KR20230062340A - Device for generating aerosol - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol generating device is disclosed. The aerosol generating device of the present disclosure includes a body providing an insertion space; a heater for heating the insertion space; and a sensor installed on the body, wherein the sensor includes: an inductive sensor having a sensing coil wound to extend radially outward from the center; and a capacitance sensor disposed side by side adjacent to the sensing coil and having a sensing electrode covering one side of the sensing coil. Accordingly, a sensor through which various sensing is implemented is provided, and there is an advantage in that noise of the sensor can be removed without a separate shielding material.

Description

Aerosol generating device {DEVICE FOR GENERATING AEROSOL}

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device.

Aerosol generating devices are for extracting certain components from a medium or substance through an aerosol. The medium may contain materials of various components. Substances included in the medium may be flavor substances of various components. For example, the substance included in the medium may include a nicotine component, an herbal component, and/or a coffee component. Recently, many studies on these aerosol generating devices have been conducted.

The present disclosure aims to solve the foregoing and other problems.

Another object may be to implement various sensing functions through one sensor.

Another object may be to remove noise without requiring a separate shielding material.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure for achieving the above object, the body for providing an insertion space; a heater for heating the insertion space; and a sensor installed on the body, wherein the sensor includes: an inductive sensor having a sensing coil wound to extend radially outward from the center; and a capacitance sensor disposed side by side adjacent to the sensing coil and having a sensing electrode covering one side of the sensing coil.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, various sensing functions may be implemented through one sensor.

According to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure, noise may be removed without requiring a separate shielding material.

Additional scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description that follows. However, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples such as preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are given as examples only.

1 to 13 are diagrams illustrating examples of aerosol generating devices according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar elements are given the same reference numerals regardless of reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted.

The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or used together in consideration of ease of writing the specification, and do not have meanings or roles that are distinct from each other by themselves.

In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiment disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the technical idea disclosed in this specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present disclosure , it should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first and second, may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

It is understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but other elements may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another element, it should be understood that no other element exists in the middle.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the aerosol generating device may include a body 100 . The body 100 may accommodate various components therein. The body 100 may have an insertion space 114 . The pipe 110 may be formed inside the body 100 . The pipe 110 may form an insertion space 114 therein. Insertion space 114 may be opened upward. The insertion space 114 may extend vertically and long. The stick 200 may be inserted into the insertion space 114 . The stick 200 may contain an aerosol generating material therein. The stick 200 may be referred to as a cigarette 200 or an aerosol product 200.

The aerosol generating device may include a heater 120 . The heater 120 may be disposed inside the body 100 . The heater 120 may be disposed around the insertion space 114 . The heater 120 may surround the insertion space 114 . As another example, the heater 120 may protrude from the insertion space 114 . When the stick 200 is inserted into the insertion space 114, the heater 120 may be inserted into the stick 200. As another example, the heater 120 is disposed inside the stick 200 and integrally formed with the stick 200, and may be induction heated by an induction coil (not shown) around the insertion space 114. The heater 120 may be an electrical resistive heater or an induction heater. The heater 120 may heat the insertion space 114 . The heater 120 may heat the stick 200 . The stick 200 may be heated by the heater 120 to vaporize an aerosol-generating material therein and generate an aerosol.

The aerosol generating device may include a controller 130. The controller 130 may be disposed inside the body 100 . The controller 130 may control the overall operation of components of the aerosol generating device. The controller 130 may control the operation of the heater 120, the battery 140, the cartridge 150, and the sensor 160 as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device. For example, the controller 130 may control the operation of a display, a motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device. The controller 130 may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which programs executable by the microprocessor are stored. In addition, those having ordinary knowledge in the art to which this embodiment pertains can understand that it may be implemented in other types of hardware.

The aerosol generating device may include a battery 140 . The battery 140 may be disposed inside the body 100 . The battery 140 may supply power used to operate various components of the aerosol generating device. For example, the battery 140 may supply power so that the heater 120 generates heat. As another example, the battery 140 may supply power so that the control unit 130 operates. As another example, the battery 140 may supply power so that the sensor 160 operates. As another example, the battery 140 may supply power necessary for operating a display, a motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device.

The aerosol generating device may further include a cartridge 150. Kitridge 150 may be disposed on one side of the body 100 . The cartridge 150 may be detachably coupled to one side of the body 100 . Cartridge 150 may be disposed adjacent to pipe 110 . The cartridge 150 may be arranged parallel to the insertion space 114 . The cartridge 150 may be disposed in parallel with the insertion space 114.

The cartridge 150 may generate an aerosol by heating the liquid composition, and the generated aerosol may pass through the stick 200 and be delivered to the user. In other words, the aerosol generated by the cartridge 150 can move along the air flow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the aerosol generated by the cartridge 150 can pass through the stick 200 and be delivered to the user through the air flow passage. can be configured so that When the aerosol generating device includes the cartridge 150, the heater 120 may be omitted.

For example, the cartridge 150 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid reservoir, a liquid delivery means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid reservoir, liquid delivery means and heating element may be included in the aerosol generating device as independent modules.

The liquid reservoir may store a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco material. The liquid storage unit may be manufactured to be detachable from/attached to/from the cartridge 150, or may be manufactured integrally with the cartridge 150.

For example, liquid compositions may include water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, fragrances, flavors, or vitamin mixtures. Fragrance may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavor components, etc., but is not limited thereto. Flavoring agents can include ingredients that can provide a variety of flavors or flavors to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. Liquid compositions may also contain aerosol formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

The liquid delivery means may deliver the liquid composition of the liquid reservoir to the heating element. For example, the liquid delivery means may be a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic, but is not limited thereto.

The heating element is an element for heating the liquid composition delivered by the liquid delivery means. For example, the heating element may be a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate, or a ceramic heater, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the heating element may be composed of a conductive filament such as nichrome wire, and may be disposed in a structure wound around the liquid delivery means. The heating element may be heated by supplying current, and may transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the heating element to heat the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol may be generated.

For example, the cartridge 150 may be referred to as a cartomizer or atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the aerosol generating device may further include general-purpose components other than the battery 140, the controller 130, and the cartridge 150. For example, the aerosol generating device may further include an induction coil (not shown) for heating the heater 120 by an induced current. As another example, the aerosol generating device may include a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. In addition, the aerosol generating device may include at least one sensor (a puff detection sensor, a temperature detection sensor, a cigarette insertion detection sensor, etc.). In addition, the aerosol generating device may be manufactured in a structure in which external air may flow in or internal gas may flow out even when the cigarette 200 is inserted.

The aerosol generating device may include a sensor 160 . The sensor 160 may be installed on the body 100 . The sensor 160 may include an inductance sensor 161 (see FIG. 3 ) that senses a change in inductance of the surroundings. The sensor 160 may include a capacitance sensor 165 (see FIG. 3 ) that senses a change in capacitance of the surroundings. The sensor 160 may be disposed adjacent to the insertion space 114 . The sensor 160 may be disposed adjacent to one side of the pipe 110 . The sensor 160 may face the insertion space 114 . The sensor 160 may be disposed between the insertion space 114 and the cartridge 160 . One surface of the sensor 160 may face the insertion space 114 and the other surface of the sensor 160 may face the cartridge 160 . The sensor 160 may detect whether or not the stick 400 is inserted into the insertion space 114, whether the inserted stick 400 is a set dedicated stick 400, and how much the stick 400 is used. The sensor 160 may transmit sensed information to the control unit 130 .

The internal structure of the aerosol generating device is not limited to that shown in the drawings. In other words, the arrangement of the heater 120, the controller 130, the battery 140, the cartridge 150, the sensor 160, etc. according to the design of the aerosol generating device is not limited to that shown in the drawings and may be changed. .

The user may inhale the aerosol while holding a portion of the stick 200 protruding outward from the insertion space 114 with his/her mouth. At this time, the aerosol is generated as external air passes through the stick 200, and the generated aerosol may pass through the stick 200 and be delivered to the user's mouth.

As an example, external air may be introduced through at least one air passage formed in the aerosol generating device. For example, the opening and closing of the air passage formed in the aerosol generating device and/or the size of the air passage may be controlled by the user. Accordingly, the amount of smoke and the feeling of smoking can be adjusted by the user. As another example, external air may be introduced into the stick 200 through at least one hole formed on the surface of the stick 200 .

Hereinafter, the substrate or grounding portion shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 9, and 12 is only shown and described to help understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the configuration or arrangement of the capacitance sensor or the inductance sensor. The capacitance sensor is only one example of a capacitance sensor that can be implemented, and is not limited to the configuration or arrangement of the capacitance sensor shown. The capacitance sensor may be a self capacitance sensor or a mutual capacitance sensor. The illustrated capacitance sensor is an example of a self-capacitance sensor, but the capacitance sensor may be a mutual capacitance sensor unlike the illustrated capacitance sensor. In addition, in the case of the inductance sensor and the sensing coil shown in FIGS. 3, 6, 9, and 12, it is only an example of an inductance sensor configuration that can be implemented, and is not limited to the configuration or arrangement of the illustrated inductance sensor. It is obvious that the arrangement of the substrate can be modified, except for the arrangement and shape of the sensing coil of the inductance sensor and the sensing electrode of the capacitance sensor.

3 to 5, the sensor 160 simultaneously performs the function of the inductance sensor 161 and the function of the capacitance sensor 165 to perform different sensing and prevent the inflow of external noise. there is. Hereinafter, this will be described.

The sensor 160 may be disposed inside the body 100 . The sensor 160 may be disposed adjacent to the pipe 110 on the outside of the pipe 110 . The sensor 160 may face one side of the pipe !10. The arrangement of the sensor 160 is not limited thereto.

The sensor 160 may detect the stick 200 inserted into the insertion space 114 . The stick 200 may include a metal material. For example, the stick 200 may include a marker 220 in the form of a metal thin film surrounding an external wrapper. The sensor 160 may detect a change in capacitance and/or a change in inductance and transmit information to the controller 130 . The controller 130 receives information from the sensor 160 to determine whether or not the stick 200 is inserted into the insertion space 114 and whether the stick 200 inserted into the insertion space 114 is a set dedicated stick 200. , Whether or not the stick 200 inserted into the insertion space 114 is used can be determined.

The sensor 160 may include an inductance sensor 161 . The sensor 160 may include a capacitance sensor 165 . The inductance sensor 161 and the capacitance sensor 165 may be disposed adjacent to each other. The inductance sensor 161 and the capacitance sensor 165 may be disposed side by side or face each other.

The capacitance sensor 165 may include a sensing electrode 166 . The sensing electrode 166 may be formed of a conductive metal. The capacitance sensor 165 may include a substrate 167 . A sensor for detecting a change in capacitance (capacitance) of the sensing electrode 166 may be mounted on the substrate 167 . A sensor of the substrate 167 may be electrically connected to the sensing electrode 166 . The sensing electrode 166 may be printed or mounted on the substrate 167 . Alternatively, it may be spaced apart from the substrate 167 but electrically connected to the sensor. The capacitance sensor 165 may include a grounding part 168 . The ground portion 168 may be mounted on or printed on the board 167 . The ground portion 168 may face the sensing electrode 166 to ground the sensing electrode 166 . The substrate 167 may be a PCB, FPCB, etc., but is not limited thereto.

The sensing electrode 166 may be a self-capacitance sensor. The sensing electrode 166 may have a rectangular shape. The sensing electrode 166 may be formed of a metal thin film. For example, the sensing electrode 166 may be copper foil or copper foil. When the capacitance sensor 165 is a self-capacitance sensor, the sensing electrode 166 is a metal pad and serves as one parallel plate, and the stick 200 inserted into the insertion space 114 serves as another parallel plate. can do.

As another example, the sensing electrode 166 may be a mutual capacitance sensor. In this case, for example, the sensing electrode 166 may be composed of a transmitting electrode and a receiving electrode facing each other.

Depending on whether the stick 200 is inserted into the insertion space 114, a change in capacitance sensed by the capacitance sensor 165 may occur. Alternatively, a change in capacitance sensed by the capacitance sensor 165 may occur according to the type of stick 200 inserted into the insertion space 114 . For example, depending on the type of stick 200, the type of metal material of the marker 220 or whether or not the marker 220 is provided may be different, and accordingly, the capacitance sensor 165 may be different depending on the type of stick 200. A change in capacitance to be sensed may occur. Accordingly, the capacitance sensor 165 can sense which type of stick 200 is inserted into the insertion space 114 . Alternatively, when the stick 200 inserted into the insertion space 114 is used, a change in capacitance sensed by the capacitance sensor 165 may occur depending on the degree of use. For example, as the stick 200 is used, the amount of moisture contained in the stick 200 may change, and accordingly, a change in capacitance sensed by the capacitance sensor 165 may appear. Accordingly, the capacitance sensor 165 may determine the degree of use of the stick 200 inserted into the insertion space 114 or determine whether the stick 200 is being puffed. The controller 130 may store capacitance values for each state in advance through a memory.

The inductance sensor 161 may include a sensing coil 162 . The sensing coil 162 may be formed of a conductive metal. The sensing coil 162 may be referred to as an inductance coil 162 . The inductance sensor 161 may include a substrate 163 having a sensor for detecting a change in inductance. The inductance sensor 161 may be mounted on or printed on the board 163 . Alternatively, the inductance sensor 161 may be electrically connected while being spaced apart from the substrate 163 . The substrate 163 may be a PCB, FPCB, etc., but is not limited thereto. The substrate 163 may be spaced apart from and electrically connected to the sensing coil 162 without necessarily being arranged parallel to the capacitance sensor 165 as shown.

When a magnetic field changes around the sensing coil 162 through which current flows due to electromagnetic induction, characteristics of the current flowing through the sensing coil 162 may change. Depending on whether the stick 200 is inserted into the insertion space 114 , current flowing through the sensing coil 162 may induce eddy current in the marker 220 of the stick 200 . The eddy current flowing through the marker 220 may change characteristics of the current such as the frequency of the current flowing through the sensing coil 162 and the inductance value of the coil through mutual induction with the sensing coil 162 . The inductance sensor 161 may detect a change in a characteristic value of a current flowing through the sensing coil 162 or a change in inductance. The inductance sensor 161 may transmit information about the detected inductance to the controller 130 . The controller 130 determines whether the stick 200 is inserted into the insertion space 114 or the type of the stick 200 inserted into the insertion space 114 according to the inductance information received from the inductance sensor 161. can do. The controller 130 may store inductance values according to respective states in advance through a memory.

Compared to the inductance sensor 161, the capacitance sensor 165 responds more sensitively to changes in humidity, and is more specialized in determining the extent to which the stick 200 is used or whether the stick 200 is puffed. It can be. The inductance sensor 161 reacts more sensitively to the movement of a material having high magnetic permeability than the capacitance sensor 165, and determines whether the stick 200 is inserted into the insertion space 114 or the stick inserted into the insertion space 114. (200) can be more specialized in determining the type.

The sensing coil 162 may be disposed to face the pipe 110 and/or the insertion space 114 . The sensing electrode 166 may be disposed to face the pipe 110 and/or the insertion space 114 . The sensing coil 162 may be disposed between the insertion space 114 and the sensing electrode 166 . The sensing coil 162 may be closer to the insertion space 114 than the sensing electrode 166 .

The sensing coil 162 may be wound so as to extend radially outward from the central axis. A central axis of the sensing coil 162 may face the insertion space 114 . The sensing coil 162 may overlap the front surface of the capacitance sensor 165 . The sensing electrode 166 of the capacitance sensor 165 may overlap the rear surface of the sensing coil 162 . The capacitance sensor 165 may cover the rear surface of the sensing coil 162 . The sensing coil 162 and the sensing electrode 166 may be disposed side by side or face each other. The sensing coil 162 and the sensing electrode 166 may have circumferential shapes corresponding to each other. For example, the circumferential shape of the sensing coil 162 and the sensing electrode 166 may have a rectangular shape. Accordingly, the sensing coil 162 and the sensing electrode 166 may cover each other.

When the sensing coil 162 is relatively tightly wound with a small spacing, the sensing coil 162 shields the electric field flowing into the capacitance sensor 165, so that the capacitance sensor 165 changes the capacitance of the insertion space 114 may interfere with sensing. Accordingly, the sensing coil 162 may be relatively loosely wound with a predetermined separation width so as not to block the capacitance sensor 165 from sensing the insertion space 114 .

Accordingly, the capacitance sensor 165 and the inductance sensor 161 can simultaneously perform various different sensing functions in one sensor 160 . In addition, since the capacitance sensor 165 shields a magnetic field, it is possible to prevent noise from being generated in the inductance sensor 161 from the outside. It is an exemplary embodiment that the sensor 160 senses the insertion space 114, but the sensing target is not limited thereto.

Sensor 160 may surround pipe 110 . The sensor 160 may have a cylindrical shape. The substrates 163 and 162 of the sensor 160 may include FPCB.

The sensor 160 may further include a shielding ring 164 . The shield ring 164 may surround the inductance sensor 161 . The shield ring 164 may extend along the circumference of the sensing coil 161 in a direction in which the sensing coil 161 is wound. The shielding ring 164 may shield the magnetic field from the inductance sensor 161 and gather the direction of the magnetic field into the insertion space 114 . For example, the shielding ring 164 may be formed of a material such as ferrite or nanocrystal or a metal material. However, the material of the shielding ring 164 is not limited thereto.

The sensor 160 may further include a shielding member 169 . The shielding member 169 may overlap the rear of the capacitance sensor 165 . The shielding member may be, for example, a conductive material such as aluminum or copper, or a carbon material such as carbon fiber or carbon nanotube. The shielding member 169 may shield noise from the rear of the capacitance sensor 165 . The shielding member 169 may have a porous metal mesh shape. The shielding member 169 may have a mesh shape. When the shielding member 169 has a porous mesh shape, it has relatively less capacitance than the metal plate, and therefore may be disposed closer to the capacitance sensor 165 than the metal foil. Accordingly, the shielding member 169 may be printed on the rear side of the substrate 167 and integrally formed with the capacitance sensor 165 .

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8 , the sensor 160 may omit the shielding member 169 in the embodiments of FIGS. 3 to 5 . The body 100 (see FIGS. 1 and 2 ) may further include a partition wall 111 . The bulkhead 111 may be spaced apart from the pipe 110 at a predetermined interval. For example, the pipe 110 and the partition wall 111 may extend long in the vertical direction. The cartridge 150 may be coupled to the partition wall 111 . The cartridge 150 may be arranged parallel to the pipe 110 . The sensor 160 may be disposed between the pipe 110 and the partition wall 111 . The sensor 160 may be disposed between the insertion space 114 and the cartridge 150 .

The inductance sensor 161 and the capacitance sensor 165 may face different directions. For example, the inductance sensor 161 may face the insertion space 114 and the capacitance sensor 165 may face the cartridge 150 . As another example, the inductance sensor 161 may face the cartridge 150 and the capacitance sensor 165 may face the insertion space 114 .

The sensing coil 162 of the inductance sensor 161 is relatively ???徨構? An electric field introduced into the capacitance sensor 165 from the side of the insertion space 114 after being wound may be shielded. At this time, the sensing coil 162 may perform the same role as a metal shielding member in which perforated holes are formed.

Accordingly, the inductance sensor 161 may sense whether or not the stick 200 is inserted into the insertion space 114 and the type of the stick 200 inserted into the insertion space 114 through a change in inductance. In addition, the capacitance sensor 165 may sense whether or not the cartridge 150 is mounted on the body 100 and the capacity of the liquid stored in the cartridge 150 through a change in capacitance.

Accordingly, the sensing coil 162 can shield the capacitance sensor 165 from external noise and prevent noise from flowing into the capacitance sensor 165 from the insertion space 114 side. In addition, the sensing electrode 166 of the capacitance sensor 165 shields the inductance coil 161 from external noise, thereby preventing noise from flowing toward the inductance sensor 161 from the cartridge 150 side.

Referring to FIGS. 9 to 11 , the first inductance sensor 161 may include a first sensing coil 1621 and a substrate 163 . The substrate 163 does not necessarily have to be placed facing the capacitance sensor 165 as shown. The first sensing coil 1621 and the capacitance sensor 165 may be disposed facing each other or parallel to each other. The second inductance sensor 161' may include a second sensing coil 1622. The second sensing coil 1622 may be mounted on or printed on the substrate 167 of the capacitance sensor 165 . In this case, a sensor for sensing a change in inductance through the second sensing coil 1622 may be mounted or printed on the substrate 167 . In this case, the second inductance sensor 161' may include a second sensing coil 1622 and a substrate 167 on which a sensor for sensing a change in inductance of the second sensing coil 1622 is mounted. This is only an example, and it is obvious that the second sensing coil 1622 may be coupled to a separate substrate other than the substrate of the capacitance sensor 165.

The sensor 160 may be disposed between the insertion space 114 and the space where the cartridge 150 is located. The capacitance sensor 165 may be disposed between the pair of first sensing coils 1621 and second sensing coils 1622 . The first sensing coil 1621 may cover one surface of the capacitance sensor 165 and the second sensing coil 1622 may cover the other surface of the capacitance sensor 165 . The first sensing coil 1621, the second sensing coil 1622, and the sensing electrode 166 may be arranged side by side or facing each other. The first sensing coil 1621 and the sensing electrode 166 may face one side, and the second sensing coil 1622 may face the other side. For example, the first sensing coil 1621 and the sensing electrode 166 may face the insertion space 114 , and the second sensing coil 1622 may face the cartridge 150 . The first sensing coil 1621 and the second sensing coil 1622 may be wound so as to extend radially outward with respect to the central axis.

The first sensing coil 1621 may have fewer windings than the second sensing coil 1622 . The first sensing coil 1621 may have a wider winding width than the second sensing coil 1622 at predetermined intervals. The first sensing coil 1621 relatively does not shield the capacitance sensor 165 compared to the second sensing coil 1622, and the second sensing coil 1622 may shield the capacitance sensor 165. That is, in the case of an inductance sensor, the amount of change in inductance can be sensed from the insertion space 114 side through the first sensing coil 1621, and the amount of change in inductance can be sensed from the side of the cartridge 150 through the second sensing coil 1622. can do. In addition, in the case of a capacitance sensor, a change in capacitance from an axis of the insertion space 114 may be sensed through the sensing electrode 166 .

12 and 13 , the first sensing coil 1621 and the sensing electrode 166 may face the cartridge 150, and the second sensing coil 1622 may face the insertion space 114. In the case of an inductance sensor, the amount of change in inductance can be sensed from the cartridge 150 side through the first sensing coil 1621, and the amount of change in inductance can be sensed from the insertion space 114 side through the second sensing coil 1622. there is. In addition, in the case of a capacitance sensor, the capacitance change amount can be sensed from the cartridge 150 side through the sensing electrode 166 .

1 to 13, an aerosol generating device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a body providing an insertion space; a heater for heating the insertion space; and a sensor installed on the body, wherein the sensor includes: an inductive sensor having a sensing coil wound to extend radially outward from the center; and a capacitance sensor disposed side by side adjacent to the sensing coil and having a sensing electrode covering one side of the sensing coil.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the sensing coil and the sensing electrode face the insertion space, the sensing coil is disposed between the insertion space and the sensing electrode, and the capacitance sensor , Capacitance change of the insertion space may be sensed, and the inductance sensor may sense inductance change of the insertion space.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the sensing electrode may block an inflow of a magnetic field into the sensing coil.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the aerosol generating device further comprises a shield member opposing the inductance sensor with respect to the capacitance sensor and covering the other side of the capacitance sensor.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, further comprising a cartridge adjacent to the insertion space and coupled to the body, wherein the sensor is disposed between the insertion space and the cartridge, the sensing coil, It faces one of the insertion space and the cartridge, the sensing electrode faces the other of the insertion space and the cartridge, the inductance sensor senses a change in inductance of the insertion space, and the capacitance sensor, Capacitance change around the cartridge can be sensed.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the sensing coil may be wound to shield an electric field from flowing into the sensing electrode, and the sensing electrode may block a magnetic field from flowing into the sensing coil.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the aerosol generating device further includes a cartridge adjacent to the insertion space and coupled to the body, and the sensor is disposed between the insertion space and the cartridge , The inductive sensor may include a first inductive sensor having a first sensing coil; and a second inductive sensor having a second sensing coil disposed in parallel with the first sensing coil, wherein the sensing electrode is disposed in parallel between the first sensing coil and the second sensing coil. can

In addition, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first sensing coil may be wound with a wider radially spaced width than the second sensing coil.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first inductance sensor senses a change in inductance of the insertion space through the first sensing coil, and the capacitance sensor senses a change in inductance of the insertion space through the sensing electrode. Capacitance change may be sensed, and the second inductance sensor may sense inductance change of the cartridge side through the second sensing coil.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the first inductance sensor senses a change in inductance of the cartridge side through the first sensing coil, and the capacitance sensor senses a change in inductance of the cartridge side through the sensing electrode. A change in capacitance may be sensed, and the second inductance sensor may sense a change in inductance of the insertion space through the second sensing coil.

Also, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, the sensing electrode and the sensing coil may have circumferential shapes corresponding to each other.

Certain or other embodiments of the present disclosure described above are not mutually exclusive or distinct from each other. Certain embodiments or other embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be combined or combined in their respective components or functions (Certain embodiments or other embodiments of the disclosure described above are not mutually exclusive or distinct from each other. Any or all elements of the embodiments of the disclosure described above may be combined with another or combined with each other in configuration or function).

For example, configuration A described in a specific embodiment and/or drawing may be combined with configuration B described in another embodiment and/or drawing. That is, even if the coupling between components is not directly described, it means that coupling is possible except for cases where coupling is impossible (For example, a configuration "A" described in one embodiment of the disclosure and the drawings). and a configuration "B" described in another embodiment of the disclosure and the drawings may be combined with each other. Namely, although the combination between the configurations is not directly described, the combination is possible except in the case where it is described that the combination is impossible).

The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all respects and should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention (although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments Its, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the scope of the principles of this disclosure.More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims.In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art).

Claims (11)

A body providing an insertion space;
a heater for heating the insertion space; and
Including a sensor installed on the body,
The sensor,
an inductive sensor having a sensing coil wound to extend radially outward from the center; and
An aerosol generating device comprising a capacitance sensor disposed side by side adjacent to the sensing coil and having a sensing electrode covering one side of the sensing coil. According to claim 1,
The sensing coil and the sensing electrode face the insertion space, but the sensing coil is disposed between the insertion space and the sensing electrode,
The capacitance sensor senses a change in capacitance of the insertion space,
The inductance sensor senses a change in inductance of the insertion space. According to claim 2,
The sensing electrode shields the inflow of a magnetic field to the sensing coil. According to claim 2,
The aerosol generating device further comprises a shield member facing the inductance sensor with respect to the capacitance sensor and covering the other side of the capacitance sensor. According to claim 1,
Further comprising a cartridge coupled to the body adjacent to the insertion space,
The sensor is disposed between the insertion space and the cartridge, the sensing coil faces one of the insertion space and the cartridge, and the sensing electrode faces the other of the insertion space and the cartridge,
The inductance sensor senses a change in inductance of the insertion space,
The capacitance sensor senses a capacitance change around the cartridge. According to claim 5,
The sensing coil is wound to shield the inflow of an electric field to the sensing electrode,
The sensing electrode shields the inflow of a magnetic field into the sensing coil. According to claim 5,
Further comprising a cartridge coupled to the body adjacent to the insertion space,
The sensor,
Disposed between the insertion space and the cartridge,
The inductive sensor,
a first inductive sensor having a first sensing coil; and
A second inductive sensor having a second sensing coil disposed in parallel with the first sensing coil,
The sensing electrode is disposed side by side between the first sensing coil and the second sensing coil. According to claim 7,
The first sensing coil is wound with a wider width spaced apart in the radial direction than the second sensing coil. According to claim 8,
The first inductance sensor senses a change in inductance of the insertion space through the first sensing coil,
The capacitance sensor senses a capacitance change of the insertion space through the sensing electrode,
The second inductance sensor senses a change in inductance of the cartridge side through the second sensing coil. According to claim 8,
The first inductance sensor senses a change in inductance of the cartridge side through the first sensing coil,
The capacitance sensor senses a capacitance change on the cartridge side through the sensing electrode,
The second inductance sensor senses a change in inductance of the insertion space through the second sensing coil. According to claim 1,
The sensing electrode and the sensing coil,
An aerosol generating device having a circumferential shape corresponding to each other.

Images