According to the statistics of heat-not-burn cigarette patents from 1985 to 2016 announced by the China Intellectual Property Office, the three branches of China Tobacco in Yunnan, Hubei and Sichuan and Chongqing ranked second, third and fourth respectively with more than 40 invention patents. Although China Tobacco has many patents in the field of heat-not-burn, its technical influence is not as high as that of foreign tobacco companies due to the low frequency of its patents being cited.
In October 2015, the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration decided to split Sichuan and Chongqing China Tobacco, dividing them into two companies, Sichuan Tobacco and Chongqing China Tobacco.
Sichuan China Tobacco has launched a total of four heat-not-burn equipment, namely Kung Fu 1.1, Kung Fu 1.2, Kung Fu MINI and Kung Fu 1.3, priced between 400-600 yuan, and the wide and narrow Kung Fu cartridges are priced at 560 yuan per piece. Kung Fu 1.1 is a classic model, and 1.2 is a commemorative model of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, both of which are pen designs, and there is no difference in functionality except for the difference in cap color.
IQOS's patented protection is that the heat-not-burn device does not displace the heating rod and cap when removing the pod. In order to avoid IQOS patent risks, both Kung Fu 1.1 and 1.2 use spring-loaded heating cores, and the cap is removed first and then the cartridge when picking up the bomb. However, this operation method is less in line with the user's intuition, and it may also appear stuck after long-term use.
Kung Fu mini is quite different from Kung Fu 1.1 and 1.2 in appearance, mini is a box design, and the grip experience is more similar to electronic vape, which is suitable for players. It uses titanium steel alloy heating elements, which are easier to clean than spring-loaded heating cores and reduce jamming. Kung Fu 1.3 is the latest product of Sichuan China Tobacco, compared with the previous generation, 1.3 uses a ceramic heating sheet with better taste, more accurate temperature control and better taste consistency.
National regulations on heat-not-burn new tobacco products have different attitudes, some countries can legally sell, some countries completely prohibit, China currently adopts a ban on heat-not-burn products, so heat-not-burn cartridges are only sold abroad, even China Tobacco's Kuanzhai Kung Fu is no exception. In fact, in addition to Sichuan Tobacco, Yunnan Tobacco, Hubei China Tobacco and Guangdong China Tobacco and other branches have launched their own heat-not-burn products, due to the poor product experience, sales abroad are sluggish.
