DE102018120547A1 - Component identification of inhalers - Google Patents

Abstract

Inhaler (1) comprising a base part (2) and a consumable part (3), the base part (2) preferably comprising an electrical power supply (4), a control device (5) and electrical contacts, the base part (2) preferably being set up for this is to contact the consumable (3) in a position of use, to supply and control electrical energy, the consumable (3) being at least partially enclosed in the position of use by the base part (2), the consumable (3) being at one in the position of use enclosed section comprises an optical identification element (12) and wherein the base part (2) comprises an electro-optical sensor (14) for reading out the optical identification element (12) of the consumable part (3).

Description

The present invention relates to the identification of components of an inhaler with a base part and a consumable part, the base part preferably comprising an electrical power supply, a control device and electrical contacts, the base part preferably being set up to contact the consumable part in a position of use with electrical To supply and control energy, the consumption part being at least partially enclosed by the base part in the use position.

In current inhalers, in particular in electronic cigarette products, for example as a liquid vaporizer or as so-called heat-not-burn (HNB) products, liquid tanks, vaporizers, tobacco capsules or mouthpieces can be installed as replaceable disposable parts. So-called cartomizers, combined liquid tanks with integrated evaporator units, are often provided. A wide variety of evaporator technologies are used, most of which are based on the wick / wrap principle. The disposable parts have different geometries, which is partly due to the different shapes and sizes of the various inhalers on the market.

In the case of inhalers, in particular in electronic cigarette products, it is customary for the consumable parts to be installed as a regularly replaceable part within the outer housing of the inhaler. These replaceable consumables must be removable from the outside and often protrude from the housing or form part of the outer housing of the inhaler. The consumable part can be a cartridge that can be replaced by the consumer, for example for single use, in which a liquid tank and the evaporator with liquid supply are integrated by the manufacturer. HNB products can be a tobacco capsule.

A cartridge must be properly positioned by the consumer in the inhaler. If necessary, it must be ensured that the cartridge is properly electrically contacted so that the evaporator is supplied with electrical energy and control signals.

For the manufacturer's tracking of products as well as in particular for collecting and assigning consumption-related data, which in turn can also be used for control and regulation, it is desirable to make the disposable part individually identifiable.

It is known from the prior art to identify cartridges before the user activates the inhaler. It is also possible to use identifications for the allocation and communication of consumption data, for example in the form of user profiles, and to derive a control and regulation of the device from this.

For example, RFID systems are known for authenticating electronic cigarette products. In other control mechanisms, for example, user profiles can be activated by various puff sequences (type and frequency of how a user draws on a mouthpiece of the electronic cigarette product). In order to activate the electronic cigarette product only for disposable parts approved by the manufacturer, a spectroscopic signature can be used to identify an aerosol-generating article. Alternatively, it is also possible to provide a storage unit with digital identification on the one-way part, which can be read out by a base part with its associated control unit.

In particular for HNB products, there is no possibility of digital identification via memory chips within the HNB consumer goods. Identification of the disposable parts would also be advantageous in order to enable the manufacturer to improve the supply chain from production preparation to delivery or batch tracking. Furthermore, the clear assignment of consumer goods to consumers would provide new insights for market research or new digital sales models.

The object of the invention is to make it possible to identify inhalers, which in a simplified manner enables identification of consumable parts of an inhaler and enables the assignment and authorization to a base part of an inhaler.

The invention solves the problem with an inhaler with a base part and a consumable part, the base part preferably comprising an electrical energy supply, a control device and electrical contacts, the base part preferably being set up to contact the consumable part in a position of use with electrical energy supply and control, wherein the consumable is at least partially enclosed in the use position of the base part. According to the invention, the consumable part comprises an optical identification element on a section enclosed in the position of use, and the base part comprises an electronic optical sensor for reading the optical identification element of the consumable part.

The optical identification could, for example, be printed on the consumable, which is usually designed as a disposable part. The identification of the expendable part can be read out by the optical sensor, which is arranged within the housing of the base part such that the identification of the expendable part in the use position is in the field of view of the optical sensor. The electro-optical sensor is connected to the control unit of the base part, the read-out identification being processed, for example by software. The identified identification can be compared with lists of stored identifications released by the manufacturer and, if the determination is positive, the inhaler can be released for use. Furthermore, further regulations could be derived, such as a user profile or functional parameters such as evaporation / heating temperatures, in order to enable optimal use. Furthermore, in all products, among other things, through the advantageous use of a quickly reacting and controllable heater (e.g. a Si chip) and knowledge of the composition of the product to be vaporized (liquid composition in electronic cigarette products, composition of a tobacco substitute and enrichment with a certain one Liquid composition in HNB products) optimize the evaporation based on the information transmitted via the identification regarding aroma and nicotine release. This is because certain ingredients are released at certain temperatures and the temperature profile is therefore characteristic of the respective composition.

Since the identification of the consumable takes place only in the optimal use position, the identification system also ensures that misuse by the consumer is excluded, for example if the consumer has not properly inserted the consumable into the base part, and enables the inhaler to be used safely and functionally ,

The consumable parts preferably have two end faces, one end face being introduced as the contact side into the base part and maintaining all contact elements for contacting the base part, and the opposite end face being configured either directly for contact with the consumer as the mouth end or in the direction of a separate mouthpiece is aligned and supplies the consumer with the aerosol created by evaporation or heating. A circumferential jacket side extends between the end faces. The consumable part is often cylindrical in order to enable simple, position-independent insertion into the base part. The contact end face and at least a section of the jacket side are enclosed in the use position by the housing of the base part. Therefore, an enclosed section of the jacket side of the consumable is best suited for the attachment of an optical identification. The electro-optical sensor is therefore arranged on a section of the inside of the housing of the base part which adjoins the section of the casing side in the use position.

The optical identification is preferably printed. This ensures that identification can be easily attached at an early stage of production. Not just on the individual, finished consumable parts, but already beforehand, for example directly on the band paper, before it is cut to size for the individual consumable parts.

It is also preferred to use thermal transfer paper. With HNB products in particular, the heat input makes the identification illegible. It would therefore no longer be possible to reuse a product once it has been heated if the ID detection has been set up to activate the supply of heat.

The optical identification is preferably arranged several times and all around the jacket side. In particular for cylindrical consumable parts that can be positioned in the base part independently of the position, this ensures that in the position of use an element of the optical identification of the consumable part is always arranged entirely in the field of view of the electro-optical sensor.

The optical identification is preferably a one-dimensional code, for example a bar code, post code or EAN (European article number). This allows product information to be affixed to the consumable in a simple and tried and tested manner.

Alternatively, the optical identification consists of a two-dimensional code, for example a dot matrix. For example, it can be a 144 by 144 ECC200 point matrix according to ISO / IEC 16022: 2006. With such a 2D code, up to 1556 bytes, i.e. 3116 digits or 2335 ASCII characters, can be encoded. The code itself measures only a few millimeters and can be applied all around the outer side of the consumer goods.

The 2D code preferably has an orientation pattern. This means that an electro-optical sensor always has at least one complete one Identification pattern in the field of vision and can use the orientation pattern to distinguish and read a pattern from other patterns.

A digital image sensor with adapted optics and an additional lighting device are preferably used as the electro-optical sensor. The optics of the image sensor can be adjusted so that they have 90 ° optics. This means that the field of vision is large enough to always be able to recognize at least one complete identification pattern even with the small distance. For reading out, the identification pattern needs to be briefly illuminated, since this area is encapsulated from external light influences in the position of use. The lighting device is preferably of the LED type. LED lighting can be realized in the smallest space and with stable shape and temperature. In addition, LEDs as a mass-produced product only produce justifiable additional costs in the manufacture of the inhaler. The lighting device is advantageously activated only briefly in order to save electrical energy. This can be ensured, for example, that the identification is only activated when the usage position is reached via a contact between the consumable part and the base part, and that the image sensor and the lighting device are deactivated again after the identification pattern has been read out.

The electro-optical sensor is preferably selected from the group of linear CCD image sensors, two-dimensional CCD image sensors, linear CMOS image sensors and two-dimensional CMOS image sensors. Such image sensors can be produced inexpensively and are so miniaturized in their construction that they can be installed in the limited space available for the inhalers in question. For example, 2D-CMOS cameras are available with a sensor size of only 0.66 mm x 0.66 mm and a resolution of 45000 pixels, which including the optics are only 1.2 mm in diameter. The optics can be variably adapted to the task in terms of focus level, depth of field and distortion. The data and possibilities gained for the manufacturer justify the resulting additional costs by installing additional hardware in the base part.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung eines HNB-Produktes mit einer erfindungsgemäßen Identifizierung, und
• 2 ein Beispiel eines erfindungsgemäßen zweidimensionalen Identifizierungsmusters.

The invention is explained below on the basis of preferred embodiments with reference to the attached figures. It shows

• 1 a schematic representation of an HNB product with an identification according to the invention, and
• 2 an example of a two-dimensional identification pattern according to the invention.

In the 1 The embodiment shown shows an inhaler according to the invention 1 , It is an electronic cigarette product with a base part 2 and a consumable part 3 , The consumable 3 is usually a single-use, disposable part and the base part 2 is a reusable part that can be filled with new consumable parts 3 is provided.

The electronic cigarette product 1 furthermore comprises an electrical energy store 4 and an electronic control unit 5 , The energy storage 4 is usually in the base part 2 arranged and can in particular be a disposable electrochemical battery or a rechargeable electrochemical battery, for example a lithium-ion battery. The electronic control unit 5 comprises at least one digital data processing device, in particular microprocessor and / or microcontroller, in the base part 2 ,

In the base part 2 is an area 6 formed in which the consumable is inserted and in a position of use parts of the consumable 3 encloses.

The consumable 3 can, especially with electronic cigarette products 1 include an evaporator with liquid evaporation. Then electrical contacts are also provided for electrical contacting for the external supply of electrical energy and / or for receiving control signals for the evaporator. In this case, the consumable is 3 for example via a serial interface, for example an onewire bus, to the base element 2 of the inhaler 1 connected. Corresponding contacts are on the contact face 7 intended.

For HNB products is the consumable part 3 usually not equipped with electrical elements, but only contains the consumables 8th , such as tobacco, tobacco substitutes and / or flavors. The evaporator or heater 9 is then usually in the base element 3 arranged and has a direct connection to also in the base element 3 arranged control unit 5 ,

In the in 1 illustrated embodiment is the consumable 3 cylindrical in shape and has a cylindrical jacket side between two end faces 10 on. In the case of such an HNB product, the consumable part comprises 3 the consumable to be consumed 8th , such as tobacco, and a filter. In this embodiment, the consumable is 3 designed as a stick with a mouth end face 11 , which is set up to serve directly as a mouthpiece for the consumer, on this mouth-end face 11 sucks and creates a negative pressure and aerosol / air flow. The aerosol is on the opposite contact face 7 generated where the consumable 3 with its contact face 77 with one in the base part 2 arranged evaporator / heater 9 is in contact. This can be, for example, a rapidly responding, controllable Si chip.

As an identification pattern 12 is on the frontal area of the jacket side 10 of the consumable part 3 a two-dimensional identification pattern 12 multiple, arranged all around. This pattern 12 is preferably printed on thermal transfer paper. As a result, it loses its legibility due to exposure to heat, which prevents consumed parts from being used 3 can be used again.

On the inside of the case 13 of the base part 2 of the inhaler 1 is an electro-optical sensor 14 appropriate. The electro-optical sensor 14 is preferably a linear CCD image sensor, two-dimensional CCD image sensor, linear CMOS image sensor or two-dimensional CMOS image sensor. Such image sensors 14 are so miniaturized in their construction that they are limited in the space available for the inhalers in question 1 can be installed. For reading a two-dimensional identification pattern 12 For example, a 2D CMOS camera is suitable for, with a sensor size of only 0.66 mm x 0.66 mm and a resolution of 45000 pixels, which including the optics can only have a size of 1.2 mm in diameter the installation is suitable in such limited space. The optics can be variably adapted to the task in terms of focus level, depth of field and distortion, so that the field of vision 15 a two-dimensional identification pattern 12 of a few millimeters in size. To the identification pattern 12 of the consumable part 3 To be able to read out is a lighting device 16 provided, preferably of the LED type, around the pattern 12 to illuminate during detection.

The field of vision 15 the miniature camera 14 is arranged in such a way that the identification pattern 12 only in the field of vision 15 when the correct position of the consumable is in use 3 is reached, that is when the contact face 7 in contact with the base part 2 stands.

When the position of use is reached, the detection is initiated, that is, the lighting element 16 is activated and the miniature camera 14 reads the identification pattern 12 out. The image data obtained from this are stored in the data processing device 5 of the base part 2 further processed. This can be confirmed, for example, by comparison with stored identification data, after which the heat supply is activated in the event of a positive adjustment. The identification pattern 12 can contain composition-specific information, so that the control unit 5 an optimized, based on the consumer goods composition 8th optimized temperature profile, because certain ingredients are only optimally released at certain temperatures.

The two-dimensional identification pattern 12 can like in 2 be divided into different areas. There is a data region 17 of an orientation pattern 18 surround, which simplifies reading. An exact alignment to the camera 14 is not necessary the pattern 12 just have to be completely in view 15 the miniature camera 14 lie. The all-round, repetitive arrangement of identification patterns 12 it is guaranteed that there is always at least one identification pattern 12 completely in view 15 the camera 14 lies. Especially for the generally cylindrical sticks 3 , which can be used independently of the rotation, will result in incorrect operation of the consumer and incorrect recognition of the pattern 12 avoided.

Claims (13)

Inhaler (1) comprising a base part (2) and a consumable part (3), the base part (2) preferably comprising an electrical power supply (4), a control device (5) and electrical contacts, the base part (2) preferably is set up to contact the consumable (3) in a position of use, to supply and control it with electrical energy, the consumable (3) being at least partially enclosed by the base (2) in the position of use, characterized in that - the consumable (3) comprises an optical identification element (12) on a section enclosed in the position of use and that - the base part (2) comprises an electro-optical sensor (14) for reading out the optical identification element (12) of the consumable (3). Inhaler (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the consumable part (3) has a contact end face (7) for contacting the base part (2), a mouth end end face (11) for supplying an aerosol to the consumer and an intermediate circumferential shell side (10), wherein in the use position, a section of the jacket side (10) is enclosed by the base part (2), the optical identification element (12) being attached to the enclosed section of the jacket side (10). Inhaler (1) after Claim 2 , characterized in that the optical identification element (10) is printed. Inhaler (1) after Claim 2 or 3 , characterized in that the optical identification element (12) is printed on thermal transfer paper. Inhaler (1) according to one of the Claims 2 to 4 , characterized in that the optical identification element (12) is arranged several times and all around the jacket side (10). Inhaler (1) according to one of the Claims 2 to 5 , characterized in that the optical identification element (12) is a 1 D code. Inhaler (1) according to one of the Claims 2 to 5 , characterized in that the optical identification element (12) is a 2D code. Inhaler (1) after Claim 7 , characterized in that the optical identification element (12) has an orientation pattern (18). Inhaler (1) according to one of the Claims 1 to 8th , characterized in that a digital image sensor with adapted optics and an additional lighting device (16) are used as the electro-optical sensor (14). Inhaler (1) after Claim 9 , characterized in that the electro-optical sensor (14) is arranged within the housing of the base part (2) such that the identification element (12) of the consumable part (3) in the use position in the field of view (15) of the electro-optical sensor (14) lies. Inhaler (1) after Claim 10 , characterized in that the electro-optical sensor (14) is selected from the group of linear CCD image sensors, two-dimensional CCD image sensors, linear CMOS image sensors and two-dimensional CMOS image sensors. Inhaler (1) according to one of the Claims 9 to 11 , characterized in that the lighting device (16) is set up to illuminate the field of view (15) of the electro-optical sensor (14). Inhaler (1) after Claim 12 , characterized in that the lighting device (16) is of the LED type.

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