Back to results
US 11,533,946 B2Granted
Systems and methods for determining a characteristic of a smoking article
AssigneeR. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
InventorBalager Ademe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Testing systems and methods are provided for a smoking article to determine a characteristic of the smoking article, such as density of a material used therewith. The testing system may include a test fixture and an electromagnetic energy generating device The testing methods may be carried out by subjecting the material to the electromagnetic energy and determining the amount of energy absorbed by the material.
Claims21
A method of determining a characteristic of a smoking article, the method comprising:
- providing at least a portion of the smoking article to a test fixture, wherein at least one of the at least a portion of the smoking article or a portion of the test fixture comprises a reflective surface and the test fixture is located proximate an electromagnetic energy generating device;
- transmitting electromagnetic energy comprising microwave radiation from the energy generating device to the at least a portion of the smoking article, wherein the electromagnetic energy is generated via at least one of a magnetron, a klystron, a gyrotron, or a Gunn oscillator;
- and
- measuring an amount of electromagnetic energy reflected from at least one of the at least a portion of the smoking article or the portion of the test fixture to determine an amount of electromagnetic energy absorbed by the at least a portion of the smoking article, wherein the amount of electromagnetic energy absorbed represents the characteristic, wherein the amount of electromagnetic energy reflected by the at least a portion of the smoking article is measured via a detector.
1 more element
A testing system for determining a characteristic of a smoking article, the system comprising:
- a test fixture comprising:
- a platform configured for receiving at least a portion of the smoking article, wherein the at least a portion of the smoking article comprises a material deposited on an outer wrap, wherein the outer wrap is in an unwrapped configuration;
- and
- a housing coupled to and substantially enclosing the platform, wherein the housing defines a testing environment and is configured to provide access to the platform;
- an electromagnetic energy generating device coupled to the housing, the device configured to deliver microwave radiation to the testing environment, wherein the electromagnetic energy is directed towards the at least a portion of the smoking article;
- and
- a detector coupled to the housing, the detector configured for measuring reflected electromagnetic energy, wherein the reflected electromagnetic energy is reflected from at least one of the at least a portion of the smoking article or the platform.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.