Tobacco containing smoking article

• US 8,079,371 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS, INC. (British American Tobacco PLC)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Robinson, John Howard, Griffith, David William Jr., Conner, Billy Tyrone, Crooks, Evon Llewellyn, Brewer, Dempsey Bailey Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crispino, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phu
• Application Number:
  US12/763,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20100200006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 131/200
• 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. A tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article comprising:

(a) an outer housing having a mouth-end and an end distal to the mouth-end, wherein the mouth-end comprises an opening adapted for egress of an aerosol generated within the smoking article and the distal end comprises an opening adapted for intake of air into the smoking article;

(b) an electrical power source within the outer housing and operatively positioned downstream of the opening in the distal end of the outer housing such that air entering the smoking article passes the electrical power source;

(c) a first electrical resistance heating element within the outer housing, powered by said electrical power source, and operatively positioned for heating air drawn through the opening in the distal end of the outer housing;

(d) a second electrical resistance heating element within the outer housing, powered by said electrical power source, and operatively positioned downstream from said first electrical resistance heating element;

(e) a puff-actuated controller adapted for regulating current flow through at least one of said first and second electrical resistance heating elements during draw, the controller comprising a sensor adapted for sensing draw by the user on the smoking article; and

(f) a cigarette rod within the outer housing, the cigarette rod having a first end and a second end and comprising a cartridge circumscribed by a wrapping material positioned at the first end of the cigarette rod, a tobacco rod circumscribed by the wrapping material adjacent to the cartridge, and a filter element adjacent to the tobacco rod and positioned at the second end of the cigarette rod, wherein the cartridge contains an aerosol-generating material, wherein the cigarette rod is operatively positioned adjacent to the second resistance heating element such that the second resistance heating element is adapted for heating the aerosol-forming material in the cartridge; and

wherein the cartridge, the tobacco rod, and the filter element are in fluid communication such that air drawn into the outer housing passes through the cigarette rod.

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, further comprising a third resistance heating element within the outer housing, powered by said electrical power source, and operatively positioned to heat the cigarette rod.

4. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the tobacco in the tobacco rod is in the form of tobacco cut filler.

5. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cigarette rod is removable from the outer housing.

6. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge has a tubular shape with two open ends allowing air to flow therethrough.

7. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the wrapping material is a laminate of metallic foil and paper.

8. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein aerosol-generating material within the cartridge is carried by a substrate material.

9. The smoking article of claim 8, wherein the substrate material comprises polyethylene terephthalate fibers.

10. The smoking article of claim 8, wherein the substrate material is blended with tobacco cut filler.

11. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is constructed of a heat conductive material.

12. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge contains a paper material incorporating carbon particles therein.

13. The smoking article of claim 12, wherein the paper material incorporating carbon particles is saturated with the aerosol-generating material.

14. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge contains a paper material incorporating carbon particles saturated with a mixture of the aerosol-generating material, a tobacco extract, and a flavoring agent.

15. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge contains a paper material incorporating calcium carbonate particles therein.

16. The smoking article of claim 15, wherein the paper material incorporating calcium carbonate particles is saturated with the aerosol-generating material.

17. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge contains a paper material incorporating calcium carbonate particles saturated with a mixture of the aerosol-generating material, a tobacco extract, and a flavoring agent.

18. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge contains a fibrous carbonaceous material.

19. The smoking article of claim 18, wherein the fibrous carbonaceous material is saturated with the aerosol-generating material.

20. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge contains a fibrous carbonaceous material saturated with a mixture of the aerosol-generating material, a tobacco extract, and a flavoring agent.

21. The smoking article of claim 1, wherein the cartridge contains a reconstituted tobacco material incorporating particles of a heat conductive material.

22. The smoking article of claim 1, further comprising a mouth-end piece removably attached to the outer housing at the mouth-end thereof.

23. The smoking article of claim 22, wherein the mouth-end piece is tubular in shape and sized to allow insertion of the filter element of the cigarette rod therein.

24. A tobacco-containing, electrically-powered smoking article comprising:

(a) an outer housing having a mouth-end and an end distal to the mouth-end, wherein the mouth-end comprises an opening adapted for egress of an aerosol generated within the smoking article and the distal end comprises an opening adapted for intake of air into the smoking article;

(b) an electrical power source within the outer housing and operatively positioned downstream of the opening in the distal end of the outer housing such that air entering the smoking article passes the electrical power source;

(c) a first electrical resistance heating element within the outer housing, powered by said electrical power source, and operatively positioned for heating air drawn through the opening in the distal end of the outer housing;

(d) a second electrical resistance heating element within the outer housing, powered by said electrical power source, and operatively positioned downstream from said first electrical resistance heating element;

(e) a puff-actuated controller adapted for regulating current flow through at least one of said first and second electrical resistance heating elements during draw, the controller comprising a sensor adapted for sensing draw by the user on the smoking article; and

(f) a cigarette rod within the outer housing, the cigarette rod having a first end and a second end and comprising a cartridge circumscribed by a wrapping material positioned at the first end of the cigarette rod, a tobacco rod circumscribed by the wrapping material adjacent to the cartridge, and a filter element adjacent to the tobacco rod and positioned at the second end of the cigarette rod, wherein the cartridge has a tubular shape with two open ends allowing air to flow therethrough and contains an aerosol-generating material carried by a substrate material, wherein the cigarette rod is operatively positioned adjacent to the second resistance heating element such that the second resistance heating element is adapted for heating the aerosol-forming material in the cartridge; and

wherein the cartridge, the tobacco rod, and the filter element are in fluid communication such that air drawn into the outer housing passes through the cigarette rod.

25. The smoking article of claim 24, wherein the aerosol-forming material comprises glycerin, propylene glycol, or a mixture thereof.

26. The smoking article of claim 24, further comprising a third resistance heating element within the outer housing, powered by said electrical power source, and operatively positioned to heat the cigarette rod.

27. The smoking article of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the tobacco in the tobacco rod is in the form of tobacco cut filler.

28. The smoking article of claim 24, wherein the cigarette rod is removable from the outer housing.

29. The smoking article of claim 24, wherein the wrapping material is a laminate of metallic foil and paper.

30. The smoking article of claim 24, wherein the substrate material is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate fibers, a paper material incorporating carbon particles therein, a paper material incorporating calcium carbonate particles therein, a fibrous carbonaceous material, and a reconstituted tobacco material incorporating particles of a heat conductive material.

31. The smoking article of claim 24, wherein the substrate material is blended with tobacco cut filler.

32. The smoking article of claim 24, wherein the cartridge is constructed of a heat conductive material.

33. The smoking article of claim 24, further comprising a mouth-end piece removably attached to the outer housing at the mouth-end thereof.

34. The smoking article of claim 33, wherein the mouth-end piece is tubular in shape and sized to allow insertion of the filter element of the cigarette rod therein.

35. The smoking article of claim 24, wherein the first electrical resistance heating element has an annular shape.

36. The smoking article of claim 24, wherein the second electrical resistance heating element comprises a wicking material.