CN117915793A

CN117915793A - Cartridge for an aerosol-generating device comprising a vibrator and method of manufacturing a vibrator

Info

Publication number: CN117915793A
Application number: CN202380013346.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张哲豪; 高京敏; 徐章源; 郑镇哲
Original assignee: KT&G Corp
Current assignee: KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2022-06-23
Filing date: 2023-06-14
Publication date: 2024-04-19

Abstract

A cartridge for an aerosol-generating device, comprising: a storage member configured to store an aerosol-generating substance; and a vibrator configured to generate vibration to atomize the aerosol-generating substance, wherein the vibrator may comprise a body configured to generate vibration; an electrode layer laminated on at least one surface of the main body; and a coating layer which is superimposed on a partial region of the electrode layer and is formed of a light absorbing material.

Description

Cartridge for an aerosol-generating device comprising a vibrator and method of manufacturing a vibrator

Technical Field

The following embodiments relate to cartridges for aerosol-generating devices including a vibrator and methods of manufacturing the vibrator.

Background

Recently, there is an increasing demand for alternative products that overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing need for devices for generating aerosols by electrically heating a tobacco rod (e.g. cigarette-type electronic cigarettes). Thus, research into electrically heated aerosol-generating devices and tobacco rods (or aerosol-generating articles) applied thereto is actively underway.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved

In an aerosol-generating device including an ultrasonic atomizer for generating an aerosol, a vibrator generates an aerosol by generating ultrasonic waves in such a manner as to atomize an aerosol-generating substance. Since the vibrator may be overheated while operating, the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the vibrator, and the processor may control the driving of the vibrator based on the temperature so that the vibrator may not be overheated.

When the detection result of the temperature sensor is inaccurate or there is an error in the detection result, the processor may not properly control the driving of the vibrator. This may cause overheating or damage to the vibrator, leading to degradation of the performance of the aerosol-generating device, and therefore the temperature of the vibrator must be accurately measured in real time.

Technical proposal for solving the problems

According to an embodiment, a cartridge for an aerosol-generating device comprises: a storage member configured to store an aerosol-generating substance; and a vibrator configured to generate vibration to atomize the aerosol-generating substance, wherein the vibrator may comprise a body configured to generate vibration; an electrode layer laminated on at least one surface of the main body; and a coating layer which is stacked in a partial region of the electrode layer and is formed of a light absorbing material.

In an embodiment, the vibrator may include a plurality of the electrode layers, wherein the plurality of electrode layers may include: a first electrode layer formed on one surface of the body of the vibrator; and a second electrode layer formed on the other surface of the body of the vibrator opposite to the one surface.

In an embodiment, the coating layer may be stacked on the second electrode layer.

In an embodiment, the vibrator may further include a shielding layer stacked in a partial region of the first electrode layer and formed of a non-conductive material.

In an embodiment, the shielding layer may include a waterproof material to prevent the vibrator from absorbing the aerosol-generating substance.

In an embodiment, the cartridge may further comprise a transfer member configured to receive the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir and to atomize the aerosol-generating substance by vibration of the vibrator, wherein the vibrator may comprise a first surface facing the transfer member and a second surface opposite the first surface.

In an embodiment, the coating layer may be stacked to overlap with a substantial center portion of the second surface of the vibrator.

In an embodiment, the coating layer may occupy 50% or more of the area of the second surface of the vibrator.

In an embodiment, the coating layer may include: a first coating region overlapped to overlap a substantial center portion of the second surface of the vibrator; and a second coating region, and the second coating region is overlapped to overlap with a substantial outer edge portion of the second surface of the vibrator.

In an embodiment, the coating layer may include black pigment or gray pigment, and may be formed of glass, ceramic, polymer, or a combination thereof.

In an embodiment, the coating layer may be formed of a combination of pigment having a reflectivity of less than 50% and a material substantially identical to the body of the vibrator.

Additionally, according to an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may comprise: a storage member configured to store an aerosol-generating substance; a vibrator configured to generate vibration to atomize the aerosol-generating substance; and a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the vibrator, wherein the vibrator may include a body configured to generate vibration; an electrode layer laminated on at least one surface of the main body; and a coating layer that is stacked in a partial region of the electrode layer and formed of a light absorbing material, wherein the coating layer may be stacked in a partial region of the electrode layer facing the temperature sensor.

Additionally, according to an embodiment, a method of manufacturing a vibrator may include: a main body provided with a vibrator, the main body being configured to generate vibration when an electric current is supplied; depositing an electrode layer on one surface of the body and another surface opposite to the one surface; depositing a coating layer formed of a light absorbing material on a partial region of the electrode layer disposed on one surface of the body; and heat-treating the body, the electrode layer, and the coating layer.

In an embodiment, the method may further comprise: the coating layer is formed by combining a pigment having a reflectivity of less than 50% with glass, ceramic, polymer, or a combination thereof prior to depositing the coating layer.

In an embodiment, the method may further comprise: the coating layer is formed by combining a pigment having a reflectivity of less than 50% with substantially the same material as the body of the vibrator prior to depositing the coating layer.

Effects of the invention

A cartridge for an aerosol-generating device and a method of manufacturing a vibrator including a vibrator according to an embodiment may accurately detect a temperature change of the vibrator in real time using a temperature sensor by a coating layer formed on one surface of the vibrator and control driving of the vibrator based on the temperature change, thereby preventing overheating of the vibrator.

In addition, the method of manufacturing a vibrator according to an embodiment may enhance durability such that a coating layer of a vibrator driven in a high temperature environment is not detached or damaged, and a function of temperature detection of the vibrator may be improved by the coating layer.

The effects of the cartridge for an aerosol-generating device including a vibrator and the method of manufacturing the vibrator according to an embodiment are not limited to the above-described effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3a is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment, showing the closed state of the mouthpiece.

Fig. 3b is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment, showing the open state of the mouthpiece.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Fig. 5a is a perspective view of a vibrator assembly according to an embodiment.

Fig. 5b is an exploded perspective view of a vibrator assembly according to an embodiment.

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

Fig. 6b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7a is a front perspective view of a vibrator according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7b is a rear perspective view of a vibrator according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7c is an exploded view of a vibrator according to an embodiment.

Fig. 8a is a rear perspective view of a vibrator according to another embodiment.

Fig. 8b is a rear perspective view of a vibrator according to yet another embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart of a method of manufacturing a vibrator according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

Terms used in the embodiments are selected from general terms that are currently widely used in consideration of functions in the present disclosure. However, the meaning of these terms may vary according to the intention of one of ordinary skill in the art, judicial cases, the advent of new technologies, and the like. In addition, in certain instances, the applicant may choose terms arbitrarily in a particular instance. In this case, the meaning of the terms will be described in detail at corresponding portions in the description of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the terms used in the present disclosure are not merely definitions of terms, but are defined based on meanings of the terms and contents in the present disclosure.

It will be understood that, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, when a portion "comprises" a certain element, that portion does not exclude other elements, and may include additional elements. In addition, terms such as "unit", "module", and the like used in the specification may refer to a unit for processing at least one function and operation, and may be implemented as hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

As used herein, a statement such as "at least one" that follows an enumerated component modifies each of the enumerated components rather than modifying all of the enumerated components. For example, the expressions "at least one of a, b or c" and "at least one of a, b and c" should be interpreted as: including a, including b, including c, including a and b, including a and c, including b and c, or including a, b and c.

In various embodiments, the term "aerosol-generating article" may refer to an article containing a medium through which an aerosol passes and the medium is transferred. A representative example of an aerosol-generating article is a cigarette. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In various embodiments, the term "upstream" or "upstream direction" may refer to a direction away from the mouth of a user (smoker); and the term "downstream" or "downstream direction" may refer to a direction that is closer to the user's mouth. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" may be used to describe the relative positions of the components of the aerosol-generating article.

In various embodiments, the term "suction" refers to the inhalation by a user, and inhalation refers to the case where a user inhales through the mouth or nose to his or her mouth, nasal cavity, or lungs.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may be a device for generating an aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette contained in the interior space.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may comprise a heater. In one embodiment, the heater may be a resistive heater. For example, the heater may include a conductive track, and the heater is heated as current flows in the conductive track.

In an embodiment, the heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate heating element, a needle heating element, or a rod heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the cigarette according to the shape of the heating element.

In an embodiment, the cigarette may include a tobacco rod and a filter rod. The tobacco rod may be formed from a sheet or bundle, and may also be formed from cut tobacco cut from tobacco sheets. And, the tobacco rod may be wrapped with a thermally conductive material. For example, the heat conductive material may be a metal foil such as aluminum foil. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, the filter rod may be a cellulose acetate filter rod. The filter rod may comprise at least one segment. For example, the filter rod may include a first section that cools the aerosol and a second section that filters predetermined components contained within the aerosol.

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

In an embodiment, an aerosol-generating device may comprise a cartridge containing an aerosol-generating substance and a body supporting the cartridge. The cartridge may be removably coupled to the body. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be integrally formed or assembled with the body and may be secured to the body to prevent removal by a user. The cartridge may be mounted on the body with the aerosol-generating substance contained therein. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. The aerosol-generating substance may also be injected into the interior of the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the body.

In one embodiment, the cartridge may hold an aerosol-generating substance in any of a liquid, solid, gaseous, 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 that contain volatile tobacco aroma components, or may be a liquid comprising non-tobacco-containing materials.

In an embodiment, the cartridge is operated based on an electrical or radio signal or the like transmitted from the body, thereby achieving the function of generating an aerosol by converting the phase of the aerosol-generating substance inside the cartridge into a gas. The aerosol may be a gas in which vapor particles generated from an aerosol-generating substance are mixed with air.

In various embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may generate an aerosol by heating the liquid composition, and the generated aerosol may be passed through the cigarette and delivered to the user. That is, the aerosol generated from the liquid composition may move along the airflow path of the aerosol-generating device, and the airflow path may be configured to allow the aerosol to pass through the cigarette and to the user.

In various embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may generate an aerosol from the aerosol-generating substance using ultrasonic vibration. Here, the ultrasonic vibration method may refer to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol-generating substance with ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

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

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may further comprise a core absorbing the aerosol-generating substance. For example, the core may be disposed to wrap around or may be disposed to contact at least one region of the vibrator.

In an embodiment, when a voltage (e.g., an alternating voltage) is applied to the vibrator, the vibrator may generate heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations, and the heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations generated by 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 to a gas by heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations transmitted from the vibrator and eventually an aerosol is generated.

For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the core may be reduced by heat generated by the vibrator, and the aerosol-generating substance having reduced viscosity may be changed into fine particles by ultrasonic vibration generated by the vibrator, thereby generating an aerosol. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In various embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may generate an aerosol by inductively heating an aerosol-generating article housed in the aerosol-generating device.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may comprise a susceptor (susceptor) and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil may apply a magnetic field to the susceptor. When the aerosol-generating device supplies power to the coil, a magnetic field may be formed within the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor may be a magnet that generates heat by an external magnetic field. The aerosol-generating article may be heated when the susceptor is positioned inside the coil and generates heat using an applied magnetic field. Further, optionally, a susceptor may be positioned within the aerosol-generating article.

In various embodiments, the aerosol-generating device may further comprise a support.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device may form a system with a separate holder. For example, the cradle may be used to charge a battery of an aerosol-generating device. Alternatively, the heater may effect heating when the holder and the aerosol-generating device are coupled to each other.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be embodied and carried out in an aerosol-generating device according to the various embodiments described above, or may be embodied and carried out in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment.

The aerosol-generating device 100 may include a control portion 110, a sensing portion 120, an output portion 130, a battery 140, a heater 150, a user input portion 160, a memory 170, and a communication portion 180. However, the internal components of the aerosol-generating device 100 are not limited to that shown in fig. 1. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that some of the components shown in fig. 1 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the different designs of the aerosol-generating device 100.

In an embodiment, the sensing part 120 may detect a state of the aerosol-generating device 100 or a state of the surrounding environment of the aerosol-generating device 100, and transmit detection information obtained by the detection to the control part 110. Based on the detection information, the control portion 110 may control the aerosol-generating device 100 to control operation of the heater 150, limit smoking, determine whether an aerosol-generating article (e.g., an aerosol-generating article, a cartridge, etc.) is inserted, display a notification, and perform other functions.

In an embodiment, the sensing part 120 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 122, an insertion detection sensor 124, and a suction sensor 126. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, the temperature sensor 122 may detect the temperature at which the heater 150 (or aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 100 may comprise a separate temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heater 150, or the heater 150 itself may perform the function of the temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 122 may be disposed around the battery 140 to monitor the temperature of the battery 140.

In an embodiment, the insertion detection sensor 124 may detect whether an aerosol-generating article is inserted and/or removed. For example, the insertion detection sensor 124 may include at least one of, for example, a film sensor, a pressure sensor, a light sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitance sensor, an inductance sensor, and an infrared sensor, may detect a change in a signal of insertion and/or removal of the aerosol-generating article.

In an embodiment, the puff sensor 126 may detect puffs of the user based on various physical changes in the airflow path or airflow channel. For example, the puff sensor 126 may detect a puff of a user based on any of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

In an embodiment, the sensing part 120 may include at least one of a temperature/humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a position sensor (e.g., global Positioning System (GPS)), a proximity sensor, or a red, green, blue (RGB) sensor (e.g., an illumination sensor), in addition to the above-described sensors 122 to 126. Since the function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from the names by those of ordinary skill in the art, a detailed description is omitted.

In an embodiment, the output 130 may output information about the status of the aerosol-generating device 100 and provide the information to the user. The output portion 130 may include at least one of a display portion 132, a haptic portion 134, and a sound output portion 136. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. When the display portion 132 and the touch panel are provided in a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display portion 132 may function not only as an output device but also as an input device.

In an embodiment, the display 132 may visually provide information about the aerosol-generating device 100 to a user. For example, the information about the aerosol-generating device 100 may include, for example, a charge/discharge state of the battery 140 of the aerosol-generating device 100, a warm-up state of the heater 150, an insertion/removal state of the aerosol-generating article, a limited use state of the aerosol-generating device 100 (e.g., abnormality is detected), and the like, and the display portion 132 may output the information to the outside. The display part 132 may be a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), or the like. The display 132 may also be in the form of a Light Emitting Diode (LED) device.

In an embodiment, the haptic 134 may provide haptic information about the aerosol-generating device 100 to a user by tactile means by converting an electrical signal into mechanical or electrical stimulation. For example, the haptic 134 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electro-stimulation device.

In an embodiment, the sound output 136 may provide information about the aerosol-generating device 100 to the user in a sound manner. For example, the sound output section 136 may convert an electric signal into a sound signal and output the sound signal to the outside.

In an embodiment, the battery 140 may provide the electrical power required for the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100. The battery 140 may be powered to cause the heater 150 to heat. Also, the battery 140 may supply power required for operation of other components in the aerosol-generating device 100 (e.g., the sensing portion 120, the output portion 130, the user input portion 160, the memory 170, and the communication portion 180). The battery 140 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 140 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the heater 150 may receive power from the battery 140 to heat the aerosol-generating substance. Although not shown in fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a Direct Current (DC) to direct current (DC/DC) converter) that converts power of the battery 140 and supplies the power to the heater 150. In addition, when the aerosol-generating device 100 generates an aerosol in an induction heating manner, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further comprise a Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) (DC/AC) converter that converts DC electricity of the battery 140 into AC electricity.

In one embodiment, the control section 110, the sensing section 120, the output section 130, the user input section 160, the memory 170, and the communication section 180 may receive power from the battery 140 to realize functions. Although not shown in fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit, such as a Low Dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies the power to the various components.

In one embodiment, the heater 150 may be formed of any suitable resistive material. For example, the resistive material may be a metal or metal alloy including, for example, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nickel chromium, and the like. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. Also, the heater 150 may be implemented as a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate provided with conductive tracks, a ceramic heating element, or the like. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, the heater 150 may be an induction heater. For example, the heater 150 may comprise a susceptor that heats the aerosol-generating substance by generating heat from a magnetic field applied by a coil.

In one embodiment, the heater 150 may include a plurality of heaters. For example, the heater 150 may comprise a first heater for heating the aerosol-generating substance and a second heater for heating the liquid.

In an embodiment, the user input part 160 may receive information input from a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input 160 may include a keyboard, a DOME switch, a touch pad (e.g., contact capacitive, piezoresistive film, infrared sensing, surface ultrasonic wave conductive, integral tension measuring, piezoelectric effect methods, etc.), a scroll wheel switch, etc. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. Although not shown in fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 100 may further include a connection interface such as a universal serial bus (USB, universal serial bus) interface, and may be connected to other external devices through the connection interface such as the USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 140.

In an embodiment, the memory 170 is hardware that stores various data processed by the aerosol-generating device 100, and may store data processed by the control portion 110 and data to be processed. The memory 170 may include at least one storage medium of a flash memory type (flash memory type) memory, a hard disk type (HARD DISK TYPE) memory, a multimedia card micro (multimedia card micro type) memory, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a random access memory (random access memory, RAM), a static random access memory (static random access memory, SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (ELECTRICALLY ERASABLE PROGRAMMABLE READ-only memory, EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (programmable read-only memory, PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk. For example, the memory 170 may store the run time of the aerosol-generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, data associated with user smoking pattern data, and the like.

In an embodiment, the communication portion 180 may include at least one component that communicates with other electronic devices. For example, the communication section 180 may include a short-range wireless communication section 182 and a wireless communication section 184.

In an embodiment, the short-range wireless communication unit (short-RANGE WIRELESS communication unit) 182 includes a bluetooth communication unit, a bluetooth low energy (Bluetooth Low Energy, BLE) communication unit, a near field communication unit (NEAR FIELD Communication unit), a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a zigbee communication unit, an infrared data association (IrDA, INFRARED DATA association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi direct) communication unit, an Ultra Wideband (UWB) communication unit, an ant+ communication unit, and the like. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the wireless communication portion 184 may include, for example, a cellular network communication portion, an internet communication portion, a computer network (e.g., a Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN)) communication portion, and so forth. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. The wireless communication portion 184 may use subscription user information, such as an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI), to confirm and authenticate the aerosol-generating device 100 within the communication network.

In an embodiment, the control portion 110 may control the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 100. In one embodiment, the control portion 110 may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as a plurality of arrays of logic gates, or as a combination of a general purpose microprocessor and memory having stored therein a program executable by the microprocessor. Furthermore, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that at least one of the processors may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

In an embodiment, the control part 110 may control the temperature of the heater 150 by controlling the power supply of the battery 140 to the heater 150. For example, the control section 110 may control the power supply by controlling switching of a switching element between the battery 140 and the heater 150. In another example, the direct heating circuit may control power supply to the heater 150 according to a control command of the control part 110.

In an embodiment, the control part 110 may analyze the detection result of the sensing part 120 and control the process to be performed later. For example, the control part 110 may control the power supplied to the heater 150 according to the detection result obtained by the sensing part 120, thereby starting and shutting down the operation of the heater 150. For another example, the control part 110 may control the amount of power supplied to the heater 150 and the power supply time according to the detection result obtained by the sensing part 120 so that the heater 150 may be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature.

In an embodiment, the control part 110 may control the output part 130 according to the detection result obtained by the sensing part 120. For example, when the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 126 reaches a preset number, the control part 110 may inform the user that the aerosol-generating device 100 is about to stop through at least one of the display part 132, the haptic part 134, and the sound output part 136.

In an embodiment, the control part 110 may control the power supply time and/or the power supply amount to the heater 150 according to the state of the aerosol-generating article detected by the sensing part 120. For example, when the aerosol-generating article is in an excessively wet state, the control portion 110 may control the power supply time to the induction coil, thereby extending the warm-up time as compared to the case where the aerosol-generating article is in a normal state.

Embodiments may be implemented in the form of a storage medium including instructions executable by a computer, such as program modules, being executed by the computer. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by the computer and includes all volatile (volatile) media, nonvolatile (non-volatile) media, removable (removable) media, non-removable (non-removable) media. Furthermore, computer readable media may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media (computer storage medium) includes all volatile, nonvolatile, removable, and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information for computer readable instructions (computer-readable instruction), data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instruction code, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal (modulated DATA SIGNAL) or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media.

Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 2, an aerosol-generating device 100 according to an embodiment may comprise a cartridge 10 and a body 50. Some components of the aerosol-generating device 100 described below with reference to fig. 2 may be substantially the same or similar to those of the aerosol-generating device 100 described with reference to fig. 1, and duplicate matters are omitted in the following description.

In one embodiment, the cartridge 10 may contain an aerosol-generating substance and be removably secured to the body 50. For example, at least a portion of the cartridge 10 may be inserted into the body 50 (cartridge securing area 255 of fig. 3 a), whereby the cartridge 10 and the body 50 may be connected together. The embodiment is not limited thereto, and at least a portion of the body 50 may be inserted inside the cartridge 10, whereby the cartridge 10 and the body 50 may be connected. The cartridge 10 and the body 50 may be fastened to each other in various ways, such as screw fastening, magnetic fastening, interference fastening, or snap fastening.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 10 may include at least one of a storage 30, a transfer member 32, and a vibrator assembly 33, and may include a housing 20 for accommodating the above components therein.

In an embodiment, the housing 20 may form the appearance of the cartridge 10 and may house at least one component therein for driving the aerosol-generating device 100 within the housing 20.

In an embodiment, the structure and shape of the case 20 may be variously embodied, for example, as shown in fig. 2, the case 20 may be formed in a column shape or a bar shape, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The housing 20 may include a mouthpiece 23 and an aerosol flow path 27.

In an embodiment, the mouthpiece 23 may be directly or indirectly connected to the body of the user of the aerosol-generating device 100. The mouthpiece 23 may comprise a suction opening 25 communicating with the interior of the cartridge 10, in particular with the aerosol flow path 27.

For example, a user may inhale an aerosol generated by the aerosol-generating device 100 by contacting the mouthpiece 23 with a mouth. When the user sucks through the mouthpiece 23, the pressure of the suction opening 25 and the aerosol flow path 27 is reduced, whereby the aerosol in the cartridge 10 can be transferred to the user via the aerosol flow path 27 and the suction opening 25.

In an embodiment, the reservoir 30 may be positioned in the interior space of the housing 20 to contain the aerosol-generating substance. For example, the reservoir 30 may contain and store the aerosol-generating substance and provide the aerosol-generating substance to other components (e.g., the transfer member 32). The reservoir 30 may be supplied with aerosol-generating substance from the outside.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating substance may be a substance in a plurality of phases, such as a liquid, a solid, a gas or a gel, or may be a mixture of substances in these phases.

In one embodiment, the aerosol-generating substance may be a liquid containing volatile tobacco flavour components and/or tobacco-containing substances. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may comprise at least one of water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract, flavour, aroma and vitamin mixture. Alternatively, the aerosol-generating substance may comprise at least one of menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil and fruit flavour ingredients.

In one embodiment, the transfer member 32 may receive the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir 30. The transfer member 32 may be directly or indirectly connected to the reservoir 30 and at least a partial region thereof faces the aerosol flow path 27. The transfer member 32 may comprise at least one of cotton, ceramic, glass and porous material, or may structurally comprise a flow path for the flow of aerosol-generating substance. For example, the transfer member 32 may be a core comprising a water absorbent or porous material.

In an embodiment, vibrator assembly 33 may be located inside housing 20 and generate vibrations through transfer member 32. Vibrator assembly 33 may include a vibrator 35 and a cartridge substrate 37 (e.g., printed circuit board (printed circuit board, PCB)) that controls the operation of vibrator 35.

For example, vibrator assembly 33 may form an atomizer together with other components (e.g., housing 20 and/or a portion of the area of transfer member 32). The specific structure of the vibrator assembly 33 according to an embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 5 a.

In one embodiment, vibrator assembly 33 may generate vibrations having a relatively short period, such as ultrasonic vibrations. For example, the frequency of the ultrasonic vibration may be about 100kHz to 3.5HMz. Due to the vibration of vibrator assembly 33, aerosol-generating substance transferred from reservoir 30 to transfer member 32 may be vaporized and/or atomized into an aerosol.

In an embodiment, the main body 50 may house a control part (e.g., the control part 110 of fig. 1), a battery (e.g., the battery of fig. 1), and other components (e.g., at least one of the sensing part 120, the output part 130, the memory 170, and the communication part 180 of fig. 1) for controlling the driving of the aerosol-generating device 100.

In an embodiment, the body 50 may be electrically or communicatively connected to the cartridge substrate 37 to provide data and/or power. Although fig. 2 shows the control portion 110 and the cartridge substrate 37 separately, the embodiment is not limited thereto. For example, the cartridge substrate 37 may be included as part of the control portion 110, and the body 50 may also include other components of the control portion 110, such as a body substrate (e.g., body substrate 335 in fig. 6 a).

Fig. 3a is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment, showing the mouthpiece 223 in a closed state. Fig. 3b is a perspective view of the aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment, showing the mouthpiece 223 in an open state.

Referring to fig. 3a and 3b, an aerosol-generating device 200 (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 100 of fig. 1 or 2) according to an embodiment may comprise a cartridge 210 (e.g., the cartridge 10 of fig. 2) and a body 250 (e.g., the body 50 of fig. 2).

The aerosol-generating device 200 and its components shown in fig. 3a are an example of an achievable embodiment of the aerosol-generating device 100 described above with reference to fig. 1 and 2, to which the practical application is not limited. The aerosol-generating device 200 may be implemented in different structures and shapes. The repetition will be omitted in the following description of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In an embodiment, the body 250 may include a first body 250a and a second body 250b. The first body 250a and the second body 250b may be fastened to each other, and each of the first body 250a and the second body 250b may house and protect the internal components of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In an embodiment, the first body 250a may include a cartridge securing region 255 and support the cartridge 210 when the cartridge 210 is secured to the cartridge securing region 255. For example, the cartridge fastening zone 255 may include an opening formed on a surface of the first body 250a facing one direction (e.g., the +z direction), and the cartridge 210 may be inserted into the opening and fastened to the cartridge fastening zone 255.

In an embodiment, the second body 250b may be fastened with the first body 250a, and the second body 250b may be an area for a user to grasp the aerosol-generating device 200. Although not shown in the drawings, at least one of a temperature sensor (e.g., the temperature sensor 122 of fig. 1) and a substrate (e.g., the control part 110 of fig. 1 or 2) may be accommodated inside the second body 250 b. In the drawings, the second body 250b is substantially circular or polygonal, but is not limited thereto in practical application, and may be implemented as a column shape, a bar shape, or the like.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may include a mouthpiece 223. Suction nozzle 223 may be rotated or tilted based on the rotation axis, and suction port 225 (e.g., suction port 25 in fig. 2) of suction nozzle 223 may be selectively exposed based on the rotation or tilting.

For example, as shown in fig. 3a, when the aerosol-generating device 200 is not in use, the mouthpiece 223 may be located inside the cartridge fastening zone 255 and the suction port 225 may not be exposed to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 200.

For example, as shown in fig. 3b, the user may rotate or tilt the mouthpiece 223 to use the aerosol-generating device 200 to expose the suction port 225 to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 200.

As shown in fig. 3a and 3b, the aerosol-generating device 200 may cover the suction opening 225 as needed, such that the aerosol-generating device 200 prevents external foreign objects from entering the cartridge 210 via the suction opening 225 and prevents the suction opening 225 from being contaminated. In addition, leakage of aerosols or aerosol-generating substances from inside the cartridge 210 to outside the aerosol-generating device 200 may be prevented.

However, the driving method of the suction nozzle 223 in fig. 3a and 3b is only an example, and the practical application is not limited thereto. Suction nozzle 223 may be implemented in a variety of forms. For example, the body 250 or the cartridge 210 may include a separate door to selectively expose the suction port 225 of the cartridge 210.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the cartridge 210 according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 4, in an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may include a cartridge body 211 and a mouthpiece 223.

The aerosol-generating device 100 shown in fig. 4 may be an example of the aerosol-generating device 100 described above or a modification thereof, and duplicate matters will be omitted below.

In an embodiment, the cartridge body 211 may include at least one of the housing 205, the transfer member 235, and the vibrator assembly 300.

In one embodiment, the mouthpiece 223 may be coupled or connected to the cartridge body 211 and move relative to the cartridge body 211. The components of the cartridge 210 according to an embodiment are not limited to the above examples, and some components may be added or omitted according to an embodiment.

In an embodiment, the housing 205 may form the overall appearance of the cartridge 210 and have an interior space to house at least a portion of the cartridge 210 components (e.g., at least a portion of the reservoir 230, the transfer member 235, and the vibrator assembly 300).

In one embodiment, the housing 205 may have a variety of structures and shapes. For example, the housing 205 may be formed in a column shape or a bar shape, but is not limited thereto. Only the embodiment of the housing 205 of the cartridge 210 that is generally rectangular in shape is shown in the drawings, however, in other embodiments (not shown), the housing 205 may be integrally formed as a cylinder or other polyhedron (e.g., triangular, pentagonal) outside of a rectangular shape.

In an embodiment, the housing 205 may include a first housing 205a, a second housing 205b connected to one region of the first housing 205a, and a third housing 205c connected to another region of the first housing 205 a.

For example, the second housing 205b may be coupled to one region of the lower end (e.g., an end portion in the-z direction) of the first housing 205a, and an inner space is formed between the first housing 205a and the second housing 205b such that components of the cartridge 210 may be placed in the inner space.

In an embodiment, the third housing 205c may be coupled to one region of the upper end (e.g., an end portion in the +z direction) of the first housing 205a, and at least a portion of the suction nozzle 223 may be provided on one side of the third housing 205 c.

In an embodiment, the first and second housings 205a, 205b combine with one another to form an aerosol flow path 224 for a flow of air (e.g., an air-borne aerosol) to flow inside the cartridge body 211. For example, the first housing 205a may form a portion of the aerosol flow path 224, while the second housing 205b may form the remaining portion of the aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the first and second housings 205a, 205b may be combined to form an interior space in which components, such as the vibrator assembly 300 and the transfer member 235, required to operate the cartridge 210 may be housed or configured.

In an embodiment, the first and second housings 205a and 205b may protect components housed in the internal space, while the third housing 205c may protect the suction nozzle 223 and other components connected or coupled thereto. The housing 205 may form at least a portion of the aerosol flow path 224, or at least a portion of the structure of the housing 205 may serve as an inner wall of the aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the housing 205 may include a sensor aperture 207. The sensor hole 207 may be formed in a partial region of the second housing 205b of the housing 205. For example, the sensor aperture 207 may be located on the bottom surface of the second housing 205b where the cartridge 210 is coupled to the body 250. The sensor hole 207 may be formed at a position facing a temperature sensor (e.g., the temperature sensor 330 in fig. 6 a). The sensor hole 207 will be described in fig. 6 a.

In an embodiment, the suction nozzle 223 is a portion that contacts the user's mouth, and the suction nozzle 223 may be disposed or coupled to one area of the housing 205. For example, the suction nozzle 223 may be connected to the third housing 205c.

In one embodiment, suction nozzle 223 is movable between an open position and a closed position. The cartridge 210 may further include an elastic body 223a providing an elastic force to the mouthpiece 223. For example, the elastic body 223a may elastically support the suction nozzle 223 toward the open position.

In one embodiment, the elastic body 223a may be disposed on or around the rotation axis of the suction nozzle 223. The suction nozzle 223 is movable from the closed position to the open position by the elastic force of the elastic body 223 a. The elastic body 223a may be manufactured using a metal material (e.g., SUS).

In one embodiment, suction nozzle 223 is rotatable about a rotational axis, and elastic body 223a may be a torsion spring located at the rotational axis of suction nozzle 223. When the suction nozzle 223 is in the closed position, the elastic body 223a may have a relatively large deformation; the elastic body 223a may have relatively small deformation when the suction nozzle 223 is in the open position. Thereby, a biasing spring force can be provided to the suction nozzle 223 to change it from the closed position to the open position.

In an embodiment, the mouthpiece 223 may include a suction port 225 for discharging aerosol generated inside the cartridge 210 out of the cartridge 210. For example, one side of the suction port 225 may be connected to the outside, and the other side may be connected to the aerosol flow path 224 in the open position. The user may contact the suction nozzle 223 with a mouth and receive the aerosol discharged to the outside through the suction port 225 of the suction nozzle 223.

In an embodiment, the suction nozzle 223 may be rotatably or tiltably coupled to the third housing 205c together with the support portion 223 b. The support portion 223b is disposed between the suction nozzle 223 and the third housing 205c, and may wrap at least a portion of the bottom (i.e., the side facing the-z direction) of the suction nozzle 223.

In an embodiment, the suction nozzle 223, the support portion 223b, and the third housing 205c may be connected to each other by a rotation shaft. Thereby, the suction nozzle 223 can be not only firmly coupled to the third housing 205c, but also rotated with respect to the third housing 205c to move between the open position and the closed position.

In an embodiment, the aerosol atomized by the vibrator assembly 300 may be expelled through the aerosol flow path 224 to the exterior of the cartridge 210 and provided to the user. For example, aerosol generated by a vibrator (e.g., vibrator 301 of fig. 6 b) of vibrator assembly 300 may flow along aerosol flow path 224 providing fluid communication between an atomizing space (e.g., atomizing space 257 in fig. 6 a) and suction port 225 of suction nozzle 223, and then be discharged to the exterior of cartridge 210 through suction port 225.

In an embodiment, the aerosol flow path 224 may be connected to the mouthpiece 223 along the internal structure of the second housing 205b and the first housing 205 a. For example, the airflow moving forward along the aerosol flow path 224 may move in a predetermined direction (e.g., in sequence +z direction, direction transverse to the z axis, -z direction, direction transverse to the z axis, and +z direction).

In one embodiment, suction port 225 may be a channel within suction nozzle 223. When the mouthpiece 223 is in the open position, the suction port 225 may be connected to the aerosol flow path 224. When mouthpiece 223 is in the closed position, suction port 225 may be disconnected from aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the storage 230 may be provided inside the first housing 205a, and the aerosol-generating substance may be stored inside the storage 230. For example, a liquid aerosol-generating substance may be stored in the reservoir 230. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the transfer member 235 may be located between the reservoir 230 and the vibrator 301 of the vibrator assembly 300. The aerosol-generating substance stored in the reservoir 230 may be supplied to the vibrator assembly 300 through the transfer member 235.

In an embodiment, the transfer member 235 may receive the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir 230 and transfer the received aerosol-generating substance to the vibrator 301 or the absorber 235a. In addition, the transfer member 235 may function to atomize the aerosol-generating substance in response to receiving ultrasonic vibrations from the vibrator 301. For example, the transfer member 235 may absorb the aerosol-generating substance in the reservoir 230, and the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the transfer member 235 may be transferred to the vibrator assembly 300.

In an embodiment, the transfer member 235 may be disposed adjacent to the reservoir 230 to receive the liquid aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir 230. For example, the aerosol-generating substance stored in the reservoir 230 may be expelled from the exterior of the reservoir 230 through a liquid supply port (not shown) formed in an area of the reservoir 230 facing the transfer member 235, and the transfer member 235 may absorb at least a portion of the aerosol-generating substance expelled from the reservoir 230, thereby absorbing the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir 230.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further comprise an absorber 235a that transfers the absorbed aerosol-generating substance to the vibrator assembly 300. In an embodiment, the absorber 235a may be configured to cover at least a portion of the vibrator 301 of the vibrator assembly 300 that generates aerosol.

In one embodiment, the absorbent member 235a may be made of a material capable of absorbing an aerosol-generating substance. For example, the absorber 235a can include at least one of SPL 30 (H), SPL 50 (H) V, NP (V8), SPL 60 (FC), and melamine.

In an embodiment, since the cartridge 210 further comprises the absorbing member 235a, the aerosol-generating substance may be absorbed not only into the transfer member 235 but also into the absorbing member 235a, whereby the amount of the absorbed aerosol-generating substance may be increased.

In an embodiment, the transfer member 235 may comprise a material that has a higher absorption rate of the aerosol-generating substance than the absorbent member 235 a. For example, the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the transfer member 235 may be controlled to be supplied to the vibrator 301 by the absorber 235a at a uniform rate, the absorber 235a having a relatively low absorption rate. Thereby, it is possible to prevent an excessive amount of aerosol from being supplied to the vibrator 301.

In an embodiment, the absorber 235a may be arranged to cover at least a portion of the vibrator 301, acting as a physical barrier to prevent "splatter" of particles that are not sufficiently atomized during aerosol generation, from being expelled directly to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 200. Here, "splash" may refer to relatively large particles of aerosol-generating substance that are not sufficiently atomized being expelled outside of the cartridge 210. Since the cartridge 210 further includes the absorber 235a, the possibility of splashing can be reduced, and the user's satisfaction with smoking can be improved.

In an embodiment, the absorber 235a may be positioned between the transfer member 235 and one surface of the vibrator 301 that generates the aerosol, and transfer the aerosol-generating substance from the transfer member 235 to the vibrator 301.

For example, one region of the absorber 235a may be in contact with one region of the transfer member 235 facing one direction (e.g., -z direction), and another region of the absorber 235a may be in contact with one region of the vibrator 301 of the vibrator assembly 300 facing one direction (e.g., +z direction). That is, the absorber 235a may be positioned at a top surface (e.g., a surface in the +z direction or the first surface 301a in fig. 5 b) of the vibrator 301, and transfer the aerosol-generating substance absorbed by the transfer member 235 to the vibrator assembly 300.

In an embodiment, the transfer member 235, absorber 235a, and vibrator assembly 300 may be disposed sequentially along a longitudinal direction (e.g., z-axis direction) of the cartridge 210 or housing 205. Further, the absorber 235a and the transfer member 235 may be sequentially stacked on the vibrator 301.

With the above arrangement, at least a portion of the aerosol-generating substance supplied from the reservoir 230 to the transfer member 235 may move to the absorber 235a in contact with the transfer member 235, and further along the absorber 235a to an area adjacent to the vibrator assembly 300.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating substance may be stably transferred to the vibrator assembly 300 so that the vibrator assembly 300 may continuously generate a uniform amount of aerosol, and the above arrangement may realize a dual physical barrier against the above-described splash by the transfer member 235 and the absorber 235 a.

In one embodiment, although only one embodiment is shown in which the cartridge 210 includes one transfer member 235 and one absorber 235a, the cartridge 210 according to another embodiment may also include more than two transfer members 235 and/or absorbers 235a. Alternatively, the transfer member 235 and the absorber 235a may be implemented as one piece.

For example, the absorbent 235a may be a separate component from the cartridge 210 connected to the transfer member 235, or the transfer member 235 may include the absorbent 235a. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further include a hollow 240 to prevent leakage of aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir 230 into the aerosol flow path 224. In an embodiment, at least a portion of the aerosol flow path 224 may be surrounded by the reservoir 230. In this regard, if aerosol-generating material leaks from the reservoir 230 into the aerosol flow path 224, the user's satisfaction with smoking is reduced.

In an embodiment, the hollow 240 may seal a gap around the liquid supply port of the reservoir 230 (e.g., a gap between the liquid supply port and the transfer member 235). Accordingly, in the cartridge 210 according to an embodiment, the hollow 240 may prevent the aerosol-generating substance in the storage 230 from leaking into the aerosol flow path 224, thereby preventing a user from smoking satisfaction from being reduced.

In an embodiment, the hollow 240 may be positioned in the atomizing space 257 of the housing 205 to prevent the aerosol-generating substance in the reservoir 230 from leaking into the aerosol flow path 224. For example, the hollow 240 may include a hollow having a circular shape. The hollow 240 may be fitted inside the first housing 205a and closely fit with the outer wall of the storage 230.

In an embodiment, due to the holes in the hollow 240, the hollow 240 may form part of the aerosol flow path 224, and the aerosol generated from the vibrator 301 moves through the aerosol flow path 224 while preventing the aerosol-generating substance from flowing from the reservoir 230 into the aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the hollow 240 may include at least one aperture connected to the aerosol flow path 224. For example, the hollow 240 may include a hollow opening 241 on a top surface (e.g., a surface in the +z direction).

In an embodiment, the atomizing space 257 may be positioned at the first surface 301a of the vibrator 301 facing the aerosol flow path 224 such that the atomizing space 257 and the aerosol flow path 224 may communicate at the upper end of the vibrator 301. The cartridge 210 may have a linear aerosol discharge path and the generated aerosol may be easily discharged to the outside of the cartridge 210.

In an embodiment, the hollow opening 241 may be formed such that the aerosol generated in the atomizing space 257 may move to the aerosol flow path 224. For example, a hollow opening 241 may be formed at a portion of the atomizing space 257 facing the hollow 240 of the aerosol flow path 224, whereby the aerosol generated in the atomizing space 257 and flowing in one direction (e.g., +z direction) may move to the suction nozzle 223 through the hollow opening 241.

In an embodiment, the hollow portion 240 may include a material (e.g., rubber) having elasticity to absorb ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator 301. Accordingly, the ultrasonic vibrations transmitted from the vibrator 301 to the user through the housing 205 of the cartridge 210 can be minimized.

In an embodiment, the hollow 240 may be located at an upper end of the transfer member 235 and press the transfer member 235 in a direction toward the vibrator 301 such that the transfer member 235 maintains contact with the vibrator 301. For example, the hollow 240 may maintain contact between the absorber 235a and the vibrator 301 by pressurizing the transfer member 235 and/or the absorber 235a in a direction (e.g., -z direction).

The cartridge 210 according to an embodiment may further comprise a waterproof member 245 for retaining the transfer member 235 and/or the vibrator 301 within the first housing 205 a.

The waterproof member 245 may be disposed to wrap at least a portion of the outer surface of the transfer member 235, the absorber 235a, and/or the vibrator 301 to accommodate the transfer member 235, the absorber 235a, and/or the vibrator 301.

In an embodiment, the waterproof member 245 may be located between the first and second housings 205a and 205b, and the transfer member 235, the absorber 235a, and/or the vibrator 301 may be held or fixed between the first and second housings 205a and 205 b.

In an embodiment, the waterproof member 245 may be coupled to the first housing 205a by interference fitting at least a portion of the waterproof member 245 to the first housing 205a, but the coupling method of the first housing 205a and the waterproof member 245 is not limited to the above example. In another example, the first housing 205a and the waterproof member 245 may be coupled by at least one of a snap coupling method, a screw coupling method, or a magnetic coupling method.

In one embodiment, the waterproof member 245 includes a material (e.g., silicone, rubber) having predetermined rigidity and waterproof properties to fix the transmission member 235 and the vibrator 301 to the first housing 205a and prevent the aerosol-generating substance from leaking from the reservoir 230. For example, the waterproof member 245 may seal the area between the reservoir 230 and the transfer member 235 or vibrator 301, thereby preventing leakage of aerosol-generating substance.

In an embodiment, the waterproof member 245 may include a material (e.g., rubber) having elasticity to absorb ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator 301, similar to the hollow portion 240.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further include a first sealing body 236 for maintaining the combination of the first and third housings 205a, 205c and sealing the reservoir 230.

In an embodiment, the first sealing body 236 may be disposed between the first housing 205a and the third housing 205 c. For example, the first sealing body 236 may be coupled to an upper end of the first housing 205a and a lower end of the third housing 205c, thereby firmly maintaining the coupling between the first housing 205a and the third housing 205 c.

In an embodiment, the first seal body 236 may include structure that seals the reservoir 230 but does not seal the aerosol flow path 224. For example, when the first sealing body 236 may have the following structure: this structure includes holes in the portion of the aerosol flow path 224 and no holes in the portion of the reservoir 230. Thus, the first sealing body 236 may separate the reservoir 230 and the aerosol flow path 224 at the upper end of the first housing 205a without blocking the aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further include a second sealing body 238 coupled to the third housing 205c to seal around the aerosol flow path 224. The second sealing body 238 may be coupled to the top of the third housing 205 c. The second sealing body 238 may include a hole having a size corresponding to the aerosol flow path 224, thereby sealing around a portion where the aerosol flow path 224 and the suction port 225 are connected without clogging the aerosol flow path 224.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may include both a first seal body 236 and a second seal body 238.

In an embodiment, the first and second sealing bodies 236 and 238 may be coupled to upper and lower ends of the third housing 205c, respectively, and at least a portion of the first and second sealing bodies 236 and 238 may be partially coupled within the third housing 205c, respectively. Thereby, the first and third cases 205a and 205c can be more firmly coupled by the first and second seal bodies 236 and 238.

In an embodiment, the first and second sealing bodies 236 and 238 may be coupled to the first and/or third housings 205a and 205c in an interference coupling manner, but a coupling method of the first and second sealing bodies 236 and 238 is not limited to the above-described example.

In an embodiment, the first and second seal bodies 236 and 238 may comprise a material (e.g., silicone) having a certain rigidity and water resistance to firmly bond the first and/or third housings 205a and 205c, and they may also serve as part of the inner wall of the aerosol flow path 224.

For example, during atomization of the aerosol-generating substance by the vibrator 301, a portion of the aerosol-generating substance may not be sufficiently atomized and formed into droplets of larger particles. In addition, some of the atomized aerosol may liquefy within the gas flow path to produce droplets. The generated droplets may clog the aerosol flow path 224, leak outside the cartridge 210 through other paths (e.g., the inlet 251 of fig. 6 a), or leak outside the mouthpiece 223 through the suction port 225, reducing the convenience and satisfaction of the user's smoking. The first and second seal bodies 236, 238 may prevent this problem and provide the user with smoking convenience and satisfaction.

Fig. 5a is a perspective view of a vibrator assembly 300 according to an embodiment, and fig. 5b is an exploded perspective view of the vibrator assembly 300 according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 5a and 5b, the vibrator assembly 300 according to an embodiment may include at least one of a vibrator 301, a first electrode body 311, a second electrode body 312, a support structure 325, a support plate 315, and a cartridge substrate 310.

In an embodiment, the vibrator assembly 300 may utilize the transfer member 235 to generate vibrations to atomize the aerosol-generating substance. Vibrator assembly 300 may include vibrator 301 and support assembly 320.

In an embodiment, the support assembly 320 may refer to a component that supports the vibrator 301, or may refer to other components in the vibrator assembly 300 other than the vibrator 301. For example, the support assembly 320 may include at least one of a cartridge substrate 310, a first electrode body 311, a second electrode body 312, a support plate 315, and a support structure 325.

In an embodiment, the vibrator 301 may generate an aerosol by atomizing a liquid aerosol-generating substance by vibrating the transfer member 235. The vibrator 301 may include a first surface 301a facing the transfer member 235 and a second surface 301b opposite to the first surface 301 a.

In one embodiment, vibrator 301 may comprise a piezoelectric ceramic. The piezoelectric ceramic may be a functional material that generates electric power when a force is applied and generates force when a force is applied, thereby achieving a conversion between electric power and force. For example, the vibrator 301 may generate short-period vibrations by the applied electric power, and the vibrations may gasify the aerosol-generating substance and/or change the aerosol-generating substance into particles.

In an embodiment, the vibrator 301 may generate ultrasonic vibrations. The frequency of the ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator 301 may be about 100kHz to 10MHz, preferably about 100kHz to 3.5MHz.

In an embodiment, when the vibrator 301 generates ultrasonic vibrations of a corresponding frequency, the vibrator 301 may vibrate along a longitudinal direction (e.g., z-axis direction) of the cartridge 210 or the housing 205. However, the direction in which the vibrator 301 vibrates according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the direction in which the vibrator vibrates may be changed to a different direction (e.g., one of an x-axis direction, a y-axis direction, and a z-axis direction, or a combination thereof).

In an embodiment, the vibrator 301 may ultrasonically atomize the aerosol-generating substance, which is relatively low in temperature compared to heating the aerosol-generating substance. For example, when heating an aerosol-generating substance using a heater, the aerosol-generating substance may accidentally be heated above 200 ℃, resulting in a user perceiving a burnt smell from the aerosol-generating substance.

In contrast, the cartridge 210 according to an embodiment may ultrasonically atomize the aerosol-generating substance and may generate an aerosol in a relatively low temperature range of about 100 ℃ to 160 ℃ compared to heating using a heater. Thus, the burnt smell in the aerosol can be reduced, and the smoking satisfaction of the user can be improved.

In an embodiment, the vibrator 301 may be electrically connected to an external power source through the cartridge substrate 310, and may generate ultrasonic vibrations through power supplied from the external power source. For example, when the vibrator 301 is electrically connected to the cartridge substrate 310 located inside the cartridge 210 and the cartridge substrate 310 is electrically connected to the body 250, the vibrator 301 may receive power from a battery (e.g., the battery 140 of fig. 1 or 2).

In an embodiment, an aerosol may be generated in an atomizing space (e.g., atomizing space 257 of fig. 6 a), wherein atomizing space 257 is positioned above first surface 301a of vibrator 301 and in communication with aerosol flow path 224. When the user sucks through the opened suction nozzle 223, the aerosol generated in the atomizing space 257 is mixed with the external air flowing along the aerosol flow path 224 and moves in a direction toward the suction nozzle 225.

In an embodiment, the vibrator 301 may be electrically connected to the cartridge substrate 310 through the first electrode body 311 and the second electrode body 312.

In an embodiment, the first electrode body 311 may include a material (e.g., metal) having conductivity, and may contact the first surface 301a of the vibrator 301 and electrically connect the vibrator 301 and the cartridge substrate 310.

In an embodiment, the first electrode body 311 may be in a pipe shape to accommodate at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the vibrator 301. A portion of the first electrode body 311 may be formed with an opening such that at least a portion of the vibrator 301 (e.g., the first surface 301 a) may be exposed to the outside of the first electrode body 311.

For example, a portion of the first electrode body 311 (e.g., an upper portion) may be disposed to wrap at least one region of the outer circumferential surface of the vibrator 301 and contact the vibrator 301, and a portion of another portion (e.g., a lower portion) of the first electrode body 311 is formed to extend from one portion in a direction toward the cartridge substrate 310 and contact one region of the cartridge substrate 310. The above-described contact structure of the first electrode body 311 may allow the vibrator 301 to be electrically connected to the cartridge substrate 310.

In an embodiment, the first electrode body 311 may have an opening such that at least a portion of the vibrator 301 may be exposed to the outside of the first electrode body 311. A partial region of the first surface 301a of the vibrator 301 exposed to the outside of the first electrode body 311 through the opening of the first electrode body 311 may be in contact with the transfer member 235 and/or the absorber 235a and atomize the aerosol-generating substance in the transfer member 235 and/or the absorber 235 a.

In an embodiment, the second electrode body 312 may comprise a material having electrical conductivity, and may be located on the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301, or between the vibrator 301 and the cartridge substrate 310, to electrically connect the vibrator 301 and the cartridge substrate 310.

For example, one end of the second electrode body 312 is in contact with the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301, and the other end is in contact with a partial region of the cartridge substrate 310 facing the vibrator 301, whereby the vibrator 301 may be electrically connected to the cartridge substrate 310.

In an embodiment, the second electrode body 312 may contact the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 and press the vibrator 301 in a direction (e.g., +z direction) facing the first surface 301a of the vibrator 301. The second electrode body 312 may have elasticity and support the vibrator 301 by being compressed between the support structure 325 and another surface of the vibrator 301.

In an embodiment, the second electrode body 312 may comprise an elastic conductive material and may be used to electrically connect the vibrator 301 and the cartridge substrate 310. Further, the second electrode body 312 may provide an elastic force to the vibrator 301 in the direction of the second surface 301b and support the vibrator 301.

For example, the second electrode body 312 may include a conductive spring, but the second electrode body 312 is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may further comprise a support plate 315 for grounding the cartridge substrate 310 or firmly bonding the cartridge substrate 310 to the second housing 205b.

In an embodiment, a support plate 315 may be disposed between the support structure 325 and the cartridge substrate 310, and at least a portion of the support plate 315 may be secured to the cartridge substrate 310 to support the support structure 325. The support plate 315 may enhance the fastening force between the cartridge substrate 310 and the first electrode body 311.

In an embodiment, the support plate 315 may include a flat region and an inclined region inclined with respect to the flat region such that the inclined region is fastened to a fastening recess (not shown). The flat region and the inclined region of the support plate 315 may be integrally formed of an elastic material such that a restoring force is generated due to an elastic effect when the inclined region is pressed against the flat region.

In an embodiment, the cartridge 210 may include a support structure 325, the support structure 325 being located between the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 and the cartridge substrate 310 to support the second electrode body 312.

In an embodiment, the support structure 325 may be located inside the first electrode body 311 to support the vibrator 301. At least a portion of the support structure 325 may be wrapped by the first electrode body 311, and at least a portion of the support structure 325 may be interference bonded to the first electrode body 311.

In an embodiment, for example, the support structure 325 comprises a material (e.g., silicone, rubber) that is resilient, for example, and may be configured to encase the second electrode body 312 to resiliently support the second electrode body 312.

In an embodiment, one surface of the vibrator 301 may be supported by the first electrode body 311, while the other surface of the vibrator 301 is supported by the support structure 325. The other surface of vibrator 301 in contact with support structure 325 may be pressed by support structure 325. Thereby, displacement or damage due to vibration generated by the vibrator 301 can be prevented.

In an embodiment, the cartridge substrate 310 may be located inside the second housing 205 b. For example, the cartridge substrate 310 may be separated from the vibrator 301 and electrically connected to the vibrator 301 through the first electrode body 311 and the second electrode body 312. The cartridge substrate 310 may be electrically connected to internal components of the body 250 of the aerosol-generating device 200 (e.g., the body substrate 335 in fig. 6 a).

In an embodiment, the cartridge substrate 310 may be electrically connected to the first electrode body 311 and the second electrode body 312 to provide a signal to the vibrator 301. The cartridge substrate 310 may be fastened to at least a portion of the first electrode body 311 surrounding the outer circumferential surface of the vibrator 301.

In an embodiment, the cartridge substrate 310 is electrically connected to the vibrator 301 through the first electrode body 311 and the second electrode body 312 while being electrically connected to the main body 250, and the vibrator 301 may receive power through the cartridge substrate 310 electrically connected to an external power source of the cartridge 210.

In an embodiment, the support assembly 320 may include a channel 350 that is open from the outside toward the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301. The channel 350 may be a space in which fluid flows, a space in which infrared or light propagates, or a simple open space.

In an embodiment, the channel 350 may be constructed from a plurality of communication openings 351, 352, 353 formed in at least a portion of the plurality of components of the support assembly 320.

For example, the cartridge substrate 310 may include a first opening 351 facing the second surface 301 b. The support structure 325 may include a second opening 352 formed to allow communication between the first opening 351 to the second surface 301 b. The support plate 315 may include a third opening 353 formed to allow communication between the first opening 351 and the second opening 352.

In an embodiment, the passage 350 may be a space configured such that the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 is exposed to the outside to measure the temperature of the vibrator 301. In this regard, the channel 350 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 6 b.

Fig. 6a is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment; and fig. 6b is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment. Specifically, fig. 6b is an enlarged view of region P of fig. 6 a.

Referring to fig. 6a and 6b, the aerosol-generating device 200 according to an embodiment may comprise a temperature sensor 330 and a lens 340.

The cartridge 210 inserted into the aerosol-generating device 200 described below may be the cartridge 210 including the vibrator assembly 300 of the embodiment of fig. 4 to 5b, but is not limited thereto. In the case of the aerosol-generating device 200 with the cartridge 210 inserted therein, which is described hereinafter, duplicate matters will be omitted.

In one embodiment, the cartridge 210 is removably coupled to the cartridge securing zone 255 of the body 250. The cartridge securing zone 255 may be part of the body 250 that incorporates the cartridge 210. Fastening member 255a may hold or secure suction nozzle 223 in the closed position.

In an embodiment, the cartridge securing zone 255 may house at least a portion of the cartridge 210. For example, the cartridge securing zone 255 may have a shape corresponding to at least a partial region of the cartridge 210 (e.g., a partial region of the housing 205) such that at least a portion of the mouthpiece 223 and cartridge body (e.g., the cartridge body 221 of fig. 4) of the cartridge 210 may be received.

In an embodiment, at least one region of the cartridge body 221 of the cartridge 210 includes a first magnet (not shown) and at least one region of the cartridge securing zone 255 of the body 250 includes a second magnet (not shown). For example, a first magnet (not shown) may be disposed under the cartridge body 221 and a second magnet (not shown) may be disposed in the cartridge securing zone 255 of the main body 250 facing the bottom surface under the inserted cartridge body 221. Thus, the cartridges 210 placed at predetermined locations of the cartridge securing sections 255 may be magnetically coupled.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 200 may comprise a fastening member 255a to hold the mouthpiece 223 in a particular position. For example, the body 250 may include a fastening member 255a that holds the closed suction nozzle 223 in the closed position. The fastening member 255a may be located in a portion of the cartridge fastening zone 255 that receives the mouthpiece 223 in a closed position.

In one embodiment, when the suction nozzle 223 is closed, a user may apply an external force to move the suction nozzle 223 from the open position to the closed position. When the suction nozzle 223 moves to the closed position, the fastening member 255a may provide a holding force to the suction nozzle 223 to hold the suction nozzle 223 in the closed position. For example, fastening member 255a may provide magnetic force, elastic force, and/or frictional force to one end of suction nozzle 223 to maintain suction nozzle 223 in the closed position.

In one embodiment, when opening suction nozzle 223, a user may apply an external force to suction nozzle 223 to move suction nozzle 223 from the closed position to the open position. For example, when the user presses the other side of the suction nozzle 223 with a predetermined force or more, the suction nozzle 223 may be separated from the fastening member 255a and rotate the suction nozzle 223 from the closed position to the open position.

In an embodiment, one end of the fastening member 255a and one end of the suction nozzle 223 may each include magnets having opposite polarities. Accordingly, when one end of the suction nozzle 223 approaches the closed position by a predetermined distance, the suction nozzle 223 may be pulled by the magnetic force and maintained in the closed position.

In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 200 may further comprise a puff detection sensor (not shown). A puff detection sensor (not shown) may detect whether a user is inhaling through the aerosol-generating device 200 by detecting a change in internal pressure or airflow of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In an embodiment, a puff detection sensor (not shown) may be located anywhere in the cartridge 210 or body 250. The cartridge 210 is a consumable that can be replaced when the aerosol-generating substance stored therein is depleted, preferably with a puff-detection sensor (not shown) disposed in the body 250.

In an embodiment, a puff detection sensor (not shown) may be positioned adjacent to the cartridge securing zone 255 of the body 250. For example, a suction detection sensor (not shown) may be located in one region of the cartridge fastening zone 255 adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the cartridge 210 bonded to the body 250. As another example, a puff detection sensor (not shown) may be located at a region of the body 250 facing the outer peripheral surface of the cartridge 210 housing 205 bonded to the body 250.

In an embodiment, since external air may flow into the aerosol-generating device 200 through a minute gap between the body 250 and the cartridge 210 coupled to each other, a suction detection sensor (not shown) may be disposed close to an area into which external air flows to more accurately detect a pressure change or an air flow inside the body 250.

In an embodiment, the body 250 may include at least one inlet 251 through which air external to the body 250 may flow into the body 250 and the cartridge 210. The inlet 251 may communicate with the interior of the cartridge 210 through at least one opening (e.g., sensor aperture 207) formed in the cartridge 210.

In an embodiment, external air flowing into the cartridge 210 through the inlet 251 may flow into the atomizing space 257 along the aerosol flow path 224. The airflow in the aerosol flow path 224 may be sharply curved at the portion where the direction of travel changes.

For example, the path of travel of the airflow at the location of the atomizing space 257 may vary drastically. Thereby, the time in which the air flow stays in the atomizing space 257 becomes longer and the possibility of generating a vortex is increased. Eventually, the external air flowing into the atomizing space 257 and the generated aerosol can be more easily mixed.

In an embodiment, the atomizing space 257 may be located at a central portion of the first housing 205a of the cartridge 210. External air flowing into the cartridge 210 through the inlet 251 formed at the body 250 may flow into the atomizing space 257 along the aerosol flow path 224. The airflow flowing in the aerosol flow path 224 may be sharply curved at a portion where the direction of travel is changed.

For example, when the user touches the mouthpiece 223 and draws in, the pressure inside the cartridge 210 may become lower than atmospheric pressure, such that outside air flows into the cartridge 210 through the inlet 251 of the body 250.

In an embodiment, the aerosol flow path 224 may be connected along the inlet 251, the atomizing space 257 where the aerosol is generated, and the suction port 225. The aerosol flow path 224 may be formed by at least one component of the cartridge 210 (e.g., the first housing 205a, the second housing 205b, and the mouthpiece 223). Alternatively, as a modified example, at least a portion of the aerosol flow path 224 may be formed as a tube inserted into the housing 205.

In one embodiment, the airflow may move forward from the inlet 251, through the atomizing space 257, and toward the suction port 225. At this time, the "forward direction" may be a flow direction of the air flow when the user sucks the suction nozzle 223. For example, the forward direction may refer to a direction from the inlet 251 toward the atomizing space 257 and a direction from the atomizing space 257 toward the suction port 225.

In an embodiment, the lens 340 may be disposed on one surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the cartridge securing zone 255. In an embodiment, the lens 340 may be disposed to face a partial region of the cartridge 210 (e.g., the sensor aperture 207 of the cartridge 210) when the cartridge 210 is coupled with the body 250.

In an embodiment, the temperature sensor 330 may be positioned to face the cartridge securing zone 255 in the body 250. The temperature sensor 330 may include an infrared sensor.

For example, the temperature sensor 330 may include a light emitting portion that emits infrared rays and a light receiving portion that detects infrared rays reflected from a target object. The temperature sensor 330 may detect the temperature of the target object based on the amount of light detected by the light receiving section.

For example, the temperature sensor 330 according to an embodiment may include a light receiving part without a light emitting part. The light receiving section may detect the temperature of the target object by the wavelength of light emitted and/or reflected from the target object. However, this is only an exemplary description of the driving of the temperature sensor 330 of the infrared sensor according to an embodiment. The temperature sensor 330 is not limited thereto in practical application and may be implemented in various ways.

In one embodiment, the temperature sensor 330 may be coupled to the body substrate 335. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 330 may be mounted or placed on the main body substrate 335. The body substrate 335 may be located inside the body 250 and may control the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 200.

In an embodiment, the main body substrate 335 may be the control portion (e.g., the control portion 110 of fig. 1 or 2) of the aerosol-generating device 200 itself or a part of the structure of the aerosol-generating device 200. For example, the control portion 110 may include a cartridge substrate 310 and a body substrate 335. The cartridge substrate 310 and the body substrate 335 may be electrically and/or communicatively connected to each other.

In an embodiment, the body substrate 335 may be connected to the interior of the cartridge body 221 of the cartridge 210 by a cable or conductor and may be connected to the cartridge substrate 310 of the cartridge 210. Since the cartridge substrate 310 of the cartridge 210 is in electrical contact with the vibrator 301, the vibrator 301 may be electrically connected to the body 250 through the cartridge substrate 310. The main body substrate 335 may control driving of the vibrator 301, and the vibrator 301 may receive power from a battery (e.g., the battery 140 of fig. 1 or 2) of the main body 250.

In an embodiment, the temperature sensor 330 may detect the temperature of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301. The vibrator 301 may be driven to generate vibration and thereby emit heat, and when the vibrator 301 is overheated, the vibrator 301 or surrounding parts may be damaged or the performance of the vibrator 301 may be degraded. In this regard, the temperature sensor 330 substantially directly detects the temperature of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301, and the control part may control the driving of the vibrator 301 based on the detection result.

In an embodiment, when heating the vibrator 301, the temperature of the center region of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 may be changed first. In order for the temperature sensor 330 to be able to detect the temperature of the central region of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301, obstacles between the temperature sensor 330 and the vibrator 301 should be avoided or minimized, and the path between the temperature sensor 330 and the vibrator 301 may be shortened. In addition, an optical path between the temperature sensor 330 and the vibrator 301 may be controlled. Thereby, the temperature sensor 330 can quickly and accurately detect the temperature change of the vibrator 301.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the aerosol-generating device 200 will be described based on the above description of the aerosol-generating device 200 and the cartridge 210. For example, various embodiments may improve the performance of the temperature sensor 330, or may improve the performance, durability, and/or space efficiency of the aerosol-generating device 200. In practical applications, embodiments may be implemented independently of each other, or two or more embodiments may be implemented simultaneously.

In an embodiment, if the temperature sensor 330 as an infrared sensor is located at an excessively long distance from the target object, the temperature sensor 330 may have a detection result with low accuracy and it is difficult to rapidly detect a temperature change. In an embodiment, the lens 340 may be positioned between the sensor aperture 207 and the temperature sensor 330. The lens 340 may expand the detection range of the temperature sensor 330 (or the viewing angle of the temperature sensor 330 as an infrared sensor).

For example, the lens 340 may concentrate light emitted from the temperature sensor 330 and control an optical path toward the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301. In addition, the lens 340 may concentrate light reflected from the vibrator 301 (or light reflected back by the vibrator 301 after being emitted by the temperature sensor 330) and control an optical path toward the temperature sensor 330. Through the lens 340, the temperature sensor 330 can accurately and rapidly detect the temperature change of the vibrator 301.

In one embodiment, the area between the lens 340 and the channel 350 may form an open space through the sensor aperture 207. Since the channel 350 extends toward the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301, a region between the lens 340 and the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 can be opened. Since there is no obstacle between the lens 340 and the second surface 301b, air or light may directly propagate from the second surface 301b to the lens 340, and the temperature sensor 330 may rapidly and accurately detect the temperature of the second surface 301 b.

In an embodiment, the channel 350 may include a first opening 351 of the cartridge substrate 310 and a second opening 352 of the support structure 325. The first opening 351 may be formed at a position facing the lens 340, and the second opening 352 may be formed to allow communication between the first opening 351 and the second surface 301b, such that the first opening 351 and the second opening 352 may form the passage 350. Thereby, the vibrator assembly 300 can expose the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 to the outside, and more easily and effectively form the passage 350.

In an embodiment, the second electrode body 312 may be positioned in the second opening 352 of the support structure 325. The second electrode body 312 may be formed of an elastic material having a central opening so as to overlap at least a portion of the second opening 352. In the drawings, the second electrode body 312 is shown as a spring structure, but is not limited thereto in practical applications. The second electrode body 312 may be implemented by various types of elastic materials having an opening overlapping the second opening 352.

In an embodiment, the second electrode body 312 may not only supply power to the vibrator 301 and provide elastic force against vibration of the vibrator 301, but may also form a part of the channel 350 to expose the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 to the outside.

In an embodiment, the path from the temperature sensor 330 to the second surface 301b may be formed as the shortest distance. For example, the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301, the channel 350, the lens 340, and the temperature sensor 330 may be arranged on a straight line. At this time, there are no other components than the lens 340 between the temperature sensor 330 and the second surface 301b, and a path from the temperature sensor 330 to the second surface 301b may be formed to be short. Thereby, the temperature sensor 330 can quickly and accurately detect the temperature of the second surface 301 b.

In an embodiment, the lens 340 may be disposed to be separated from the vibrator assembly 300 and the temperature sensor 330 by a predetermined distance. The sensor hole 207 may be formed in a region between the lens 340 and the vibrator assembly 300, and an open space may be between the lens 340 and the vibrator assembly 300. In addition, the area between the lens 340 and the temperature sensor 330 may be an open space.

For example, the cartridge securing zone 255 of the body 250 may include a lens aperture 333. The lens hole 333 may have a groove structure and may include an opening, in which the lens 340 rests. The lens hole 333 may be formed between the lens 340 and the temperature sensor 330. In a state where the temperature sensor 330 and the lens 340 are separated from each other, the lens hole 333 may form an open space therebetween.

In an embodiment, the space between the temperature sensor 330 and the lens 340 and the space between the lens 340 and the vibrator assembly 300 may be open spaces, and the lens 340 may directly face the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 through the passage 350. Thus, only the lens 340 may be disposed between the temperature sensor 330 and the vibrator 301 to concentrate light of the temperature sensor 330, so that the temperature sensor 330 may rapidly and accurately detect the temperature of the second surface 301b.

Fig. 7a is a front perspective view of a vibrator 301 according to an embodiment, fig. 7b is a rear perspective view of the vibrator 301 according to an embodiment, and fig. 7c is an exploded perspective view of the vibrator 301 according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 7a, 7b and 7c, the vibrator 301 according to an embodiment may have a multi-layered structure.

In an embodiment, the vibrator 301 may include a first surface 301a and a second surface 301b opposite to the first surface 301a, and may have a substantially plate-shaped or cylindrical structure. As described above, the vibrator 301 may be disposed between a transfer member (e.g., the transfer member 235 in fig. 4, 6a, or 6 b) and a temperature sensor (e.g., the temperature sensor 330 in fig. 6a or 6 b), and the first surface 301a may face the transfer member 235 and the second surface 301b may face the temperature sensor 330.

In an embodiment, the vibrator 301 may have a multi-layered structure in which multiple layers are stacked in a direction from the body 302 toward the first surface 301a and/or the second surface 301 b. For example, the vibrator 301 may include at least one of a body 302, an electrode layer 303, a shielding layer 304, and a coating layer 305.

In one embodiment, the body 302 may generate ultrasonic vibrations when current is supplied. The body 302 may be formed of a heat resistant material to prevent breakage, deformation, or modification under high temperature environments, and may be formed of, for example, glass, ceramic, polymer, or a combination thereof, or the like.

In an embodiment, the body 302 may substantially define the appearance and dimensions of the vibrator 301. For ease of understanding, the electrode layer 303, the coating layer 305, and the shielding layer 304 are shown in fig. 7c to have a predetermined thickness, but the embodiment is not limited thereto in practical applications. At least one of the electrode layer 303, the coating layer 305, and the shielding layer 304 may be formed of a thin film and have a relatively small thickness (e.g., width in the Z-axis direction) compared to the body 302.

In an embodiment, the electrode layer 303 may be stacked on one surface or both surfaces of the body 302. The electrode layer 303 may be a metal layer or a conductive layer that provides current to the vibrator 301. The plurality of electrode layers 303 may be disposed to be separated from each other in two directions (e.g., +/-z directions) with reference to the body 302.

For example, the plurality of electrode layers 303 may include a first electrode layer 303a formed on one surface of the body 302 facing the transfer member 235, and/or the plurality of electrode layers 303 may include a second electrode layer 303b formed on the other surface of the body 302 facing the temperature sensor 330.

In an embodiment, the first electrode layer 303a may be electrically connected to a first electrode body (e.g., the first electrode body 311 of fig. 5b, 6a, or 6 b) of a vibrator assembly (e.g., the vibrator assembly 300 of any one of fig. 4-6 b).

In an embodiment, the second electrode layer 303b may be electrically connected to a second electrode body of the vibrator assembly 300 (e.g., the second electrode body 312 in fig. 5b, 6a, or 6 b). The vibrator 301 may be electrically connected to a cartridge substrate (the cartridge substrate 310 of fig. 4, 6a or 6 b) of the vibrator 300 through the first electrode layer 303a connected to the first electrode body 311 and the second electrode layer 303b connected to the second electrode body 312, and the vibrator 301 may be driven and controlled by the cartridge substrate 310.

In an embodiment, the coating layer 305 may be stacked on a partial region of one surface of the electrode layer 303 facing the temperature sensor 330 (e.g., may be stacked on the second electrode layer 303 b). The coating layer 305 may be formed of a light absorbing material. For example, the coating layer 305 may be formed of a heat resistant material containing a light absorbing pigment.

In an embodiment, the coating layer 305 may be formed from a combination of pigment and substantially the same material as the body 302. The pigment may be a black or gray type pigment, or may have a reflectance of less than 50%, 30%, 10%, or 5%. For example, the coating layer 305 may contain black or gray pigments, and may be formed of glass, ceramic, polymer, or a combination thereof. When the vibrator 301 is driven, the temperature of the vibrator 301 may rise. For example, vibrator 301 may be heated to approximately 150 degrees celsius. Since the coating layer 305 may be formed of a heat-resistant material, it may not melt or fall off under a high temperature environment, and durability of the vibrator 301 may be improved. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the coating layer 305 may be realized by coating, for example, a printing paint or the like on the electrode layer 303 or attaching a light absorbing film to the electrode layer 303.

In an embodiment, unlike the shielding layer 304, the coating layer 305 may be formed of a material containing black or gray pigment, thereby reducing reflectivity. In an embodiment, the coating layer 305 may reduce the reflectivity of the vibrator 301, thereby improving the reliability and speed of the detection result of the temperature sensor 330 configured as an optical sensor such as an infrared sensor.

In an embodiment, the electrode layer 303 may be formed of a conductive material to be electrically connected with the electrodes 311 and 312, and the conductive material may be a metal material such as silver, copper, cobalt, iron, or nickel. The electrode layer 303 formed of a metal material may have excellent conductivity but high reflectivity.

If the reflectivity of the electrode layer 303 is high, the irregularly emitted light may increase in the channel (e.g., the channel 350 in fig. 5b or fig. 6 b) between the vibrator 301 and the temperature sensor 330. Since the temperature sensor 330 detects the temperature of the vibrator 301 through the passage 350, if light is irregularly emitted while passing through the passage 350, an error may be caused in the detection result of the temperature sensor 330.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the coating layer 305 formed of a light absorbing material is disposed on one surface of the vibrator 301 facing the temperature sensor 330, and thus the reflectivity of the vibrator 301 due to the electrode layer 303 may be reduced. The coating layer 305 may control irregular light reflection of the vibrator 301, thereby reducing an error of the detection result of the temperature sensor 330 and improving the accuracy and speed of the detection result of the temperature sensor 330.

Although not shown in the drawings, the second electrode layer 303b and the coating layer 305 may be substantially formed as one body. For example, the second electrode layer 303b may be implemented as an electrode containing a light absorbing material such as a black pigment, and in this case, the second electrode layer 303b may also be used as the above-described coating layer 305.

In an embodiment, the coating layer 305 may be disposed on a substantial center portion C of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301. The arrangement, shape or structure of the coating layer 305 will be described with reference to fig. 8a and 8 b.

In an embodiment, the shielding layer 304 may be stacked on one surface of the vibrator 301 facing the transfer member 235 (e.g., on the first electrode layer 303 a). In an embodiment, the shielding layer 304 may be formed of a non-conductive material. Additionally or alternatively, the shielding layer 304 may be formed of a waterproof material to prevent the vibrator 301 from absorbing aerosol-generating substances.

For example, the splash phenomenon or other causes may introduce aerosol-generating substance from the transfer member 235 or absorber (e.g., absorber 235a in fig. 4, 6a, or 6 b) into the vibrator 301. In addition, water vapor or liquid flowing in from the outside may contact the vibrator 301. In this case, since the first electrode layer 303a is formed of a conductive material, the first electrode layer 303a may be corroded or damaged by a liquid such as an aerosol-generating substance, which may cause a current loss or occurrence of a spark event.

In an embodiment, the shielding layer 304 may be formed of a non-conductive material, thereby protecting the first electrode layer 303a so that current flowing in the first electrode layer 303a may not leak to the outside or other materials. In an embodiment, the shielding layer 304 may be formed of a waterproof material, thereby protecting the vibrator 301 from a liquid such as an aerosol-generating substance.

Fig. 8a is a rear perspective view of a vibrator 301 according to an embodiment, and fig. 8b is a rear perspective view of a vibrator 301 according to another embodiment.

Referring to fig. 8a and 8b, the coating layer 305 of the vibrator 301 according to an embodiment may be implemented in various shapes and arrangements. Next, in describing the coating layer 305 of the vibrator 301, the repetition provided above will be omitted.

In an embodiment, the coating layer 305 may be disposed on a substantial center portion C of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301. When the vibrator 301 is heated at the time of driving, the temperature of the central portion C of the vibrator 301 may be changed first or most significantly. A temperature sensor (e.g., temperature sensor 330 in fig. 6a or 6 b) may measure the temperature of the central portion C of the vibrator 301, thereby more rapidly and accurately detecting a temperature change of the vibrator 301. The coating layer 305 may be stacked to overlap the center portion C of the vibrator 301. The coating layer 305 may be disposed on the central portion C of the vibrator 301 (i.e., at a position corresponding to the detection target of the temperature sensor 330), thereby more effectively detecting the temperature of the temperature sensor 330.

In an embodiment, a temperature sensor (e.g., temperature sensor 330 in fig. 6a or 6 b) may be positioned substantially in-line with vibrator 301, a channel (e.g., channel 350 in fig. 5b or 6 b), and a lens (e.g., lens 340 in fig. 6a or 6 b). With this structure, the temperature sensor 330 can detect the temperature of the vibrator 301 with the center portion C of the vibrator 301 as a detection target, and the coating layer 305 can be formed on the detection target of the temperature sensor 330.

In an embodiment, the coating layer 305 may substantially occupy 50% or more of the area of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301. For example, as shown in fig. 8a, the coating layer 305 may be implemented as a circle or a geometrical structure occupying a large part of the second surface 301 b.

In an embodiment, the remaining region of the second electrode layer 303b where the coating layer 305 is not formed may be exposed to the outside. The second electrode layer 303b may be connected to a second electrode body (e.g., the second electrode body 312 in fig. 5b, 6a, or 6 b) through the exposed region.

In an embodiment, the coating layer 305 may be formed on a large area of the second surface 301b, thereby further reducing the reflectivity of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301. In other words, as the area occupied by the coating layer 305 on the second surface 301b increases, the light reflectivity of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 may be further reduced. The coating layer 305 may more effectively aid in temperature detection of the temperature sensor 330 due to the reduced reflectivity of the second surface 301 b.

In an embodiment, as shown in fig. 8b, the coating layer 305 may include a first coating region 305a and a second coating region 305b. The first coating region 305a may be disposed on a substantial central portion C of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301, and may be overlapped with the substantial central portion C of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301, for example. The second coating region 305b may be disposed at a position spaced apart from the central portion C of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 (e.g., on an outer edge portion of the second surface 301 b).

In an embodiment, the first and second coating regions 305a and 305b may be separated from each other. Between the first coating region 305a and the second coating region 305b, the second electrode layer 303b may be exposed to the outside. The second electrode layer 303b may be connected to the second electrode body 312 through the exposed region. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. In an embodiment, the first and second coated regions 305a and 305b may be connected to each other in at least a partial region and separated from each other in other regions.

In an embodiment, the coating layer 305 including the first and second coating regions 305a and 305b may effectively fix the region for connecting the second electrode layer 303b to the second electrode body 312, and may increase the area of the second surface 301b of the vibrator 301 where the coating layer 305 is formed, thereby improving the light absorption rate of the second surface 301 b.

Fig. 8a and 8b show examples of shapes and arrangements of the coating layers 305 of the vibrator 301 according to an embodiment, and the embodiment is not limited thereto in practical applications. Coating layer 305 may be implemented in different shapes and arrangements.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart of a method S100 of manufacturing a vibrator 301 according to an embodiment.

Referring to fig. 9, a method S100 of manufacturing a vibrator 301 according to an embodiment may be a method of manufacturing a vibrator 301 having a multi-layered structure. The method S100 of manufacturing the vibrator 301 may include at least one of: setting operation S110 of the body 302; an operation S120 of depositing the electrode layer 303; an operation S130 of depositing the coating layer 305, and an operation S140 of performing a heat treatment.

Hereinafter, a method S100 of manufacturing the vibrator 301 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 9. The method S100 may be a method of manufacturing the vibrator 301 included in the aerosol-generating device 200 or the cartridge 210 described above, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. Further, fig. 9 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a method S100 of manufacturing a vibrator 301, at least some operations may be omitted, changed, or added within the scope of easy implementation by those skilled in the art.

In an embodiment, in operation S110 of setting the body 302, the body 302 configured to generate vibration when supplied with current may be set in a working space. The body 302 may comprise a heat resistant material and may be formed of, for example, glass, ceramic, polymer, or a combination thereof.

In an embodiment, in operation S120 of depositing the electrode layer 303, the electrode layer 303 may be deposited on one surface and the opposite surface of the body 302 of the vibrator 301. For example, the second electrode layer 303b may be deposited on one surface of the body 302 of the vibrator 301, and the first electrode layer 303a may be deposited on the other surface. The electrode layer 303 may be formed of a metal material.

In an embodiment, in operation S130 of depositing the coating layer 305, the coating layer 305 formed of a light absorbing material may be deposited on a partial region of one surface of the electrode layer 303. The coating layer 305 may be formed in various ways before the operation S130 of depositing the coating layer 305. The coating layer 305 may be formed of a heat-resistant material to prevent the coating layer 305 from being peeled off or damaged in a high-temperature environment in which the vibrator 301 is driven.

For example, in the operation of forming the coating layer 305, pigments having a reflectivity of less than 50% may be combined with glass, ceramic, polymer, or combinations thereof. Alternatively, for example, in the operation of forming the coating layer 305, a pigment having a reflectivity of less than 50% may be combined with substantially the same material as the body 302.

In an embodiment, in operation S140 of performing the heat treatment, the body 302, the electrode layer 303, and the coating layer 305 may be combined by the heat treatment. Further, in operation S140 in which the heat treatment is performed, heat may be applied to the body 302 and the coating layer 305 formed of the thermosetting material, whereby the rigidity of the body 302 and the coating layer 305 may be improved, and the durability of the vibrator 301 may be improved.

The embodiments are not limited to the above examples. In operation S130 of depositing the coating layer 305, the coating layer 305 may be implemented by applying a paint such as a printing paint to the electrode layer 303 or attaching a light absorbing film to the electrode layer 303.

A number of embodiments have been described above. It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to these embodiments. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques were performed in a different order and/or if components in the described systems, architectures, devices or circuits were combined in a different manner and/or replaced by other components or equivalents. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A cartridge for an aerosol-generating device, the cartridge comprising:

A storage configured to store an aerosol-generating substance; and

A vibrator configured to generate vibration to atomize the aerosol-generating substance,

Wherein the vibrator includes:

a body configured to generate vibrations;

An electrode layer stacked on at least one surface of the body; and

And a coating layer which is stacked in a partial region of the electrode layer and is formed of a light absorbing material.

2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein,

The vibrator includes a plurality of the electrode layers,

Wherein the plurality of electrode layers includes:

a first electrode layer formed on one surface of a main body of the vibrator; and

And a second electrode layer formed on the other surface of the body of the vibrator opposite to the one surface.

3. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein,

The coating layer is superposed on the second electrode layer.

4. The cartridge of claim 2, wherein,

The vibrator further includes a shielding layer that is stacked in a partial region of the first electrode layer and is formed of a non-conductive material.

5. The cartridge of claim 4, wherein,

The shielding layer includes a waterproof material to prevent the vibrator from absorbing the aerosol-generating substance.

6. The cartridge of claim 1, further comprising:

a transfer member configured to receive the aerosol-generating substance from the reservoir and atomize the aerosol-generating substance by vibration of the vibrator,

Wherein the vibrator includes a first surface facing the transfer member and a second surface opposite to the first surface.

7. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein,

The coating layer is stacked to overlap a substantially central portion of the second surface of the vibrator.

8. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein,

The coating layer occupies 50% or more of an area of the second surface of the vibrator.

9. The cartridge of claim 6, wherein,

The coating layer includes:

A first coating region superimposed to overlap a substantially central portion of the second surface of the vibrator; and

A second coating region overlapped to overlap a substantially outer edge portion of the second surface of the vibrator.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein,

The coating layer includes a pigment having a reflectivity of less than 50%, and the coating layer is formed of glass, ceramic, polymer, or a combination thereof.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein,

The coating layer is formed of a combination of pigment having a reflectivity of less than 50% and a material substantially identical to the body of the vibrator.

12. An aerosol-generating device comprising:

A storage configured to store an aerosol-generating substance;

A vibrator configured to generate vibration to atomize the aerosol-generating substance; and

A temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the vibrator, wherein the vibrator comprises:

a body configured to generate vibrations;

An electrode layer stacked on at least one surface of the body; and

A coating layer which is stacked in a partial region of the electrode layer and is formed of a light absorbing material,

Wherein the coating layer is stacked in a partial region of the electrode layer facing the temperature sensor.

13. A method of manufacturing a vibrator, the method comprising:

Providing a body of a vibrator, the body being configured to generate vibrations when an electric current is supplied to the body;

depositing an electrode layer on one surface of the body and another surface opposite to the one surface;

Depositing a coating layer formed of a light absorbing material on a partial region of the electrode layer disposed on the one surface of the body; and

And heat-treating the body, the electrode layer and the coating layer.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

the coating layer is formed by combining a pigment having a reflectivity of less than 50% with glass, ceramic, polymer, or a combination thereof prior to depositing the coating layer.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

The coating layer is formed by combining a pigment having a reflectivity of less than 50% with substantially the same material as the body of the vibrator prior to depositing the coating layer.