Claims
- 1. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user, consisting essentially of:an open-ended hollow tube having an air passageway between a heat receiving end at one end and a mouth end at an opposed end, said heat receiving end being an open end of said hollow tube; said tube being substantially non-combustible upon application of heat to said heat receiving end; a substrate containing an aerosol forming component; said substrate being positioned within said air passageway and having a distal end; said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap between said heat receiving end and said distal end; said continuous air gap having a length of at least two centimeters; said continuous air gap preventing combustion of said substrate upon application of said heat to said heat receiving end; and, said aerosol forming component forming an aerosol upon application of a suction to said mouth end and application of said heat to said heat receiving end.
- 2. The article of claim 1, wherein:said tube has an internal diameter of between three and sixteen millimeters.
- 3. The article of claim 2, wherein:said distal end is recessed from said heat receiving end a distance of between two and ten times said internal diameter.
- 4. The article of claim 1, said continuous air gap being between two and six centimeters.
- 5. The article of claim 1, said continuous air gap having a length adapted to prevent substantial combustion of said substrate upon application of said heat to said heat receiving end and to allow said aerosol forming component to form an aerosol upon application of a suction to said mouth end and application of said heat to said heat receiving end.
- 6. The article of claim 1, said open-ended hollow tube having an internal diameter, said continuous air gap having a length which is proportional to said internal diameter, said length being sufficient to prevent substantial combustion of said substrate upon application of said heat to said heat receiving end.
- 7. The article of claim 1 having an internal diameter defining said air passageway, said continuous air gap having a length between two and ten times said internal diameter.
- 8. The article of claim 1, wherein:said continuous air gap is maintained during usage of said article.
- 9. The article of claim 1, wherein:said tube is plastic.
- 10. The article of claim 1, said hollow tube being combustion resistant.
- 11. The article of claim 1, further comprising:a heating element attached to said heat receiving end.
- 12. The article of claim 1 including a cigarette lighter attached to said heat receiving end.
- 13. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user, consisting essentially of:an open-ended hollow tube defining an air passageway between a heat receiving end and a mouth end thereof; said tube being non-combustible upon application of a flame from a cigarette lighter; a substrate containing an aerosol forming component; said substrate being positioned within said air passageway and having a distal end; said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap between said heat receiving end and said distal end; said continuous air gap having a length of between two and six centimeters; said continuous air gap preventing substantial combustion of said substrate upon application of said flame from said cigarette lighter to said heat receiving end; and said aerosol forming component forming an aerosol upon application of a suction to said mouth end and application of said flame from said cigarette lighter to said heat receiving end.
- 14. The article of claim 13, wherein:said tube has an internal diameter of between three and sixteen millimeters.
- 15. The article of claim 14, wherein:said length is between two and ten times said internal diameter.
- 16. The article of claim 13, wherein:said distal end is recessed from said heat receiving end a distance sufficient to prevent direct contact of a flame with said distal end.
- 17. The article of claim 13, wherein:said tube is plastic.
- 18. The article of claim 13, wherein:said continuous air gap is maintained during usage of said article.
- 19. The article of claim 13, further comprising:a heating element attached to said heat receiving end.
- 20. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user consisting essentially of:an open-ended hollow tube having an air passageway between a heat receiving end and a mouth end at an opposed end, said heat receiving end being an open end of said hollow tube; a heating element attached to said heat receiving end; said tube being substantially non-combustible upon application of heat from said heating element; a substrate containing an aerosol forming component; said substrate being positioned within said air passageway and having a distal end; said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap between said heat receiving end and said distal end; said continuous air gap having a length of at least two centimeters; said continuous air gap preventing combustion of said substrate upon application of said heat to said heat receiving end; and said aerosol forming component forming an aerosol upon application of a suction to said mouth end and application of said heat to said heat receiving end.
- 21. The article of claim 20, wherein said tube has an internal diameter of between three and sixteen millimeters.
- 22. The article of claim 21 wherein said distal end is recessed from said heat receiving end a distance of between two and ten times said internal diameter.
- 23. The article of claim 20 wherein said tube is plastic.
- 24. The article of claim 20 wherein said continuous air gap is maintained during usage of said article.
- 25. The article of claim 20, said hollow tube being combustion resistant.
- 26. The article of claim 20, said continuous air gap being between two and six centimeters.
- 27. The article of claim 20, said continuous air gap having a length adapted to prevent substantial combustion of said substrate upon application of said heat to said heat receiving end and to allow said aerosol forming component to form an aerosol upon application of a suction to said mouth end and application of said heat to said heat receiving end.
- 28. The article of claim 20, said open-ended hollow tube having an internal diameter, said continuous air gap having a length which is proportional to said internal diameter, said length being sufficient to prevent substantial combustion of said substrate upon application of-said heat to said heat receiving end.
- 29. The article of claim 20 having an internal diameter defining said air passageway, said continuous air gap having a length between two and ten times said internal diameter.
- 30. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user consisting essentially of:an open-ended hollow tube having an air passageway between a heat receiving end and a mouth end thereof; a heating element attached to said heat receiving end; said tube being non-combustible upon application of said heat from said heating element; a substrate containing an aerosol forming component; said substrate being positioned within said air passageway and having a distal end; said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap between said heat receiving end and said distal end; said continuous air gap having a length of at least two centimeters; said continuous air gap preventing substantial combustion of said substrate upon application of said heat from said heating element; and said aerosol forming component forming an aerosol upon application of a suction to said mouth end and application of said heat from said heating element.
- 31. The article of claim 30 wherein said tube has an internal diameter of between three and sixteen millimeters.
- 32. The article of claim 31 wherein said length is between two and ten times said internal diameter.
- 33. The article of claim 30 wherein said tube is plastic.
- 34. The article of claim 30 wherein said continuous air gap is maintained during usage of said article.
- 35. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user consisting essentially of:an open-ended hollow tube having an air passageway between a heat receiving end and a mouth end at an opposed end, said heat receiving end being an open end of said hollow tube; a cigarette lighter attached to said heat receiving end; said tube being substantially non-combustible upon application of a flame from said cigarette lighter; a substrate containing an aerosol forming component; said substrate being positioned within said air passageway and having a distal end; said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap between said heat receiving end and said distal end; said continuous air gap having a length of at least two centimeters; said continuous air gap preventing combustion of said substrate upon application of said flame to said heat receiving end; and said aerosol forming component forming an aerosol upon application of a suction to said mouth end and application of said flame to said heat receiving end.
- 36. The article of claim 35, wherein said tube has an internal diameter of between three and sixteen millimeters.
- 37. The article of claim 36 wherein said distal end is recessed from said heat receiving end a distance of between two and ten times said internal diameter.
- 38. The article of claim 35 wherein said distal end is recessed from said heat receiving end a distance sufficient to prevent direct contact of said flame with said distal end.
- 39. The article of claim 35 wherein said tube is plastic.
- 40. The article of claim 35 wherein said continuous air gap is maintained during usage of said article.
- 41. The article of claim 35, said hollow tube being combustion resistant.
- 42. The article of claim 35, said continuous air gap being between two and six centimeters.
- 43. The article of claim 35, said continuous air gap having a length adapted to prevent substantial combustion of said substrate upon application of said flame to said heat receiving end and to allow said aerosol forming component to form an aerosol upon application of a suction to said mouth end and application of said flame to said heat receiving end.
- 44. The article of claim 35, said open-ended hollow tube having an internal diameter, said continuous air gap having a length which is proportional to said internal diameter, said length being sufficient to prevent substantial combustion of said substrate upon application of said flame to said heat receiving end.
- 45. The article of claim 35 having an internal diameter defining said air passageway, said continuous air gap having a length between two and ten times said internal diameter.
- 46. An article for delivering an aerosol to a user consisting essentially of:an open-ended hollow tube having an air passageway between heat receiving end and a mouth end thereof; a cigarette lighter attached to said heat receiving end; said tube being non-combustible upon application of said flame from said cigarette lighter; a substrate containing an aerosol forming component; said substrate being positioned within said air passageway and having a distal end; said distal end being spaced from said heat receiving end to form a continuous air gap between said heat receiving end and said distal end; said continuous air gap having a length of at least two centimeters; said continuous air gap preventing substantial combustion of said substrate upon application of said flame from said cigarette lighter; and said aerosol forming component forming an aerosol upon application of a suction to said mouth end and application of said flame from said cigarette lighter.
- 47. The article of claim 46 wherein said tube has an internal diameter of between three and sixteen millimeters.
- 48. The article of claim 47 wherein said length is between two and ten times said internal diameter.
- 49. The article of claim 46 wherein said distal end is recessed from said heat receiving end a distance sufficient to prevent direct contact of said flame with said distal end.
- 50. The article of claim 46 wherein said tube is plastic.
- 51. The article of claim 46 wherein said continuous air gap is maintained during usage of said article.
Parent Case Info
This application is a Continuation of Ser. No. 09/033,587 filed Mar. 3, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,589.
US Referenced Citations (6)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2704218 |
Aug 1978 |
DE |
9218005 |
May 1993 |
DE |
2700697 |
Jul 1994 |
FR |
9828994 |
Jul 1998 |
WO |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/033587 |
Mar 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/358386 |
|
US |