Although newly popular, thanks to some amazing inventions and progress in electronics, the e cigarette has actually been around since the early 1960’s. The first patent for the product was issued in 1963 to Herbert A. Gilbert, but at the time the true dangers of smoking tobacco cigarette was still widely unknown and the product never made it to manufacturing.
What is widely accepted at the most modern e cigarette that can be found was developed by a Chinese pharmacist. His name is Hon Lik and in 2004 he introduced his invention to the market. In 2007 he received the first international patent for the product and the rest is history.
Although there are many different styles and brands of e cigarettes that are currently on the market each of them have the same basic components. They will each have a small cartridge which is also where the mouthpiece is located. This piece also holds the liquid before vaporization happens. All e cigarettes will also have a heating element, which is often referred to as an atomizer. This is the location where the liquid is turned into a mist. Finally there is the battery or other power supply.
You can find e cigarettes that are refillable or disposable. The replaceable option comes with a cartomizer, which puts the cartridge and heating elements into one piece. The cartridge is disposable. The reusable options separate out the cartridge and heating element, they are reusable, but also more expensive than their disposable counterpart.
The heating element is most often located in the center of the e cigarette. One end is the cartridge and the mouth piece and the other end is typically there the power unit is attached. The filament in the heating unit or atomizer will burn out over time or become less efficient. This is not correctable and will require the user to get a replacement system. Getting the atomizer system is what is most costly in e cigarettes. The cartridges are actually not expensive and easy to obtain. A refill or new cartridge is less expensive than a pack of traditional tobacco cigarettes.
E cigarettes are rechargeable and most often can be charged through a USB connection. A USB connection is the most common charging system, but you can also find AC outlet and car chargers as well. The battery is the largest and heaviest part of the whole e cigarette system, which is the one thing that makes these systems noticeably different from a traditional tobacco cigarette. They are much heavier than a tobacco cigarette would be. The battery system not only allows for the heating unit to work, but it also activates an LED light at the end of the e cigarette which lights up when drawing on the unit. This adds another level of authenticity to the system.
The fluid inside of the cartridge is a nicotine solution; which in and of itself contains no flavor. Most e cigarettes will add flavorings which can range from tobacco, to menthol, to cloves or fruit. A newer development to the e cigarette marketing is creating unusual flavorings like vanilla, strawberry, fruit pies, or chocolate.
Source: http://die-e-zigarette.com/


