A defrost unit can include a throat insert configured to be attached to a snow blower, and an exhaust piping assembly interconnected between the throat insert and an engine exhaust outlet of the snow blower, wherein exhaust gasses from the engine exhaust outlet are directed to the throat insert.

A removable device for attaching two mechanical parts includes a pin removably locking a first part with respect to a second part, a retainer member on the pin and a resiliently loaded tension member which collaborate to prevent the pin from coming out of its locked position; the removable device further includes at least two inclined surfaces, the general shape of which is that of a projection oriented in the axial direction of the pin, such that when the pin rotates, the retainer member runs along the inclined surfaces and the pin moves between the locked position and unlocked position against a force exerted on the pin along a longitudinal axial direction of the pin exerted by the tension member.

A disposable smoking pipe may comprise a shaft having a mouthpiece end and a bowl end, a recess being formed in the bowl end, a mouth opening formed in the mouthpiece end, and a passage extending from the mouth opening to the recess to put the recess in fluid communication with the mouth opening. The shaft has an exterior surface with a generally cylindrical in shape between the mouthpiece end and the bowl end, and the shaft is formed from a corncob.

An embossing apparatus for applying an embossing pattern to a wrapper for a smoking article, the embossing apparatus configured so as to act to at least partially minimize the reduction, in at least one direction, in the tensile strength of the wrapper resulting from the application of said embossing pattern.

A power generating electronic cigarette includes a partially hollowed body having an enclosed distal end, and a filter cartridge attached at a proximal end of the body. The cigarette operates using power stored within a portable power storage media integrated within the body. A power generating subassembly is located within the hollowed body, wherein the power generating subassembly generates an electrical current to charge the power storage media. The power generating subassembly utilizes motion of a magnet in proximity of a coil to generate an electrical current within the coil. The current can be converted into stored electrical power. Motion of the magnet can result from shaking or rolling the electronic cigarette. Alternately, the magnet can be rotated by an airflow driven device operated by airflow applied to the cigarette.

A tobacco filter contains from 0.5 to 95% by mass of magnesium aluminometasilicate.

Two genes, A622 and NBB1, can be influenced to achieve a decrease of nicotinic alkaloid levels in plants. In particular, suppression of one or both of A622 and NBB1 may be used to decrease nicotine in tobacco plants.

An apparatus for accurately dosing moist smokeless tobacco includes a dosing assembly and a dosing air source. The dosing assembly defines a loading chamber and a dosing chamber for containing a quantity of moist smokeless tobacco material. The dosing assembly also includes a discharge opening communicating with the dosing chamber. The dosing air source communicates with the dosing chamber and is operable to deliver compressed air to the dosing assembly so as to move moist smokeless tobacco material from the dosing chamber to the discharge opening. A method of pouching moist smokeless tobacco includes placing a predetermined quantity of moist smokeless tobacco in a dosing chamber having a predetermined volume, and ejecting the predetermined quantity of moist smokeless tobacco to pouching apparatus using compressed air.

Devices, cartridges, and method are described herein for emulating smoking wherein a device generates an aerosol for inhalation by a subject by heating a viscous material that can have a tactile response in the mouth or respiratory tract, while reducing Hoffman analytes and mutagenic compounds delivered to the user as compared to a common tobacco cigarette.

A process and apparatus for shredding tobacco sheets, especially tobacco sheets formed of reconstituted tobacco particles with guar and sugar comprises rotating opposing sets of cutter discs in a partially overlapping relation so as to establish a nip. The cutter discs have notches at spaced locations along a peripheral portion of the cutter discs. Adjacent pairs of cutter discs are spaced apart by a spacer disc with a stripper plate interposed between adjacent pairs of spaced apart cutter discs. A tobacco sheet which is fed into the nip of the sets of cutter discs is shredded by the discs.

An electronic smoking article comprising an aerosol generator and a mechanical aerosol converter insert having the capacity to improve characteristics of aerosol produced by the aerosol generator, including sensory attributes.

The invention provides a filter element of a smoking article having a longitudinal axis and adapted for filtration of mainstream smoke generated by the smoking article, the filter element including a first region extending along the longitudinal axis of the filter element and exhibiting a first pressure drop and a second region extending along the longitudinal axis of the filter element and exhibiting a second pressure drop lower than said first pressure drop, wherein the first and second regions are arranged in a side-by-side configuration such that both regions are visible in a cross-section of the filter element perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and wherein mainstream smoke can move from the second region into the first region, and further comprising a smoke-altering material, such as an oxidation catalyst, positioned in the first region.

The present disclosure generally relates to electronic vaporizing devices comprising a plurality of components, and mechanisms for locking or otherwise securing the components together. Components of the electronic vaporizing devices may include a cartridge (e.g., including a liquid for vaporization) and a battery unit (e.g., including a rechargeable battery), among other possible components. The electronic vaporizing devices may be at least partially disassembled to allow a user to replace, replenish, recharge, and/or repair the device, as needed.

A pocket sized dispenser houses in coiled form a flexible strip of portions of smokeless tobacco sized for placement between a consumer's cheek and gum, where the flexible strip includes a base tape removably attached to the plurality of portions, and wherein the dispenser and strip are adapted to allow a consumer to separate individual portions from the base tape. The individual portions comprise either a collection of tobacco particles at least partially enclosed by a coating comprising a water-soluble non-crosslinked component and a substantially water-insoluble cross-linked component; or pouches attached to the base tape with a food-grade adhesive, the pouches comprising smokeless tobacco enclosed in a water-permeable wrapper with at least one lap-sealed edge. Methods of preparing such are disclosed.

A flavor delivery release system for a cigarette or cigarette package. The system includes a cigarette, at least one capsule containing a flavorant, the capsule positioned on an external surface of the cigarette; and wherein the flavorant is released upon rupturing the capsule.

A method for producing triacetin from one or more plants of genus Nicotiana is provided. The triacetin can be derived inter alia from Nicotiana species biomass or from seed. In certain embodiments, the triacetin is produced by condensation of glycerin, generated by hydrolysis of acylglycerol-containing starting material derived from tobacco biomass or seed, and acetic acid, also derived from tobacco biomass or seed. The invention also provides articles and compositions including tobacco articles and tobacco compositions that include triacetin produced from one or more plants of genus Nicotiana.

Delivery of additives in a smoking article is provided through thermally degradable, robust immobilized additive inserts. Additives can be immobilized in an elongated device or an insert, wherein the elongated device or the insert is sufficiently robust to allow the elongated device or the insert to be manually or machine inserted into a smoking article while maintaining the structure of the elongated device or the insert. By providing additives in the form of thermally degradable immobilized additive inserts, migration and/or loss of the additives in a smoking article prior to smoking can be reduced.

A cutting apparatus and an associated method for slitting a tobacco sheet material into cut pieces used to form smoking articles are provided. The cutting apparatus includes a rotatable cutter assembly having a drum member configured to rotate about an axis defined thereby. The cutter assembly includes a plurality of knife members disposed about the periphery of the drum member and extending radially therefrom. A fixed counter-knife assembly is disposed adjacent to the periphery of the drum member and is configured to interact with the rotatable cutter assembly during rotation thereof about the axis. The counter-knife assembly includes a ledger member having a plurality of cutting insert members removably engaged therewith. The cutting insert members are configured to interact with the knife members during rotation of the cutter assembly with respect to the counter-knife assembly so as to slit the tobacco sheet material received therebetween into cut pieces.

A flue-curing apparatus and a related method are provided. The flue-curing apparatus includes a circulation chamber and a curing chamber that are separated by a divider wall. An air circulation system includes a blower positioned in the circulation chamber that directs air to a heater device and a lower passage into the curing chamber. The air may be received from one or both of an inlet and an upper passage extending from the curing chamber to the circulation chamber. A humidity control system humidifies the air directed into the curing chamber. A controller may receive signals from wet and dry bulb thermometers to determine the conditions in the curing chamber and the condition of tobacco leaves being cured therein. The controller may adjust various operational parameters to cause the tobacco leaves in the curing chamber to cure at a desired rate.

This invention discloses a method for adding tobacco dust in production process of the papermaking tobacco sheet and its equipment. The tobacco dust is added in 5-30% weight at four process points such as the pipeline from the slurry stabilization box to the slurry flow box, the long-net of the papermaking machine, the position from the vacuum couch to the first press, and the coating position on the papermaking machine. This invention adopts a method for adding the tobacco dust in production process of papermaking tobacco sheet, which has well improved its physical performances including the filling capacity of the papermaking tobacco sheet and solved smoking problems of the papermaking tobacco sheet, such as worse inherent quality, heavy stemy note, insipid tobacco aroma and etc. In addition, this method has also offered a good way to well utilize tobacco dust resource in sizes of 2 mm-100 mesh, which is abnegated in cigarette production, to save resource and to reduce the cigarette cost.

A wireless charging device comprises an electronic switch and a transmitting coil (L1) electrically connected with a power source in sequence. A control end of the electronic switch is connected with a transmitting control unit. The wireless charging device further comprises a current limiting resistance (R1) connected in serial with the transmitting coil. The wireless charging device further comprises a compensation capacitor (C1) connected in parallel with the transmitting coil. An insert total electromagnetic coupling structure is further employed for charging. Such wireless charging device is particularly suitable for electronic cigarette, with low cost, stable and reliable working status and high efficiency, and specific heat sink is not required.

The various embodiments herein provide an air suction device for a smoking apparatus. The air suction device comprises a cylindrical housing, an impeller, an impeller cover, a motor assembled inside the housing to drive the impeller, a plurality of batteries provided in the housing, a battery cover to enclose the plurality of batteries and a switch provided externally to the cylindrical housing. When the switch is in ON condition, the plurality of batteries supply an electrical power to the motor and the motor converts the electrical power into a mechanical power which in turn causes propulsion of the impeller thereby sucking out the air from a water bowl of the smoking apparatus. The propulsive motion of the impeller sucks out the air from the water bowl until the air inside the water bowl is replaced by condensed smoke.

A simulated smoking device (1) comprising a simulated cigarette having a substantially cylindrical cigarette-like shape and a refill device (2, 50) having a substantially cuboid housing with a cigarette pack-like shape containing refill gas (32, 59) for the simulated cigarette and having means for selectively retaining the simulated cigarette. The simulated cigarette may be retained wholly within the housing. It may be retained at a location different from the refill location. A dose counter may be provided to give a visual indication of the doses in the refill device.

A method for extracting and isolating constituents of cellulosic matter, comprising providing cellulosic matter; contacting the cellulosic matter with a supercritical fluid; separating the supercritical fluid from the cellulosic matter, thereby forming an extract and a raffinate; and separating at least one compound present in the extraction medium by distillation.

A method of converting tea leaves into a smoking product suitable for use with a smoking device such as, but not limited to, a hookah. In one embodiment the method comprises the steps of heating a batch of sundried tea leaves in water to provide a batch of wetted tea leaves; fermenting the wetted tea leaves to provide a batch of fermented tea leaves; rinsing the fermented tea leaves with water to provide rinsed fermented tea leaves; drying the rinsed fermented tea leaves to provide dried fermented tea; and adding glycerine to the dried fermented tea leaves to provide a tea leaf based smoking product. In another embodiment a nicotine free smoking product is provided comprising of glycerin treated dried fermented tea leaves.

A protective device and method for preventing supply voltage of microcontroller from sag in electronic cigarette is provided, comprising a microcontroller, a power supply module, a field effect transistor, an energy storage circuit, wherein, the energy storage circuit is connected between the microcontroller and the power supply module, the energy storage circuit supplies electric power to the microcontroller when an over current or short circuit occurs, and maintains the supply voltage of the microcontroller not being less than its minimal operating voltage in a certain period of time; the microcontroller processes the over current or short circuit signal and turns off the MOSFET to cut off the current flow in a load circuit. The unstable or uncontrollable phenomena of the microcontroller in the existing technology are resolved. The circuit of the present invention is simple and low cost.

A vapor inhalation device includes a first body portion defining a first chamber and a second body portion defining a second chamber provided at least partially within the first chamber, where the second body portion has at least one aperture placing the second chamber in fluid communication with the first chamber. An intake conduit defines a first air passageway from an exterior of the first body portion to within the second chamber. An output conduit has a proximal end located within the first chamber, a distal end opposite the proximal end and located at the exterior of the first body portion, is physically coupled to the first body portion at a location different from the proximal end of the output conduit, and defines a second air passageway extending from within the first chamber to the exterior of the body portion.

A system for producing porous masses may include a mold cavity disposed along the material path, at least one hopper before at least a portion of the mold cavity for feeding a matrix material to the material path, a heat source in thermal communication with at least a first portion of the material path, and a cutter disposed along the material path after the first portion of the material path.

A smoke box is provided to hold smoking material, a smoking pipe, and a smoking bowl. The smoking pipe holds a small quantity of smoking material. The smoking bowl holds a more substantial quantity of smoking material. The small smoking pipe, when inserted into the side-cavity on the smoke box, becomes a mouthpiece and a filtering chamber for the smoking material to be smoked through the smoking bowl, thereby providing two choices for the amount of smoking material for smoking.

The current invention discloses an inexpensive, easy to use anti-smoking device. The device has an elongated strip having a center portion, a first arm, and second arm along the elongated strip, and a center piece that is attached to the center portion of the elongated strip. The first arm and second arm of the elongated strip can be wrapped around the center piece to attach to the center piece, forming two loops that allow two fingers of the person trying to quit smoking to engage the anti-smoking device. The center piece is to be stuck between two fingers, preferably the fingers the person trying to quit smoking normally uses to clutch cigarettes. The center piece is sized so that two fingers cannot be held close enough to clutch a cigarette.

A tip charging electronic cigarette includes a cigarette body including a shell and a mouthpiece, the shell having a forward portion terminating in a tip. The cigarette body further includes a battery, a charging circuit operatively coupled to the battery, and a cartomizer operatively coupled to a switch assembly. A center charging contact is disposed adjacent the tip, an annular charging contact is disposed adjacent the tip, and the center charging contact and the annular charging contact are operatively coupled to the charging circuit. The center charging contact and the annular charging contact are arranged for connection to cooperating electrical contacts of a charger assembly, wherein the battery is arranged to be charged upon engaging the tip with the charger assembly.

A pouch with multiple tear areas is provided. In one embodiment instructions are provided for resealing with heat. In one embodiment a zip-lock type reseal can be used in place of one of the multiple tear areas.

A portioned moist tobacco product with a super-hydrated membrane coating and method of manufacturing is disclosed. The super-hydrated membrane coating is formed by ionic cross-linking using two polymers. The soluble component of the super-hydrated membrane coating dissolves upon placement in the mouth, while the insoluble component maintains the tobacco within the coating for the duration of the use of the product. The moist tobacco product is soft and flexible so as to fit comfortably in an oral cavity when placed therein.

A smoking composition for inclusion in a combustible smoking article includes a combustible organic material, such as tobacco and/or tobacco substitutes and at least one alkanoylated glycoside for enhancing the flavor of mainstream smoke. Optionally, dry hops extract can also be included in the smoking composition.

A method for providing an encapsulated flavorant or chemesthetic agent in a smoking article includes forming an emulsion including: (i) a first aqueous solution, comprising one or more cross-linkable polysaccharides; and (ii) a hydrophobic additive comprising one or more flavorants or chemesthetic agents. The method also includes extruding the emulsion into a second aqueous solution in the form of an elongated structure, cross-linking at least a portion of the one or more cross-linkable polysaccharides, removing the cross-linked elongated structure from the second aqueous solution, introducing the cross-linked elongated structure into a filter, or into a rod including a smoking composition, or both; and forming the filter or the rod of the smoking composition into a smoking article. The method can include a drying step.

A device for filling cigarette tubes that can be designed and used manually, partially automatically, or, fully automatically for packing cigarette tubes with a metered, precise amount of tobacco that leads to a consistent filling of the tube to an even and complete density such that the burning rate and continuity are consistently the same, regardless of the cut of tobacco being used, or of moisture content of the tobacco, and, independent of operator control variables.

An orally-enjoyable tobacco product includes a portion of smokeless tobacco comprising an active ingredient and either: (1) a collection of tobacco particles at least partially enclosed by a coating comprising a water-soluble non-crosslinked component and a substantially water-insoluble cross-linked component, or (2) a pouch comprising smokeless tobacco enclosed in a water-permeable wrapper. The active ingredient is selected from the group consisting of a mercaptan, camphor, borneol, isoborneol, bornyl acetate, isobornyl acetate, mono-bornyl succinate, mono-isobornyl succinate, mono-bornyl formate, and mono-isobornyl formate. The active ingredient is present in an amount effective to reduce or eliminate the sensory irritation arising from the smokeless tobacco. Also disclosed is a method of making such a product.

Method of applying phase transition substance to impart reduced ignition propensity to a smoking article comprising a tobacco column and a wrapper surrounding the tobacco column and having a porous structure with a base permeability. The method comprising forming a pattern of phase transition material on the wrapper such that, when subjected to the heat of the tobacco column burning firecone, the phase transition material at least partially fills the wrapper porous structure in the vicinity of the burning firecone to form an area on the wrapper having reduced permeability lower than that of the wrapper base permeability. The reduced permeability of the wrapper in the vicinity of the burning firecone imparts reduced ignition propensity such that there is insufficient air flow to sustain combustion of the firecone or insufficient air flow to sustain an intensity of the burning firecone necessary to ignite the substrate.

A smokeless tobacco product is configured for insertion into the mouth of a user and incorporates materials from Nicotiana species (e.g., tobacco-derived materials) and plant materials from non-Nicotiana species (e.g., non-tobacco plant materials). The tobacco material can have the form of processed tobacco material (e.g., granulated, reconstituted, heat treated, or otherwise processed tobacco laminae and/or stem), tobacco extract (e.g., an extract of water soluble tobacco components obtained by extracting tobacco with water), or a combination thereof. The non-tobacco material can have the form of vegetable pulp (e.g., sugar beet pulp), pulp obtained after removal of water soluble components as a result of water extraction treatment, or a combination thereof. The tobacco product is composed of a mixture of the tobacco material and non-tobacco material components; such as a mixture of tobacco material, tobacco extract and processed non-tobacco material, or a mixture of aqueous tobacco extract and water-extracted vegetable pulp.

A pixel array structure including a bottom carrier plate, a wire layer, a planarization layer, a pixel unit layer and a conductor structure is provided. The wire layer is disposed on the bottom carrier plate. The planarization layer covers the wire layer and has a flat surface at a side away from the wire layer. The pixel unit layer is disposed on the flat surface of the planarization layer. The pixel unit layer includes a pixel unit including a driving circuit structure and a pixel electrode electrically connected to the driving circuit structure. The conductor structure passes through the planarization layer and is connected between the driving circuit structure and the wire layer. A display panel having the pixel array structure and a method of fabricating the pixel array structure are also provided.

A display device includes: a display unit in which light-emitting pixels are disposed in rows and columns; and a control circuit controlling the display unit. The light-emitting pixels each include: a light-emitting element (organic EL element); and a drive transistor which supplies the light-emitting element with a current causing the light-emitting element to emit light, and the control circuit, when display by the display unit is stopped, calculates an amount of shift of a threshold voltage of the drive transistor at a time when a stopped state of the display unit is started, and determines on the basis of the amount of shift, at least one of (i) a recovery voltage which reduces the amount of shift by being applied across a gate and source of the drive transistor while the display by the display unit is stopped, and (ii) an application period during which the recovery voltage is applied.

A display device and a method of driving the same are disclosed. The display device includes a first driver integrated circuit configured to drive a first pixel array, a second driver integrated circuit configured to drive a second pixel array, a power module integrated circuit configured to receive an enable signal and output a driving voltage, and an AND gate configured to receive an output of the first driver integrated circuit and an output of the second driver integrated circuit and output the enable signal. The driving voltage output from the power module integrated circuit is commonly supplied to the first and second driver integrated circuits.

An object is to provide a display device of an organic light emitting type suppressing luminance unevenness. The display device includes: a pixel including an organic light emitting element and a pixel circuit that controls a current supplied to the organic light emitting element; a first wiring 41 and a second wiring 42 supplying a first signal used for controlling the pixel circuit to the pixel circuit; and a third wiring 43 suppling a second signal used for controlling the pixel circuit to the pixel circuit. The first wiring 41 to the third wiring 43 are arranged inside an area in which the pixel circuit is arranged in a first direction, and the third wiring 43 is arranged between the first wiring 41 and the second wiring 42.

In a current measurement period set in a pause period, a display device of the present invention applies measurement voltages to data lines (S1 to Sm) and measures currents outputted to monitoring lines (M1 to Mm) from m pixel circuits (18), and then applies data voltages generated corresponding to video signals to the data lines (S1 to Sm).

A pixel may include a light emitting element, a first power supply terminal set, an initialization terminal, a capacitor, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, and a sixth transistor. The first power supply terminal set is electrically connected through no intervening transistor to each of the fourth transistor and the sixth transistor. The capacitor is electrically connected through no intervening transistor to each of the initialization terminal and the third transistor. Each of the first transistor and the fourth transistor is electrically connected through no intervening transistor to the second transistor. Each of the second transistor and the third transistor is electrically connected through no intervening transistor to the fifth transistor. Each of the fifth transistor and the sixth transistor is electrically through no intervening transistor to the light emitting element.

A luminance controller according to example embodiments includes a gamma set selector to select a reference gamma set from among first through N-th gamma sets respectively corresponding to first through N-th reference luminances, based on a target luminance of a display panel; an initialization voltage selector to select an initialization voltage corresponding to the reference gamma set, from among first through N-th initialization voltage offsets respectively corresponding to the first through N-th gamma sets; a common voltage selector to select a common voltage corresponding to the reference gamma set from among first through N-th common voltage offsets respectively corresponding to the first through N-th gamma sets; and a determiner to determine a target initialization voltage based on the target luminance and the initialization voltage, and to determine a target common voltage based on the target luminance and the common voltage.

The present invention provides an OLED gate driving circuit structure, comprising an OLED panel, a gate charge/discharge driving circuit, a logic process unit and a source driving circuit; the gate charge/discharge driving circuit is located at one side of the OLED panel, and the gate charge/discharge driving circuit comprises a plurality of output ends, and each output end is electrically coupled to the logic process unit with one signal line; the logic process unit is located inside the OLED panel, and the logic process unit receives a scan signal transmitted by the gate charge/discharge driving circuit through the signal line, and converts the scan signal into a discharge scan signal and a charge scan signal to be provided to the OLED panel; the source driving circuit is coupled to the OLED panel, and provides a data signal to the OLED panel, and only one gate driving integrated circuit is utilized in the structure for achieving the charge and discharge procedures of the gate driving circuit to save the hardware cost and to simplify the panel layout circuit and to make the frame of the panel narrower.

A gate driver includes clock signal lines respectively transferring clock signals, at least two of the clock signals being mutually the same; and gate driving units electrically connected to the clock signal lines, respectively and configured to sequentially generate gate signals having a multi-clock pulse based on the clock signals.

A scan driver includes a plurality of scan driving blocks. Each of the scan driving blocks includes a first shift register including a plurality of driving transistors, the first shift register being configured to provide a first driving signal to a first driving node and to provide a second driving signal to a second driving node, a second shift register including a plurality of masking transistors, the second shift register being configured to provide a masking signal to a masking output node, and a buffer circuit including a plurality of buffer transistors, the buffer circuit being configured to provide scan signals. The buffer circuit outputs the scan signals that include the first pulse or the scan signals that include the first pulse and the second pulse based on the masking signal.

The present invention discloses an organic light-emitting diode display device and a driving method thereof. The device includes: a plurality of pixels, including a plurality of organic light-emitting diodes and a plurality of drive transistors for supplying drive currents to the organic light-emitting diodes; a data driver, configured to transmit corresponding data signals to the plurality of pixels via a plurality of data lines; and a pre-charge circuit, configured to pre-charge voltage signals reserved in a previous time sequence to an initial voltage, the initial voltage being less than or equal to a minimum voltage of the data signals, wherein before the data driver transmits the corresponding data signals to the plurality of pixels, the pre-charge circuit acts to pre-charge the voltage signals reserved in the previous time sequence by the plurality of pixels to be less than or equal to the minimum voltage of the data signals.