Ecigs International is the first company to patent a new design for e-cigarettes. We term the company as an ecig distributor since it allows tobacco companies to use their existing cigarette rolling machines, which cost around $10,000 per machine, to produce electronic cigarettes instead.
On June 14, 2010, Ecigs International filed a patent request with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for “Electronic Cigarettes.” This application included photos of electronic cigarettes in use and various drawings of the electronic cigarette’s functionality. Their application did not have an actual photograph of an e-cigarette but described what their new design would look like. It was around this time when the world’s first “vaping” community – defined by members who smoke e-cigarettes as well as those who vape only e-liquids – was born, known today as “vapers.”
After making it through the review process of the patent office, Ecigs International officially turned in its application documents in November 2010. On December 13, 2010, they received a patent for what they found to be a unique “electronic cigarette.” Their design used replaceable lithium-ion batteries within an aerosol delivery system.
The heating element within the ecigs needed to heat that aerosol to temperatures high enough. A user could inhale it and produce enough vapor to get their nicotine fix. The patent application details the various parts and pieces within the ecig device. The heating element they refer to is similar to that of an electric cigarette lighter or candle and consists of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery paired with a heating coil, a separate air inlet, and an atomizer which is any device that produces the vapor when electrified. The e-liquid used in their design was also detailed. They explained that it had to have a nicotine solution and other ingredients such as food flavorings and needed to be mixed easily with propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG).
Their device worked as follows based on their patent: First, a user would insert a 2ml of e-liquid into the cartridge. The user would then insert that cartridge into the atomizer to heat the e-liquid to produce vapor. Once vapor was produced, it would be forced through an air inlet into the heating element, where it would immediately be heated to produce more vapor for repeat use. The patent specifically described how each cartridge could be used for 500-600 puffs. Their application also gave various examples of how their system could be utilized, including portable, plug-in, and stand-alone systems.
Today, many electronic cigarettes on the market have the same general design structure as that of Ecigs International’s design. Ecigs is considered a wholesale vapor distributor due to their unique idea.
