The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 13, 2007
Filed:
Jun. 11, 2003
Thomas Albert Perfetti, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Watson Minyard Dufour, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Stephen Keith Cole, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
William Monroe Coleman, Iii, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Marvin Glenn Riddick, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Wennuan Liu, Clemmons, NC (US);
Paul Andrew Brinkley, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Thomas Albert Perfetti, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Watson Minyard Dufour, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Stephen Keith Cole, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
William Monroe Coleman, III, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Marvin Glenn Riddick, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Wennuan Liu, Clemmons, NC (US);
Paul Andrew Brinkley, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, NC (US);
Abstract
A method for chemically modifying a tobacco material during a curing process involves treating the tobacco material in a curing enclosure at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce cured tobacco. The method also involves contacting the tobacco material with a chemical reagent before and/or during the time period that the tobacco material is cured so that the chemical reagent can interact with the tobacco material, thus resulting in further change in the chemical nature of the cured tobacco material. An exemplary chemical reagent is an ammonia source, which can be applied to a tobacco material in a variety of ways, including by spraying an aqueous ammonia source onto the tobacco or by introducing gaseous ammonia into the curing enclosure during the curing process.