Rai Strategic Holdings, Inc.

R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Performance Indicator, LLC

Frederic Philippe Ampolini, Sr

Raymond Charles Henry, Jr

Charles Jacob Novak, Iii

Timothy Brian Nestor

Steven Lee Worm

Stephen Benson Sears

John DePiano

Frank S Silveira

Michael Ryan Galloway

David Glen Christopherson

Quentin Paul Guenther, Jr

James William Rogers

Michael Laine

David Smith

Steven Lee Alderman

John William Wolber

Allen Michael East

Glen Joseph Kimsey

Dennis Lee Potter

Paul Andrew Brinkley

Bruce Alan Bengtsson

Jack Gray Flinchum, Jr

Wilson Christopher Lamb

Balager Ademe

Grady Lance Dooly

Nicholas Harrison Watson

Kevin Edward Keough

Edward Louis Dickinson

James William McClellan

James Demopoulos

Wayne Douglas Brown

James Robert Covino

Eugene R Harris

David Pelletier

John Hook

Steven Hart

Marc Bourque

Nathaniel Cambray

Michael LaCourse

Robert Metcalf

Steven R Mongillo

William Robert Collett

Michael Edward Laut

Raymond C Henry

Robert Adam Parchman

Andries Don Sebastian

Randy Lee McKnight

Michael F Davis

Eric Taylor Hunt

Sawyer Hubbard

Jason L Wood

David Allan Brammer

Mark Frisbee

Alan Curtis Billings

Benjamin Siôn Mainwaring

Keith Freshwater

John Brice O'Brien

Paul Stapleton

Milton G Carawan

Chandra K Banerjee

David William Griffith, Jr

Yi-Ping Chang

Terrence Edward Rogers

Paul Eugene Braxton

Calvin Wayne Henderson

Steven Wayne Bockmann

Matthew C Ebbs

Kenneth Allen Beard

Keith William Anderson

Michael Pail

Wesley Steven Jones

Satish Agrawal

Alfred Charles Bless

Rodney Owen Williams

Michael Andrew Liberti

M Glenn Horner

Robert Alden Metcalfe

Ricky Lee Montgomery

Walter Charles Liebscher, Ii

Scott Ingham

Stephanie Cordisco

Darren Brett Burdock-Latter

Charles E Greene

Nathan T Marion

Mark Randall Stone

Rodney O Williams

Jr David William Griffith

Walter Charles Liebscher Ii

Calvin W Henderson

Raymond Charles Henry Jr

Bruce Allen Bengtsson

Chandra Kumar Banerjee

Jr Raymond Charles Henry

Jr Raymond C Henry

Glen Kimsey

Jr Quentin Paul Guenther

Jr Jack Gray Flinchum

Iii Charles Jacob Novak

The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods for assembling cartridges for aerosol delivery devices. The cartridges may be assembled by transporting carriages between various substations at which parts are added to a base. In another assembly method, the base may be moved between a plurality of robots which direct the base downwardly into contact with components to couple the components therewith. An inspection system may inspect the cartridges at various stages of completion.

Method for assembling a cartridge for a smoking article

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices. The aerosol delivery devices may include a reservoir containing a liquid aerosol precursor composition and an atomizer including an electrical resistance heating element and a nonfibrous liquid transport element having a microtextured surface adapted for surface wicking of the liquid aerosol precursor composition across the microtextured surface, the microtextured surface of the liquid transport element being in fluid communication with the reservoir and in fluid communication with the electric resistance heating element.

Microtextured liquid transport element for aerosol delivery device

A container for refilling an aerosol delivery device includes a housing storing an aerosol precursor composition. An adapter coupled to the housing is removably, sealably connectable with the aerosol delivery device for refilling with aerosol precursor composition, and includes a valve engageable with the aerosol delivery device. The aerosol delivery device defines separate and distinct filling and airflow ports, the filling port for transfer of aerosol precursor composition into the aerosol delivery device during refilling, wherein the airflow port is closed by the valve to prevent passing of the aerosol precursor composition therethrough, and the airflow port for a flow of air through the aerosol delivery device when the valve and aerosol delivery device are disengaged. A cap is removably coupled to the housing over the adapter, the cap being a removal-resistant cap including two tabs, the simultaneous pressing of which allows the removal-resistant cap to turn and be removed.

Contained liquid system for refilling aerosol delivery devices

An aerosol delivery device is provided that includes a housing, microelectromechanical systems-based (MEMS-based) sensor and microprocessor. The MEMS-based sensor is within the housing and configured to detect a pressure on the MEMS-based sensor caused by airflow through at least a portion of the housing. The MEMS-based sensor is configured to convert the pressure to an electrical signal, and output the electrical signal. The microprocessor is configured to receive the electrical signal from the MEMS-based sensor, and control operation of at least one functional element of the aerosol delivery device based thereon.

MEMS-based sensor for an aerosol delivery device

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices. The aerosol delivery devices may include a housing and a cartridge including an atomizer and a reservoir configured to contain an aerosol precursor composition. The cartridge may be configured to move relative to at least a portion of the housing between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration. Related assembly methods are also provided.

Aerosol delivery device including a moveable cartridge and related assembly method

A control body is coupleable with a cartridge to form an aerosol delivery device, with the cartridge being equipped with an electrical load. The control body includes first and second positive conductors connectable with respectively a power supply and the electrical load. The control body includes a series pull-up resistor and switch connected to and between the first and second positive conductors. A microprocessor is configured to operate the switch in a closed state in a standby mode in which the pull-up resistor causes a logical high level of voltage at the second positive conductor when the control body and cartridge are uncoupled, and in which the electrical load is unpowered causes a logical low level of the voltage when the control body and cartridge are coupled. The microprocessor is configured to measure the voltage and control operation of functional element(s) of the aerosol delivery device based thereon.

Load-based detection of an aerosol delivery device in an assembled arrangement

A control body and cartridge that are coupleable with one another to form an aerosol delivery device are provided. The control body comprises a control component and an RFID reader contained within at least one housing. The cartridge comprises at least one heating element and an RFID tag contained within at least one housing. The RFID reader of the control body is coupled to the control component of the control body and configured to communicate with the RFID tag of the cartridge upon coupling of the control body with the cartridge. The control component of the control body is configured to authorize the cartridge for use with the control body based at least in part on communication between the RFID reader and the RFID tag.

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) authentication system for aerosol delivery devices

The present disclosure relates to articles (and the manufacture thereof) that use electrical energy to heat a material to form an inhalable substance, the articles being sufficiently compact to be considered 'hand-held' devices. In certain embodiments, the articles can particularly be characterized as smoking articles. The smoking article can be adapted to detect the status of a cartridge portion of the smoking article. The smoking article includes a control body portion having a control body engagement end, wherein the control body portion houses a control component and a power source therein. The article further includes a cartridge body portion that has a cartridge body engagement end configured to removably engage the control body engagement end of the control body portion. The cartridge body portion houses a consumable arrangement and a heating connection operably engaged therewith comprising at least one heating element and a fusible link.

Aerosol delivery device

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol delivery device including a shell that is divided into a first half and a second half along a longitudinal axis thereof. One or more batteries may be positioned within the shell along with a battery lead that provides an electrical connection to battery terminals. A base unit may be included and may have electrical contacts for matching with a battery terminal and the battery lead. The base unit can include one or both of a printed circuit board (PCB) and a pressure sensor. The shell can attach to a cartridge housing a reservoir for an aerosol-forming composition, a heater; a liquid transport element configured for transport of the aerosol forming composition between the reservoir and the heater; and heater terminals. Such construct can provide for simplified assembly of the device.

Aerosol delivery device and methods of formation thereof

The present invention describes articles, such as smoking articles, that can provide an inhalable substance in a form suitable for inhalation by a consumer. The article comprises a cartridge with an inhalable substance medium therein, control housing that includes an electrical energy source and an electrical power source, and a heating member that may be located in either the cartridge or the control housing. The control housing further may include puff-actuated current actuation components and current regulation components.

Smoking articles and use thereof for yielding inhalation materials

A contained liquid system for use with a refillable aerosol delivery device is provided. The contained liquid system includes an aerosol delivery device having an adapter therein for receiving aerosol precursor composition within a reservoir of the aerosol delivery device, and a container of aerosol precursor composition having a corresponding adapter therein for transferring aerosol precursor composition from the container. The adapter and the corresponding adapter are removably, sealably connectable for refilling the aerosol delivery device with aerosol precursor composition. The adapter engages a valve of the corresponding adapter and includes a body defining separate and distinct filling airflow ports. The filling port transfers aerosol precursor composition from the container into the aerosol delivery device. The airflow port enables a flow of air through at least the portion of the aerosol delivery device when the adapter and valve are disengaged.

The present disclosure relates to a cartridge for an aerosol delivery device such as a smoking article. The cartridge may include a base, a reservoir substrate, and an atomizer. The reservoir substrate may define a cavity therethrough. The atomizer may comprise a liquid transport element and a heating element extending at least partially about the liquid transport element. The atomizer may extend through the cavity through the reservoir substrate such that the heating element is positioned proximate an end of the reservoir substrate. Ends of the liquid transport element may extend to an opposing end of the reservoir substrate. A related method for assembling a cartridge for a smoking article is also provided.

The present disclosure provides a control body adapted for use in an electronic smoking article. The control body includes a shell and a coupler that is adapted to connect the control body to a cartridge of an electronic smoking article. The coupler further is adapted to communicate a pressure reduction within the coupler to a pressure reduction space in the shell. Also positioned within the shell is an electronic circuit board having a pressure sensor attached thereto. The electronic circuit board can be positioned to be parallel to a central axis of the shell. A first end of the pressure sensor can be isolated within the pressure reduction space, and a second end of the pressure sensor can be in communication with a normal pressure space within the shell. One or more light emitting diodes can be attached to the electronic circuit board. At least a portion of the coupler can be light transmissive so that light from the LED is visible through the coupler.

Control body for an electronic smoking article

Growing community of inventors

Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America

Frederic Philippe Ampolini, Sr