CN117794406A

CN117794406A - Aerosol-generating device comprising a heater module

Info

Publication number: CN117794406A
Application number: CN202380012707.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 李宗燮; 郑淳焕; 曹柄盛
Original assignee: KT&G Corp
Current assignee: KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2022-07-28
Filing date: 2023-07-27
Publication date: 2024-03-29

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol-generating device comprising a detachable heater module, wherein the aerosol-generating device comprises: a main body including a controller and a battery; a heater module detachably coupled to the body and including a heater configured to heat the aerosol-generating substance; and a cartridge detachably coupled to the heater module and configured to store aerosol-generating substance to be delivered to the heater, wherein the heater module comprises a first terminal configured to electrically connect the cartridge to the heater module when the cartridge is coupled to the heater module, and a second terminal and a third terminal configured to electrically connect the heater module to the controller when the heater module is coupled to the body.

Description

Aerosol-generating device comprising a heater module

Technical Field

One or more embodiments relate to an aerosol-generating device comprising a removable heater module.

Background

Recently, as an alternative method of overcoming the drawbacks of the conventional cigarettes, there has been an increase in demand for a method of generating aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substance instead of by burning cigarettes. For example, a method has been used in which a cartridge including a heater and a liquid storage portion storing an aerosol-generating substance is configured to be separable from an aerosol-generating device, and the aerosol-generating substance stored in the cartridge is heated by the heater as electric power is transmitted from the aerosol-generating device to the cartridge.

The cartridge is replaced when all of the aerosol-generating substance stored in the liquid reservoir of the cartridge is exhausted. However, even though the durability of the heater is generally longer than the period of exhaustion of the aerosol-generating substance, the heater may be replaced unnecessarily. Thus, unnecessary waste may be generated, and thus a technique for reducing such waste by considering durability or exhaustion time of each component of the aerosol-generating device may be required.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

Various embodiments may provide an aerosol-generating device in which the cartridge and the heater module are detachably coupled to each other. The technical problems to be solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described technical problems, and other technical problems may be inferred from the following embodiments.

Technical proposal

According to one or more embodiments, an aerosol-generating device comprises: a main body including a controller and a battery; a heater module detachably coupled to the body and including a heater configured to heat the aerosol-generating substance; a cartridge detachably coupled to the heater module and storing an aerosol-generating substance to be delivered to the heater, wherein the heater module includes a first terminal electrically connecting the cartridge to the heater module and second and third terminals electrically connecting the heater module to the controller.

Advantageous effects

The present disclosure provides an aerosol-generating device in which the cartridge and the heater module are separable from each other, enabling replacement of individual components of the aerosol-generating device according to durability and usability of the components.

Furthermore, the aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment may identify whether the cartridge, the heater module and the body are coupled.

Furthermore, since the aerosol-generating device according to the embodiment may perform different operations according to whether or not the cartridges are coupled in response to the same user input, the user input interface may be simplified.

Drawings

Fig. 1 to 3 are exemplary diagrams of an aerosol-generating device with a cigarette inserted therein.

Fig. 4 and 5 illustrate examples of cigarettes, respectively.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a cut-away perspective view of the aerosol-generating device of fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 9 illustrates a method of identifying a connection state of a cartridge and a heater module according to an embodiment.

Fig. 10 is a flow chart of a method of determining whether cartridges are coupled according to an embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device 1100 according to another embodiment.

Detailed Description

According to one or more embodiments, an aerosol-generating device comprises: a main body including a controller and a battery; a heater module detachably coupled to the body and including a heater configured to heat the aerosol-generating substance; a cartridge detachably coupled to the heater module and configured to store aerosol-generating substance to be delivered to the heater, wherein the heater module comprises a first terminal configured to electrically connect the cartridge to the heater module when the cartridge is coupled to the heater module, and a second terminal and a third terminal configured to electrically connect the heater module to the controller when the heater module is coupled to the body.

In an embodiment, the heater module may further include a printed circuit board electrically connecting the first terminal and the third terminal.

In an embodiment, the heater module may further include an integrated circuit mounted on the printed circuit board, and the integrated circuit may be electrically connected to the controller through a third terminal.

In an embodiment, the integrated circuit may count the number of puffs based on a signal transmitted by the controller when a puff is detected and store the counted number.

In an embodiment, the integrated circuit may include a non-volatile memory in which the numbers are stored.

In an embodiment, the heater may receive power from the battery through the second terminal.

In an embodiment, the cartridge may further comprise a conductive member electrically connected to the first terminal when the cartridge is coupled to the heater module.

In an embodiment, when the conductive member is electrically connected to the first terminal, the conductive member may generate a conductive signal, and the controller may receive the conductive signal through the third terminal.

In an embodiment, the conduction signal may be a current during a predetermined time or more, or the conduction signal may be an amount of current equal to or greater than a reference value.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may further comprise a user input unit configured to receive a user input, and the controller may be further configured to output a first control signal in response to the user input when the conducted signal is less than the reference value, and to output a second control signal different from the first signal when the conducted signal is greater than or equal to the reference value.

In an embodiment, the first control signal may prevent power from being supplied to the heater.

In an embodiment, the first terminal, the second terminal, and the third terminal may each be configured in a pair manner.

Embodiments of the invention

As terms used in describing 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, terms that are not commonly used may be selected. In this case, the meaning of the term will be described in detail at the corresponding part in the description of the present disclosure. Thus, the terms used in the various embodiments of the present disclosure should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the descriptions provided herein.

Furthermore, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements. Furthermore, the terms "-means", "-means" and "module" described in the present specification refer to units for processing at least one function and operation, and may be implemented by hardware components or software components, and combinations thereof.

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. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

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

First, referring to fig. 1 to 6, an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment will be described.

Fig. 1 to 3 are illustrations showing examples of inserting cigarettes into an aerosol-generating device.

Referring to fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 1 comprises a battery 11, a controller 12, and a heater 13. Referring to fig. 2 and 3, the aerosol-generating device 1 comprises a vaporiser 14. The cigarette 2 may be inserted into the interior space of the aerosol-generating device 1.

Elements related to the present embodiment are illustrated in the aerosol-generating device 1 shown in fig. 1 to 3. Thus, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that common elements other than those shown in fig. 1 to 3 may be included in the aerosol-generating device 1. .

Furthermore, although the aerosol-generating device 1 in fig. 2 and 3 is shown to comprise a heater 130, the heater 13 may be omitted if necessary.

In fig. 1, the battery 11, the controller 12, and the heater 13 are arranged in series. In addition, fig. 2 shows that the battery 11, the controller 12, the vaporizer 14, and the heater 13 are arranged in series. In addition, fig. 3 shows that the carburetor 14 and the heater 13 are arranged in parallel with each other. However, the internal structure of the aerosol-generating device 1 is not limited to the examples shown in fig. 1 to 3. That is, depending on the design of the aerosol-generating device 1, the arrangement of the battery 11, the controller 12, the heater 13 and the vaporizer 14 may be changed.

When the cigarette 2 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1, the aerosol-generating device 1 operates the vaporizer 104 to generate an aerosol from the cigarette 2 and/or the vaporizer 14. The aerosol generated by the heater 13 and/or the vaporiser 14 may be delivered to the user by the cigarette 2.

The aerosol-generating device 1 may heat the heater 13, if necessary, even when the cigarette 2 is not inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1.

The battery 11 supplies electrical power for operating the aerosol-generating device 1. For example, the battery 11 may supply electric power for heating the heater 13 or the carburetor 14, and supply electric power for operating the controller 12. Further, the battery 11 may supply power for operating a display, a sensor, a motor, etc. mounted in the aerosol-generating device 1.

The controller 12 controls the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 1. In detail, the controller 12 may control the operation of other elements included in the aerosol-generating device 1 and the battery 11, the heater 13 and the vaporizer 14. Furthermore, the controller 12 may check the status of each component of the aerosol-generating device 1 to determine whether the aerosol-generating device 1 is in an operational state.

The controller 12 includes at least one processor. A processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable in the microprocessor. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a processor may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The heater 13 may be heated by electric power supplied from the battery 11. For example, the heater 13 may be located outside the cigarette when the cigarette is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1. Thus, the heated heater 13 may raise the temperature of the aerosol-generating substance in the cigarette.

The heater 13 may be a resistive heater. For example, the heater 13 includes conductive tracks, and the heater 13 may be heated as current passes through the conductive tracks. However, the heater 13 is not limited to the above example, and any type of heater may be used as long as the heater can be heated to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be set in advance in the aerosol-generating device 1, or may be set by a user.

Further, in another example, the heater 13 may include an induction heating type heater. In detail, the heater 13 may include a conductive coil for heating the cigarette in the induction heating method, and the cigarette may include a susceptor that can be heated by the induction heating type heater.

For example, the heater 13 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 2 according to the shape of the heating element.

In addition, a plurality of heaters 13 may be provided in the aerosol-generating device 1. Here, the plurality of heaters 13 may be arranged to be inserted into the cigarette 2, or may be arranged outside the cigarette 2. In addition, some of the plurality of heaters 13 may be arranged to be inserted into the cigarette 2 and others of the plurality of heaters 130 may be arranged outside the cigarette 2. Further, the shape of the heater 13 is not limited to the example shown in fig. 1 to 3, but may be manufactured in various shapes.

The vaporizer 14 may generate an aerosol by heating the liquid component, and the generated aerosol may be delivered to a user after passing through the cigarette 2. In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporiser 14 may be moved along the airflow path of the aerosol-generating device 1, and the airflow path may be configured such that the aerosol generated by the vaporiser 14 is delivered to the user by the cigarette.

For example, the vaporizer 14 may include a liquid storage unit, a liquid delivery unit, and a heating element, but is not limited thereto. For example, the liquid storage unit, the liquid delivery unit and the heating element may be included in the aerosol-generating device 1 as separate modules.

The liquid storage portion may store a liquid component. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid comprising tobacco-containing material having volatile tobacco flavor components, or may be a liquid comprising non-tobacco material. The liquid storage unit may be attached to or detached from the vaporizer 14, or may be integrally manufactured with the vaporizer 14.

For example, the liquid composition may include water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, flavors, fragrances, or vitamin mixtures. The flavoring may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruity ingredients, but is not limited thereto. The flavoring agent may include ingredients capable of providing a variety of flavors or fragrances 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. In addition, the liquid composition may include aerosol formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

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

The heating element is an element for heating the liquid component transported by the liquid transport element. For example, the heating element may be a metal heating wire, a metal hot plate, a ceramic heater, etc., but is not limited thereto. Further, the heating element may comprise a conductive filament such as a nickel-chromium wire, and may be positioned to wrap around the liquid delivery element. The heating element may be heated by the supply of electric current and may transfer heat to the liquid component in contact with the heating element, thereby heating the liquid component. Thus, an aerosol can be generated.

For example, vaporizer 14 may be referred to as, but is not limited to, an atomizer or nebulizer.

Furthermore, the aerosol-generating device 1 may comprise general components in addition to the battery 11, the controller 12, the heater 13 and the vaporiser 14. For example, the aerosol-generating device 1 may comprise a display capable of outputting visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. In addition, the aerosol-generating device 1 may comprise at least one sensor (suction sensor, temperature sensor, aerosol-generating article insertion sensor, etc.). Furthermore, the aerosol-generating device 1 may be manufactured with a structure in which external air may be introduced or internal air may be exhausted even in the case of inserting the cigarette 2.

Although not shown in fig. 1 to 3, the aerosol-generating device 1 may be configured as a system with an additional carrier. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 11 of the aerosol-generating device 1. Alternatively, the heater 13 may be heated in a state where the bracket and the aerosol-generating device 1 are coupled to each other.

The cigarette 2 may resemble a typical burning cigarette. For example, the cigarette 2 may be divided into a first portion comprising aerosol-generating substance and a second portion comprising a filter or the like. Alternatively, the second portion of the cigarette 2 may also include an aerosol-generating substance. For example, an aerosol-generating substance may be inserted in the second portion, which is made in the form of particles or capsules.

The entire first part may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1 and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1, or a part of the second part and the entire first part may be inserted into the aerosol-generating device 1. The user may draw the aerosol while holding the second portion with the user's mouth. In this case, an aerosol is generated by passing outside air through the first portion, and the generated aerosol passes through the second portion and is delivered to the mouth of the user.

For example, external air may be introduced through at least one air channel formed in the aerosol-generating device 1. For example, the user may adjust the opening and closing of the air passage formed in the aerosol-generating device 1 and/or the size of the air passage. Thus, the amount and quality of smoking can be adjusted by the user. As another example, outside air may flow into cigarette 2 through at least one aperture formed in the surface of cigarette 2.

Hereinafter, an example of the cigarette 2 will be described with reference to fig. 4 and 5.

Fig. 4 and 5 illustrate examples of cigarettes.

Referring to fig. 4, cigarette 2 includes a tobacco rod 21 and a filter rod 22. The first portion described above with reference to fig. 1-3 may comprise a tobacco rod 21 and the second portion may comprise a filter rod 22.

Fig. 4 illustrates that the filter rod 22 includes a single section, but is not limited thereto. In other words, the filter rod 22 may comprise a plurality of sections. For example, the filter rod 22 may include a section configured to cool the aerosol and a section configured to filter a specific component included in the aerosol. Further, the filter rod 22 may also include at least one section configured to perform other functions, as desired.

The diameter of the cigarette 20 may range from 5mm to 9mm, and the length of the cigarette 20 may be about 48mm, but is not limited thereto. For example, the length of the tobacco rod 21 may be about 12mm, the length of the first section of the filter rod 22 may be about 10mm, the length of the second section of the filter rod 22 may be about 14mm, and the length of the third section of the filter rod 22 may be about 12mm, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

Cigarettes 20 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 24. The wrapper 24 may have at least one hole through which external air may be introduced or internal air may be discharged. For example, cigarettes 2 may be wrapped by a wrapper 24. As another example, cigarettes 2 may be double wrapped by at least two wrappers 24. For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be wrapped by a first wrapper 241 and the filter rod 22 may be wrapped by wrappers 242, 243, and 244. In addition, the entire cigarette 2 may be repacked by a fifth wrapper 245, which is a single wrapper. When the filter rod 22 includes multiple sections, each section may be packaged by a separate wrapper 242, 243, and 244.

The first and second wrappers 241, 242 may be made of conventional filter wrappers. For example, the first and second wrappers 241, 242 may be porous or non-porous wrappers. Further, the first and second wrappers 241 and 242 may be made of paper and/or aluminum laminate wrappers having oil resistance.

The third wrapper 243 may be made of a hard wrap. For example, the basis weight of third wrapping element 243 may be in the range of 88g/m2 to 96g/m2, for example, in the range of 90g/m2 to 94g/m 2. In addition, the thickness of third wrapping 243 may be in the range of 120 μm to 130 μm, such as about 125 μm.

The fourth wrapper 244 may be made of a hard wrapper having oil resistance. For example, the basis weight of the fourth wrapper 244 may be in the range of 88g/m2 to 96g/m2, for example, in the range of 90g/m2 to 94g/m 2. Further, the thickness of the fourth wrapper 244 may be in the range of 120 μm to 130 μm, for example, about 125 μm.

The fifth wrapper 245 may be made of sterilized paper MFW. Here, the sterilized paper MFW refers to a paper specifically prepared so that its tensile strength, water resistance and smoothness are improved as compared to plain paper. For example, the basis weight of the fifth wrapper 245 may be between 57g/m2 and 63g/m2, such as about 60g/m2. Further, the thickness of the fifth wrapper 245 may be in the range of 64 μm to 70 μm, for example about 67 μm.

A specific material may be added to the fifth wrapper 245. Here, silicon may be taken as an example of the specific material. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, silicon has characteristics such as heat resistance, non-oxidizing property, resistance to various chemicals, water repellency, and electrical insulation that make temperature change small.

However, even if not silicon, any material having the above characteristics may be applied (or coated) to the fifth wrapper 245.

The fifth wrapper 245 may prevent the cigarette 2 from burning. For example, if the tobacco rod 210 is heated by the heater 13, the cigarette 2 may burn. Specifically, when the temperature of any of the materials included in the tobacco rod 310 rises above the ignition point, the cigarette 2 may burn. Even in this case, since the fifth wrapper 245 includes a non-combustible material, the cigarette 2 can be prevented from burning.

In addition, the fifth wrapper 245 may prevent the aerosol-generating device 1 from being contaminated by substances generated in the cigarette 2. Liquid may be generated from the cigarette 2 by the user's suction. For example, since the aerosol generated from the cigarette 2 is cooled by air from the outside, liquid (e.g., moisture, etc.) may be generated. Since the cigarette 2 is wrapped by the fifth wrapper 245, the liquid generated from the cigarette 2 can be prevented from leaking to the outside of the cigarette 2.

The tobacco rod 21 may include an aerosol-generating substance. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may include at least one of, but is not limited to: glycerol, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may include other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and/or organic acids. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 may include a flavored liquid, such as menthol or a humectant, sprayed onto the tobacco rod 21.

The tobacco rod 21 may be manufactured in various forms. For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be formed as a sheet or bundle. Further, the tobacco rod 21 may be formed as cut filler formed of fine pieces cut from a tobacco sheet. In addition, the tobacco rod 21 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. For example, the heat conducting material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 may uniformly distribute heat transferred to the tobacco rod 21 and may thus increase the thermal conductivity applied to the tobacco rod and improve the mouthfeel of the tobacco. In addition, the thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 21 may function as a base for heating by the induction heater. Here, although not illustrated in the drawings, the tobacco rod 21 may include an additional base in addition to the thermally conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 21.

The filter rod 22 may comprise a cellulose acetate filter. The shape of the filter rod 22 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 22 may include a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod having a hollow inside. Further, the filter rod 22 may comprise a concave-shaped rod. When the filter rod 22 includes a plurality of sections, at least one of the plurality of sections may have a different shape.

The first section of the filter rod 22 may include a cellulose acetate filter. For example, the first section may comprise a tubular structure with a hollow inside. When the heater 13 is inserted by the first section, the inner material of the tobacco rod 210 can be prevented from being pushed backward, thereby generating a cooling effect of the aerosol. The diameter of the hollow portion included in the first section may be implemented in a range of about 2mm to about 4.5mm, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

The length of the first section may be implemented in a range of about 4mm to about 30mm, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the length of the first section may be about 10mm, but is not limited thereto.

During the manufacture of the first section, the stiffness of the first section may be controlled by controlling the content of plasticizer. Furthermore, the first section may be manufactured by inserting a structure made of the same material or different materials, such as a membrane or a tube, into the interior (i.e. the hollow) of the first section.

The second section of the filter rod 22 cools the aerosol generated by heating the tobacco rod 13 via the heater 13. Thus, the user can inhale the aerosol cooled to a proper temperature.

The length or diameter of the second section may be determined in different ways depending on the shape of the cigarette 2. For example, the length of the second section may suitably be implemented in the range of about 7mm to about 20 mm. For example, the length of the second section may be about 14mm, but is not limited thereto.

The second section may be manufactured by braiding polymer fibres. In this case, the fragrant liquid may be applied to the fibers made of the polymer. Alternatively, the second section may be made by braiding together individual fibers having the scented liquid applied thereto and fibers made of a polymer. Alternatively, the second section may be formed from a curled polymeric sheet.

For example, the polymer may be formed from a material selected from the group consisting of: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose Acetate (CA), and aluminum foil.

Since the second section is formed of polymer fibers or crimped polymer sheets, the second section may comprise a single passageway or a plurality of passageways extending in the longitudinal direction. Herein, a passageway refers to a passage through which a gas (e.g., air or aerosol) passes.

For example, the second section of crimped polymer sheet may be formed of a material having a thickness of between about 5 μm and about 300 μm, for example, between about 10 μm and about 250 μm. Further, the total surface area of the second section may be between about 300mm2/mm and about 1000mm 2/mm. Furthermore, the aerosol-cooling element may be formed from a material having a specific surface area of between about 10mm2/mg to about 100mm 2/mg.

The second section may comprise a wire containing volatile flavour ingredient. Here, the volatile flavor component may be menthol, but is not limited thereto. For example, in the wire, a sufficient amount of menthol may be filled to provide the second segment with more than 1.5mg of menthol.

The third section of the filter rod 22 may include a cellulose acetate filter. The length of the third section may suitably be embodied in the range of about 4mm to about 20 mm. For example, the length of the third section may be about 12mm, but is not limited thereto.

The third section may be manufactured such that the scent is generated by spraying a scent liquid on the third section. Alternatively, individual fibers to which the scented liquid is applied may be inserted into the third section. The aerosol generated by the tobacco rod 21 is cooled as it passes through the second section of the filter rod 22 and the cooled aerosol is delivered to the user through the third section. Thus, when the fragrance element is added in the third section, the durability of the fragrance transmitted to the user can be enhanced.

The filter rod 22 may furthermore comprise at least one capsule 23. Here, the capsule 23 may generate a fragrance or an aerosol. For example, the capsule 23 may have the following configuration: in this configuration, the liquid containing the fragrance material is surrounded by a film. For example, the capsule member 23 may be in the shape of a sphere or a cylinder, but is not limited thereto.

Referring to fig. 5, cigarette 3 may also include a front plug 33. The front plug 33 may be located on the side of the tobacco rod 31, i.e. the side facing the filter rod 32. The front end plug 33 can prevent the tobacco rod 31 from leaking to the outside, and can prevent the liquefied aerosol from flowing from the tobacco rod 31 into the aerosol generating device (1 in fig. 1 to 3) during smoking.

The filter rod 32 may include a first section 321 and a second section 322. Here, the first section 321 may correspond to the first section of the filter rod 22 in fig. 4, and the second section 322 may correspond to the third section of the filter rod 22 in fig. 4.

The diameter and overall length of the cigarette 3 may correspond to the diameter and overall length of the cigarette 2 in fig. 4. For example, the front end plug 33 may be about 7mm in length, the tobacco rod 31 may be about 15mm in length, the first section 321 may be about 12mm in length, and the second section 322 may be about 14mm in length, but is not limited thereto.

The cigarettes 3 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 35. The packing 35 may have at least one hole through which external air may be introduced or internal air may be discharged. For example, the front end plug 33 may be wrapped by a first wrapper 351, the tobacco rod 31 may be wrapped by a second wrapper 352, the first section 321 may be wrapped by a third wrapper 353, and the second section 322 may be wrapped by a fourth wrapper 354. In addition, the entire cigarette 3 may be repacked by the fifth wrapper 355.

Further, the fifth wrapper 355 may have at least one aperture 36. For example, the hole 36 may be formed in a region surrounding the tobacco rod 31, but is not limited thereto. The holes 36 may be used to transfer heat generated by the heater 13 shown in fig. 2 and 3 to the interior of the tobacco rod 31.

Further, the second section 322 may include at least one capsule 34. Here, the capsule 34 may generate a flavor or an aerosol. For example, the capsule 34 may have the following configuration: in this configuration, the liquid containing the fragrance material is surrounded by a film. The capsule 34 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

The first wrapper 351 may be a combination of a conventional filter wrapper and a metal foil such as aluminum foil. For example, the total thickness of the first wrap 351 may be in the range of about 45 μm to about 55 μm, such as about 50.3 μm. Further, the thickness of the metal foil of the first wrapper 351 may be in the range of about 6 μm to about 7 μm, for example about 6.3 μm. Further, the basis weight of the first wrapper 351 may be in the range of about 50g/m2 to about 55g/m2, for example about 53g/m2.

The second wrapper 352 and the third wrapper 353 may be made of conventional filter wrappers. For example, the second wrap 352 and the third wrap 353 may be porous wraps or non-porous wraps.

For example, the porosity of the second wrap 352 may be 35000cu, but is not limited thereto. Further, the thickness of the second wrap 352 may be in the range of about 70 μm to about 80 μm, such as about 78 μm. Further, the basis weight of the second wrapper 352 may be in the range of about 20g/m2 to about 25g/m2, such as about 23.5g/m2.

For example, the porosity of the third wrapper 353 may be 24,000cu, but is not limited thereto. Further, the thickness of the third wrapper 353 may be in the range of about 60um to about 70um, for example about 68um. Further, the basis weight of the third wrapper 353 may be in the range of about 20g/m2 to about 25g/m2, such as about 21g/m2.

The fourth wrapper 354 may be made of PLA laminate paper. Herein, PLA laminated paper refers to a three-ply paper including a paper ply, a PLA layer, and a paper ply. For example, the thickness of the fourth wrapper 354 may be in the range of about 100 μm to about 120 μm, such as about 110 μm. Further, the basis weight of the fourth wrapper 354 may be in the range of about 80g/m2 to about 100g/m2, such as about 88g/m2.

The fifth wrapper 355 may be made of sterilized paper MFW. Here, the sterilized paper MFW refers to a paper specifically prepared so that its tensile strength, water resistance and smoothness are improved as compared to plain paper. For example, the basis weight of the fifth wrapper 355 may be between about 57g/m2 to about 63g/m2, such as about 60g/m2. Further, the thickness of the fifth wrapper 355 may be in the range of about 64 μm to about 70 μm, for example about 67 μm.

A specific material may be added to the fifth wrapper 355. Here, silicon may be taken as an example of the specific material. However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, silicon has characteristics such as heat resistance, non-oxidizing property, resistance to various chemicals, water repellency, electrical insulation, and the like which make a change with temperature small. However, even if not silicon, any material having the above characteristics may be applied (or coated) to fifth wrapper 355.

The front plug 33 may be made of cellulose acetate. For example, the front end plug 33 may be manufactured by adding a plasticizer (e.g., triacetin) to the cellulose acetate tow. The single denier of the filaments comprising the cellulose acetate tow may be in the range of about 1.0 to about 10.0, for example in the range of about 4.0 to about 6.0. For example, the filament denier of the front plug 33 may be 5.0. Further, the cross section of the filaments constituting the front plug 33 may be Y-shaped. The total titer of the front end plug 33 may be in the range of about 20,000 to about 30,000, for example, in the range of about 25,000 to about 30,000. For example, the total titer of the front end plug 33 may be 28000.

Further, the front end plug 33 may include at least one passage as needed, and the cross-sectional shape of the passage may be manufactured in various ways.

The tobacco rod 31 may correspond to the tobacco rod 21 described above with reference to fig. 4. Therefore, a specific description of the tobacco rod 31 will be omitted hereinafter.

The first section 321 may be made of cellulose acetate. For example, the first section may comprise a tubular structure with a hollow inside. The first section 321 may be produced by adding a plasticizer (e.g., triacetin) to the cellulose acetate tow. For example, the single denier and the total denier of the first section 321 may be the same as the single denier and the total denier of the front end plug 33.

The second section 322 may be made of cellulose acetate. The filaments comprising second section 322 may have a denier per filament in the range of about 1.0 to about 10.0, for example in the range of about 8.0 to about 10.0. For example, the filament of second section 322 may have a single denier of 9.0. Furthermore, the filaments of the second section 322 may be Y-shaped in cross-section. The total denier of second section 322 may be in the range of about 20,000 to about 30,000, for example about 25,000.

Referring to fig. 6, an aerosol-generating device 10 according to an embodiment may include a body 610, a heater module 620, and a cartridge 630.

The main body 610 is located below the heater module 620 and may support the heater module 620, and components for operating the aerosol-generating device 10 may be arranged inside the main body 610. For example, a battery (not shown) and a controller (not shown) may be provided inside the main body 610. However, the battery and the controller are only examples of components disposed inside the main body 610, and components other than the above components (e.g., a user interface, a sensor, etc.) may be disposed in the main body 610.

The heater module 620 may be located between the cartridge 630 and the body 610 and may generate an aerosol by converting a phase of an aerosol-generating substance into a gas. The aerosol-generating substance supplied from the cartridge 630 may be heated to generate an aerosol.

For example, the heater module 620 may heat the aerosol-generating substance supplied from the cartridge 630 to generate steam from the aerosol-generating substance, and the generated steam may be mixed with external air introduced into the heater module 620 from the outside to generate an aerosol. Here, the "aerosol" may refer to particles generated from a mixed vapor generated by heating an aerosol-generating substance and air, and the expression may be used in the same sense hereinafter.

The aerosol-generating substance may be stored in the cartridge 630 and the aerosol-generating substance stored in the cartridge 630 may be supplied to a heater module 620, which heater module 200 is arranged at the lower end of the cartridge (e.g. the end in the Z-direction shown in fig. 6).

In an embodiment, the cartridge 630 may include a mouthpiece 630m for supplying an aerosol to a user. For example, the mouthpiece 630m may connect the interior of the heater module 620 with the exterior of the aerosol-generating device 10 or may provide fluid communication between the interior of the heater module 620 and the exterior of the aerosol-generating device 10, and the aerosol generated in the heater module 620 may be discharged to the exterior of the aerosol-generating device 10 through the mouthpiece 630m. That is, the mouth of the user may be in contact with the mouthpiece 630m, and the user may inhale the aerosol discharged to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 10.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 10 may further comprise a cover 611 protecting the components of the aerosol-generating device 10.

The cover 611 may be arranged to at least partially surround the body 610, the heater module 620, and the cartridge 630. Accordingly, the cover 611 may fix the positions of the body 610, the heater module 620, and the cartridge 630, and protect the body 610, the heater module 620, and the cartridge 630 from external impact or intrusion of foreign substances.

In an embodiment, the cover 611 may be integrally formed with the body 610, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the cover 611 may be detachably coupled to the body 610.

The coupling relationship of the body 610, the heater module 620, and the cartridge 630 will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 7.

Referring to fig. 7, an aerosol-generating device 10 according to an embodiment may include a body 610, a cover 611, a heater module 620, and a cartridge 630. The components of the aerosol-generating device 10 may be the same or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol-generating device 10 shown in fig. 6, and a description of the same components as above will be omitted.

Further, the components of the aerosol-generating device 10 are not limited thereto, and at least one of the above components (e.g., the cover 611) may be omitted or other components may be added.

The body 610 may be detachably coupled to a bottom surface (e.g., a surface facing a Z direction in fig. 7) of the heater module 620 to support the heater module 620. For example, the body 610 may be inserted into or separated from an insertion groove (not shown) formed at the bottom surface of the heater module 620, but the coupling method of the heater module 620 and the body 610 is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the means for operating the aerosol-generating device 10 may be arranged inside the body 610. For example, a battery (not shown) for supplying power and a controller (not shown) for controlling the operation of the aerosol-generating device 10 may be arranged in the main body 610.

The battery may supply power for operation of the aerosol-generating device 10. For example, a battery may be electrically connected to the heater module 620 to supply power to the heater module 620 and heat a heater of the heater module 620. In addition, the battery may provide the necessary power to operate other components of the aerosol-generating device 10 (e.g., the controller).

The controller may control the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 10. The controller may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable in the microprocessor, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the controller may control the power supplied from the battery to the heater of the heater module 620. For example, the controller may heat the heater of the heater module 620 to a predetermined temperature or maintain the predetermined temperature for the amount of power supplied from the battery to the heater and the time of supplying power.

The heater module 620 may be detachably coupled to a bottom surface (e.g., a surface facing the z-direction of fig. 7) of the cartridge 630, and may heat aerosol-generating substances supplied from a reservoir 631 of the cartridge 630 to generate an aerosol.

For example, a first coupling member (not shown) disposed in an area of the heater module 620 facing the cartridge 630 may be coupled to and decoupled from a second coupling member (not shown) disposed on a bottom surface of the cartridge 630, so that the heater module 620 may be detachably attached to the cartridge 630. However, the coupling method of the cartridge 630 and the heater module 620 is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the heater module 620 may include an aerosol-generating substance inlet 621 connecting an interior of the heater module 620 and an interior of the reservoir 631; an air inlet 622 through which external air flows into the heater module 620; and an air outlet 623 through which the aerosol generated in the heater module 620 is discharged to the outside.

The aerosol-generating substance stored in the storage portion 631 of the cartridge 630 may be caused to flow into the heater module 620 through the aerosol-generating substance inlet 621, and a heater (not shown) arranged in the heater module 620 may heat the aerosol-generating substance supplied from the storage portion 631.

External air may flow into the heater module 620 through the air inlet 622, and vapors generated by heating the external air and aerosol-generating substance flowing into the heater module 620 may be mixed to generate an aerosol.

The aerosol generated in the heater module 620 may flow from the heater module 620 into the cartridge 630 through the air outlet 623 arranged in a region of the heater module 620 facing the cartridge 630, and may then be discharged to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 10 through the mouthpiece 630 m. For example, as the pressure inside the cartridge 630 decreases due to the user inhaling through the mouthpiece 630m, air and/or aerosol inside the heater module 620 may move inside the cartridge 630 of the heater module 620, allowing the user to inhale the air and/or aerosol present in the cartridge 630.

The cartridge 630 may include a reservoir 631 having an aerosol-generating substance stored therein and a mouthpiece 630m (e.g., mouthpiece 630m in fig. 6) for supplying the aerosol generated in the heater module 620 to a user.

When the cartridge 630 and the heater module 620 are coupled, the reservoir 631 may be connected or in fluid communication with the interior space of the heater module 620 and, correspondingly, aerosol-generating substance may flow into the interior space of the heater module 620.

In this case, the aerosol-generating substance stored in the storage portion 631 may include a tobacco-containing substance having a volatile tobacco flavor component or a liquid composition having a non-tobacco substance.

According to an embodiment, the liquid composition may comprise one or a mixture of the following ingredients: water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, flavors, fragrances, and vitamin mixtures. The flavoring may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruity ingredients, but is not limited thereto. The flavoring agent may include ingredients capable of providing a variety of flavors or fragrances 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. In addition, the liquid composition may include aerosol formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

For example, the liquid composition may comprise any weight ratio of glycerin and propylene glycol solution, and nicotine salt added thereto. The liquid composition may comprise two or more nicotine salts. The nicotine salt may be formed by adding an appropriate acid to nicotine, including organic or inorganic acids. The nicotine may be naturally occurring nicotine or synthetic nicotine and may be present in any suitable weight concentration relative to the total weight of the solution of the liquid composition.

The acid used to form the nicotine salt may be appropriately selected depending on the blood nicotine adsorption rate, the operating temperature of the aerosol-generating device 10, the flavor or aroma, the solubility, and the like. For example, the acid used to form the nicotine salt may be a single acid or a mixture of two or more acids selected from the following, but is not limited thereto: benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, glyconic acid, malonic acid and malic acid.

In the aerosol-generating device 10 according to the embodiment, the cartridge 630 and the heater module 620 are individually replaceable, as the cartridge 630 is detachably coupled to the heater module 620 and the heater module 620 is detachably coupled to the body 610.

For example, if the aerosol-generating substance stored in the storage portion 631 of the cartridge 630 is depleted, the user may continue smoking by replacing the existing cartridge 630 with a new cartridge 630 without having to replace the heater module 620. As another example, if the performance of a component (e.g., a heater or core) of the heater module 620 is degraded and thus a sufficient amount of aerosol cannot be generated, the user may replace the existing heater module 620 with a new heater module 620 without having to replace the cartridge 630, thereby generating a sufficient amount of aerosol.

Referring to fig. 8, the aerosol-generating device 1 may comprise a body 810, a heater module 820 and a cartridge 830. The components related to the present embodiment are illustrated in the aerosol-generating device 10 of fig. 8. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art relating to the present embodiment will appreciate that other general-purpose components may be included in the aerosol-generating device 10 in addition to those illustrated in fig. 8. For example, the aerosol-generating device 10 may further comprise at least one of: a sensor (not shown), a user interface (not shown), and a memory (not shown).

The sensor may comprise at least one of: suction sensors, temperature sensors, etc. The sensing result of the sensor may be transmitted to the controller 811 inside the main body 810, and the controller 811 may control the aerosol-generating device 10 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 823 inside the heater module 820, restricting smoking, determining whether to couple the cartridge 830 or the heater module 820, and displaying a notification according to the sensing result.

The user interface may provide information to the user regarding the status of the aerosol-generating device 10. The user interface may include various types of interface elements such as a display or a lamp outputting visual information, a motor outputting tactile information, a speaker outputting sound information, an input/output (I/O) interface element (e.g., a button and a touch screen) receiving information input from a user or outputting information to a user, a terminal performing data communication or supplying charging power, and a communication interface module performing wireless communication (e.g., WI-FI direct, bluetooth, near Field Communication (NFC), etc.) with an external device. However, the aerosol-generating device 10 may alternatively include only some of the various user interface examples described above.

The memory is hardware that stores various types of data processed in the aerosol-generating device 10, and the memory may store data processed by the controller 811 and data to be processed. The memory may be implemented in various types such as: random access memories such as Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), and the like, read Only Memory (ROM), and Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), and the like. The memory may store the operating time of the aerosol-generating device 10, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data regarding the user's smoking pattern.

The main body 810 may include a controller 811 and a battery 812, and the heater module 820 may include a heater 823, an integrated circuit 824, and a printed circuit board 825 on which the integrated circuit 824 is mounted. The heater module 820 may be detachably coupled to the body 810, and the cartridge 830 may be detachably coupled to the heater module 820. Accordingly, the heater module 820 and the cartridge 830 may be individually replaceable, and thus, the duration of depletion of the aerosol-generating substance stored in the cartridge 830 and the durability of the heater module 820 may be individually considered when replacing components of the aerosol-generating device 10.

The controller 811 is hardware that controls the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 10. The controller 811 may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and memory in which a program executable in the microprocessor is stored. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the controller 811 may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The controller 811 analyzes the sensing result of the at least one sensor and controls the subsequent process. Based on the sensing result from the at least one sensor, the controller 811 may control the power supplied to the heater 823 so that the operation of the heater 823 is started or ended. For example, when suction is detected by the suction sensor, the controller 811 may control the battery 812 to supply power to the heater 823.

The battery 812 may supply electrical power for operating the aerosol-generating device 10. For example, the battery 812 may supply power so that the heater 823 may be heated. Further, the battery 812 may supply power for operating other hardware components included in the aerosol-generating device 10, such as the sensors, user interfaces, memory, and controller 811. The battery 812 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 812 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

The heater 823 may refer to a device for heating the aerosol-generating substance. In an example, the heater 823 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, nickel chromium. For example, the heater 823 may include at least one of a coil heater and a porous ceramic heater coupled with a silicon core.

The integrated circuit 824 may refer to a control circuit that is mounted inside the heater module 820 and is separated from the controller 811 mounted on the main body 810. The integrated circuit 824 may be mounted on a printed circuit board 825 disposed in the heater module 820. The integrated circuit 824 may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates or may be implemented as a combination of a general purpose microprocessor and memory in which a program executable in the microprocessor is stored.

When the heater module 820 is coupled to the body 810, the integrated circuit 824 may be electrically connected to the controller 811. The integrated circuit 824 may then be used to perform verification of the heater module 820 or to prevent excessive use of the heater module 820.

Whenever an operation associated with a user's smoking (e.g., a user's puff) is detected by the controller 811, the integrated circuit 824 may count according to a signal transmitted from the controller 8110 and store a number corresponding to the count result. The number stored in the integrated circuit 824 is proportional to the time for the heater module to perform the heating operation, and thus, in consideration of the durability of the heater module, the replacement time of the heater module can be accurately determined by comparing the number stored in the integrated circuit 824 with a preset threshold value.

The integrated circuit 824 may include a counter for counting the number of puffs. In addition, the integrated circuit 824 may include a non-volatile memory for storing count numbers. The integrated circuit 824 includes a nonvolatile memory for storing the count number, and thus, the count number can be continuously maintained even though the power supply of the integrated circuit 824 is cut off when the heater module is separated from the main body. Accordingly, even if the heater module 820 is separated from the main body 810 and re-coupled to the same main body or another main body, it is possible to prevent the use of the heater module 820 beyond the durability thereof.

Referring to fig. 9, the heater module 920 may include first terminals 921-1 and 921-2, second terminals 922-1 and 922-2, and third terminals 923-1 and 923-2. The first terminals 921-1 and 921-2, the second terminals 922-1 and 922-2, and the third terminals 923-1 and 923-2 may each be configured in a pair-wise manner.

When the cartridge 930 is coupled to the heater module 920, the first terminals 921-1 and 921-2 may electrically connect the cartridge 930 with the heater module 920. Specifically, when the cartridge 930 is coupled to the heater module 920, the first terminals 921-1 and 921-2 may be electrically connected with the conductive member 931 disposed in the cartridge 930 to construct a closed circuit.

When the heater module 920 is coupled to the main body 910, the second terminals 922-1 and 922-2 and the third terminals 923-1 and 923-2 of the heater module 920 may electrically connect the heater module 920 with the main body 910. In particular, the second terminals 922-1 and 922-2 may be electrically connected with the first terminals 911-1 and 911-2 disposed in the main body 910, and the third terminals 923-1 and 923-2 may be electrically connected with the second terminals 912-1 and 912-2 disposed in the main body 910.

The body 910 may include first terminals 911-1 and 911-2 and second terminals 912-1 and 912-2. The first terminals 911-1 and 911-2 and the second terminals 912-1 and 912-2 may each be configured in a pair-wise manner. The first terminals 911-1 and 911-2 and the second terminals 912-1 and 912-2 may be electrically connected to a controller 811 disposed in the main body 910.

The first terminals 921-1 and 921-2 and the third terminals 923-1 and 923-2 arranged in the heater module 920 may be electrically connected to each other through a printed circuit board 825 arranged in the heater module 920. The integrated circuit 824 mounted on the printed circuit board 825 may be electrically connected to the controller 811 disposed in the main body 910 by being electrically connected to the third terminals 923-1 and 923-2.

When the cartridge 930 is coupled with the heater module 920, the conductive member 931 disposed in the cartridge 930 may be electrically connected with the first terminals 921-1 and 921-2 of the heater module 920 and may generate a conductive signal. The conductive member 931 may be composed of an electrically conductive material. When the heater module 920 coupled with the cartridge 930 is coupled to the body 910, the controller may receive the conductive signal through the third terminals 923-1 and 923-2 of the heater module 920. The conducted signal is a signal applied through the third terminals 923-1 and 923-2 and the first terminals 921-1 and 921-2, and is an electrical signal mediated through the conductive member 931. The conducted signal may be supplied by a battery under the control of a controller. Specifically, the controller 811 may receive the conductive signal through the second terminals 912-1 and 912-2 of the body 910 that are connected to the third terminals 923-1 and 923-2 of the heater module 920.

The controller 811 may identify whether the cartridge 930, the heater module 920, and the body 910 are coupled to one another based on the strength of the conducted signal.

In operation S1010, the controller 811 measures a conduction signal. The conductive signal may be generated by an electrical connection between the conductive member 931 of the cartridge 930 and the first terminals 921-2 and 921-2 of the heater modules 820 and 920. The conduction signal may be a current during a predetermined time or more, or an amount of current equal to or greater than a reference value. In an example, when the conduction signal is a current during a predetermined time or more, the current during the predetermined time or more may be determined as the conduction signal, and the current having a duration less than the predetermined time (including 0) may be determined as the noise signal. In another example, when the conduction signal is an amount of current greater than or equal to the reference value, an amount of current greater than or equal to the reference value may be determined as the conduction signal and an amount of current less than the reference value (including 0) may be determined as the noise signal. The conducted signal and the noise signal may be distinguished by a number of criteria including the examples described above.

The controller 811 may compare the conduction signal with a predetermined reference value in operation S1020. For example, the controller may determine whether the duration and/or level of the conducted signal is below a particular threshold.

In operation S1030, the controller 811 may recognize that the cartridge 930 is in the coupled state when the conductive signal is greater than or equal to the reference value. In detail, the controller 811 may recognize that the cartridges 830 and 930, the heater modules 820 and 920, and the bodies 810 and 910 in the aerosol-generating device 10 are in a coupled state.

In operation S1040, the controller 811 may recognize that the cartridges 830 and 930 are not in the coupled state when the conductive signal is less than the reference value. In detail, the controller 811 may identify that the cartridges 830 and 930, the heater modules 820 and 920, or the bodies 810 and 910 in the aerosol-generating device 10 are not in a coupled state.

The aerosol-generating device 1100 may include a processor 1110, a sensing unit 1120, an output unit 1130, a battery 1140, a heater 1150, a user input unit 1160, a memory 1170, and a communicator 1180. However, the internal structure of the aerosol-generating device 1100 is not limited to the structure shown in fig. 11. That is, depending on the design of the aerosol-generating device 1100, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that some of the components shown in fig. 11 may be omitted or new components may be added.

The sensing unit 1120 may sense a state of the aerosol-generating device 1100 and a state around the aerosol-generating device 1100 and transmit the sensed information to the processor 1110. Based on the sensed information, the processor 1110 may control the aerosol-generating device 1100 to perform various functions, such as controlling operation of the heater 1150, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol-generating article (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, displaying a notification, and the like.

The sensing unit 1120 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 1122, an insertion sensor 1124, and a suction sensor 1126, but is not limited thereto.

The temperature sensor 1122 may sense the temperature to which the heater 1150 (or aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 1100 may comprise a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heater 1150, or the heater 1150 may be used as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, a temperature sensor 1122 may also be disposed about battery 1140 to monitor the temperature of battery 1140.

The insertion sensor 1124 may sense insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article. For example, the insertion sensor 1124 may include at least one of a thin film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and may sense signal changes according to insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article.

Suction sensor 1126 may sense the user's suction based on the airflow channel or various physical changes in the airflow channel. For example, the puff sensor 1126 may sense a user's puff based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

In addition to the above-described sensors (including the temperature sensor 1122, the insertion sensor 1124, and the suction sensor 1126), the sensing unit 1120 may include at least one of the following: temperature/humidity sensors, barometric pressure sensors, geomagnetic sensors, acceleration sensors, gyroscopic sensors, position sensors (e.g., GPS), proximity sensors, and RGB sensors (illuminance sensors). Since the function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from the names by those of ordinary skill in the art, a specific explanation may be omitted.

The output unit 1130 may output and provide information about the aerosol-generating device 1100 to a user. The output unit 1130 may include at least one of a display unit 1132, a haptic unit 1134, and an acoustic output unit 1136, but is not limited thereto. When the display unit 1132 and the touch panel form a layered structure and thus form a touch screen, the display unit 1132 may function as an input device in addition to an output device.

The display unit 1132 may visually provide information about the aerosol-generating device 1100 to a user. For example, the information about the aerosol-generating device 1100 may refer to various information such as a charge/discharge state of the battery 1140 of the aerosol-generating device 1100, a warm-up state of the heater 1150, an insertion/removal state of the aerosol-generating article, or a state in which the use of the aerosol-generating device 1100 is restricted (e.g., an abnormal object is sensed), etc., and the display unit 1132 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 1132 may include, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), and the like. Further, the display unit 1132 may be in the form of an LED light emitting element.

The haptic unit 1134 may convert the electrical signal into mechanical or electrical stimulus, and provide information about the aerosol-generating device 1100 to the user in a haptic manner. For example, the haptic unit 1134 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electro-stimulation device.

The acoustic output unit 1136 may audibly provide information to the user regarding the aerosol-generating device 1100. For example, the acoustic output unit 1136 may convert an electrical signal into an acoustic signal and output the converted signal to the outside.

The battery 1140 may supply power for operating the aerosol-generating device 1100. The battery 1140 may supply power so that the heater 1150 may be heated. Further, the battery 1140 may supply power required for operation of other components in the aerosol-generating device 1100 (e.g., the sensing unit 1120, the output unit 1130, the user input unit 1160, the memory 1170, and the communicator 1180). The battery 1140 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 1140 may be a lithium polymer (lipy) battery, but is not limited thereto.

The heater 1150 may receive power from the battery 1140 to heat the aerosol-generating substance. Although not illustrated in fig. 11, the aerosol-generating device 1100 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a Direct Current (DC)/DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 1340 and supplies it to the heater 1150. In addition, the aerosol-generating device 1100 may further comprise a DC/AC converter that converts the DC power source of the battery 1140 to an AC power source when the aerosol-generating device 1100 generates an aerosol in an induction heating method.

Processor 1110, sensing unit 1120, output unit 1130, user input unit 1160, memory 1170, and communicator 1180 may each receive power from battery 1140 to perform functions. Although not shown in fig. 11, a power conversion circuit, such as a Low Dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, may be further included, which converts power of the battery 1140 and supplies the converted power to each component.

In embodiments, the heater 1150 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, nickel chromium. Further, the heater 130 may be implemented as a wire, a metal plate on which conductive tracks are arranged, a ceramic heating element, or the like, but is not limited thereto.

In some embodiments, the heater 1150 may be an induction heating type heater. For example, the heater 1150 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 1160 may receive information input from a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 1160 may include a keyboard, a dome switch, a touch panel (touch-sensitive capacitance method, pressure-resistant film method, infrared sensing method, surface ultrasonic wave conduction method, global tension measurement method, piezoelectric effect method, etc.), a click wheel, a click switch, etc., but is not limited thereto. Further, although not shown in fig. 11, the aerosol-generating device 1100 may further include a connection interface, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and may be connected with other external devices through the connection interface, such as the USB interface, to thereby transmit and receive information or charge the battery 1140.

The memory 1170 is a hardware component for storing various types of data processed in the aerosol-generating device 1100, and can store data processed by the processor 1110 and data to be processed. Memory 1170 may include at least one of the following storage media types: flash memory type, hard disk type, multimedia card micro type memory, card type memory (e.g., SD or 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, or optical disk. The memory 1170 may store operating time of the aerosol-generating device 1100, maximum number of puffs, current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, data regarding a user's smoking pattern, etc.

The communicator 1180 may include at least one component for communicating with other electronic devices. For example, the communicator 1180 may include a short-range wireless communicator 1182 and a wireless communicator 1184.

The short-range wireless communicator 1182 may include, but is not limited to, a bluetooth communicator, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communicator, a near field communicator, a WLAN communicator, a Zigbee communicator, an infrared data association (IrDA) communicator, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communicator, an Ultra Wideband (UWB) communicator, an ant+ communicator, and the like.

The wireless communicator 1184 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communicator, an internet communicator, a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN) communicator, and the like. The wireless communicator 1184 may use user information, such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI), to examine and verify the aerosol-generating device 1100 in a communication network.

The processor 1110 may control the general operation of the aerosol-generating device 1100. In one implementation, the processor 1110 may include at least one processor. A processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable in the microprocessor. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a processor may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The processor 1110 may control the temperature of the heater 1150 by controlling the power supply of the battery 1140 to the heater 1150. For example, the processor 1110 may control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching element between the battery 1140 and the heater 1150. In another example, the direct heating circuit may also control the power supply of the heater 1150 according to the control command of the processor 1110.

The processor 1110 may analyze the results detected by the sensing unit 1120 and control a process to be performed. For example, the processor 1110 may control power supplied to the heater 1150 to start or end operation of the heater 1150 based on a result sensed by the sensing unit 1120. As another example, the processor 1110 may control the amount of power supplied to the heater 1150 and the duration of the power supply based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 1120 such that the heater 1150 may be heated to a certain temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature.

The processor 1110 may control the output unit 1130 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 1120. For example, when the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 1126 reaches a preset number, the processor 1110 may inform the user that the aerosol-generating device 1100 is about to terminate through at least one of the display unit 1132, the haptic unit 1134, and the acoustic output unit 1136.

The processor 1110 may output control signals based on user input through the user input unit 1160, but may output different control signals in response to the user input depending on whether cartridges are coupled.

Specifically, when the received conductive signal is less than a reference value (e.g., the duration and/or level of the conductive signal is below a particular threshold), the processor 1110 may identify that the cartridge is not in the coupled state and may output a first control signal in response to a user input entered through the user input unit 1160. On the other hand, when the received conductive signal is greater than or equal to the reference value, the processor 1110 may recognize that the cartridge is in the coupled state, and may output the second control signal in response to the user input through the user input unit 1160.

For example, in response to the same input by the user, the processor 1110 may output a first control signal to supply power to the heater 1150 when the processor 1110 recognizes that the cartridge is in the coupled state, but the processor 1110 may output a second control signal to prevent power from being supplied to the heater 1150 when the processor 1110 recognizes that the cartridge is not in the coupled state.

In another example, in response to the same input by the user, the processor 1110 may output a first control signal to supply a first power to the heater 1150 when the processor 1110 recognizes that the cartridge is in the coupled state, but the processor 1110 may output a second control signal to supply a second power to the heater 1150 when the processor 1110 recognizes that the cartridge is not in the coupled state. Here, the second power may be greater than the first power. The first power may be power supplied to the heater 1150 in a general smoking mode, and the second power may be power supplied to the heater 1150 in a cleaning mode in which the heater heats at a higher temperature than in the general smoking mode to evaporate residues of aerosol-generating substances. Thus, the aerosol-generating device 1100 according to the embodiment may perform two operations in response to one user input according to whether the cartridge is in the coupled state, without separately providing the user input unit 1160 in order to heat the heater 1150 in the smoking mode and to operate the user input unit 1160 in the cleaning mode. That is, since the aerosol-generating device 1100 according to the embodiment performs different operations according to whether cartridges are coupled in response to the same user input, the user input interface may be simplified.

In an embodiment, when the received conductive signal is less than the reference value, the processor 1110 may recognize that the cartridge is not in the coupled state and may display a first User Interface (UI) screen through the display unit 1132. On the other hand, when the received conductive signal is greater than or equal to the reference value, the processor 1110 may recognize that the cartridge is in the coupled state and may output a second UI screen different from the first UI. For example, icons related to the cleaning mode may be arranged in the first UI, and icons related to the smoking mode may be arranged in the second UI.

An 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. Further, the computer-readable recording medium may include 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 in a modulated data signal such as a program module or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media.

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 thereto. The scope of the disclosure should, therefore, be defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to the scope 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 main body including a controller and a battery;

a heater module detachably coupled to the body, and including a heater configured to heat an aerosol-generating substance; and

a cartridge detachably coupled to the heater module and configured to store the aerosol-generating substance to be delivered to the heater,

wherein the heater module comprises:

a first terminal configured to electrically connect the cartridge to the heater module when the cartridge is coupled to the heater module, an

A second terminal and a third terminal configured to electrically connect the heater module to the controller when the heater module is coupled to the body.

2. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the heater module further comprises a printed circuit board electrically connecting the first terminal to the third terminal.

3. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 2, wherein,

the heater module further includes an integrated circuit mounted on the printed circuit board, and

the integrated circuit is electrically connected to the controller through the third terminal.

4. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to: counting the number of puffs based on a signal transmitted from the controller every time a puff is detected; and storing the counted number of times.

5. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 4 in which the integrated circuit comprises a non-volatile memory in which the number of times is stored.

6. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the heater receives power from the battery through the second terminal.

7. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the cartridge further comprises a conductive element electrically connected to the first terminal when the cartridge is coupled to the heater module.

8. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 7, wherein,

when the conductive member is electrically connected to the first terminal, the conductive member generates a conductive signal, an

The controller receives the conducted signal through the third terminal.

9. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 8, wherein the conductive signal is a current during a predetermined time or more, or the conductive signal is an amount of current equal to or greater than a reference value.

10. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 8, wherein,

the aerosol-generating device further comprises a user input unit configured to receive user input, and

the controller is further configured to: in response to the user input,

outputting a first control signal when the conduction signal is smaller than a reference value, an

And outputting a second control signal different from the first signal when the conduction signal is greater than or equal to the reference value.

11. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 10, wherein the first control signal is a signal preventing the supply of electrical power to the heater.

12. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the first, second and third terminals are each configured in pairs.