Treatment device for a smoking article and cartridge therefor

• US 9,549,571 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris Products SA (Philip Morris Limited)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris Products SA (Philip Morris Limited)
• Inventors: Magne, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): CALANDRA, ANTHONY J
• Application Number:
  US14/353,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20140283854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 131/300
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A24C 5/608 Treating cigarettes with a liquid or viscous solution
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 25/00 Devices used by the smoker for controlling the moisture content of, or for scenting, cigars, cigarettes or tobacco
• CPC Class Codes: A24F 25/02 Moistening devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a treatment device for a smoking article, comprising a smoking article receiving portion shaped and configured to receive at least a portion of a smoking article, and a needle storage portion with a needle holder and a needle connected to the needle holder. The needle is movable between an extended position in which the needle extends at least partially into the smoking article receiving portion and a retracted position in which the needle is fully retracted into the needle storage portion with respect to the extended position, to protect an operator from the needle. The invention further relates to a cartridge for such a treatment device, wherein the cartridge comprises a treatment substance for a smoking article. The cartridge comprises a plunger receiving means which is adapted to receive a plunger to force the treatment substance out of the cartridge. The cartridge has at least one side wall which is adapted to be perforated by a second end of the needle, such that the second end of the needle may protrude into the inside of the cartridge, wherein the treatment substance is stored.

Claims

1. A handheld treatment device for a smoking article, comprising:

a smoking article receiving portion shaped and configured to receive at least a portion of a smoking article; and

a needle storage portion with a needle holder and a needle connected to the needle holder, the needle storage portion comprises an enclosure having one or more walls that enclose the retracted needle, to protect an operator from the needle;

wherein the needle is movable between an extended position in which the needle extends at least partially into the smoking article receiving portion and a retracted position in which the needle is fully retracted into the needle storage portion with respect to the extended position, to protect an operator from the needle; and

wherein the treatment device is configured to inject a treatment substance through the needle into a smoking article while the needle is moved with respect to the smoking article.

2. The treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the treatment device is configured to inject the treatment substance when the needle is moved from the extended position to the retracted position.

3. The treatment device according to claim 2, wherein the needle holder is attached to a sliding element, which is slideable between the extended position and the retracted position.

4. The treatment device according to claim 3, wherein the smoking article receiving portion is adapted to hold the smoking article in an orientation substantially parallel to the sliding direction of the sliding element.

5. The treatment device according to claim 3, wherein the sliding element comprises a cartridge seat for holding a cartridge comprising a treatment substance.

6. The treatment device according to claim 5, wherein a first end of the needle is adapted to be inserted into the smoking article and a second end of the needle extends into the cartridge seat.

7. The treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the needle storage portion comprises a lid that can be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the open configuration facilitating the insertion and removal of a cartridge into and from the needle storage portion.

8. The treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the smoking article receiving portion comprises a receiving space for the smoking article with an abutment wall arranged at the opposite side with respect to the needle storage portion, wherein the abutment wall is configured to hold the smoking article during insertion of the needle.

9. The treatment device according to claim 3, wherein the needle storage portion comprises a stationary plunger, which extends in the sliding direction of the sliding element and is configured to be inserted into a cartridge by the sliding motion of the sliding element.

10. The treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the needle storage portion and the smoking article receiving portion are movable with respect to one another between an operating configuration and a storage configuration in which at least one dimension of the treatment device is smaller than in the operating configuration.

11. The treatment device according to claim 10, wherein the needle storage portion and the smoking article receiving portion are slidable with respect to one another between the operating configuration and the storage configuration.

12. The treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the smoking article receiving portion is configured to receive a rod-shaped smoking article with a higher longitudinal length than width, and the needle is adapted to be inserted centrally along the longitudinal length of the smoking article.

13. The treatment device according to claim 4, wherein the sliding element comprises a cartridge seat for holding a cartridge comprising a treatment substance.

14. The treatment device according to claim 2, wherein the needle storage portion comprises a lid that can be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the open configuration facilitating the insertion and removal of a cartridge into and from the needle storage portion.

15. The treatment device according to claim 4, wherein the needle storage portion comprises a lid that can be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the open configuration facilitating the insertion and removal of a cartridge into and from the needle storage portion.

16. The treatment device according to claim 4, wherein the needle storage portion comprises a stationary plunger, which extends in the sliding direction of the sliding element and is configured to be inserted into a cartridge by the sliding motion of the sliding element.