Tobacco-containing smoking article

• US 10,226,079 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2018
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• 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:
  US15/961,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20180235285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 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 comprising:

an electrical power source within a housing having a mouth-end and an end distal to the mouth-end;

at least one electrical resistance heater powered by said electrical power source;

a puff-actuated controller within the housing comprising a sensor adapted to sense draw on the smoking article by a user, wherein current flows through the electrical resistance heater in response to the sensor sensing draw on the smoking article; and

a carrier device proximate the mouth-end of the housing and comprising a cartridge providing a liquid storage compartment storing an aerosol-forming material and having openings such that air may flow therethrough;

wherein the carrier device is operatively positioned such that the aerosol-forming material can be wicked into contact with the electrical resistance heater and volatilized during draw to produce an aerosol that can be drawn into the mouth of the user of the smoking article.

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, further comprising a mouth-end piece engaged with the mouth-end of the housing.

12. The smoking article of claim 11, wherein the mouth-end piece is maintained in place by friction fit with the mouth-end of the housing.

13. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising an absorbent fibrous material, 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 puff-actuated controller is positioned between the cartridge and the end distal to the mouth-end.

15. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the electrical 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 electrical resistance heater.

17. An electrically-powered aerosol-generating smoking article comprising:

a housing having a mouth-end and an end distal to the mouth-end;

an electrical power source within the housing at the distal end;

an electrical resistance heater powered by the electrical power source;

a puff-actuated controller within the housing that comprises a sensor adapted to sense draw on the smoking article by a user, wherein current flows through the electrical resistance heater in response to the sensor sensing draw on the smoking article;

an aerosol-forming material with a flavoring agent; and

a carrier device engaged with the mouth-end of the housing and having openings such that air may flow through,

wherein the carrier device is operatively positioned such that the aerosol-forming material with the flavoring agent can be wicked into contact with the electrical resistance heater and volatilized during draw to produce an aerosol that can be drawn into the mouth of the user of the smoking article.

18. The smoking article of claim 17, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises glycerin, propylene glycol, or a mixture thereof.

19. The smoking article of claim 17, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises nicotine.

20. The smoking article of claim 19, wherein the nicotine comprises nicotine extracted from tobacco.

21. The smoking article of claim 17, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises tobacco extract.

22. The smoking article of claim 17, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises an organic acid.

23. The smoking article of claim 17, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises glycerin and nicotine.

24. The smoking article of claim 23, wherein the aerosol-forming material further comprises an organic acid.

25. The smoking article of claim 17, wherein the aerosol-forming material does not include pure nicotine, extracts composed predominantly of nicotine, or formulations composed predominantly of nicotine.

26. The smoking article of claim 17, further comprising a mouth-end piece engaged with the mouth-end of the housing.

27. The smoking article of claim 26, wherein the mouth-end piece is maintained in place by friction fit with the mouth-end of the housing.

28. The smoking article of claim 17, further comprising an end cap at the end distal to the mouth-end.

29. The smoking article of claim 17, further comprising an absorbent fibrous material, wherein at least a portion of the aerosol-forming material is absorbed within the absorbent fibrous material.

30. The smoking article of claim 17, wherein the puff-actuated controller is positioned between the carrier device and the end distal to the mouth-end.