Philip Morris Inc.

Constance H Morgan

D Bruce Losee

F Murphy Sprinkel, Jr

Francis V Utsch

Mary Ellen Counts

Walter Allen Nichols

Mohammad R Hajaligol

Ulysses Smith

A Clifton Lilly, Jr

Grier S Fleischhauer

Michael L Watkins

Francis M Sprinkel

Bernard C LaRoy

James L Myracle

Jerry F Whidby

Edward S Gee

John Mathew Adams

Jay A Fournier

John Bryant Paine, Iii

Willie G Houck, Jr

William J Crowe

Robert L Ripley

Jeffrey I Seeman

David E Sharpe

Harry V Lanzillotti

Patrick H Hayes

John R Hearn

Richard A Thesing

Wynn R Raymond

H Neal Nunnally

Alex S Gergely

Bruce E Waymack

Johnny L Miller

Donald B Losee, Jr

John D Naworal

Methods and apparatuses for cleaning an electrical lighter are provided. A sleeve, e.g., ceramic or metal, surrounds the heater fixture, and a resistive heating element is in thermal proximity with the sleeve. The resistive heating element is either a dedicated element or the cigarette heating elements. The sleeve serves as a aerosol barrier and condensate accumulator to protect other components. Periodically, e.g., substantially contemporaneously with a battery recharge, the heating element is activated to thermally liberate condensates deposited on the sleeve during smoking and also heats, and thereby cleans, other components. Also, a cleaning element is optionally inserted into the cigarette receptacle of the electrical lighter or placed at the exit thereof to absorb, attract and/or catalytically break down the thermally liberated condensates. The sleeve also directs a desired flow path for drawn air within an electrical lighter toward the cigarette.

Method and apparatus for using, cleaning, and maintaining electrical

A provided heater comprises a supporting hub and a plurality of electrically resistive heater blades defining a receptacle to receive an inserted cigarette. Each blade comprises a first heater blade leg having a first end and a second end and extending at the first end from the supporting hub, a second heater blade leg having a first end and a second end, and a connecting section connecting the second end of the first leg and the first end of the second leg. The second end of the second leg extends toward the supporting hub and is electrically insulated therefrom. A resistive heating circuit is formed to heat the electrically resistive heater blade which in turn heats the inserted cigarette. The first and second legs are separated by a gap to permit entrainment of flavor substances into the heated cigarette upon drawing by a smoker.

Heater for use in an electrical smoking system

Electrical cigarette

An article is provided in which a tobacco flavor medium is electrically heated to evolve inhalable tobacco flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form. The article has a plurality of charges of the tobacco flavor medium which are heated sequentially to provide individual puffs.

Electrical smoking article

An article is provided in which a replaceable tobacco flavor medium is electrically heated by a set of permanent reusable heaters to evolve inhalable flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form. Each heater heats only a portion of the available tobacco flavor medium so that a plurality of individual puffs of tobacco flavor substance can be delivered sequentially to the smoker. The tobacco flavor medium preferably contains tobacco materials.

Electrical smoking

An article is provided in which a flavor generating medium is electrically heated to combustion to evolve inhalable flavors or other components in vapor and/or aerosol form. The article has a plurality of charges of the flavor generating medium which are heated to combustion sequentially to provide individual puffs.

Flavor generating article

Methods and apparatus for releasing flavor components from a flavor-generating medium using an electric heating element are provided. A non-combustion flavor-generating article uses electrical energy to power a heating element which heats tobacco or other flavorants. The flavor-generating medium is formed into a packed bed. Energy delivered to the heating element is regulated to maintain the flavor-generating medium at a relatively constant operating temperature to ensure a relatively constant release of flavor.

Flavor-delivery article

An article is provided in which a flavor generating medium is electrically heated to evolve inhalable flavors or other components in vapor or aerosol form. The article has a plurality of charges of the flavor generating medium which are heated sequentially to provide individual puffs.

Thermal indicators for non-combustion smoking articles which physically change when heated to provide visual indications of temperature changes are disclosed. The indicators comprise waxes or other compounds which melt away to reveal colored substrates, or comprise microencapsulated chemicals which are released when heated to cause inking or dyeing. The thermal indicators are printed in variety of patterns along the length of the smoking articles to show temperature changes and to indicate whether the smoking article is finished and should be discarded.

Thermal indicators for smoking articles

A flavor source to be used as a thermally releasable flavorant for smoking articles that do not combust tobacco. The material includes tobacco particles, an aerosol precursor that forms an aerosol upon exposure to heat, and a filler material that absorbs and radiates heat to minimize the likelihood that the flavor material will ignite. The material is mixed in an extruder, extruded through a die, and cut into pellets having a substantially uniform shape. The pellets are loaded into a chamber for inclusion in a smoking article as a flavor generator.

Thermally releasable flavor source for smoking articles

Growing community of inventors

Midlothian, VA, United States of America

Constance H Morgan