CN117615683A

CN117615683A - Aerosol generating device

Info

Publication number: CN117615683A
Application number: CN202380012080.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 金兑勋; 朴珠彦; 尹圣煜; 郑炯真; 韩政昊
Original assignee: KT&G Corp
Current assignee: KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2022-06-17
Filing date: 2023-06-08
Publication date: 2024-02-27

Abstract

The aerosol-generating device comprises: a housing including an accommodation space; a cartridge detachably coupled to the housing space of the housing, and including a storage portion in which the aerosol-generating substance is stored and an atomizer configured to vaporize the aerosol-generating substance; a sensor disposed in a portion adjacent to the accommodation space of the housing and configured to detect a capacitance of the storage portion; a cover disposed between the cartridge and the sensor and configured to protect the sensor; and a processor electrically connected to the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to detect a remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance stored in the storage portion based on a capacitance of the storage portion detected by the sensor.

Description

Aerosol generating device

Technical Field

One or more embodiments relate to an aerosol-generating device capable of measuring a remaining amount of an aerosol-generating substance by using a sensor.

Background

There has been an increasing demand in recent years for alternative methods of overcoming the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing need for systems that generate aerosols by heating cigarettes or aerosol-generating substances using aerosol-generating devices, rather than by burning the cigarettes. Therefore, research into a heating type aerosol-generating device is actively underway.

The aerosol-generating device may generate an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substance stored in the cartridge. For proper operation of the aerosol-generating device, it may be necessary to detect the amount of aerosol-generating material remaining in the cartridge.

In order to inform a user whether the aerosol-generating device is capable of being used and provides an aerosol of consistent quality, studies on accurately measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance are increasing.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

When the remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance is not detected, it cannot be checked whether the aerosol-generating device is usable, and thus, a user may feel uncomfortable. Further, since the degree of heating the aerosol-generating substance may be different depending on the remaining amount, aerosol may not be uniformly supplied when the remaining amount cannot be detected.

One or more embodiments provide an aerosol-generating device capable of detecting a remaining amount of an aerosol-generating substance by using a sensor to improve accuracy of detecting the remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance.

Solution to the technical problem

According to one or more embodiments, an aerosol-generating device comprises: a cartridge comprising a storage portion in which an aerosol-generating substance is stored; and a nebulizer configured to vaporize the aerosol-generating substance; a housing capable of receiving a cartridge; a sensor arranged to face one side surface of the cartridge; a cover disposed between the cartridge and the sensor; and a processor electrically connected to the sensor, wherein the processor is configured to detect a remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance.

The beneficial effects of the invention are that

In the aerosol-generating device according to one or more embodiments, the distance between the cartridge and the sensor for measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance is minimized, and thus, the accuracy of detecting the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance may be improved.

Further, in the aerosol-generating device according to one or more embodiments, information about the use of the aerosol-generating device may be provided to the user, so that user convenience may be improved, and the aerosol-generating device may adjust the degree of heating of the aerosol-generating substance based on the measured remaining amount, and thus may provide the aerosol more uniformly.

Effects of the embodiments are not limited to the above description, and other effects may be more clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art through embodiments to be described below.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of components of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of some components of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of some of the components of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 5A is a perspective view of the cover and sensor. Fig. 5B shows a front view of the quasi-outer cover. Fig. 5C shows a front view of the sensor.

Fig. 6 shows an arrangement of some components of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7 is an example of a cartridge and sensor.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an operation method of the aerosol-generating device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an operation method of the aerosol-generating device according to the embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

As terms in various embodiments, general terms that are currently widely used are selected in consideration of functions of structural elements in various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the meaning of these terms may vary depending on the intent, judicial cases, the advent of new technology, and the like. In addition, in some cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select a term in a particular case. In this case, the meanings of these terms will be described in detail at corresponding parts in the description of the present disclosure. Thus, terms used in various embodiments of the present disclosure should be defined based on meanings of the terms and descriptions provided herein.

In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the term "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" will be understood to mean the inclusion of the stated element but not the exclusion of any other element. In addition, the terms "-means", "-means" and "module" described in the application document refer to a unit for processing at least one function and operation, and may be implemented by hardware components or software components, and combinations thereof.

As used herein, a phrase such as "at least any one of" modifies all of the elements when positioned before the arranged elements without modifying each of the arranged elements. For example, the expression "at least any one of a, b and c" should be interpreted as: including a, including b, including c, or including a and b, including a and c, including b and c, or including a, b and c.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette housed in an interior space of the aerosol-generating device.

The aerosol-generating device may comprise a heater. In an embodiment, the heater may be a resistive heater. For example, the heater may include a conductive track, and the heater may be heated when an electrical current flows through the conductive track.

The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate-like heating element, a needle-like heating element, or a rod-like heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the cigarette according to the shape of the heating element.

Cigarettes may include tobacco rods and filter rods. The tobacco rod may be formed from pieces, filaments and small pieces cut from tobacco sheet material. In addition, the tobacco rod may be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil, such as aluminum foil.

The filter rod may comprise a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may comprise at least one section. For example, the filter rod may include a first section configured to cool the aerosol and a second section configured to filter certain components of the aerosol.

In another embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may be a device for generating an aerosol by using a cartridge containing an aerosol-generating substance.

The aerosol-generating device may comprise a cartridge containing the aerosol-generating substance and a body supporting the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be integrally formed or assembled with the body and may also be secured to the body so as not to be detached from the body by a user. The cartridge may be mounted on the body while the aerosol-generating substance is contained therein. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The aerosol-generating substance may also be injected into the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the body.

The cartridge may contain the aerosol-generating substance in any of a variety of states, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gaseous state, a gel state, etc. The aerosol-generating substance may comprise a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid comprising tobacco-containing materials having volatile tobacco flavor components, or a liquid comprising non-tobacco materials.

The cartridge may be operated by an electrical or wireless signal emitted from the body to perform the function of generating an aerosol by converting the phase of the aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge into a gas phase. An aerosol may refer to a gas of vaporized particles generated from an aerosol-generating substance mixed with air.

In another embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may generate an aerosol by heating the liquid composition, and the generated aerosol may be delivered to a user by a cigarette. That is, the aerosol generated from the liquid composition may move along the airflow channel of the aerosol-generating device, and the airflow channel may be configured to allow the aerosol to be delivered to the user by passing through the cigarette.

In another embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol-generating substance by using an ultrasonic vibration method. At this time, the ultrasonic vibration method may refer to a method of generating an aerosol by converting an aerosol-generating substance into an aerosol by ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

The aerosol-generating device may comprise a vibrator and the short-period vibration is generated by the vibrator to convert the aerosol-generating substance into an aerosol. The vibration generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibration, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibration may be in a frequency band of about 100kHz to about 3.5MHz, but is not limited thereto.

The aerosol-generating device may further comprise a core that absorbs the aerosol-generating substance. For example, the core may be arranged to surround at least one region of the vibrator, or may be arranged to be in contact with at least one region of the vibrator.

When a voltage (e.g., an alternating voltage) is applied to the vibrator, heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations may be generated from the vibrator, and the heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator may be transferred to the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the core. The aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the core may be converted into a gas phase by heat and/or ultrasonic vibration transmitted from the vibrator, and thus an aerosol may be generated.

For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the core may be reduced by heat generated by the vibrator, and when the aerosol-generating substance having the reduced viscosity is granulated by ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator, aerosol may be generated, but is not limited thereto.

In another embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may be the following: the device generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating article housed in an aerosol-generating device by an induction heating method.

The aerosol-generating device may comprise a base and a coil. In an embodiment, the coil may apply a magnetic field to the base. When power is supplied from the aerosol-generating device to the coil, a magnetic field may be formed inside the coil. In an embodiment, the susceptor may be a magnetic body that generates heat by an external magnetic field. When the base is positioned inside the coil and a magnetic field is applied to the base, the base generates heat to heat the aerosol-generating article. Additionally, optionally, the base may be positioned within the aerosol-generating article.

In another embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may further comprise a carrier.

The aerosol-generating device may be configured with a separate carrier. For example, the cradle may charge a battery of the aerosol-generating device. Alternatively, the heater may be heated when the carrier and the aerosol-generating device are coupled to each other.

The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown so that those having ordinary skill in the art may readily implement the disclosure. The present disclosure may be embodied in a form capable of being implemented in the aerosol-generating device of the various embodiments described above or may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to fig. 1, an aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment may comprise a housing 120 into which the aerosol-generating article 110 may be inserted.

The housing 120 may form the overall exterior of the aerosol-generating device 100 and comprise an interior space (or "accommodation space") in which components of the aerosol-generating device 100 are arranged. The drawings only show that the sectional shape of the housing 120 is semicircular, but the shape of the housing 120 is not limited thereto. The shape of the housing 120 may be generally cylindrical or polygonal prisms (e.g., triangular prisms or rectangular prisms).

The means for generating an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating article 110 inserted into the housing 120 and the means for measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance may be arranged in the interior space of the housing 120 and are described in detail below.

The aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment may further comprise a display on which visual information is displayed.

The display may be arranged such that at least some portions of the display may be exposed to an outside of the housing 120, and the aerosol-generating device 100 may provide various visual information to a user through the display.

For example, the aerosol-generating device 100 may provide information about the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance via the display, but the information provided via the display is not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 2, the aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment may include a housing 120, a heater 210, a battery 220, a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 230, a sensor 310, a cover 320, and a cartridge 330.

The housing 120 may form an overall exterior of the aerosol-generating device 100 and comprise an interior space in which components of the aerosol-generating device 100 may be arranged. For example, the heater 210, the battery 220, the PCB 230, the sensor 310, and the cover 320 may be disposed in the inner space of the case 120, but one or more embodiments are not limited thereto.

According to an embodiment, the housing 120 may comprise an aerosol-generating article accommodation space 240 in which aerosol-generating article 110 may be inserted into the housing 120. At least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 110 may be inserted or housed in the housing 120 by the aerosol-generating article housing space 240.

The drawings show that the aerosol-generating article accommodation space 240 is formed in a portion of the housing 120 in the z-axis direction, but the arrangement of the aerosol-generating article accommodation space 240 is not limited thereto.

The cartridge 330 may include a storage portion for storing the aerosol-generating substance and a nebulizer for vaporizing the aerosol-generating substance. The aerosol-generating device 100 may generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating substance by using the cartridge 330. The aerosol generated by the cartridge 330 may be delivered to the user.

The aerosol-generating substance may comprise a liquid composition and an aerosol-former. The liquid composition may be a liquid comprising tobacco-containing material having volatile tobacco flavor components, or a liquid comprising non-tobacco material. For example, the liquid composition may include water, solvents, plant extracts, flavors, fragrances, or vitamin mixtures. The flavoring may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit flavor ingredients, and the flavoring may include ingredients capable of providing various flavors or tastes 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.

The aerosol-former may increase the amount of aerosol provided from the aerosol-generating device 100. For example, the aerosol former may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the aerosol former may include other additives such as flavours, humectants and/or organic acids, and the aerosol former also includes flavour liquids such as menthol or humectants.

The storage portion may store the aerosol-generating substance. When smoking a cigarette using the aerosol-generating device 100, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating device 100 may be delivered to a user and, thus, the aerosol-generating substance stored in the reservoir may be consumed; thus, the amount of aerosol-generating substance remaining in the reservoir may be reduced.

It may also be desirable to change the heating characteristics for vaporising the aerosol-generating substance when the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance varies. Furthermore, when the remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance is insufficient, the generation of aerosol may be stopped during smoking. Therefore, it may be necessary to detect the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance inside the reservoir.

The storage portion may take various forms. The reservoir may comprise an interior space for storing the aerosol-generating substance and a wall forming the interior space. For example, the reservoir may have a cylindrical shape with an interior space having a bottom surface, a top surface, and side surfaces. However, one or more embodiments are not limited thereto, and the storage portion may be implemented in different forms capable of storing the liquid aerosol-generating substance.

The atomizer may vaporize the aerosol-generating substance. The atomizer may vaporize the aerosol-generating substance stored in the reservoir by heating the aerosol-generating substance. For example, the atomizer may transfer the aerosol-generating substance to the outside of the reservoir and heat the transferred aerosol-generating substance.

The atomizer may include a liquid transfer element and a heating element. The liquid delivery element may be configured to deliver aerosol-generating substance to the exterior of the reservoir, and the heating element may be configured to heat the aerosol-generating substance delivered to the exterior of the reservoir by the liquid delivery element. For example, the liquid delivery element may be a wick for delivering aerosol to the exterior of the reservoir, and the heating element may be a coil for heating the aerosol-generating substance delivered along the wick.

In detail, the core may include at least one of cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, and porous ceramic, and the core may transmit aerosol-generating substances due to capillary action. The coil may be wound on a core and comprise a conductive wire, such as a nichrome wire, which may generate heat in accordance with the supplied current. However, the core and the coil are not limited thereto.

The cartridge 330 may be detachably attached to the aerosol-generating device 100. The cartridge 330 may be coupled to the aerosol-generating device 100 to generate an aerosol, or separate from the aerosol-generating device. For example, the cartridge 330 may be a consumable that is periodically replaced while the aerosol-generating device 100 is in use. When the aerosol-generating substance stored in the storage portion of the cartridge 330 is completely consumed, the user may replace the cartridge 330.

The heater 210 may be disposed in the inner space of the case 120 and may heat the aerosol-generating article 110 inserted into the case 120 through the aerosol-generating article accommodating space 240, thereby generating an aerosol.

The vaporized particulate matter generated by heating the aerosol-generating article 110 is mixed with air flowing into the interior space of the housing 120 through the aerosol-generating article accommodation space 240, and thus an aerosol may be generated.

In an embodiment, the heater 210 may be an induction heater. For example, the heater 210 may include a coil (or "conductive coil") for generating an alternating magnetic field according to power supply, and a base for generating heat by the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil. The base may be arranged to surround at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 110 inserted into the housing 120 and thereby heat the inserted aerosol-generating article 110.

In another embodiment, the heater 210 may comprise a resistive heater. For example, the heater 210 may comprise a film heater arranged to surround at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol-generating article 110 inserted into the housing 120. The film heater may include conductive tracks and the aerosol-generating article 110 inserted into the housing 120 may be heated as the film heater generates heat when current flows through the conductive tracks.

In another embodiment, the heater 210 may include at least one of a pin-type heater, a rod-type heater, and a tube-type heater capable of heating the interior of the aerosol-generating article 110 inserted into the housing 120. For example, the heater 120 may be inserted into at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 110 and heat the interior of the aerosol-generating article 110.

However, the heater 210 is not limited to the above embodiments, and the embodiment of the heater 210 may be modified as long as the heater 210 can heat the aerosol-generating article 110 to a specified temperature. In this document, the expression "specified temperature" may denote a temperature at which an aerosol-generating substance included in the aerosol-generating article 110 is heated and an aerosol is generated. The specified temperature may be a temperature set in advance in the aerosol-generating device 100, but may be changed according to the type of the aerosol-generating device 100 and/or the manipulation of the user.

The sensor 310 may measure the capacitance of the cartridge 330 to detect the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance. The sensor 310 may include at least one pair of electrodes. The two electrodes forming a pair may serve as a capacitor by storing charges having opposite signs, respectively. The capacitance of the two electrodes forming a pair can be determined from the dielectric constant of the substance located in the space between the two electrodes forming the pair.

The sensor 310 may measure the capacitance of each pair of electrodes and may thus provide information about the dielectric constant of a substance located in the vicinity of the electrodes. Based on the information about the dielectric constant, it may be determined whether the region near the electrode is empty or filled with the aerosol-generating substance, and the remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance may be detected according to the determination.

The vicinity of an electrode may refer to the vicinity of at least one pair of electrodes. The vicinity of a pair including the first electrode and the second motor may not only represent a space between the first electrode and the second electrode, but may also include a space extending from the space to a certain extent.

To measure the capacitance of the pair comprising the first and second electrodes, the sensor 310 may apply a current to either of the first and second electrodes, and may then measure the current returned from the other of the first and second electrodes. The sensor 310 may derive the capacitance of the pair comprising the first electrode and the second electrode based on the relationship between the two currents. The sensor 310 may include a first electrode, a second electrode, and a conductive line for exchanging current with the first electrode and the second electrode.

The sensor 310 may include two or more electrodes forming pairs arranged in series. The sensor 310 may be arranged to face one side surface of the cartridge 330. A detailed example of the sensor 310 is described below with reference to fig. 3. The capacitance of the cartridge 330 may be measured by the sensor 310 and the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance may be detected based on the measured capacitance. Accordingly, information about the remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance can be provided to the user, and thus, user convenience can be improved. Further, since the electric power supplied to the atomizer can be controlled according to the remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance, the aerosol can be uniformly supplied from the aerosol-generating device 100, and thus the smoking quality can be improved.

The cover 320 may protect the sensor 310 from the outside. For example, the cover 320 may be disposed to surround at least a portion of the sensor 310 to prevent the sensor 310 from being exposed to the outside of the housing 120 and thus may prevent the sensor 310 from being affected by external impact or external foreign matter (e.g., liquid droplets, dust, etc.).

Furthermore, the cover 320 may be arranged such that the sensor 310 is not in direct contact with the cartridge 330. A detailed example of the cover 320 is described below with reference to fig. 3.

The aerosol-generating device 100 may further comprise a battery 220 and a PCB 230. The battery 220 and the PCB 230 comprised in the aerosol-generating device 100 may be arranged in a lower part of the aerosol-generating device 100. However, one or more embodiments are not limited thereto, and the positions of components disposed in the aerosol-generating device 100 may vary depending on the design. Furthermore, other general components besides those shown in fig. 2 may be included in the aerosol-generating device 100.

The battery 220 may be lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO ₄ ) A battery, but is not limited thereto. For example, the battery may be lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO) ₂ ) Batteries, lithium titanate batteries, and the like.

The battery 220 may supply power to the atomizer. When the atomizer comprises a core and a coil, the battery 220 may supply power to the coil wound around the core and may heat the aerosol-generating substance conveyed along the core. In addition, the battery 220 may supply power required to drive the sensor 310 and the PCB 230 to the sensor 310 and the PCB 210.

PCB 230 may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates or a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable in the microprocessor. PCB 230 may include a plurality of processing elements. In addition, the PCB 230 may be implemented as other forms of hardware.

A processor disposed in the PCB 230 may detect the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance based on the capacitance of the cartridge 330 measured by the sensor 310. For example, the processor may receive data from the sensor 310 regarding the capacitance of the cartridge 330, and based on the received data regarding the capacitance of the cartridge 330, the processor may derive a remaining amount (or "degree of remaining") of aerosol-generating substance stored in the cartridge 330. The processor may determine the portion of the cartridge 330 in which the aerosol-generating substance is present based on the measured capacitance.

The processor may detect the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance in a number of ways. Based on the remaining degree of the aerosol-generating substance, a measured value of the capacitance of the cartridge 330 may be experimentally predetermined, and the processor may receive the capacitance and output the remaining degree of the aerosol-generating substance stored in the cartridge 330 based on a database regarding the correspondence between the capacitance and the remaining degree. However, one or more embodiments are not so limited, and the processor may derive the remaining degree of the aerosol-generating substance stored in the cartridge 330 from an algorithm for calculating the remaining degree based on the measured capacitance.

The processor may control the power supplied from the battery 220 to the atomizer based on the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance. In the case of a nebulizer comprising a core and a coil, the speed of transporting the aerosol-generating substance along the core to the outside of the cartridge 330 may be high when the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance is large. On the other hand, when the remaining amount is low, the speed of transporting the aerosol-generating substance along the wick to the outside of the cartridge 330 may be low.

In this regard, when the speed of delivering the aerosol-generating substance is high, more power may need to be supplied to the coil than when the speed of delivering the aerosol-generating substance is low. The rate of delivery of the aerosol-generating substance may be affected by other factors such as the internal temperature of the cartridge 330.

When the power supply is not controlled according to the speed of delivering the aerosol-generating substance, aerosol may be unevenly generated from the aerosol-generating device 100. Furthermore, when the speed of delivering the aerosol-generating substance is low, the core may burn unless the power supply is reduced. In this regard, the processor may control the power supplied to the coil based on the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance and may thus improve the quality of the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating device 100.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of some components of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged upper portion of the aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 2.

Referring to fig. 3, the aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment may comprise a housing 120, a heater 210, a sensor 310, a cover 320, a cartridge 330, and a connection channel 340. At least one of the components of the aerosol-generating device 100 according to the embodiment may be identical or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 2, and a repetitive description is omitted hereinafter.

The connection channel 340 may be disposed in the interior space of the housing 120 and may fluidly communicate (or connect) the aerosol-generating article 110 with the cartridge 330.

According to an embodiment, the connection channel 340 may be arranged such that aerosol generated from the cartridge 330 may be expelled to the outside through the aerosol-generating article 110. For example, the connecting channel 340 may be formed in an "L" shape and arranged to fluidly communicate the aerosol-generating article 110 with the cartridge 330, but the shape of the connecting channel 340 is not limited thereto.

The aerosol-generating article 110 may be in fluid communication with the cartridge 330 due to the above arrangement of the connecting channel 340, and thus, the aerosol generated from the cartridge 330 may flow into the connecting channel 340, pass through the aerosol-generating article 110, and then be expelled to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 100.

The aerosol-generating device 100 may comprise a sensor 310 and a cover 320 located in the housing 120. To improve the measurement accuracy, the sensor 310 for measuring the capacitance of the cartridge 330 may be arranged in a space separate from the cartridge 330 to avoid direct contact with the aerosol-generating substance. Further, in order to improve measurement accuracy, the sensor 310 may be disposed inside the housing 120 such that the sensor 310 is not directly exposed to the outside.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 330 and the sensor 310 may be disposed in different portions of the interior space of the housing 120. Because the cartridge 330 is spaced apart from the sensor 310, contact of the sensor 310 with the aerosol-generating substance is reduced, and thus the sensor 310 may more accurately measure the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge 330. Further, the sensor 310 may be spaced a predetermined distance from the cartridge to improve measurement accuracy without direct contact with the aerosol-generating substance.

In another embodiment, the cover 320 may be arranged to surround at least one side surface of the sensor 310. When the sensor 310 is exposed to an external impact or an external foreign matter (e.g., liquid droplets, dust, etc.), the measurement accuracy of the sensor 310 may be degraded. When the cover 320 is disposed to surround both side surfaces of the sensor 310, the sensor 310 may be protected from external impact or external foreign matter. In addition, even when the cover 320 is disposed to surround one side surface of the sensor 320, the other side surface of the sensor 310 may be disposed to face the inner space of the housing 120 such that the sensor 310 is protected from external impact or external foreign matter.

In another embodiment, one side surface of the cover 320 may be in contact with the sensor 310 and the other side surface of the cover 320 may be in contact with the cartridge 330. Thus, the sensor 310 may be spaced apart from the cartridge 330 without direct exposure to the outside. The above arrangement of the sensor 310, the cover 320 and the cartridge 330 may improve the accuracy of measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance by the sensor 310.

The higher the accuracy of the measurement of the remaining amount of aerosol by the sensor 310, the more uniform the aerosol generated. The sensor 310 according to an embodiment may measure the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance in the cartridge 330 and the processor may supply power from the battery 220 to the atomizer. Thus, a more uniform quality aerosol can be generated. The user may have a better smoking experience when a more consistent quality aerosol is expelled to the outside through the aerosol-generating article 110 along the connecting channel 340.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of some of the components of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the sensor 310 and some components arranged around the sensor 310 of the aerosol-generating device 100.

Referring to fig. 4, the aerosol-generating device 100 according to the embodiment may comprise a sensor 310, a cover 320, a cartridge 330, a sensor cover 420, a packaging portion 350 and an electrical connection member 430 located in the interior space of the housing 120.

The cartridge 330 may be detachably attached to the aerosol-generating device 100. When the aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge 330 is completely consumed, the user may replace the cartridge 330 with a new cartridge 330 only and reuse the aerosol-generating device 100.

The housing 120 may include a coupling member 410, the coupling member 410 for coupling the cartridge 330 to a portion of the housing 120. The coupling member 410 may be used to secure the cartridge 330 to the aerosol-generating device 100 when the cartridge 330 is coupled to the aerosol-generating device 100.

According to an embodiment, the cover 320 may be in contact with one side surface of the sensor 310 and arranged between the sensor 310 and the cartridge 330. The coupling member 410 may be used to secure the sensor 310 and the cover 320 together with the cartridge 330 to the aerosol-generating device 100.

The sensor cover 420 may be arranged such that portions of the sensor 310 may not be exposed. When one side surface of the sensor 310 is covered by the cover 320, the other side surface of the sensor 310 may be exposed. However, in this case, the other side surface of the sensor 310 may be covered by the sensor cover 420, and thus the sensor 310 may be protected.

The encapsulation portion 350 may prevent the aerosol generated from the cartridge 330 from leaking out when moving to an aerosol-generating article receiving space (e.g., the aerosol-generating article receiving space 240 of fig. 2) through the connecting channel 340. For example, the aerosol generated from the cartridge 330 may flow into the connecting channel 340 and then move to the aerosol-generating article receiving space where the aerosol-generating article 110 is received. As the aerosol moves along the connection channel, at least a portion of the aerosol may leak outside of the connection channel 340. The aerosol-generating device 100 according to the embodiment may prevent leakage of aerosol by using the encapsulation portion 350 arranged between the cartridge 330 and the connection channel 340.

The electrical connection member 430 may connect the sensor 310 to the PCB 230 disposed in the lower portion of the housing 120. PCB 230 may include a processor, and the processor may be connected to sensor 310 through electrical connection member 430. Through the above electrical connection, the processor may receive data from the sensor regarding the capacitance of the cartridge 330 and detect the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance based on the received data.

Fig. 5A is a perspective view of an example of a cover and a sensor. Fig. 5B shows a front view of the cover. Fig. 5C shows a front view of the sensor.

Referring to fig. 5A, the sensor 310 may be arranged such that at least one side surface of the sensor 310 is in contact with the cover 320. The side surface of the sensor 310 may be entirely in contact with the cover 320. For example, one side surface of the sensor 310 may be completely surrounded by the cover 320.

According to an embodiment, the sensor 310 and the cover 320 may be integrally formed as a single body. For example, when the sensor 310 is insert molded (or "insert injected") into at least a portion of the cover 320, the sensor 310 and the cover 320 may be integrally formed as a single body. When the sensor 310 is insert-molded into the cover 320, one side surface of the sensor 310 may be entirely in contact with the cover 320. That is, one side surface of the sensor 310 may be disposed to face one side surface of the cover 320.

The sensor 310 and the cover 320 may comprise a material that can be suitable for insert molding. For example, for insert molding, the sensor 310 may comprise a metallic material and the cover 320 may comprise a plastic material. However, the materials of the sensor 310 and the cover 320 are not limited thereto.

The shape of the sensor 310 of fig. 5A is merely an example of the sensor 310 insert molded into the cover 320. The sensor 310 may be insert molded into the cover 320 in different forms by considering the arrangement of other components disposed inside the housing 120.

Referring to fig. 5B and 5C, the cover 320 and the sensor 310 insert molded into the cover 320 may include a hole through which the coupling member 410 and/or the encapsulation portion 350 pass.

The sensor 310 according to an embodiment may include a structural member 510. The structural member 510 may protrude from the sensor 310 in a direction opposite the cartridge 330. A portion of the structural member 510 may be in contact with the sensor 310 and another portion of the structural member 510 may be connected to the electrical connection member 430. The structural member 510 of fig. 5A and 5C is only an example, and the structural member 510 may be arranged at different positions of the sensor 310 according to the arrangement of the components.

The structural member 510 may electrically connect the sensor 310 to an electrical connection member 430, the electrical connection member 430 electrically connecting the sensor 310 to the PCB 230. Through the structural member 510 and the electrical connection member 430, a processor included in the pcb 230 may receive data related to the capacitance of the cartridge 330 measured by the sensor 310.

The sensor 310 may include one or more pairs of electrodes. The sensor 310 may measure the capacitance of each pair of electrodes and may therefore provide information about the dielectric constant of a substance present in close proximity to the electrodes (i.e., in the vicinity of the electrodes).

The sensor may comprise one or more pairs of electrodes arranged in succession. For example, a sensor 310 insert molded into the cover 320 may measure the capacitance of the cartridge 330 located in proximity to the sensor 310 and may thus provide information regarding the dielectric constant of the aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge 330. Since the sensor 310 insert-molded into the cover 320 has an area corresponding to that of the side surface of the cartridge 330, the accuracy of measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge 330 can be improved.

Fig. 6 shows an arrangement of some components of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment. The aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 6 may be substantially identical or similar to the aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 4, and the repeated description of the aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 6 may be omitted.

The sensor 310 may measure the capacitance of the cartridge 330 and may thus detect the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge 330. The sensor 310 may be arranged not to be exposed to the outside to improve the accuracy of measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance.

The sensor 310 may be insert molded into the cover 320 and may measure the capacitance of the cartridge 330. When the side surface of the sensor 310 insert-molded into the cover 320 is covered by the cover 320 and the other side surface of the sensor 310 is covered by the sensor cover 420, the sensor 310 may not be exposed to the outside.

Because the sensor 310 is closer to the cartridge 330, the sensor 310 may have an improved accuracy of measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance. Furthermore, the absence of other components between the sensor 310 and the cartridge 330 may also improve the accuracy of the measurement of the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance by the sensor 310.

Referring to fig. 6, the side surface of the sensor insert molded into the cover 320 may face the side surface of the cartridge 330. Since the side surface of the sensor 310 has an area corresponding to the area of the side surface of the cartridge 330, the accuracy of measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge 330 can be improved.

Further, referring to fig. 6, the sensor 310, the cover 320, and the cartridge 330 may be arranged such that the cover 320 may only exist between the sensor 310 and the cartridge 330. Accordingly, the distance between the sensor 310 and the cartridge 330 insert molded into the cover 320 may be minimized, and the number of other components present between the sensor 310 and the cartridge 330 may be minimized. Thus, the sensor 310 may have an improved accuracy of measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance.

The more the sensor 310 is in contact with the aerosol-generating substance, the less accurate the sensor 310 may become to measure the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance. The above arrangement may minimize the distance between the sensor 310 and the cartridge 330 and the contact of the sensor 310 with the aerosol-generating substance, and thus, the sensor 310 may have an improved accuracy of measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance.

The coupling member 410 may secure the cartridge 330 to the aerosol-generating device 100. The coupling member 410 may fix the sensor 310 insert molded into the cover 320 and the cover 320 together with the cartridge 330 to the aerosol-generating device 100.

According to an embodiment, the sensor 310 insert molded into the cover 320 may include a structural member 510. Based on the above arrangement, the sensor 310 insert molded into the cover 320 can collect more accurate data regarding the capacitance of the cartridge 330. A processor disposed in PCB 230 may receive the collected data through structural member 510 and electrical connection member 430.

Fig. 7 shows an example of a cartridge and a sensor. Fig. 7 shows an example of the shape of the sensor 310, cover 320 and cartridge 330 of fig. 6.

In the aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment, one side surface of the sensor 310 insert-molded into the cover 320 may face one side surface of the cartridge 330. In order to improve the accuracy of the measurement of the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance by the sensor 310 insert molded into the cover 320, the cover 320 may be arranged in contact with one side surface of the cartridge 330.

As the distance between the sensor 310 and the cartridge 330 decreases, the sensor 310 may have an improved accuracy of measuring the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance. The shape of the side surface of the cover 320 may correspond to the shape of the side surface of the cartridge 330 such that the distance between the insert molded sensor 310 and the cartridge 330 may be minimized.

The side surface of the sensor 310 insert molded into the cover 320 may have an area corresponding to the area of the side surface of the cartridge 330 that is in contact with the cover 320. The sensor 310 having such a region may fully measure the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge 330.

The cartridge 330 may comprise a storage portion 710 in which the aerosol-generating substance is stored and a nebulizer 720 for vaporizing the aerosol-generating substance 720. The aerosol-generating device 100 may generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating substance by using the cartridge 330. The aerosol generated by the cartridge 330 may be delivered to the user.

The storage portion 710 may store the aerosol-generating substance. When smoking a cigarette using the aerosol-generating device 100, the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating device 100 may be delivered to a user and the aerosol-generating substance stored in the storage portion 710 may be consumed accordingly; accordingly, the amount of aerosol-generating substance remaining in the storage portion 710 may be reduced.

The cartridge 330 may be detachably attached to the aerosol-generating device 100. The cartridge 330 may be a consumable that is periodically replaced as the aerosol-generating device 100 is used. When the aerosol-generating substance stored in the reservoir 710 is completely consumed, the user may replace the cartridge 330.

Referring to fig. 8, a method of operation of an aerosol-generating device may comprise operations 810 to 830. However, one or more embodiments are not limited thereto, and other general operations other than those shown in fig. 8 may be included in the operation method of the aerosol-generating device.

In operation 810, the aerosol-generating device 100 may measure the capacitance of the cartridge 330 (e.g., the reservoir 710 containing the aerosol-generating substance) using the sensor 310.

In operation 820, the aerosol-generating device 100 may detect a remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance based on the measured capacitance of the cartridge 330.

In operation 830, the aerosol-generating device 100 may control the power supplied to the atomizer 720 according to the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance by using a processor disposed on the PCB 230.

The method of operation of the aerosol-generating device shown in fig. 8 may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium on which at least one program including instructions for implementing the method is recorded.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an operation method of the aerosol-generating device according to the embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation method of the aerosol-generating device 100 shown in fig. 9 is described with reference to the components of the aerosol-generating device 100 in fig. 5 and/or 6.

Referring to fig. 9, the aerosol-generating device 100 may measure the capacitance of the cartridge 330 by using the sensor 310, and the aerosol-generating device 100 may measure the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance stored in the storage portion of the cartridge 330 based on the measured capacitance, at operation 910.

In this case, a processor disposed on the PCB 230 may receive data related to the capacitance of the cartridge 330 through the structural member 510 and the electrical connection member 430, the capacitance being measured by the sensor 310. The processor may detect the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance based on data hanging from the measured capacitance.

At operation 920, the processor of the aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment may compare the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance detected at operation 910 to a reference amount determined based on experimentation. The reference amount may represent the minimum amount of aerosol-generating substance capable of generating a sufficient amount of aerosol. For example, the reference amount may represent a minimum value of aerosol-generating substance that can be vaporized by the atomizer 720. Further, the specified value representing the reference amount may be stored in the processor and may vary depending on the type of aerosol-generating device 100, the user environment, or the user's manipulation.

When it is determined that the remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance detected in operation 920 is equal to or less than the reference amount, the processor may supply power corresponding to the remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance to the atomizer 720 in step 930. To this end, the processor may determine whether the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance detected by the sensor 310 is greater than or equal to a reference amount of aerosol-generating substance when aerosol generation is turned on or when a puff is detected.

In an embodiment, the processor may output a visual notification through the display of the aerosol-generating device 100 informing the user of the supply of power to the nebulizer 720 in the aerosol-generating device 100, but one or more embodiments are not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the processor may output an audible notification through a speaker that informs a user that the aerosol-generating device 100 is operating, or the processor may generate vibrations through a motor to output a tactile notification.

In contrast, when it is determined that the remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance detected in step 920 is less than the reference amount of the aerosol-generating substance, the aerosol-generating device 100 may not perform the operation of heating the aerosol-generating substance.

In an embodiment, the processor may output a visual notification through the display of the aerosol-generating device 100, informing the user that a new cartridge is needed due to the lack of aerosol-generating substance in the aerosol-generating device 100, but one or more embodiments are not limited thereto. The processor may output an audible notification or a tactile notification. When the amount of aerosol-generating substance is sufficient due to replacement of the cartridge 330 with a new cartridge, the processor may repeatedly perform operations 910 and 920 to control the power supplied to the atomizer 720 based on the remaining amount.

Fig. 10 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device 100 according to another embodiment.

The aerosol-generating device 100 may comprise a controller 1010, a sensing unit 1020, an output unit 1030, a battery 1040, a heater 1050, a user input unit 1060, a memory 1070 and a communication unit 1080. However, the internal structure of the aerosol-generating device 100 is not limited to the components shown in fig. 10. That is, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that depending on the design of the aerosol-generating device 100, some of the components shown in fig. 10 may be omitted or new components may be added.

The sensing unit 1020 may sense a state of the aerosol-generating device 100 and a state around the aerosol-generating device 100 and send the sensed information to the controller 1010. Based on the sensed information, the controller 1010 may control the aerosol-generating device 100 to perform various functions, such as controlling operation of the heater 1050, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol-generating article (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, displaying a notification, etc.

The sensing unit 1020 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 1022, an insertion detection sensor 1024, and a suction sensor 1026, but is not limited thereto.

The temperature sensor 1022 may sense the temperature at which the heater 1050 (or aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 100 may comprise a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heater 1050, or the heater 1050 may be used as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, a temperature sensor 1022 may also be disposed around the battery 1040 to monitor the temperature of the battery 1040.

The insertion detection sensor 1024 may sense insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 1024 may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and the insertion detection sensor 1024 may sense a signal change according to insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article.

Suction sensor 1026 may sense the user's suction based on various physical changes in the airflow channel or airflow pathway. For example, the puff sensor 1026 may sense a user's puff based on any of temperature change, flow change, voltage change, and pressure change.

The sensing unit 1020 may include at least one of the following in addition to the above-described temperature sensor 1022, insertion detection sensor 1024, and suction sensor 1026: temperature/humidity sensors, barometric pressure sensors, magnetic sensors, acceleration sensors, gyroscopic sensors, position sensors (e.g., global Positioning System (GPS)), proximity sensors, and Red Green Blue (RGB) sensors (illuminance sensors). Since the function of each of the sensors can be intuitively inferred from the names of the sensors by those of ordinary skill in the art, a detailed description of these sensors can be omitted.

The output unit 1030 may output information about the state of the aerosol-generating device 100 and provide the information to a user. The output unit 1030 may include at least one of a display unit 1032, a haptic unit 1034, and a sound output unit 1036, but is not limited thereto. When the display unit 1032 and the touch panel form a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 1032 may also function as an input device in addition to an output device.

The display unit 1032 may visually provide information to the user regarding the aerosol-generating device 100. For example, the information related to the aerosol-generating device 100 may refer to various information such as a charge/discharge state of the battery 1040 of the aerosol-generating device 100, a pre-heating state of the heater 1050, an insertion/removal state of the aerosol-generating article, a state in which the use of the aerosol-generating device 100 is limited (e.g., an abnormal object is sensed), and the like, and the display unit 1032 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 1032 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display panel, or the like. In addition, the display unit 1032 may be in the form of a Light Emitting Diode (LED) light emitting device.

The haptic unit 1034 may provide information related to the aerosol-generating device 100 to a user in a haptic manner by converting an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus or an electrical stimulus. For example, haptic unit 1034 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electro-stimulation device.

The sound output unit 1036 may audibly provide information related to the aerosol-generating device 100 to a user. For example, the sound output unit 1036 may convert an electric signal into a sound signal and output the sound signal to the outside.

The battery 1040 may supply power for operating the aerosol-generating device 100. The battery 1040 may supply power so that the heater 1050 may be heated. In addition, the battery 1040 may supply power required to operate other components in the aerosol-generating device 100 (e.g., the sensing unit 1020, the output unit 1030, the user input unit 1060, the memory 1070, and the communication unit 1080). The battery 1040 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 1040 may be a lithium polymer (lipy) battery, but is not limited thereto.

The heater 1050 may receive power from the battery 1040 to heat the aerosol-generating substance. Although not shown in fig. 10, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a Direct Current (DC)/DC converter) that converts power of the battery 1040 and supplies the converted power to the heater 100. In addition, when the aerosol-generating device 100 generates an aerosol in an induction heating method, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further comprise a DC/Alternating Current (AC) that converts DC power of the battery 1040 into AC power.

The controller 1010, the sensing unit 1020, the output unit 1030, the user input unit 1060, the memory 1070, and the communication unit 1080 may each receive power from the battery 1040 to perform functions. Although not shown in fig. 10, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit that converts power of the battery 1040 to supply power to the corresponding components, such as a Low Dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit.

In embodiments, heater 1050 may be formed of any suitable resistive material. For example, suitable resistive materials may be metals or metal alloys including, but not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, and the like. In addition, the heater 1050 may be implemented by a metal wire, a metal plate on which conductive tracks are arranged, a ceramic heating element, or the like, but is not limited thereto.

In another embodiment, the heater 1050 may be an induction heating type heater. For example, the heater 1050 may include a base that heats the aerosol-generating substance by generating heat from a magnetic field applied by a coil.

The user input unit 1060 may receive information input from a user or may output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 1060 may include a keypad, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact capacitance method, piezoresistive film method, infrared sensing method, surface ultrasonic conduction method, overall tension measurement method, piezoelectric effect method, etc.), a wheel switch, etc., but is not limited thereto. In addition, although not shown in fig. 10, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a connection interface, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and the aerosol-generating device 100 may be connected to other external devices through the connection interface, such as a USB interface, to transmit and receive signals, or to charge the battery 1040.

The memory 1070 is a hardware component that stores various types of data processed in the aerosol-generating device 100, and the memory 1070 may store data processed and to be processed by the controller 1010. Memory 1070 may include at least one type of storage medium from among: flash memory type memory, hard disk type memory, multimedia card micro memory, card type memory (e.g., secure Digital (SD) or extreme digital (XD) memory, etc.), random Access Memory (RAM), static Random Access Memory (SRAM), read Only Memory (ROM), electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk. Memory 1070 may store each of the following: the operating time of the aerosol-generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, data relating to the user's smoking pattern, etc.

The communication unit 1080 may include at least one component for communicating with another electronic device. For example, the communication unit 1080 may include a short-range wireless communication unit 1082 and a wireless communication unit 1084.

The short-range wireless communication unit 1082 may include, but is not limited to, a bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a Wireless LAN (WLAN) (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared data association (IrDA) communication unit, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit, an ant+ communication unit, and the like.

The wireless communication unit 1084 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a Local Area Network (LAN) or a Wide Area Network (WAN)) communication unit, and the like. The wireless communication unit 1084 may also identify and authenticate the aerosol-generating device 100 within the communication network by using subscription information, such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI).

The controller 1010 may control the general operation of the aerosol-generating device 100. In an embodiment, the controller 1010 may include at least one processor. A processor may be implemented as an array of logic gates or as a combination of a general purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a processor may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The controller 1010 may control the temperature of the heater 1050 by controlling the power supplied from the battery 1040 to the heater 1050. For example, the controller 1010 may control the supply of power by switching on and off an on-off element between the battery 1040 and the heater 1050. In another example, the direct heating circuit may also control the supply of power to the heater 1050 according to a control command of the controller 1010.

The controller 1010 may analyze the result sensed by the sensing unit 1020 and control a process to be performed later. For example, the controller 1010 may control the power supplied to the heater 100 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 1020 to start or end the operation of the heater 1050. As another example, the controller 1010 may control the amount of power supplied to the heater 1050 and the time of supplying the power based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 1020 so that the heater 1050 may be heated to a specific temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature.

The controller 1010 may control the output unit 1030 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 1020. For example, when the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 1026 reaches a preset number, the controller 1010 may inform the user that the aerosol-generating device 100 will be terminated soon through at least one of the display unit 1032, the haptic unit 1034, and the sound unit 1036.

One embodiment may also be implemented in the form of a computer-readable recording medium including instructions executable by a computer, such as program modules, being executable by the computer. Computer readable recording media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, and removable and non-removable media. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium may include both a computer storage medium and a communication medium. Computer storage media includes all volatile and nonvolatile, and removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, other data or other transport mechanisms in a modulated data signal such as a program module and includes any information delivery media.

Examples of the computer readable recording medium include magnetic media (e.g., hard disk, magnetic tape, etc.), optical media (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, etc.), magneto-optical media (e.g., magneto-optical disk), and hardware devices (e.g., ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc.) that are specially designed to store and implement program instructions. Examples of the program instructions may include not only machine language code generated by a compiler but also high-level language code executed by a computer by using an interpreter, and the like.

The above description of the embodiments is merely an example, and it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and equivalents may be made to the above embodiments. The scope of the disclosure should, therefore, be defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to what is described in the claims will be construed as being included in the protection scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device comprising:

a housing including an accommodation space;

a cartridge detachably coupled to the housing space of the housing, and comprising a storage portion configured to store an aerosol-generating substance and a nebulizer configured to vaporize the aerosol-generating substance;

a sensor arranged adjacent to the accommodation space of the housing and configured to detect a capacitance of the storage portion;

a cover disposed between the cartridge and the sensor, and configured to protect the sensor; and

A processor electrically connected to the sensor, and configured to detect a remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance in the storage portion based on a capacitance of the storage portion detected by the sensor.

2. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first side surface of the cover is arranged to face the sensor, and

a second side surface of the cover opposite to the first side surface is arranged to face the accommodation space.

3. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 2, wherein the second side surface of the cover is in contact with a portion of the cartridge when the cartridge is received in the receiving space.

4. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the second side surface of the cover has a shape corresponding to the portion of the cartridge.

5. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is spaced a predetermined distance from the receiving space.

6. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the cover is arranged to cover a portion of the sensor, the portion facing the accommodation space.

7. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is formed integrally with the cover by insert moulding.

8. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 7, wherein the sensor comprises a metallic material, and

the cover comprises a plastic material.

9. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 6, further comprising a coupling member configured to secure the cartridge to the housing,

wherein the cover further comprises a hole through which the coupling member passes.

10. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, the aerosol-generating device further comprising:

a battery disposed inside the housing; and

a printed circuit board disposed inside the housing,

wherein the processor is disposed on the printed circuit board.

11. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 10, further comprising an electrical connection member electrically connecting the sensor and the printed circuit board,

wherein the processor is electrically connected to the sensor through the electrical connection member.

12. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 11, wherein the sensor further comprises a structural member protruding in a direction opposite to the receiving space,

a portion of the structure is in contact with the sensor, an

Another portion of the structural member is in contact with the electrical connection member.

13. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to: when the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance in the storage portion is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference amount, electric power is supplied to the atomizer through the battery.

14. A method of operation of an aerosol-generating device, the method of operation comprising:

measuring, by a sensor, a capacitance of a reservoir containing an aerosol-generating substance;

detecting a remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance based on the measured capacitance of the reservoir; and

controlling the power supplied to the atomizer based on the detected remaining amount of the aerosol-generating substance.

15. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, wherein the controlling comprises: when the remaining amount of aerosol-generating substance is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference amount, power is supplied to the atomizer.