CN112638187A

CN112638187A - Aspirated component generation device, method for controlling aspirated component generation device, and program

Info

Publication number: CN112638187A
Application number: CN201880096904.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 中野拓磨; 丸桥启司
Original assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Current assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Priority date: 2018-08-24
Filing date: 2018-08-24
Publication date: 2021-04-09
Also published as: JPWO2020039589A1; TW202008900A; EP3841897A4; US20210169148A1; EP3841897A1; JP6924904B2; WO2020039589A1

Abstract

The aspirated component generating device includes a first aspirated component source for generating a first aspirated component, a second aspirated component source for generating a second aspirated component, a second electrical load for adjusting an amount of the second aspirated component generated from the second aspirated component source, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control the electric power supplied to the second electric load based on a value associated with an amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source.

Description

Aspirated component generation device, method for controlling aspirated component generation device, and program

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an aspirated component generation device that generates an aspirated component aspirated by a user, a method of controlling the aspirated component generation device, and a program.

Background

Instead of a cigarette, an electrical smoking device, for example, an electronic cigarette, which can taste aerosol generated by atomizing an aerosol source by an electrical load such as a heater is known (patent documents 1 and 2).

The smoking devices described in patent documents 1 and 2 include an aerosol source (e.g., glycerin or propylene glycol) for generating aerosol and a flavor base material such as a tobacco base material for generating flavor.

The smoking device described in patent document 1 includes an upstream stage made of a tobacco filler containing an aerosol-forming material or a processed tobacco filler material, and a downstream stage made of a base material such as a polyethylene terephthalate fiber carrying a flavorant and/or an aerosol-forming material. In patent document 1, heated air passes through an upstream stage and a downstream stage, thereby generating aerosol having tobacco flavor and the like.

The smoking device described in patent document 2 is configured to be able to simultaneously ingest nicotine from tobacco leaves (tobacco base material) and smoke of an electronic cigarette from an atomizer. The smoking device has a heater for heating the leaves of the cigarette and a heater disposed in the atomizer. Patent document 2 describes a case where these heaters are controlled individually.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 5247711

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-127300

Disclosure of Invention

Means for solving the problems

The first feature is summarized as an aspirated component generating apparatus including: a first inhalation component source for generating a first inhalation component; a second aspirate component source for generating a second aspirate component; a second electrical load that adjusts the amount of the second drawn component generated from the second drawn component source; a control unit; the control unit is configured to control the electric power supplied to the second electric load based on a value associated with an amount of the first absorption component generated from the first absorption component source.

Here, the first source of absorbing composition may comprise any one of an aerosol source and a fragrance source. The second source of extracting composition may comprise any one of an aerosol source and a fragrance source. However, in the case where the first inhalation component source is one of an aerosol source and a fragrance source, the second inhalation component source is preferably the other of the aerosol source and the fragrance source. Further, the second electric load may include any one of an atomizing electric load and a fragrance electric load described later as much as possible.

A second aspect of the present invention is the suction component generation device according to the first aspect, wherein the suction component generation device has a first electrical load capable of adjusting an amount of the first suction component generated from the first suction component source, and the value related to the amount of the first suction component generated from the first suction component source is a measured value or an estimated value of the amount of the first suction component, power supplied to the first electrical load, a temperature of the first electrical load, or a time during which power is supplied to the first electrical load.

The third feature is the aspirated component generating device according to the second feature, wherein the first electrical load is a temperature regulator.

A fourth feature is the inhalation component generating apparatus according to the first feature, wherein the inhalation component generating apparatus includes a temperature sensor that monitors a temperature of a region where the first inhalation component is generated, and wherein a value related to an amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source is a value acquired by the temperature sensor.

The fifth feature is the aspirated component generating device according to any one of the first to fourth features, wherein the second electrical load is a temperature regulator.

A sixth feature is the aspirated component generating device of any one of the first to fifth features, wherein the control unit controls the second electrical load so as to suppress a change in the amount of the second aspirated component accompanying a change in a value associated with the amount of the first aspirated component.

The seventh feature is the aspirated component generating device according to any one of the first to sixth features, wherein the control unit controls the second electrical load so as to suppress variation in the amount of the second aspirated component accompanying variation in a value associated with the amount of the first aspirated component.

An eighth aspect of the present invention is the suction component generation device according to the seventh aspect, wherein a set value of a value related to an amount of the first suction component is configured to be variable, and the control unit controls the second electrical load so as to suppress a change in the amount of the second suction component when the set value is changed.

A ninth feature is the aspirated component generating device according to any one of the first to eighth features, including a flow path that allows at least a part of the first aspirated component generated from the first aspirated component source to pass through the second aspirated component source to reach an outlet.

A tenth feature is the aspirated component generating device of the ninth feature, wherein the amount of the second aspirated component generated from the second aspirated component source is an amount of the second aspirated component generated from the second aspirated component source when at least a portion of the first aspirated component generated from the first aspirated component source passes through the second aspirated component source.

The eleventh feature is the aspirated component generating device of the ninth or tenth feature, wherein the first aspirated component source is an aerosol source, and the second aspirated component source is a flavor source that imparts a flavor component to the aerosol.

The twelfth feature is the aspirated component generating device according to any one of the ninth to eleventh features, including: a first flow path for conducting the first inhalation component through the second inhalation component source to a mouthpiece; a second flow path that directs the first inhalation component to the mouthpiece without passing through the second inhalation component source; and a flow rate adjusting mechanism that adjusts a ratio of a flow rate of the first flow path to a flow rate of the second flow path.

A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the aspirated component generating device of the twelfth aspect, wherein the control unit is configured to control the electric power supplied to the second electric load and the flow rate adjustment mechanism based on a target value of an amount of the second aspirated component generated from the second aspirated component source, and the control unit controls the flow rate adjustment mechanism without controlling the second electric load when it is determined by the control of the flow rate adjustment mechanism that the amount of the second aspirated component generated from the second aspirated component source can reach the target value.

A fourteenth feature is the aspirated component generating device according to any one of the first to eighth features, wherein the device has a flow path that allows at least a part of the second aspirated component generated from the second aspirated component source to pass through the first aspirated component source to reach an outlet.

A fifteenth feature is the drawn component generating apparatus as in the thirteenth or fourteenth feature, wherein the second drawn component source is an aerosol source, and the first drawn component source is a flavor source that imparts a flavor component to the aerosol.

A sixteenth feature is the inhalation component generation apparatus according to the eleventh or fifteenth feature, wherein a set value of a value related to an amount of the first inhalation component is configured to be variable, and a variable range of the set value is defined by a value that enables a predetermined amount of the flavor component to be added to the aerosol.

A seventeenth feature is the aspirated component generating device according to the eleventh feature, wherein the second electrical load is a temperature regulator, a set value of a value related to the amount of aerosol is configured to be variable, and the control unit controls the temperature regulator such that a lower limit of the set value is defined within a range in which the flavor source is not burned, the lower the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source is, the higher the temperature of the flavor source is.

An eighteenth feature is the extracted component generating apparatus according to the seventeenth feature, wherein the lower limit is variable according to a value associated with an amount of the fragrance component generated from the fragrance source.

A nineteenth aspect of the present invention is the aspirated component generating device according to the eleventh or fifteenth aspect, wherein a set value of a value related to the amount of aerosol is variable, and an upper limit of the set value is defined such that a consumption rate of the aerosol source accompanying aerosol generation does not exceed a supply rate of the aerosol source to a portion where the aerosol source is atomized.

A twentieth feature is the aspirated component generating device according to any one of the first to nineteenth features, wherein the plurality of modes are selectable by a user and determined based on a combination of a plurality of target values of the amount of the first aspirated component and a plurality of target values of the amount of the second aspirated component.

A twenty-first characteristic is the aspirated component generating device according to any one of the first to fifth characteristics, wherein the control unit is configured to control the second electrical load based on a relationship between a value associated with an amount of the first aspirated component generated from the first aspirated component source and a value associated with an amount of the second aspirated component generated from the second aspirated component source.

A twenty-second aspect of the present invention is summarized as the inhalation component generating device according to the twenty-first aspect, wherein the inhalation component generating device includes an adjustment mechanism that adjusts an amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source, and the control unit is configured to control both the second electrical load and the adjustment mechanism.

A twenty-third feature is the aspirated component generating device according to the twenty-second feature, further comprising a flow path that allows at least a part of the first aspirated component generated from the first aspirated component source to pass through the second aspirated component source to reach an outlet, wherein the first aspirated component source is an aerosol source, the second aspirated component source is a flavor source that imparts a flavor component to the aerosol, and the control unit is configured to preferentially control the adjustment mechanism before controlling the second electrical load so as to achieve a predetermined aerosol amount and a predetermined flavor amount.

A twenty-fourth characteristic is the aspirated component generating apparatus according to any one of the twenty-first to twenty-third characteristics, wherein the relationship is determined by a predetermined function or a predetermined reference table that associates a value associated with the amount of the first aspirated component with a value associated with the amount of the second aspirated component generated from the second aspirated component source.

A twenty-fifth characteristic is the aspirated component generating apparatus according to any one of the twenty-first to twenty-fourth characteristics, wherein the relationship is different depending on at least one of a type of the first aspirated component source and a type of the second aspirated component source.

A twenty-sixth feature is summarized as a method of controlling an aspirated component generating apparatus, including: a first inhalation component source for generating a first inhalation component; a second aspirate component source for generating a second aspirate component; a second electrical load that adjusts the amount of the second drawn component generated from the second drawn component source; the method of controlling an inhalation composition generating device includes controlling power supplied to the second electrical load based on a value associated with an amount of the first inhalation composition generated from the first inhalation composition source.

The twenty-seventh feature is the program for causing the aspirated component generating device to execute the method according to the twenty-sixth feature.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a sucked component generation apparatus according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an atomizing unit according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the suction sensor according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow rate adjustment mechanism according to an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the aspirated component generating apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing control in the aspirated component generation apparatus according to one embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a combination of a target value of a fragrance component and a target value of an aerosol amount.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of control in the aspirated component generation apparatus according to the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the target value of the fragrance component and the target value of the aerosol amount.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of control in the aspirated component generation apparatus according to the embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals are given to the same or similar parts. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic drawings, and the scale of each dimension and the like may be different from those of actual objects.

Therefore, specific dimensions and the like should be determined in consideration of the following description. It is to be noted that the drawings also include portions having different dimensional relationships or ratios.

[ brief summary of disclosure ]

The smoking device described in patent document 1 generates an aerosol having a tobacco flavor or the like. However, the amount of tobacco flavor relative to the amount of aerosol depends on the design of the device, and it is difficult to alter the amount of aerosol and the amount of tobacco flavor independently of each other.

Patent document 2 discloses that a heater for heating the leaves of a cigarette and a heater provided in an atomizer are separately controlled. However, patent document 2 has little specific description about how to control these heaters.

According to one aspect, an aspirated component generating device includes a first aspirated component source for generating a first aspirated component, a second aspirated component source for generating a second aspirated component, an electrical load for generating the second aspirated component from the second aspirated component source, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control the electric power supplied to the electric load based on a value associated with an amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source.

According to one aspect, a method of controlling an inhalation component generating apparatus having a first inhalation component source for generating a first inhalation component, a second inhalation component source for generating a second inhalation component, and a second electrical load for generating the second inhalation component from the second inhalation component source is a method of controlling an inhalation component generating apparatus including controlling power supplied to the second electrical load based on a value associated with an amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source.

A program of one embodiment causes an aspirated component generation apparatus to execute the above-described method.

According to the above aspect, the electric power supplied to the second electric load is controlled based on the value associated with the amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source, and the amount of the second inhalation component generated from the second inhalation component source is adjusted. Thus, the amount of the second inhalation component contained in the first inhalation component is configured to be appropriately variable in accordance with the amount of the first inhalation component. In particular, when the amount of the first absorption component affects the amount of the second absorption component generated from the second absorption component source, the amount of the second absorption component can be appropriately adjusted by controlling the electric power supplied to the second electric load based on the value related to the amount of the second absorption component generated from the first absorption component source.

Thus, for example, the amount of the flavor component (second inhalation component) in the aerosol may also be appropriately adjusted based on a value associated with the amount of the aerosol (first inhalation component). As a specific example, the amount of aerosol may be increased or decreased while the amount of the flavor component is maintained constant. In this case, for example, in order to take into consideration surrounding people, the user can enjoy a desired flavor by keeping the amount of the flavor component in the aerosol constant while suppressing the amount of the aerosol.

In the smoking device described in patent document 2, nicotine is generated from tobacco leaves (tobacco base material), and the smoke of the electronic cigarette generated by the atomizer is added to air containing nicotine. That is, the smoke of the electronic cigarette is generated on the downstream side of the generation of nicotine. In this case, the amount of smoke (aerosol) of the electronic cigarette depends only on the output of the heater in the atomizing unit, and the amount of tobacco flavor component depends only on the output of the heater for tobacco. Therefore, it should be noted that patent document 2 does not disclose a technical idea of adjusting the output of the heater for tobacco based on the amount of smoke of the electronic cigarette or adjusting the output of the heater in the atomizing unit based on the amount of the tobacco flavor component.

(means for generating aspirated component)

Hereinafter, a sucked component generating apparatus according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing a sucked component generating apparatus according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic view of an atomizing unit according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the suction sensor according to the embodiment. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow rate adjustment mechanism according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the aspirated component generating apparatus.

The suction component generating apparatus 100 may be a non-combustion type flavor suction device for sucking flavor without accompanying combustion. Preferably, the extracted component generating device 100 may be a portable scent extractor. The aspirated component generation device 100 may have a shape extending along a prescribed direction a, which is a direction from the non-suction end E2 toward the suction end E1. In this case, the sucked component generating apparatus 100 may include one end portion E1 having the suction port 141 which sucks fragrance and the other end portion E2 on the side opposite to the suction port 141.

The aspirated component generation apparatus 100 may have a power supply unit 110 and an atomizing unit 120. The atomizing unit 120 may be configured to be attachable to and detachable from the power supply unit 110 via the

mechanical connection portions

111 and 121. When the atomizer unit 120 and the power supply unit 110 are mechanically connected to each other, an atomizing electric load 122R and a fragrance electric load 124R, which will be described later, in the atomizer unit 120 are electrically connected to the power supply 10 provided in the power supply unit 110.

The atomizing unit 120 has an aerosol source (suction component source) sucked by a user and an atomizing electric load 122R that atomizes the aerosol source by power from the power supply 10.

The atomizing electric load 122R may be any element as long as it can adjust the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source (the amount of the sucked component) in accordance with the supplied electric power. For example, the atomizing electric load 122R may be an atomizing thermostat 122. For example, the atomizing electric load 122R constituting the atomizing thermostat 122 may be a resistance heating element.

Hereinafter, a more detailed example of the atomizing unit 120 will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2. The aerosolizing unit 120 may have a reservoir 122P, a wick 122Q, and an aerosolizing electrical load 122R. The reservoir 122P may be configured to store a liquid aerosol source. The reservoir 122P may be a porous body made of a material such as a resin net, for example. The wick 122Q may be a liquid holding member that transports the aerosol source from the reservoir 122P to the vicinity of the atomizing electric load 122R by capillary action. The core wire 122Q may be made of, for example, glass fiber, porous ceramic, or the like.

The atomizing electrical load 122R heats the aerosol source held in the wick 122Q. The atomizing electric load 122R is, for example, a resistance heating element (e.g., a heating wire) wound around the core wire 122Q.

The atomizing electric load 122R may be a temperature regulator 122 such as an electric heater. Instead, the atomizing electric load 122R may be a temperature regulator having a function of heating and cooling the aerosol source held in the wick 122Q.

The air flowing in through the flow path 127 from the inlet 125 passes through the vicinity of the atomizing electric load 122R in the atomizing unit 120. The aerosol generated at the atomizing electric load 122R flows toward the mouthpiece 141 together with air.

The aerosol source may be a liquid at ambient temperature. For example, as an aerosol source, a polyol may be used. The aerosol source may comprise an extract from a tobacco material or tobacco material that releases flavour components upon heating.

In the above-described embodiment, the example of the aerosol source which is liquid at normal temperature has been described in detail, but an aerosol source which is solid at normal temperature may be used instead. In this case, the electrical atomizing load 122R may contact or approach the solid aerosol source in order to generate aerosol from the solid aerosol source.

The atomizer unit 120 may include a fragrance unit 130 configured to be replaceable. The fragrance unit 130 can have a cartridge 131 that houses a fragrance source (an extraction component source). The cylinder 131 may include a membrane member 133 through which air, aerosol, or the like can pass and a filter 132, and a fragrance source may be provided in a space formed by the membrane member 133 and the filter 132.

The drawing component generating device 100 has a

flow path

127, 128, which flow

path

127, 128 passes at least part of the aerosol generated from the aerosol source through the fragrance source to the outlet. Thereby, the flavor source in the flavor unit 130 imparts a flavor component to the aerosol generated by the atomizing electric load 122R of the atomizing unit 120. The flavor component imparted to the aerosol by the flavor source is delivered to the mouthpiece 141 of the inhalation component generation apparatus 100.

The fragrance source within the fragrance unit 130 can be a solid at normal temperature. As an example, the fragrance source is constituted by a raw material sheet of a plant material that imparts a fragrance component to the aerosol. As the material sheet constituting the flavor source, a molded body obtained by molding a tobacco material such as cut tobacco or a tobacco material into particles can be used. Alternatively, the flavor source may be a formed body formed by forming a tobacco material into a sheet shape. The material sheet constituting the flavor source may be made of a plant other than tobacco (e.g., mint, vanilla, etc.). The flavor source may be a flavor such as menthol.

The fragrance source may be flowably housed within the space formed by the membrane member 133 and the filter 132. In this case, since the flavor source flows in the flavor unit 130 during use, variation in the flavor source in contact with the electrical flavor load 124R is reduced, and thus the flavor component can be stably released.

Instead, the flavor source may be substantially fixed in the space formed by the membrane member 133 and the filter 132. In this case, heat can be efficiently transmitted from the fragrance electric load 124R to the fragrance source.

The electric fragrance load 124R provided on the atomizer unit 120 may be located around the cylinder 131 of the fragrance unit 130 mounted on the atomizer unit 120. The fragrance electric load 124R may be configured to be able to adjust the amount of fragrance (absorption component) generated from the fragrance source. The fragrance electric load 124R may be an element capable of adjusting the amount of fragrance generated from the fragrance source according to the supplied electric power. For example, the fragrance electric load 124R may be a temperature regulator 124 capable of regulating the temperature of the fragrance source. The temperature regulator 124 may be formed of a resistive heating element. Alternatively, the temperature regulator 124 may be a cooling element such as a peltier element, for example. The temperature controller 124 may be an element capable of performing both heating and cooling.

A heat insulating material 126 may be provided outside the flavor electric load 124R. This can prevent the temperature difference between the outer edge of the aspirated component generating device 100 and the outside air temperature from becoming excessively large. That is, the outer edge of suction component generation device 100 can be suppressed from becoming too cold or too hot. Further, the heat insulating material 126 can reduce heat transfer loss from the fragrance electric load 124R, and can perform temperature adjustment for energy saving.

The sucked component generating apparatus 100 may include a suction nozzle having a suction port for a user to suck the sucked component. The nozzle may be detachably mounted to the atomizing unit 120 or the fragrance unit 130, or may be integrally formed.

In addition, the inhalation component generation apparatus 100, specifically, the atomizing unit 120 may have a first flow path 128 that guides aerosol to the mouthpiece 141 through the flavor source, and a second flow path 129 that guides aerosol to the mouthpiece 141 without passing through the flavor source. The aerosol reaches the suction port 141 through the second flow path 129 without being imparted with fragrance from the fragrance source. In this case, the atomizing unit 120 may include a flow rate adjusting mechanism 730 that adjusts the ratio of the flow rate of the first flow path 128 to the flow rate of the second flow path 129. The flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 is disposed between the atomizing unit 120 and the fragrance unit 130, i.e., near the boundary. Accordingly, since the amount of aerosol flowing through the flavor source can be adjusted regardless of the amount of aerosol generated in the atomizing unit 120, the ratio of aerosol to flavor component contained in the gas reaching the mouthpiece 141 can be controlled to maximize the flow of the entire amount of aerosol generated in the atomizing unit 120 to the flavor source.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 according to an embodiment. The flow adjustment mechanism 730 may have two

cylindrical parts

731A, 731B arranged coaxially with each other. The first column member 731A and the second column member 731B may be configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis C. The first and

second column members

731A and 731B may have through

holes

760A and 760B, respectively, at the rotation axis. Thereby, at least a part of the aerosol generated in the atomizing unit 120 flows into the first flow path 128 in the flavor unit 130 through the through

holes

760A and 760B of the flow rate adjusting mechanism 730.

The first column member 731A and the second column member 731B may have through

holes

760A and 760B penetrating in the predetermined direction a around the rotation axis. These 760A and 760B repeatedly change their areas in accordance with the relative positional relationship between the first cylinder member 731A and the second cylinder member 731B in the rotational direction. That is, the aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120 flows into the second flow path 129 outside the fragrance unit 130 according to the relative positional relationship between the first cylindrical member 731A and the second cylindrical member 731B in the rotational direction. Thus, the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 can adjust the ratio of the flow rate of the first flow path 128 to the flow rate of the second flow path 129.

The power supply unit 110 may have a power supply 10 and a control section 50. The control unit 50 may have a memory 52, and the memory 52 may store information necessary for performing various controls necessary for the operation of the aspirated component generating device 100. The control unit 50 may further include a notification unit that issues a notification for notifying the user of various information, if necessary. The notification unit may be a light emitting element that emits light, such as an LED, an element that generates sound, or a vibrator that emits vibration, for example. The notification unit may be formed by a combination of elements that emit light, sound, or vibration.

The power supply 10 stores electric power necessary for the operation of the aspirated component generation device 100. The power supply 10 may be detachably mounted on the power supply unit 110. The power source 10 may be a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

The control unit 50 can perform various controls necessary for the operation of the aspirated component generating apparatus 100. For example, the control unit 50 may control power supplied from the power source 10 to the atomizing electric load 122R and the fragrance electric load 124R. The control unit 50 may also electrically operate the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 automatically. For example, if the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 is the mode shown in fig. 4, the control unit 50 rotates at least one of the first column member 731A and the second column member 731B about the rotation axis C.

The control section 50 may include an aspiration detection unit that detects an aspiration request action by the user. The suction detection unit may be, for example, a suction sensor 20 that detects a suction action of the user. Alternatively, the suction detection unit may be, for example, a button pressed by the user.

If the suction request operation is detected by the suction detection means, the control section 50 generates a command for operating the atomizing electrical load 122R and/or the fragrance electrical load 124R. The control unit 50 may be configured to vary the power supplied to the atomizing electric load 122R and the fragrance electric load 124R in accordance with a mode or environment specified by a user.

Preferably, the controller 50 supplies power to the atomizing electric load 122R and/or the fragrance electric load 124R in the form of power pulses. Thus, the control unit 50 controls the electric power supplied to the atomizing electric load 122R and/or the fragrance electric load 124R by adjusting the duty ratio by Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) or Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM).

When power is supplied to the atomizing electric load 122R, the temperature of the atomizing thermostat 122 rises, and the aerosol source vaporizes or atomizes, thereby generating aerosol. When power is supplied to the fragrance electric load 124R, the temperature of the fragrance temperature regulator 124 changes, and the amount of the fragrance component emitted from the fragrance source changes according to the temperature.

The inhalation composition generating apparatus 100 may have a temperature sensor 150 capable of estimating or acquiring the temperature of the aerosol source or the atomizing temperature adjuster 122 and a temperature sensor 160 capable of estimating or acquiring the temperature of the fragrance source or the fragrance temperature adjuster 124, as necessary.

The suction sensor 20 may be configured to output an output value that varies in accordance with suction from the suction port. Specifically, the suction sensor 20 may be a sensor that outputs a value (for example, a voltage value or a current value) that changes in accordance with the flow rate of air sucked from the non-suction port side toward the suction port side (i.e., the air blowing action of the user). Examples of such a sensor include a condenser microphone sensor and a known flow sensor.

Fig. 3 shows a specific example of the suction sensor 20. The suction sensor 20 illustrated in fig. 3 has a sensor body 21, a cover 22, and a substrate 23. The sensor body 21 is formed of, for example, a capacitor. The capacitance of the sensor main body 21 varies according to the vibration (pressure) generated by the air sucked from the inlet 125 (i.e., the air sucked from the non-suction port side toward the suction port side). The cover 22 is provided on the suction port side with respect to the sensor main body 21 and has an opening 40. By providing the cover 22 having the opening 40, the capacitance of the sensor body 21 is easily changed, and the response characteristic of the sensor body 21 is improved. The substrate 23 outputs a value (here, a voltage value) indicating the capacitance of the sensor body 21 (capacitor).

The aspirated component generation apparatus 100 may have an input section 200 and a display section 210. The input unit 200 may be configured to be able to input various instructions from a user. The input unit 200 may be a touch panel screen, or may be a button for operation, for example. The display unit 210 may be a screen for displaying various information to the user.

The input unit 200 can be used to select a mode, for example, as described later. In addition, the input device 200 may be used to set a target value of the generated aerosol and/or a target value of the flavor component. The control unit 50 may adjust the amount of power supplied to the atomizing electric load 122R and/or the fragrance electric load 124R based on these target values.

(control of electric load one)

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of control in the aspirated component generation apparatus according to the embodiment. In the present embodiment, the user sets a target value of the aerosol amount before starting the suction operation (step S301). The target value a of the aerosol amount may be selected from a plurality of options (modes), or may be set by a specific numerical value. The control unit 50 determines the electric power or the amount of electric power to be supplied to the atomizing thermostat 122 based on the target aerosol amount value a (step S302).

In step S301, a target value of the aerosol amount is set. Instead, a value associated with the aerosol amount may be set. The value related to the aerosol amount may be, for example, the temperature of the atomizing thermostat 122, the power supplied to the atomizing thermostat 122, the time of the power supplied to the atomizing thermostat 122, or the like.

The user sets a target value Y of the fragrance component (step S303). Then, the control unit 50 determines the target temperature of the fragrance thermostat 124 (step S304). More specifically, the control unit 50 may determine the power to be supplied to the fragrance thermostat 124, that is, the target temperature of the fragrance thermostat 124, based on the target aerosol amount a and the target fragrance component Y.

In step S303, a target value of the amount of the flavor component is set. Instead, a value associated with the amount of the fragrance component may be set. The value related to the amount of the fragrance component may be, for example, the temperature of the fragrance thermostat 124, the power supplied to the fragrance thermostat 124, the time of the power supplied to the fragrance thermostat 124, the amount of aerosol flowing through the fragrance source by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730, specifically, the opening degree of the second flow path 129 by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730, or the like.

The amount of flavour ingredient generated in the aerosol may vary depending on the amount and temperature of the aerosol passing through the flavour source. For example, the greater the amount of aerosol that passes through the scent source, the greater the amount of scent components generated in the aerosol. In addition, the higher the temperature of the fragrance source, the greater the amount of fragrance component generated in the aerosol. Therefore, the control unit 50 determines the power to be supplied to the flavor temperature regulator 124 (second electrical load) based on the target aerosol amount (amount of the first inhalation component). Thereby, the amount of flavour ingredient contained in the aerosol amount can be controlled independently of the aerosol amount.

After the power supplied to the atomizing thermostat 122 and the power supplied to the fragrance thermostat 124 are determined, the control unit 50 estimates or measures the temperature of the fragrance source or the fragrance thermostat 124 when the start of the suction cycle is detected (steps S305 and S306). The suction cycle can be detected, for example, by the user pressing a button or the like. The suction cycle is a state in which the atomizing thermostat 122 and/or the fragrance thermostat 124 can be operated by a suction operation of the user, and may include one or more suction operations of the user. The suction operation is an operation in which the user presses a button or sucks air from the mouthpiece.

The temperature of the fragrance source or the temperature regulator 124 for fragrance can be estimated or measured by the temperature sensor 160. Alternatively, when the fragrance temperature adjuster 124 is a heater including a resistance heating element, the control unit 50 can estimate the temperature of the resistance heating element by estimating the resistance value from the voltage drop amount in the resistance heating element. The voltage drop amount in the resistance heating element can be measured by a known voltage sensor.

The control unit 50 determines whether or not the temperature of the fragrance source or the fragrance thermostat 124 is farther from the target temperature T than a predetermined value Δ_target(step S307). The temperature of the fragrance source or the temperature regulator 124 for fragrance is further from the target temperature T than the predetermined value Delta_targetIn the case of (3), the control unit 50 supplies power to the flavor temperature adjuster 124, and controls the flavor source or the flavor temperature adjuster 124 to be maintained at a temperature close to the target temperature (step S308). The predetermined value Δ is an allowable value of the temperature error, and is set, for example, within a range of several degrees to less than 10 degrees.

In addition, the temperature of the fragrance source or the temperature regulator 124 for fragrance is set to the target temperature T_targetWhen the difference is equal to or less than the predetermined value Δ, the supply of power to the fragrance temperature regulator 124 is not necessary. This makes it possible to save power for the aspirated component generating device.

After determining the power to be supplied to the atomizing thermostat 122 and the power to be supplied to the fragrance thermostat 124, the control unit 50 monitors the presence or absence of the inhalation operation by the user (step S309). The suction operation of the user can be detected by the suction sensor 20 described above, for example.

When the suction operation by the user is detected, the control unit 50 supplies power to the atomizing electric load 122R (adjustment mechanism) to heat the atomizing thermostat 122 (step S310). Thereby, aerosol is generated from the nebulizing unit. The aerosol generated in the nebulizing unit is given a fragrance by passing through a fragrance source. The user draws the aerosol with the imparted scent.

When detecting the end of the suction operation (step S311), the control unit 50 stops the supply of electric power to the atomizing electric load 122R (step S312). Here, the end of the suction operation can be detected by the suction sensor 20. Even when the suction operation by the user is finished, the control unit 50 may continue to supply power to the fragrance thermostat 124 so that the temperature of the fragrance source is maintained at the target temperature until the suction cycle is finished.

The control unit 50 may stop the supply of electric power to the atomizing electric load 122R at a timing other than the detection of the end of the suction operation. For example, when the user continues the suction operation for a very long time or when an abnormality of the atomizing electric load 122R or the power supply 10 is detected, the supply of electric power to the atomizing electric load 122R may be stopped.

When the end of the suction cycle is detected (step S313), the control unit 50 may stop the supply of electric power to the fragrance application electric load 124R (step S314). The control unit 50 may determine that the suction cycle is ended, for example, when the user presses a predetermined button or when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the end of the previous suction operation. Alternatively, the control unit 50 may determine that the suction cycle is ended when the suction operation is detected a predetermined number of times in one suction cycle or when a predetermined period has elapsed from the start of the suction cycle.

In the control flow described above, the timings of starting and ending the supply of power to the atomizing power load 122R and the flavor power load 124R are different. Instead, the start and end timings of the supply of power to the atomizing power load 122R and the flavor power load 124R may be the same.

In step S304, the control unit 50 determines the power to be supplied to the flavor temperature regulator 124 (second electrical load) based on the target aerosol amount (first inhalation component amount). Not limited to this, the control unit 50 may be configured to control the power supplied to the flavor electric load 124R based on a value associated with the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source.

The value related to the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source may be a measured value or an estimated value of the amount of aerosol, power supplied to the electrical atomization load 122R, the temperature of the electrical atomization load 122R, the time during which power is supplied to the electrical atomization load 122R, the amount of power supplied to the electrical atomization load 122R, or the like. Additionally, the value associated with the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source may be a value taken by a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the area where the aerosol is generated. Further, the value associated with the amount of aerosol may be the amount of aerosol itself. Even in these cases, the amount of the fragrance component contained in the aerosol amount can be controlled independently of the aerosol amount.

According to the control flow shown in fig. 6, the control section 50 is configured to control the fragrance thermostat 124 based on the relationship between the value associated with the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source and the value associated with the amount of fragrance component generated from the fragrance source.

The relationship may be determined by a reference table that correlates values associated with the amount of aerosol and values associated with the amount of fragrance component generated from the fragrance source. That is, when a value related to the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source and a value related to the amount of flavor component generated from the flavor source are set by the user, the control unit 50 may determine the electric power to be supplied to the atomizing electric load 122R and the flavor electric load 124R by referring to the reference table stored in the memory 52. That is, when a value related to the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source and a value related to the amount of flavor component generated from the flavor source are set by the user, the control unit 50 may determine the electric power to be supplied to the atomizing electric load 122R and the flavor electric load 124R based on the reference table stored in the memory 52.

Alternatively, the relationship may be determined by a prescribed function that correlates a value associated with the amount of aerosol with a value associated with the amount of the fragrance component generated from the fragrance source. That is, when a value related to the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source and a value related to the amount of flavor component generated from the flavor source are set by the user, the control unit 50 may calculate the power to be supplied to the atomizing electric load 122R and the flavor electric load 124R based on a predetermined function stored in the memory 52. The predetermined function can be determined by, for example, experiments performed in advance. Further, if a predetermined function is used, the power to be supplied to the atomizing electric load 122R and the fragrance electric load 124R can be continuously determined from any combination of the value related to the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source and the value related to the amount of fragrance component generated from the fragrance source.

The above-mentioned relationship may be different depending on at least one of the type of the aerosol source and the type of the fragrance source. Here, the types of the aerosol source and the fragrance source may be determined by the difference in the compositions of the aerosol source and the fragrance source, respectively. This is because the relationship between the value associated with the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source and the value associated with the amount of fragrance component generated from the fragrance source may differ depending on the composition of the aerosol source and the fragrance source.

According to the above aspect, the user sets both the target value of the aerosol amount and the target value of the flavor component. In this case, the set value of the aerosol amount and/or the set value of the fragrance component preferably have a desired upper limit value and/or lower limit value.

For example, the variable range of the set value of the aerosol amount and/or the amount of the flavor component is preferably defined by a value that can give a predetermined amount of the flavor component to the aerosol. Thus, the amount of the flavor component in a predetermined range can be imparted to the aerosol without depending on the amount of the aerosol. Thus, the user can inhale a desired fragrance regardless of the amount of aerosol.

Preferably, the upper limit of the set value of the value associated with the amount of the aroma component is lower than the combustion temperature of the aroma source. This prevents the fragrance source from being heated to a temperature higher than the combustion temperature of the fragrance source. Specifically, the upper limit of the set value of the value relating to the amount of the flavor component can be defined by a value corresponding to a temperature of 200 ℃, preferably 150 ℃, in the case of using the tobacco material as the flavor source, the temperature of the flavor temperature regulator 124.

Preferably, the upper limit of the set value of the value relating to the amount of the fragrance component is a value corresponding to the boiling point of the aerosol source or less. Thereby, the temperature of the fragrance source is maintained below the boiling point of the aerosol source. In this case, a decrease in the amount of aerosol due to re-evaporation or diffusion of the aerosol through the fragrance source can be suppressed. As shown in fig. 7, the upper limit of the set value of the value relating to the amount of the fragrance component may be variable depending on the set value of the value relating to the amount of the aerosol.

Where the aerosol source comprises a plurality of aerosol precursors, for example glycerol or propylene glycol, the "boiling point of the aerosol source" may be dictated by the boiling point of the largest weight% of the components contained in the aerosol source. Alternatively, the "boiling point of the aerosol source" may be defined by the boiling point of the lowest boiling component of the components in the plurality of aerosol precursors. For example, where the aerosol source comprises glycerol and propylene glycol, the boiling point of propylene glycol, i.e., about 190 ℃, can be specified. When the content of glycerin is greater than the content of propylene glycol, the boiling point of the aerosol source may be about 250 ℃.

In addition, from the viewpoint of suppressing the reduction in the aerosol amount due to the re-evaporation or diffusion of the aerosol, the temperature of the flavor source is preferably maintained at about 250 ℃ or lower, about 190 ℃ or lower, or about 100 ℃ or lower (boiling point of water). Therefore, when the control unit 50 judges that the temperature of the fragrance source determined from the set values of the aerosol amount and/or the amount of the fragrance component does not maintain the upper limit temperature, an error may be displayed on the display unit 210 to urge the change of the set values.

The lower limit of the set value of the value relating to the amount of the flavor component may be, for example, a value corresponding to-10 ℃ or higher, preferably 0 ℃ or higher, and more preferably 10 ℃ or higher. This can suppress condensation of the aerosol passing through the flavor source in the air flow path, and can suppress a decrease in the amount of aerosol reaching the suction port. The lower limit of the set value of the value relating to the amount of the fragrance component may be variable depending on the set value of the value relating to the amount of aerosol as shown in fig. 7.

Preferably, the upper limit of the set value relating to the amount of aerosol is defined such that a consumption rate of the aerosol source accompanying the aerosol generation does not exceed a supply rate of the aerosol source to a part of the aerosol source to be atomized. In the aspect of controlling the fragrance temperature regulator 124 so that the temperature of the fragrance source increases as the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source decreases, the lower limit of the set value of the value related to the amount of aerosol is preferably defined within a range in which the fragrance source does not burn. The upper limit and/or the lower limit of the set value of the value relating to the amount of aerosol may be variable according to the value relating to the amount of fragrance component generated from the fragrance source (see also fig. 7).

Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a combination of a target value of a fragrance component and a target value of an aerosol amount. The boundary between the region R2 and the region R3 is a line that represents the possible values of the amount Y of the flavor component and the amount a of the aerosol when the output of the atomizing thermostat 122 is changed without operating the flavor thermostat 124 at a certain ambient temperature. Therefore, when the amount Y of the flavor component and the amount a of the aerosol shown by the point P2 are set by the user, the control unit 50 may operate the atomizing thermostat 122 without operating the flavor thermostat 124.

Note that, not only in the case where the amount Y of the flavor component and the amount a of the aerosol are set to correspond to the point on the boundary line between the region R2 and the region R3 shown in fig. 7, but also in the case where the amount Y of the flavor component and the amount a of the aerosol are set to correspond to the inside of a strip line having a predetermined width from the boundary line, the control unit 50 may operate the atomizing thermostat 122 without operating the flavor thermostat 124. Here, it should be noted that the width of the strip line (the width in the vertical axis direction in fig. 7) that does not require the operation of the fragrance temperature regulator 124 is associated with 2 times (2 Δ) the predetermined value Δ in step S307 in the control flow shown in fig. 6.

The region R2 is a region in which the amount of flavor components contained in the aerosol is larger than that in the case where the flavor temperature regulator 124 is not operated. Therefore, when the amount Y of the flavor component and the amount a of the aerosol shown by the point P3 are set, the control unit 50 may operate both the atomizing temperature adjuster 122 and the flavor temperature adjuster 124.

The boundary between the region R2 and the region R1 represents the upper limit of the aerosol amount and the upper limit of the amount of the fragrance component. The upper limit of the amount of the perfume component may be set as described above. In this case, when the amount Y of the flavor component and the amount a of the aerosol shown by the point P4 are set, the control unit 50 can prompt the user to change the setting by displaying an error on the display unit 210.

The region R3 is a region in which the amount of flavor components contained in the aerosol is smaller than in the case where the flavor temperature regulator 124 is not operated. In this case, by operating the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 described above, the desired amount Y of the flavor component and the amount a of the aerosol contained in the region R3 can be achieved. For example, when a part of the aerosol generated in the atomizing unit 120 is caused to flow through the second flow path 129, the amount of the flavor component in the aerosol can be reduced. In this way, the control unit 50 may be configured to control the power supplied to the fragrance temperature regulator 124 based on not only the target value of the amount of the fragrance component generated from the fragrance source, but also the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 based on the target value. More specifically, the control unit 50 may control both the electric power supplied to the fragrance temperature regulator 124 and the flow rate adjusting mechanism 730 in order to generate a desired amount of fragrance component and aerosol amount.

Further, the control unit 50 may control the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 without controlling the temperature regulator 124 for fragrance when it is determined that the amount of the fragrance component generated from the fragrance source can reach the target value by the control of the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730. The power consumption for controlling the flow rate adjusting mechanism 730 is smaller than that for controlling the fragrance temperature regulator 124. Therefore, before the flavor temperature regulator 124 is driven, the amount of the flavor component is preferably adjusted by the flow rate adjusting mechanism 730.

When the amount Y of the flavor component and the amount a of the aerosol shown by the point P1 in fig. 7 are set, the control unit 50 may decrease the amount of the aerosol flowing through the first flow channel 128 by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 and operate the atomizing temperature regulator 122. Alternatively, when the amount Y of the flavor component is reduced, the flavor source may be cooled by the flavor temperature regulator 124 having a cooling function.

In the above example, the predetermined target value in the region R3, for example, the point P1, may be realized by using the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 instead, and the predetermined target value in the region R3 may be realized by the fragrance thermostat 124 having a cooling function. That is, the amount of the flavor component in the aerosol can be reduced by lowering the temperature of the flavor source by the flavor temperature adjuster 124. Thereby, a predetermined target value in the region R3 in which the ratio of the fragrance component to the aerosol amount is low can be achieved.

The boundary between the region R3 and the region R4 represents the lower limit of the amount of the flavor component or the lower limit of the amount of the aerosol when the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 is not used. The lower limit of the amount of the perfume component or the lower limit of the amount of the aerosol can be set as described above. Therefore, when the amount Y of the flavor component and the amount a of the aerosol included in the region R4 are set, the control unit 50 can prompt the user to change the setting by displaying an error on the display unit 210.

Instead, the target values of the amount of aerosol and the amount of flavor component in the region R4 may be achieved by using the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 or by using both the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730 and the flavor temperature regulator 124 for cooling.

For example, the controller 50 can significantly reduce the amount of flavor components in the aerosol by flowing most of the aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120 to the second flow channel 129 and significantly reducing the amount of aerosol flowing to the first flow channel. This makes it possible to achieve target values for the amount of aerosol and the amount of flavor component in the region R4.

Instead, the temperature of the flavor source may be lowered by the flavor temperature regulator 124, and the amount of aerosol flowing through the first flow path may be reduced by the flow rate adjustment mechanism 730, thereby achieving target values of the amount of aerosol and the amount of flavor component in the region R4.

Regarding the combination of the target value of the flavor component and the target value of the aerosol amount in fig. 7, the aerosol (smoke) discharged from the inhalation component generation device is not visible or hardly visible in a region where the target value of the aerosol amount is small. The operation mode of the aspirated component generation device with respect to such a target value may also be referred to as "smokeless mode". The smokeless mode can be realized by, for example, not operating the atomizing thermostat 122 or maintaining the amount of heating by the atomizing thermostat 122 at a low value.

When substantially no power is supplied to both the atomizing thermostat 122 and the flavor thermostat 124, a pattern is realized in which the aerosol amount a is zero on the boundary line between the regions R2 and R3 in fig. 7. That is, even when power is not substantially supplied to both the atomizing temperature adjuster 122 and the fragrance temperature adjuster 124, the user can absorb some of the fragrance component as shown in fig. 7. In other words, a mode in which power is not substantially supplied to both the atomizing thermostat 122 and the flavor thermostat 124 may be considered according to the set value of the flavor component amount Y.

(control of electric load II)

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of control in the aspirated component generation apparatus according to the embodiment. In the present embodiment, the control unit 50 controls the amount of the flavor component contained in the aerosol to be constant. The amount of fragrance ingredient may be preset or may be set by the user prior to the extraction operation.

First, the user sets a target aerosol amount before starting the inhalation operation (step S301). The target value a of the aerosol amount may be selected from a plurality of options (modes), or may be set by a specific numerical value. The control unit 50 determines the electric power or the amount of electric power to be supplied to the atomizing thermostat 122 based on the target aerosol amount value a (step S302).

Next, the control unit 50 determines a target temperature of the flavor temperature regulator 124 based on the target value a of the aerosol amount (amount of the first inhalation component) (step S304). More specifically, the control unit 50 determines the power to be supplied to the fragrance temperature regulator 124 so that the amount of the fragrance component generated in the aerosol is constant, based on the target value a of the aerosol amount.

Since steps S305 to S314 thereafter are the same as the control flow shown in fig. 6, detailed description thereof is omitted.

Here, the control unit 50 preferably performs control again from step S301 even when the target value of the aerosol amount is changed during the suction cycle. In this case, the control unit 50 may maintain the target value of the flavor component contained in the aerosol constant.

Fig. 9 shows an example of the relationship between the target value of the fragrance component and the target value of the aerosol amount. The solid line of fig. 9 shows the target value of the flavor component. The dashed line of fig. 9 shows the target value of the aerosol amount. As shown in fig. 9, when the target value of the fragrance component is maintained constant and the target value of the aerosol amount is changed, the temperature of the fragrance source, that is, the power supplied to the fragrance temperature regulator 124 may be changed according to the changed target value of the aerosol amount.

In step S304, the control unit 50 determines the power to be supplied to the flavor temperature regulator 124 based on the target aerosol amount (amount of the first inhalation component). Not limited to this, the control unit 50 may be configured to control the power supplied to the flavor electric load 124R based on a value associated with the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source. The value associated with the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source is as described above.

In the present control flow, the amount of the flavor component contained in the aerosol can be maintained constant even if the amount of the aerosol changes. Therefore, even if the amount of aerosol accompanying inhalation decreases or disappears, the user can taste without impairing the flavor because the amount of the flavor component is maintained constant. Thus, by reducing the amount of aerosol when a person approaches the vicinity of the user in the uptake of the fragrance, the amount of visible aerosol can be reduced without compromising the fragrance.

In the control flow shown in fig. 8, the control unit 50 performs control so that the amount of the flavor component contained in the aerosol is constant. Not limited to this, when the control unit 50 changes the set value of the amount of aerosol, the control unit 50 may control the flavor electric load 124 (second electric load) so as to suppress a change in the amount of the flavor component associated with a change in the value of the amount of aerosol. That is, the amount of the flavor component in the aerosol does not necessarily have to be kept constant, but may be controlled so as to moderate the amount of change in the flavor component. For example, the flavor component may be kept within a range of ± 20%, more preferably within a range of ± 10%, of the target value thereof.

The control unit 50 may control the fragrance electric load 124 (2 nd electric load) so as to suppress variation in the amount of the fragrance source due to variation in the value related to the amount of aerosol, without being limited to the case where the set value of the amount of aerosol is changed.

As in the control flow shown in fig. 8, when the control is performed so as to reduce the amount of change in the fragrance component, the control unit 50 may control the fragrance temperature regulator 124 so that the temperature of the fragrance source is higher as the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source is smaller. In this case, it is preferable that the lower limit of the set value associated with the amount of aerosol is defined in a range where the fragrance source does not burn, for example. The upper limit of the set value of the value related to the amount of aerosol can be determined in the same manner as described above.

(control of electric load three)

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of control in the aspirated component generation apparatus according to the embodiment. In the present embodiment, the control unit 50 sets the value (t) of the timer to zero before detecting the suction operation by the user (step S100). Note that the timing at which the value (t) of the timer is set to zero may be, for example, the timing at which the fragrance unit 130 is replaced.

Next, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the suction operation by the user is detected (step S309). As described above, the control unit 50 can determine the suction operation of the user based on the output signal from the suction sensor 20. Instead, the control unit 50 may determine the suction operation by the user by pressing a button by the user.

If the suction operation of the user is detected, the control section 50 estimates or acquires a value associated with the amount of the fragrance component generated from the fragrance source (step S104). The value related to the amount of the flavor component generated from the flavor source may be a measured value or an estimated value of the amount of the flavor component, the temperature of the flavor source or the temperature regulator 124 for flavor, the power supplied to the electrical load for atomization, the temperature of the electrical load for atomization, the time period for supplying the power to the electrical load for atomization, or the like.

In a specific example, the control unit 50 obtains the temperature of the fragrance source or the fragrance electric load 124R and the cumulative time of supplying power to the atomizing electric load 122R as values related to the amount of fragrance components generated from the fragrance source. The temperature of the flavor source or the flavor electric load 124R can be acquired by, for example, the temperature sensor 160. Instead, as described above, the temperature of the electrical load for fragrance 124R can be estimated from the voltage drop amount of the electrical load for fragrance 124R. The cumulative time of the power supply to the atomizing electrical load 122R can be measured by measuring the time period of the power supply to the atomizing electrical load 122R with a timer. The cumulative time of supplying power to the atomizing electric load 122R is one specific example of a value for estimating the cumulative amount of aerosol flowing to the fragrance source.

The amount of flavour components generated from a flavour source depends mainly on the amount of aerosol passing through the flavour source and the temperature of the flavour source. Even with the same amount of aerosol and temperature of the fragrance source, the amount of fragrance ingredient released from the fragrance source will gradually decrease due to the number of repeated puffs. Therefore, the control unit 50 can estimate the amount of the flavor component generated from the flavor source by the temperature of the flavor source or the electrical load for flavor 124R and the cumulative time of supplying power to the electrical load for atomization 122R.

Next, the control unit 50 determines the electric power or the amount of electric power to be supplied to the atomizing thermostat 122 based on the value associated with the amount of the flavor component generated from the flavor source (step S106). For example, the control unit 50 may determine the electric power or the amount of electric power to be supplied to the atomizing thermostat 122 (second electric load) so that the estimated value of the amount of the flavor component generated from the flavor source is constant.

That is, the control unit 50 may control the amount of the flavor component generated in the aerosol to be constant by adjusting the amount of the aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120. Not limited to this, the control unit 50 may control the atomizing electric load 122R so as to suppress variations or variations in the amount of the fragrance component. That is, the amount of the flavor component in the aerosol does not necessarily have to be kept constant, but may be controlled so as to moderate the amount of change in the flavor component.

Then, the control unit 50 turns on the timer (step S108), and starts supplying electric power to the atomizing thermostat 122 based on the electric power or the amount of electric power determined in step S106 (step S110). The timer can measure the cumulative time during which power is supplied to the atomizing temperature regulator 122.

When the end of the suction operation is detected (step S311), the control unit 50 stops the supply of electric power to the atomizing thermostat 122 (step S312). Then, the control unit 50 stops the timer (step S116).

When the value of the timer is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value, the control unit 50 monitors the suction operation of the user, and when the suction operation of the user is detected, repeats the steps from step S104 and thereafter again.

When the value of the timer exceeds the predetermined threshold value, the control unit 50 may notify the user of the replacement of the fragrance unit with a new one through the notification unit.

(program and storage Medium)

The control unit 50 can execute the above-described flow described with reference to fig. 6, 8, and 10. That is, the present invention may include a program for causing the aspirated component generation apparatus 100 to execute the above-described method, and a storage medium storing the program. Such a storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium.

[ other embodiments ]

The present invention has been described in the above embodiments, but the discussion and drawings which form a part of this disclosure should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Various alternative embodiments, examples, and operational techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

As is apparent from the above-described embodiment, the control unit 50 may be configured to control the power supplied to the fragrance electric load 124R based on a value associated with the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source. Instead, the control unit 50 may be configured to control the power supplied to the atomizing electric load 122R based on a value associated with the amount of fragrance generated from the fragrance source.

In the second control of the electrical load, the controller 50 performs control so that the amount of the flavor component contained in the aerosol is substantially constant. Instead, the control unit 50 may control the atomizing temperature regulator and/or the flavor temperature regulator so that the amount of aerosol is constant and the amount of flavor component in aerosol is variable. In this case, the control unit 50 may also use the control of the flow rate adjustment mechanism in combination as needed. The control unit 50 performs control such that the amount of aerosol is maintained within a range of, for example, ± 20%, more preferably ± 10%, of the target value. Thus, the user can enjoy the change in the fragrance with little change in the amount of aerosol. Since the amount of the aerosol and the amount of the flavor component depend on the control of the atomizing temperature regulator, the flavor temperature regulator, and/or the flow rate regulating mechanism as described above, the control unit 50 can realize the target amount of the aerosol and the amount of the flavor component by appropriately controlling these.

In the first to third controls of the electrical load, although the generation of aerosol from the flavor source is not mentioned, the control section 50 may control the output of the flavor temperature regulator 124R so as to generate aerosol from the flavor source. In order to generate aerosol from the flavor source, the output of the flavor temperature regulator 124R may be increased. In this case, the control unit 50 may be configured to control at least one of the atomizing electric load 122R and the fragrance electric load 124R based on a relationship between a value associated with the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source and a value associated with the amount of fragrance component generated from the fragrance source. Further, the control unit 50 may control both the atomizing electric load 122R and the flavor electric load 124R based on a relationship between a value associated with an amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source and a value associated with an amount of flavor component generated from the flavor source. In this case, it is preferable that the control unit 50 is configured to preferentially control the atomizing temperature regulator 122 (adjustment mechanism) before controlling the fragrance temperature regulator 124 (second electrical load) in order to achieve a predetermined aerosol amount and a predetermined amount of fragrance. The amount of aerosol atomized in the atomizing unit 120 greatly affects the amount of fragrance components generated in the fragrance source. Therefore, it is preferable that the power supplied to the atomizing thermostat 122 be controlled preferentially in accordance with the target value of the amount of aerosol, and then the fragrance thermostat 124 be controlled in accordance with the target value of the amount of fragrance component.

Claims

1. An aspirated component generation apparatus comprising:

a first inhalation component source for generating a first inhalation component;

a second aspirate component source for generating a second aspirate component;

a second electrical load that adjusts the amount of the second drawn component generated from the second drawn component source;

a control unit;

the control unit is configured to control the electric power supplied to the second electric load based on a value associated with an amount of the first absorption component generated from the first absorption component source.

2. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 1,

having a first electrical load capable of adjusting the amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source,

the value related to the amount of the first absorption component generated from the first absorption component source is a measured value or an estimated value of the amount of the first absorption component, power supplied to the first electrical load, a temperature of the first electrical load, or a time during which power is supplied to the first electrical load.

3. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 2,

the first electrical load is a temperature regulator.

4. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 2,

having a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the region in which the first inhalation component is generated,

the value associated with the amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source is a value taken by the temperature sensor.

5. The aspirated component generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the second electrical load is a temperature regulator.

6. The aspirated component generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the control portion controls the second electrical load so as to suppress a change in the amount of the second absorption component accompanying a change in the value associated with the amount of the first absorption component.

7. The aspirated component generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

the control unit controls the second electrical load so as to suppress a variation in the amount of the second inhalation component accompanying a variation in a value associated with the amount of the first inhalation component.

8. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 7,

the set value of the value associated with the amount of the first inhalation component is configured to be variable,

the control unit controls the second electrical load to suppress a change in the amount of the second absorption component when the set value is changed.

9. The aspirated component generating apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8,

there is a flow path for at least a portion of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source to pass through the second inhalation component source to an outlet.

10. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 9,

the amount of the second draw component generated from the second draw component source is the amount of the second draw component generated from the second draw component source as at least a portion of the first draw component generated from the first draw component source passes through the second draw component source.

11. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 9 or 10,

the first source of suction component is an aerosol source,

the second source of draw ingredient is a flavour source that imparts a flavour ingredient to the aerosol.

12. The aspirated component generating apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 11,

the method comprises the following steps: a first flow path for conducting the first inhalation component through the second inhalation component source to a mouthpiece;

a second flow path that directs the first inhalation component to the mouthpiece without passing through the second inhalation component source;

and a flow rate adjusting mechanism that adjusts a ratio of a flow rate of the first flow path to a flow rate of the second flow path.

13. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 12,

the control unit is configured to control the electric power supplied to the second electric load and the flow rate adjustment mechanism based on a target value of the amount of the second absorption component generated from the second absorption component source,

the control unit controls the flow rate adjustment mechanism without controlling the second electrical load when it is determined that the amount of the second suctioned component generated from the second suctioned component source can reach the target value by the control of the flow rate adjustment mechanism.

14. The aspirated component generating apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8,

a flow path is provided which passes at least a portion of the second inhalation component generated from the second inhalation component source through the first inhalation component source to an outlet.

15. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 13 or 14,

the second source of the extracted component is an aerosol source,

the first inhalation component source is a flavour source that imparts a flavour component to the aerosol.

16. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 11 or 15,

the variable range of the set value is defined by a value that can give a predetermined amount of the flavor component to the aerosol.

17. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 11,

the second electrical load is a temperature regulator,

the set value of the value associated with the amount of aerosol is configured to be variable,

the control section controls the temperature regulator so that the smaller the amount of aerosol generated from the aerosol source, the higher the temperature of the fragrance source,

the lower limit of the set value is specified in a range where the fragrance source does not burn.

18. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 17,

the lower limit is variable according to a value associated with an amount of fragrance ingredient generated from the fragrance source.

19. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 11 or 15,

the upper limit of the set value is defined such that a consumption rate of the aerosol source accompanying the generation of the aerosol does not exceed a supply rate of the aerosol source to a portion where the aerosol source is atomized.

20. The aspirated component generating apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 19,

has a plurality of modes selectable by a user, which are determined in accordance with a combination of the plurality of target values of the amount of production of the first inhalation component and the plurality of target values of the amount of production of the second inhalation component.

21. The aspirated component generating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the control unit is configured to control the second electrical load based on a relationship between a value associated with an amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source and a value associated with an amount of the second inhalation component generated from the second inhalation component source.

22. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 21,

having an adjustment mechanism that adjusts the amount of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source,

the control unit is configured to control both the second electrical load and the adjustment mechanism.

23. The aspirated component generating apparatus of claim 22,

having a flow path for passing at least a portion of the first inhalation component generated from the first inhalation component source through the second inhalation component source to an outlet,

the first source of suction component is an aerosol source,

the second source of draw ingredient is a flavour source imparting a flavour ingredient to the aerosol,

the control unit is configured to preferentially control the adjustment mechanism before controlling the second electric load in order to achieve a predetermined aerosol amount and a predetermined fragrance amount.

24. The aspirated component generating apparatus of any one of claims 21 to 23,

the relationship is determined by a prescribed function or a prescribed reference table that relates a value associated with the amount of the first inhalation component to a value associated with the amount of the second inhalation component generated from the second inhalation component source.

25. The aspirated component generating apparatus of any one of claims 21 to 24,

the relationship differs depending on at least one of the type of the first absorption component source and the type of the second absorption component source.

26. A method of controlling an aspirated component generating apparatus,

the controlled absorption component generation device comprises:

a first inhalation component source for generating a first inhalation component; a second aspirate component source for generating a second aspirate component; a second electrical load that adjusts the amount of the second drawn component generated from the second drawn component source;

the method of controlling an inhalation composition generating device includes controlling power supplied to the second electrical load based on a value associated with an amount of the first inhalation composition generated from the first inhalation composition source.

27. A program for causing an aspirated component generation apparatus to perform the method of claim 26.