The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods for assembling cartridges for aerosol delivery devices. A system may include assembly cells each including an assembly track and assembly carriages that ride thereon and which engage components of partially-assembled cartridges. A transfer apparatus may transfer partially-assembled cartridges between the assembly cells. In another example system, cartridges may be assembled on platforms on a rotary track. The platforms may include assembly grippers with sequentially-opening clamps configured to receive the components of the partially-assembled cartridges. Related methods are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol production assembly. The aerosol production assembly may include a reservoir that contains an aerosol precursor composition and an atomizer that receives the aerosol precursor composition from the reservoir and heats the aerosol precursor composition to produce an aerosol. The aerosol production assembly may additionally include a body that directs the aerosol through an outlet. The body may include a surface including a micro-pattern that defines at least one of hydrophobic and anti-microbial properties. The surface including the micro-pattern may not include a chemical coating that provides these properties. Rather, the surface may define a three-dimensional structure that provides hydrophobic and/or anti-microbial properties. A related assembly method is also provided.

A method for making a smokeless tobacco article can include combining thermoplastic polymer particles with tobacco particles to form a mixture of particles, compressing the mixture of particles within a pressing apparatus to form the mixture into a predetermined shape, separating the mixture from the pressing apparatus such that it retains the predetermined shape, and heating the mixture outside of the pressing apparatus to at least partially melt at least some of the thermoplastic polymer particles and form a matrix of polymer and tobacco particles.

A capsule for an aerosol-generating device is provided, including a shell including a base and at least one side wall extending from the base, the shell containing an aerosol-forming substrate; and a lid sealed on the at least one side wall for forming a sealed capsule, wherein the base includes a recess extending into said shell along the longitudinal axis for receiving a heater of an aerosol-generating device. An aerosol-generating device is also provided, including a power supply; at least one heater; a cavity for receiving the capsule containing the aerosol-forming substrate; and a mouthpiece including a piercing element for piercing the lid of the capsule, wherein the at least one heater is configured to be insertable into a recess of the capsule. An aerosol-generating system including the aerosol-generating device and the capsule is also provided.

The present disclosure relates to systems, apparatuses, and methods for assembling cartridges for aerosol delivery devices. A system may include assembly cells each including an assembly track and assembly carriages that ride thereon and which engage components of partially-assembled cartridges. A transfer apparatus may transfer partially-assembled cartridges between the assembly cells. In another example system, cartridges may be assembled on platforms on a rotary track. The platforms may include assembly grippers with sequentially-opening clamps configured to receive the components of the partially-assembled cartridges. Related methods are also provided.

The present invention relates to a sealing device (1, 101, 201) for sealing a packaging material (7, 107) enclosing a filling material (29) to provide portion-packed oral pouched snuff products (43). The sealing device comprises an anvil (3, 103, 203) with a first operation surface (11, 111, 211) and a sonotrode (5, 105, 205) with a second operation surface (13, 113), the anvil and the sonotrode being arranged to allow passage of the packaging material therebetween, the second operation surface being located opposite the first operation surface during operation of the sealing device. The first and second operation surfaces are arranged to weld a first portion (7a, 107a) of the packaging material to a second portion (7b, 107b) of the packaging material. At least one of the first or second operation surfaces comprises a first welding surface (11a, 111a) defining a first extension plane and a second welding surface (11b, 111b) defining a second extension plane, which has a different orientation than the first extension plane. The first and second welding surfaces are partly delimited by a cutting edge (15, 115, 215) having an extension direction along the first and second welding surfaces, such that the cutting edge separates the first welding surface from the second welding surface. The present invention further relates to an arrangement (19) for manufacturing of portion-packed oral pouched snuff products, which arrangement comprises such a sealing device. The present invention also relates to a method for portion-packing of an oral pouched snuff product.

The present disclosure relates to a method for producing an oral pouched snuff product comprising a filling material (29, 10) and a saliva-permeable pouch (43) enclosing the filling material (29, 10), the product (29, 10) having a moisture content of at most 20% by weight, in particular at most 10% by weight, based on total weight of the product (29, 10), the saliva-permeable pouch (43) having one or more seals (45, 46), and said filling material (29, 10) comprising at least 20% by weight, based on dry weight of the filling material (29, 10), of at least one ingredient having a melting temperature below 180 C., the method comprising ultrasonically welding and cutting an advancing web (32) of packaging material (7) to which the filling material (29, 10) has been supplied. The present disclosure also provides an oral pouched snuff product which is obtainable by this method.

The present disclosure relates to an oral pouched snuff product comprising a filling material and a saliva-permeable pouch enclosing the filling material, the oral pouched snuff product having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction, the saliva-permeable pouch comprising a first elongated seal and a second elongated seal, each of said first and second elongated seals having a seal length extending along the transverse direction of the product and a seal width extending along the longitudinal direction of the product, wherein the seal width of said at least one elongated seal being equal to or less than 2 mm, such as within the range of from 0.1 mm to 2 mm or from 0.1 mm to 1 mm or from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. There is also provided a container having a base and a detachable lid together providing an interior container space in which a plurality of these oral pouched snuff products is contained.

A method of manufacturing a heater for an aerosol-generating device is provided, the method including: forming a heater body including a heater body frame and a heating element, the heater body defining at least a portion of a boundary of a heating chamber configured to receive an aerosol-generating article such that the heating element is configured to heat the heating chamber, at least part of the heater body frame being manufactured by additive manufacturing. A method of manufacturing an aerosol-generating device; and a heater; and an aerosol-generating device are also provided.

A package in the form of a pouch comprises a first flexible sheet part 6 and a second flexible sheet part 7. The pouch comprises a first permanent seal 14 between the first sheet part 6 and the second sheet part 7 along a first edge 12 of the pouch. The pouch comprises a second permanent seal 15 between the first sheet part 6 and the second sheet part 7 along a second edge 13 of the pouch opposite to the first edge 12. The pouch comprises a first temporary seal 16 between the first sheet part 6 and the second sheet part 7, the first temporary seal 16 extending across the pouch between the first permanent seal 14 and the second permanent seal 15. The pouch comprises a second temporary seal 17 between the first sheet part 6 and the second sheet part 7, the second temporary seal 17 extending across the pouch between the first permanent seal 14 and the second permanent seal 15. The pouch comprises a first compartment 20 bounded by the first sheet part 6, the second sheet part 7, the first permanent seal 14, the second permanent seal 15 and the first temporary seal 16 and a second compartment 21 bounded by the first sheet part 6, the second sheet part 7, the first permanent seal 14, the second permanent seal 15, the first temporary seal 16 and the second temporary seal 17.