Patent ID: 7810505

Claim:
A method of operating an electrical smoking system including a lighter having an electrical heating element, a system for electrically actuating said heating element, said heating element having at least a portion that is magnetized and an electromagnet being arranged in proximity to said magnetized portion of said heating element, said method comprising: inserting a cigarette into said lighter to a position wherein said heating element at least partially superposes a portion of the cigarette, detecting the position of the cigarette, generating a signal based upon the detection of the cigarette position, actuating said electromagnet to generate an electromagnetic repulsive force against said magnetized portion of said heating element in response to said signal, monitoring the number of puffs taken on the cigarette after actuation of said electromagnet, and deactivating said electromagnet to remove said repulsive force after a predetermined number of puffs have been monitored, and wherein said repulsive force pushes said heating element into close contact with said portion of the cigarette.