece at the mouth end through which air can be drawn from by a user of the smoking article;

a sensor adapted to sense draw through the mouthpiece by the user;

a cartridge near the mouth end comprising a storage of an aerosol-forming material;

a resistance heater powered by the battery, wherein current flows through the resistance heater in response to the sensor sensing draw through the mouthpiece by the user;

an absorbent wicking material adjacent the storage through which the aerosol-forming material can be wicked to the resistance heater and heated to be volatilized and produce an aerosol in response to the draw by the user; and

an air passageway through which the aerosol heated by the resistance heater passes through the cartridge and out of the mouthpiece.

2. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises glycerin, propylene glycol, or a mixture thereof.

3. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises a flavoring agent.

4. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises nicotine.

5. The smoking article of claim 4, wherein the nicotine comprises nicotine extracted from tobacco.

6. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises tobacco extract.

7. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises an organic acid.

8. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises glycerin, nicotine, and a flavoring agent.

9. The smoking article of claim 8, wherein the aerosol-forming material further comprises an organic acid.

10. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the aerosol-forming material does not include pure nicotine, extracts composed predominantly of nicotine, or formulations composed predominantly of nicotine.

11. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is maintained in place by friction fit.

12. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising an end cap at the end distal to the mouth-end.

13. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge comprises an absorbent fibrous material disposed within the storage, wherein at least a portion of the aerosol-forming material is absorbed within the absorbent fibrous material.

14. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the sensor is positioned between the cartridge and the end distal to the mouth-end.

15. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the resistance heater provides surface region temperatures of at least 200°

C. and less than 600°

C.

16. The smoking article of claim 1, comprising only one resistance heater.