JP2022173879A - Power supply unit for aerosol generator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a power supply unit for an aerosol generator that can properly avoid contact between substrates in a case.SOLUTION: A no-burn inhaler 100 includes: a power supply BAT; a heater connector Cn to which a heater HTR is connected; an MCU-equipped substrate 161; a receptacle-equipped substrate 162; a case 110 for accommodating these; and a spacer 173 disposed between the MCU-equipped substrate 161 and the receptacle-equipped substrate 162 and configured to hold the MCU-equipped substrate 161 and the receptacle-equipped substrate 162 in parallel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol generator.

A power supply unit of an aerosol generator may have a plurality of substrates arranged in a case. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes that a main circuit board is arranged along the longitudinal direction inside an aerosol generator, and a sub circuit board is arranged above the main circuit board along the horizontal direction. .

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-531015

However, when a plurality of substrates are arranged adjacent to each other in a case, there is a risk that the substrates may come into contact with each other depending on the fixing method or the usage environment of the user, causing a short circuit.

The present invention provides a power supply unit for an aerosol generator that can appropriately avoid contact between substrates within a case.

The power supply unit of the aerosol generator of the present invention comprises:
a power supply;
a heater connector connected to a heater that consumes power supplied from the power supply to heat the aerosol source;
a first substrate;
a second substrate separate from the first substrate;
a case that houses the power supply, the heater connector, the first substrate, and the second substrate;
a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and holding the first substrate and the second substrate in parallel.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, contact between board|substrates can be avoided appropriately within a case.

1 is a perspective view of a non-combustion inhaler; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a non-combustion inhaler showing a state in which a rod is attached; FIG. Fig. 10 is another perspective view of a non-combustion type inhaler; 1 is an exploded perspective view of a non-combustion inhaler; FIG. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the internal unit of the non-combustion inhaler; FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the internal unit of FIG. 5; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the internal unit with the power supply and chassis removed; FIG. 11 is another perspective view of the internal unit with the power supply and chassis removed; It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the operation mode of an aspirator. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the electric circuit of an internal unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit in sleep mode; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in active mode; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in the heating initial setting mode; It is a figure for demonstrating the operation|movement of the electric circuit at the time of the heating of the heater in heating mode. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when detecting the temperature of the heater in the heating mode; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in charging mode; It is a figure which shows the main surface of a receptacle mounting board. It is a figure which shows the secondary surface of a receptacle mounting board|substrate. It is a figure which shows the main surface of an MCU mounting board. It is a figure which shows the secondary surface of an MCU mounting board. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a non-combustion inhaler; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a spacer;

A suction system, which is an embodiment of the aerosol generator of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings. This suction system includes a non-combustion type suction device 100 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "suction device 100"), which is an embodiment of the power supply unit of the present invention, and a rod 500 heated by the suction device 100. . In the following description, a configuration in which the suction device 100 accommodates the heating unit in a non-detachable manner will be described as an example. However, the heating unit may be detachably attached to the aspirator 100 . For example, the rod 500 and the heating unit may be integrated and detachably attached to the aspirator 100 . In other words, the power supply unit of the aerosol generator may have a configuration that does not include the heating section as a component. It should be noted that "non-detachable" refers to a mode in which detachment is not possible as far as the intended use is concerned. Alternatively, an induction heating coil provided in the aspirator 100 and a susceptor built in the rod 500 may cooperate to form a heating unit.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the aspirator 100. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the suction device 100 showing a state in which the rod 500 is attached. FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the suction device 100. FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the aspirator 100. FIG. Also, in the following description, for the sake of convenience, the orthogonal coordinate system of a three-dimensional space is used, in which the three mutually orthogonal directions are the front-back direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction. In the figure, the front is indicated by Fr, the rear by Rr, the right by R, the left by L, the upper by U, and the lower by D.

The inhaler 100 generates flavor-containing aerosol by heating an elongated, substantially cylindrical rod 500 (see FIG. 2) as an example of a flavor component-generating base having a filling containing an aerosol source and a flavor source. configured to

<Flavor component-generating base material (rod)>
Rod 500 includes a fill containing an aerosol source that is heated at a predetermined temperature to produce an aerosol.

The type of aerosol source is not particularly limited, and extracts from various natural products and/or constituents thereof can be selected depending on the application. The aerosol source may be solid or liquid, for example polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or water. The aerosol source may include a flavor source such as a tobacco material or an extract derived from the tobacco material that releases flavor components upon heating. The gas to which the flavor component is added is not limited to an aerosol, and for example an invisible vapor may be generated.

The filling of rod 500 may contain tobacco cuts as a flavor source. Materials for shredded tobacco are not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina and backbone can be used. The filling may contain one or more perfumes. The type of flavoring agent is not particularly limited, but menthol is preferable from the viewpoint of imparting a good smoking taste. Flavor sources may contain plants other than tobacco, such as mints, herbal medicines, or herbs. Depending on the application, rod 500 may not contain a flavor source.

<Overall configuration of non-combustion type aspirator>
Next, the overall configuration of the suction device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.
The suction device 100 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 110 having a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface. The case 110 comprises a bottomed cylindrical case body 112 in which front, rear, top, bottom, and right surfaces are integrally formed, and a left surface that seals an opening 114 (see FIG. 4) of the case body 112. It has an outer panel 115 , an inner panel 118 , and a slider 119 .

The inner panel 118 is fixed to the case body 112 with bolts 120 . The outer panel 115 is fixed to the case body 112 so as to cover the outer surface of the inner panel 118 by a magnet 124 held by a chassis 150 (see FIG. 5) housed in the case body 112 and described later. Since the outer panel 115 is fixed by the magnet 124, the user can replace the outer panel 115 according to his or her preference.

The inner panel 118 is provided with two through holes 126 through which the magnets 124 pass. The inner panel 118 is further provided with a longitudinally elongated hole 127 and a circular round hole 128 between the two vertically arranged through holes 126 . The long hole 127 is for transmitting light emitted from eight LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) L1 to L8 built in the case main body 112 . A button-type operation switch OPS built in the case body 112 passes through the round hole 128 . Thereby, the user can detect the light emitted from the eight LEDs L1 to L8 through the LED window 116 of the outer panel 115. FIG. Also, the user can press down the operation switch OPS via the pressing portion 117 of the outer panel 115 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the upper surface of the case body 112 is provided with an opening 132 into which the rod 500 can be inserted. The slider 119 is coupled to the case body 112 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction between a position for closing the opening 132 (see FIG. 1) and a position for opening the opening 132 (see FIG. 2). It should be noted that in FIG. 2, the slider 119 is transparent and only the outer shape of the slider 119 is indicated by a chain double-dashed line for easy understanding.

The operation switch OPS is used to perform various operations of the aspirator 100 . For example, the user operates the operation switch OPS via the pressing portion 117 while inserting the rod 500 into the opening 132 as shown in FIG. Thus, the heating unit 170 (see FIG. 5) heats the rod 500 without burning it. When the rod 500 is heated, an aerosol is generated from the aerosol source contained in the rod 500 and the flavor of the flavor source contained in the rod 500 is added to the aerosol. The user can inhale the flavor-containing aerosol by holding the mouthpiece 502 of the rod 500 projecting from the opening 132 and inhaling.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lower surface of the case body 112 is provided with a charging terminal 134 for electrically connecting to an external power source such as an outlet or a mobile battery to receive power supply. In this embodiment, the charging terminal 134 is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) Type-C receptacle, but is not limited to this. Charging terminal 134 is hereinafter also referred to as receptacle RCP.

Note that the charging terminal 134 may include, for example, a power receiving coil and be configured to be capable of receiving power transmitted from an external power source in a non-contact manner. The wireless power transfer method in this case may be an electromagnetic induction type, a magnetic resonance type, or a combination of the electromagnetic induction type and the magnetic resonance type. As another example, the charging terminal 134 can be connected to various USB terminals or the like, and may have the power receiving coil described above.

The configuration of the suction device 100 shown in FIGS. 1-4 is only one example. The inhaler 100 holds the rod 500 and applies an action such as heating to generate gas to which a flavor component is added from the rod 500, and the user can inhale the generated gas. It can be configured in various forms.

<Internal configuration of non-combustion type aspirator>
The internal unit 140 of the suction device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5-8.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the internal unit 140 of the suction device 100. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the internal unit 140 of FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of internal unit 140 with power supply BAT and chassis 150 removed. FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the internal unit 140 with the power supply BAT and chassis 150 removed.

The internal unit 140 housed in the internal space of the case 110 includes a chassis 150, a power supply BAT, a circuit section 160, a heating section 170, a notification section 180, and various sensors.

The chassis 150 includes a plate-shaped chassis body 151 arranged substantially in the center of the interior space of the case 110 in the front-rear direction and extending in the vertical and front-rear directions, and a chassis body 151 disposed substantially in the center of the interior space of the case 110 in the front-rear direction. A plate-shaped front and rear dividing wall 152 extending in the vertical and horizontal directions, a plate-shaped upper and lower dividing wall 153 extending forward from substantially the center of the front and rear dividing wall 152 in the vertical direction, the front and rear dividing wall 152 and the upper edges of the chassis body 151 and a plate-shaped chassis lower wall 155 extending rearward from the front-rear dividing wall 152 and the lower edge of the chassis body 151 . The left surface of the chassis body 151 is covered with the inner panel 118 and the outer panel 115 of the case 110 described above.

The internal space of the case 110 is defined by a chassis 150 such that a heating unit housing area 142 is defined in the upper front, a board housing area 144 is defined in the lower front, and a power supply housing space 146 is defined in the rear to extend vertically. ing.

The heating unit 170 housed in the heating unit housing area 142 is composed of a plurality of tubular members arranged concentrically to form a tubular body as a whole. The heating section 170 has a rod housing section 172 capable of housing a portion of the rod 500 therein, and a heater HTR (see FIGS. 10 to 16) that heats the rod 500 from its outer circumference or center. Preferably, the surface of the rod housing portion 172 and the heater HTR are insulated by forming the rod housing portion 172 from a heat insulating material or providing a heat insulating material inside the rod housing portion 172 . The heater HTR may be any element that can heat the rod 500 . The heater HTR is, for example, a heating element. Heating elements include heating resistors, ceramic heaters, induction heaters, and the like. As the heater HTR, for example, one having a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristic in which the resistance value increases as the temperature increases is preferably used. Instead of this, a heater HTR having NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) characteristics in which the resistance value decreases as the temperature increases may be used. The heating part 170 has a function of defining a flow path of air to be supplied to the rod 500 and a function of heating the rod 500 . The case 110 is formed with a vent (not shown) for introducing air, and is configured to allow air to enter the heating unit 170 .

The power supply BAT housed in the power supply housing space 146 is a rechargeable secondary battery, an electric double layer capacitor, or the like, preferably a lithium ion secondary battery. The electrolyte of the power supply BAT may be composed of one or a combination of a gel electrolyte, an electrolytic solution, a solid electrolyte, and an ionic liquid.

The notification unit 180 notifies various types of information such as SOC (State Of Charge) indicating the state of charge of the power source BAT, preheating time at the time of suction, suction possible period, and the like. The notification unit 180 of this embodiment includes eight LEDs L1 to L8 and a vibration motor M. The notification unit 180 may be composed of light-emitting elements such as the LEDs L1 to L8, may be composed of vibration elements such as the vibration motor M, or may be composed of sound output elements. The notification unit 180 may be a combination of two or more elements selected from the light emitting element, the vibration element, and the sound output element.

Various sensors include an intake air sensor that detects the user's puff action (sucking action), a power supply temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the power supply BAT, a heater temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater HTR, and a case temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the case 110. , a cover position sensor that detects the position of the slider 119, a panel detection sensor that detects attachment/detachment of the outer panel 115, and the like.

The intake sensor is mainly composed of a thermistor T2 arranged near the opening 132, for example. The power supply temperature sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T1 arranged near the power supply BAT. The heater temperature sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T3 arranged near the heater HTR. As mentioned above, the rod housing portion 172 is preferably insulated from the heater HTR. In this case, the thermistor T3 is preferably in contact with or close to the heater HTR inside the rod housing portion 172 . If the heater HTR has PTC characteristics or NTC characteristics, the heater HTR itself may be used as the heater temperature sensor. The case temperature sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T4 arranged near the left surface of the case 110 . The cover position sensor is mainly composed of a Hall IC 14 (see FIGS. 10 to 16) including a Hall element arranged near the slider 119 . The panel detection sensor mainly includes a Hall IC 13 (see FIGS. 10 to 16) including a Hall element arranged near the inner surface of the inner panel 118 .

The circuit section 160 includes four circuit boards, a plurality of ICs (Integrate Circuits), and a plurality of elements. The four circuit boards are an MCU-mounted board 161 on which an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 1 and a charging IC 2, which will be described later, are mainly arranged, a receptacle-mounted board 162 mainly on which charging terminals 134 are arranged, an operation switch OPS, and an LED An LED mounting substrate 163 on which L1 to L8 and a communication IC 15 described later are arranged, and a Hall IC mounting substrate 164 on which a Hall IC 14 including a Hall element constituting a cover position sensor is arranged.

The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are arranged parallel to each other in the board accommodation area 144 . More specifically, the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are arranged such that their element mounting surfaces are arranged along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and the MCU mounting board 161 is arranged in front of the receptacle mounting board 162. . The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are provided with openings 175 and 176 (see FIGS. 17 to 20), respectively. The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are fixed to the chassis 150 with bolts 136 with a spacer 173 interposed between the peripheral edges 166 and 168 of the openings 175 and 176 .

22 is a perspective view of the spacer 173. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 22, the spacer 173 includes a large-diameter portion 191, a first small-diameter portion 192a provided on one end side of the large-diameter portion 191 and having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 191, and the other end of the large-diameter portion 191. A second small-diameter portion 192b having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter portion 191 provided on the side, a first disk portion 193a connecting one end of the large-diameter portion 191 and the first small-diameter portion 192a, and the large-diameter portion 191. A second disk portion 193b connecting the end and the second small diameter portion 192b, and a through hole 194 formed over the first small diameter portion 192a, the large diameter portion 191, and the second small diameter portion 192b. has a cylindrical shape as The first disk portion 193a and the second disk portion 193b are formed parallel to each other.

The bolt 136 is inserted through the opening 175 of the MCU mounting board 161, the through hole 194 of the cylindrical spacer 173, and the opening 176 of the receptacle mounting board 162, so that the MCU mounting board 161, the receptacle mounting board 162 and the power source are connected in the front-rear direction. It is fixed in a state in which a spacer 173 is sandwiched between the substrate fixing portions 156 of the front and rear dividing walls 152 arranged between the BATs. At this time, the first small diameter portion 192a is fitted into the opening 175 of the MCU mounting substrate 161 and connected, and the second small diameter portion 192b is fitted into the opening 176 of the receptacle mounting substrate 162 and connected. In addition, the first disk portion 193a abuts the opening peripheral portion 166 (see FIG. 20) of the secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting board 161, and the second disk portion 193b contacts the opening peripheral portion of the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting substrate 162. 168 (see FIG. 17). Thereby, the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are held in parallel by the spacers 173 .

That is, the spacer 173 is a holding member that is arranged between the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 and holds the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 in parallel. By holding the two substrates 161 and 162 arranged in the case 110 in parallel via the spacers 173 in this way, it is possible to prevent the substrates 161 and 162 from coming into contact with each other and causing a short circuit. In addition, the two substrates 161 and 162 held in parallel can ensure an electrically safe area SP within the case 110, and the space within the case 110 can be effectively used. The width (length in the front-rear direction) of the region SP is equal to the length of the large-diameter portion 191 of the spacer 173 . Moreover, by fixing the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 to the chassis 150 in the case 110, the two boards 161 and 162 can be held in a stable state. Furthermore, the front and rear dividing wall 152 of the chassis 150 is arranged between the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 and the power supply BAT, so that the power supply BAT and the two boards 161 and 162 can be separated from each other. The heat of BAT can be suppressed from being transferred to the substrates 161 and 162 .

The spacer 173 has conductivity, and the grounds of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are connected via the spacer 173 . More specifically, the first small-diameter portion 192a fitted into the opening 175 of the MCU mounting board 161 is connected to the ground inside the MCU mounting board 161, and the second small-diameter portion 192a fitted into the opening 176 of the receptacle mounting board 162 is connected to the internal ground of the MCU mounting board 161. The portion 192 b is connected to the ground inside the receptacle mounting board 162 . As a result, the ground potentials of the MCU-mounted substrate 161 and the receptacle-mounted substrate 162 can be aligned, and the supply of charging power and operating power and communication between the MCU-mounted substrate 161 and the receptacle-mounted substrate 162 can be stabilized. can. Moreover, since the volume of the spacer 173 can be arbitrarily set, the resistance can be reduced by making the spacer 173 thick and short.

For the sake of convenience, the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 have main surfaces 161a and 162a that face forward, and secondary surfaces 161b and 162b that are opposite to the main surfaces 161a and 162a. and the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting substrate 162 are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween to form the aforementioned electrically safe area SP. A main surface 161 a of the MCU mounting board 161 faces the front surface of the case 110 , and a secondary surface 162 b of the receptacle mounting board 162 faces the front and rear dividing walls 152 of the chassis 150 .

The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are electrically connected via a flexible wiring board 165 . A flexible wiring board 165 that electrically connects the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 connects the FPC connection portions 231 and 232 of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 (see FIGS. 17 to 20). Elements and ICs mounted on the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 will be described later.

The LED mounting board 163 is arranged on the left side of the chassis body 151 and between the two magnets 124 arranged vertically. The element mounting surface of the LED mounting substrate 163 is arranged along the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. In other words, the element mounting surfaces of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are orthogonal to the element mounting surface of the LED mounting board 163 . In this way, the element mounting surfaces of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 and the element mounting surface of the LED mounting board 163 are not limited to being orthogonal, but preferably intersect (non-parallel). Vibration motor M, which constitutes notification unit 180 together with LEDs L1 to L8, is fixed to the bottom surface of chassis bottom wall 155 and electrically connected to MCU mounting board 161. FIG.

Hall IC mounting substrate 164 is arranged on the top surface of chassis top wall 154 .

<Operation mode of the aspirator>
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation modes of the aspirator 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the operating modes of the suction device 100 include charging mode, sleep mode, active mode, heating initialization mode, heating mode, and heating termination mode.

The sleep mode is a mode for saving power by stopping the supply of power to electrical components mainly required for heating control of the heater HTR.

The active mode is a mode in which most functions except heating control of the heater HTR are enabled. When the slider 119 is opened while the suction device 100 is operating in the sleep mode, the operation mode is switched to the active mode. When the slider 119 is closed or the non-operating time of the operation switch OPS reaches a predetermined time while the aspirator 100 is operating in the active mode, the operating mode is switched to the sleep mode.

The heating initialization mode is a mode for initializing control parameters and the like for starting heating control of the heater HTR. When the aspirator 100 detects the operation of the operation switch OPS while operating in the active mode, it switches the operation mode to the heating initial setting mode, and when the initial setting is completed, switches the operation mode to the heating mode.

The heating mode is a mode for performing heating control of the heater HTR (heating control for aerosol generation and heating control for temperature detection). The aspirator 100 starts heating control of the heater HTR when the operation mode is switched to the heating mode.

The heating end mode is a mode for executing end processing of heating control of the heater HTR (heating history storage processing, etc.). In a state in which the suction device 100 is operating in the heating mode, when the energization time of the heater HTR or the number of times of suction by the user reaches the upper limit, or when the slider 119 is closed, the operation mode is switched to the heating end mode. , when the termination process is completed, the operation mode is switched to the active mode. When the USB connection is established while the aspirator 100 is operating in the heating mode, the operating mode is switched to the heating end mode, and when the end processing is completed, the operating mode is switched to the charging mode. As shown in FIG. 9, in this case, the operating mode may be switched to the active mode before switching the operating mode to the charging mode. In other words, the aspirator 100 may switch the operation mode in order of the heating end mode, the active mode, and the charging mode when the USB connection is made while operating in the heating mode.

The charge mode is a mode in which the power source BAT is charged with power supplied from an external power source connected to the receptacle RCP. The aspirator 100 switches the operation mode to the charge mode when an external power source is connected (USB connection) to the receptacle RCP while operating in sleep mode or active mode. The aspirator 100 switches the operation mode to the sleep mode when the charging of the power supply BAT is completed or the connection between the receptacle RCP and the external power supply is released while operating in the charging mode.

<Outline of internal unit circuit>
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric circuit of the internal unit 140. As shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 10 shows only main elements and an IC.

The wiring indicated by the thick solid line in FIG. 10 is the wiring (the wiring connected to the ground provided in the internal unit 140) that has the same potential as the reference potential (ground potential) of the internal unit 140. It is described as a ground line below. In FIG. 10, an electric component in which a plurality of circuit elements are chipped is indicated by a rectangle, and the symbols of various terminals are indicated inside the rectangle. A power supply terminal VCC and a power supply terminal VDD mounted on the chip indicate power supply terminals on the high potential side, respectively. A power supply terminal VSS and a ground terminal GND mounted on the chip indicate power supply terminals on the low potential side (reference potential side). In a chipped electric component, the power supply voltage is the difference between the potential of the power supply terminal on the high potential side and the potential of the power supply terminal on the low potential side. Chipped electrical components use this power supply voltage to perform various functions.

The MCU-mounted board 161 is configured by combining, as main electrical components, an MCU 1 that controls the entire sucker 100, a charging IC 2 that controls charging of the power source BAT, a capacitor, a resistor, a transistor, and the like. A load switch (hereinafter referred to as LSW) 3 and a voltage dividing circuit Pc for USB connection detection are provided.

A ground terminal GND of each of the charging IC2 and LSW3 is connected to a ground line.

The LED mounting board 163 is provided with, as main electrical components, a Hall IC 13 including a Hall element that constitutes a panel detection sensor, LEDs L1 to L8, an operation switch OPS, and a communication IC 15 . The communication IC 15 is a communication module for communicating with electronic devices such as smartphones. A power supply terminal VSS of the Hall IC 13 and a ground terminal GND of the communication IC 15 are each connected to a ground line. Communication IC 15 and MCU 1 are configured to be communicable via communication line LN. One end of the operation switch OPS is connected to the ground line, and the other end of the operation switch OPS is connected to the terminal P4 of the MCU1.

The receptacle mounting board 162 includes, as main electrical components, a power connector electrically connected to the power source BAT (in the figure, the power source BAT connected to this power connector is shown), and a step-up DC/DC converter 9 ( ), a protection IC 10, an overvoltage protection IC 11, a receptacle RCP, switches S3 and S4 composed of MOSFETs, an operational amplifier OP1, and a pair electrically connected to a heater HTR ( A heater connector Cn on the positive electrode side and the negative electrode side) is provided.

The two ground terminals GND of the receptacle RCP, the ground terminal GND of the step-up DC/DC converter 9, the power supply terminal VSS of the protection IC 10, the ground terminal GND of the overvoltage protection IC 11, and the negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 are grounded. connected to the line.

The Hall IC mounting substrate 164 is provided with a Hall IC 14 including a Hall element forming a cover position sensor. A power terminal VSS of the Hall IC 14 is connected to the ground line. The output terminal OUT of the Hall IC 14 is connected to the terminal P8 of the MCU1. The MCU1 detects opening/closing of the slider 119 from a signal input to the terminal P8.

<Details of internal unit circuit>
The connection relationship and the like of each electric component will be described below with reference to FIG. 10 .

The two power supply input terminals V _BUS of the receptacle RCP are connected to the input terminal IN of the overvoltage protection IC 11 via protective elements such as fuses Fs. When a USB plug is connected to the receptacle RCP and a USB cable including this USB plug is connected to an external power supply, the USB voltage V _USB is supplied to the two power input terminals V _BUS of the receptacle RCP.

An input terminal IN of the overvoltage protection IC 11 is connected to one end of a voltage dividing circuit Pa consisting of a series circuit of two resistors. The other end of the voltage dividing circuit Pa is connected to the ground line. A connection point between the two resistors forming the voltage dividing circuit Pa is connected to the voltage detection terminal OVLo of the overvoltage protection IC11. The overvoltage protection IC 11 outputs the voltage input to the input terminal IN from the output terminal OUT when the voltage input to the voltage detection terminal OVLo is less than the threshold. The overvoltage protection IC 11 stops voltage output from the output terminal OUT (cuts off the electrical connection between the LSW3 and the receptacle RCP) when the voltage input to the voltage detection terminal OVLo exceeds the threshold (overvoltage). By doing so, the protection of the electrical components downstream of the overvoltage protection IC 11 is achieved. The output terminal OUT of the overvoltage protection IC11 is connected to the input terminal VIN of the LSW3 and one end of the voltage dividing circuit Pc (series circuit of two resistors) connected to the MCU1. The other end of the voltage dividing circuit Pc is connected to the ground line. A connection point of the two resistors forming the voltage dividing circuit Pc is connected to the terminal P17 of the MCU1.

An input terminal VIN of LSW3 is connected to one end of a voltage dividing circuit Pf consisting of a series circuit of two resistors. The other end of the voltage dividing circuit Pf is connected to the ground line. A connection point between the two resistors forming the voltage dividing circuit Pf is connected to the control terminal ON of the LSW3. The collector terminal of the bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the control terminal ON of LSW3. The emitter terminal of the bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the ground line. The base terminal of bipolar transistor S2 is connected to terminal P19 of MCU1. When the signal input to the control terminal ON becomes high level, the LSW3 outputs the voltage input to the input terminal VIN from the output terminal VOUT. The output terminal VOUT of LSW3 is connected to the input terminal VBUS of charging IC2 and the anode of each of LEDs L1-L8.

The MCU1 turns on the bipolar transistor S2 while the USB connection is not made. As a result, the control terminal ON of LSW3 is connected to the ground line via the bipolar transistor S2, so that a low level signal is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3.

The bipolar transistor S2 connected to LSW3 is turned off by MCU1 when the USB connection is made. By turning off the bipolar transistor S2, the _USB voltage VUSB divided by the voltage dividing circuit Pf is input to the control terminal ON of the LSW3. Therefore, when the USB connection is made and the bipolar transistor S2 is turned off, a high level signal is input to the control terminal ON of the LSW3. As a result, the LSW 3 outputs the USB voltage VUSB supplied from the _USB cable from the output terminal VOUT. Even if the USB connection is made while the bipolar transistor S2 is not turned off, the control terminal ON of the LSW3 is connected to the ground line via the bipolar transistor S2. , and LSW3 continue to receive low-level signals at the control terminals ON.

The positive terminal of the power supply BAT is connected to the power supply terminal VDD of the protection IC 10, the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC/DC converter 9, and the charging terminal bat of the charging IC2. Therefore, the power supply voltage V _BAT of the power supply BAT is supplied to the protection IC 10 , the charging IC 2 and the step-up DC/DC converter 9 . A resistor Ra, a switch Sa composed of a MOSFET, and a switch Sb composed of a MOSFET are connected in series in this order to the negative terminal of the power supply BAT. A current detection terminal CS of the protection IC 10 is connected to a connection point between the resistor Ra and the switch Sa. Control terminals of the switches Sa and Sb are connected to the protection IC 10 .

The protection IC 10 acquires the value of the current flowing through the resistor Ra during charging and discharging of the power supply BAT from the voltage input to the current detection terminal CS, and when this current value becomes excessive (in the case of overcurrent), The power source BAT is protected by controlling the opening/closing of the switch Sa and the switch Sb to stop the charging or discharging of the power source BAT. More specifically, when the protection IC 10 acquires an excessive current value while charging the power supply BAT, it stops charging the power supply BAT by turning off the switch Sb. When the protection IC 10 acquires an excessive current value during discharging of the power supply BAT, the protection IC 10 stops discharging the power supply BAT by turning off the switch Sa. In addition, when the voltage value of the power supply BAT becomes abnormal from the voltage input to the power supply terminal VDD (in the case of overcharge or overvoltage), the protection IC 10 performs opening/closing control of the switch Sa and the switch Sb to The power supply BAT is protected by stopping the charging or discharging of BAT. More specifically, when the protection IC 10 detects that the power supply BAT is overcharged, the protection IC 10 stops charging the power supply BAT by turning off the switch Sb. When detecting overdischarge of the power supply BAT, the protection IC 10 turns off the switch Sa to stop the discharge of the power supply BAT.

One end of a reactor Lc is connected to a switching terminal SW of the step-up DC/DC converter 9 . The other end of this reactor Lc is connected to the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC/DC converter 9 . The step-up DC/DC converter 9 performs on/off control of the built-in transistor connected to the switching terminal SW to step up the input voltage and output it from the output terminal VOUT. The input terminal VIN of the step-up DC/DC converter 9 constitutes a power supply terminal of the step-up DC/DC converter 9 on the high potential side. The boost DC/DC converter 9 performs a boost operation when the signal input to the enable terminal EN is at high level. In the USB-connected state, the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the boost DC/DC converter 9 may be controlled to be low level by the MCU1. Alternatively, in the USB-connected state, the MCU 1 does not control the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the boost DC/DC converter 9, so that the potential of the enable terminal EN may be made indefinite.

An output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC/DC converter 9 is connected to a source terminal of a switch S4 composed of a P-channel MOSFET. The gate terminal of switch S4 is connected to terminal P15 of MCU1. One end of the resistor Rs is connected to the drain terminal of the switch S4. The other end of the resistor Rs is connected to a positive heater connector Cn connected to one end of the heater HTR. A voltage dividing circuit Pb consisting of two resistors is connected to the connection point between the switch S4 and the resistor Rs. A connection point of the two resistors forming the voltage dividing circuit Pb is connected to the terminal P18 of the MCU1. A connection point between the switch S4 and the resistor Rs is further connected to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1.

A connection line between the output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC/DC converter 9 and the source terminal of the switch S4 is connected to the source terminal of the switch S3 composed of a P-channel MOSFET. The gate terminal of switch S3 is connected to terminal P16 of MCU1. A drain terminal of the switch S3 is connected to a connection line between the resistor Rs and the heater connector Cn on the positive electrode side. Thus, a circuit including the switch S3 and a circuit including the switch S4 and the resistor Rs are connected in parallel between the output terminal VOUT of the boost DC/DC converter 9 and the positive electrode side of the heater connector Cn. . Since the circuit including the switch S3 does not have a resistor, it has a lower resistance than the circuit including the switch S4 and the resistor Rs.

An enable terminal EN of the boost DC/DC converter 9 is connected to a terminal P14 of the MCU1.

The non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the connection line between the resistor Rs and the heater connector Cn on the positive electrode side. The inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the negative heater connector Cn connected to the other end of the heater HTR and to the ground line. One end of a resistor R4 is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. The other end of resistor R4 is connected to terminal P9 of MCU1.

The input terminal VBUS of charging IC2 is connected to the anode of each of LEDs L1-L8. The cathodes of the LEDs L1-L8 are connected to the control terminals PD1-PD8 of the MCU1 via current limiting resistors. That is, LEDs L1 to L8 are connected in parallel to the input terminal VBUS. The LEDs L1 to L8 are operable by the USB voltage V _USB supplied from the USB cable connected to the receptacle RCP and the voltage supplied from the power supply BAT via the charging IC2. The MCU 1 incorporates transistors (switching elements) connected to each of the control terminals PD1 to PD8 and the ground terminal GND. The MCU1 turns on the transistor connected to the control terminal PD1 to energize the LED L1 to light it, and turns off the transistor connected to the control terminal PD1 to turn off the LED L1. By switching on and off the transistor connected to the control terminal PD1 at high speed, the brightness and light emission pattern of the LED L1 can be dynamically controlled. LEDs L2 to L8 are similarly controlled by the MCU1.

The charging IC2 has a charging function of charging the power supply BAT based on the _USB voltage VUSB input to the input terminal VBUS. The charging IC 2 acquires the charging current and charging voltage of the power supply BAT from terminals and wiring (not shown), and based on these, performs charging control of the power supply BAT (power supply control from the charging terminal bat to the power supply BAT).

The charging IC2 further comprises a V _BAT power pass function and an OTG function. The V _BAT power pass function is a function of outputting from the output terminal SYS a system power supply voltage Vcc0 substantially matching the power supply voltage V _BAT input to the charging terminal bat. The OTG function is a function for outputting from the input terminal VBUS a system power supply voltage _Vcc4 obtained by boosting the power supply voltage VBAT input to the charging terminal bat. ON/OFF of the OTG function of the charging IC 2 is controlled by the MCU 1 through serial communication using the communication line LN. In addition, in the OTG function, the power supply voltage V _BAT input to the charging terminal bat may be directly output from the input terminal VBUS. In this case, power supply voltage VBAT and system power supply voltage _Vcc4 are substantially the same. In order to perform serial communication, a plurality of signal lines such as a data line for data transmission and a clock line for synchronization are required, but for simplification, only one signal line is shown in FIGS. Note that there are

The output terminal SYS of the charging IC 2 is a series circuit (resistor (a series circuit of a capacitor and a capacitor). A charge enable terminal CE (~) of the charge IC2 is connected to a terminal P22 of the MCU1 via a resistor. A voltage regulator may be connected to the output terminal SYS of the charging IC 2 in order to stabilize the voltage supplied to these power supply terminals.

The output terminal OUT of the Hall IC 13 is connected to the terminal P3 of the MCU1. When the outer panel 115 is removed, a low level signal is output from the output terminal OUT of the Hall IC 13 . The MCU 1 determines whether or not the outer panel 115 is attached based on the signal input to the terminal P3.

The LED mounting board 163 is provided with a series circuit (a series circuit of a resistor and a capacitor) connected to the operation switch OPS. This series circuit is connected to a power line that connects the output terminal SYS of the charging IC 2, the power terminal VDD of the MCU 1, the power terminal VDD of the Hall IC 13, the power terminal VDD of the Hall IC 14, and the power terminal VCC of the communication IC 15. there is A connection point between the resistor and the capacitor in this series circuit is connected to the terminal P4 of the MCU1 and the operation switch OPS. When the operation switch OPS is not pressed, the operation switch OPS does not conduct, and the signal input to the terminal P4 of the MCU1 becomes high level due to the voltage output from the output terminal SYS of the charging IC2. When the operation switch OPS is pressed and turned on, the signal input to the terminal P4 of the MCU1 becomes low level because it is connected to the ground line. The MCU1 detects the operation of the operation switch OPS from the signal input to the terminal P4.

<Operation for each operating mode of the aspirator>
The operation of the electric circuit shown in FIG. 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11 to 16. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in sleep mode. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in active mode. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in the heating initial setting mode. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit during heating of the heater HTR in the heating mode. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when the temperature of the heater HTR is detected in the heating mode. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in charging mode. In each of FIGS. 11 to 16, among the terminals of the chipped electrical component, the terminals surrounded by dashed ellipses have inputs or outputs such as the power supply voltage V _BAT , the USB voltage V _USB , and the system power supply voltage. It shows the terminals that have been made.

In any operation mode, the power supply voltage V _BAT is input to the power supply terminal VDD of the protection IC 10, the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC/DC converter 9, and the charging terminal bat of the charging IC 2. FIG.

<Sleep mode: Fig. 11>
MCU1 enables the V _BAT power pass function of charging IC2 and disables the OTG function and charging function. Since the _USB voltage VUSB is not input to the input terminal VBUS of the charging IC2, the _VBAT power pass function of the charging IC2 is enabled. Since the signal for enabling the OTG function is not output from the MCU1 to the charging IC2 from the communication line LN, the OTG function is disabled. Therefore, the charging IC2 generates the system power supply voltage _Vcc0 from the power supply voltage VBAT input to the charging terminal bat, and outputs it from the output terminal SYS. The system power supply voltage Vcc0 output from the output terminal SYS is input to the power supply terminal VDD of the MCU1, the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC 13, the power supply terminal VCC of the communication IC 15, and the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC 14. The system power supply voltage _Vcc0 is set to be lower than the _USB voltage VUSB input from the external power supply to the power supply input terminal VBUS during charging.

As described above, in the sleep mode, the OTG function of the charging IC 2 is stopped, so power supply to the LEDs L1 to L8 is stopped.

<Active mode: Fig. 12>
When the MCU1 detects that the signal input to the terminal P8 is at a high level from the sleep mode state of FIG. 11 and the slider 119 is opened, the MCU1 enables the OTG function of the charging IC2 via the communication line LN. . As a result, the charging IC2 outputs from the input terminal VBUS a system power supply voltage _Vcc4 obtained by boosting the power supply voltage VBAT input from the charging terminal bat. A system power supply voltage Vcc4 output from the input terminal VBUS is supplied to the LEDs L1 to L8.

<Heating initial setting mode: Fig. 13>
From the state of FIG. 12, when the signal input to the terminal P4 becomes low level (the operation switch OPS is pressed), the MCU1 performs various settings necessary for heating, and then boosts the voltage from the terminal P14. A high-level enable signal is input to the enable terminal EN of the DC/DC converter 9 . As a result, the step-up DC/DC converter 9 outputs the driving voltage V _bst obtained by stepping up the power supply voltage V _BAT from the output terminal VOUT. The drive voltage _Vbst is supplied to switch S3 and switch S4. In this state, the switches S3 and S4 are off. After that, it shifts to the heating mode.

<Heater heating in heating mode: Fig. 14>
In the state of FIG. 13, the MCU1 starts switching control of the switch S3 connected to the terminal P16 and switching control of the switch S4 connected to the terminal P15. These switching controls may be automatically started when the heating initialization mode described above is completed, or may be started by further pressing the operation switch OPS. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the MCU 1 turns on the switch S3, turns off the switch S4, supplies the driving voltage _Vbst to the heater HTR, and heats the heater HTR for generating aerosol. and temperature detection control for detecting the temperature of the heater HTR by turning off the switch S3 and turning on the switch S4 as shown in FIG.

<Heater temperature detection in heating mode: Fig. 15>
As shown in FIG. 15, during temperature detection control, the drive voltage _Vbst is input to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 and also to the voltage dividing circuit Pb. The voltage divided by the voltage dividing circuit Pb is input to the terminal P18 of the MCU1. The MCU1 obtains the voltage of the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 during temperature detection control based on the voltage input to the terminal P18.

Further, during temperature detection control, the driving voltage _Vbst is supplied to the series circuit of the resistor Rs and the heater HTR. A voltage V _heat obtained by dividing the driving voltage V _bst by the resistor Rs and the heater HTR is input to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. The operational amplifier OP1 amplifies and outputs the difference between the voltage input to the inverting input terminal and the voltage V _heat input to the non-inverting input terminal.

The output signal of operational amplifier OP1 is input to terminal P9 of MCU1. The MCU1 controls the heater HTR based on the signal input to the terminal P9, the voltage of the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 obtained based on the input voltage of the terminal P18, and the known electrical resistance value of the resistor Rs. Get temperature.

<Charge mode: Fig. 16>
FIG. 16 exemplifies a case where a USB connection is made in sleep mode. When the USB connection is made, the _USB voltage VUSB is input to the input terminal VIN of LSW3 via the overvoltage protection IC11. The USB voltage V _USB is also supplied to a voltage dividing circuit Pf connected to the input terminal VIN of LSW3. Since the bipolar transistor S2 is ON immediately after the USB connection is made, the signal input to the control terminal ON of the LSW3 remains at a low level. The USB voltage V _USB is also supplied to the voltage dividing circuit Pc connected to the terminal P17 of the MCU1, and the voltage divided by this voltage dividing circuit Pc is input to the terminal P17. The MCU1 detects that the USB connection has been made based on the voltage input to the terminal P17. The voltage dividing circuit Pc is configured to make the voltage input to the terminal P17 equal to or lower than the system power supply voltage Vcc0 input to the power supply terminal VDD of the MCU1.

When the MCU1 detects that the USB connection has been made, the MCU1 turns off the bipolar transistor S2 connected to the terminal P19. When a low level signal is input to the gate terminal of the bipolar transistor S2, the _USB voltage VUSB divided by the voltage dividing circuit Pf is input to the control terminal ON of the LSW3. As a result, a high-level signal is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3, and LSW3 outputs the _USB voltage VUSB from the output terminal VOUT. The _USB voltage VUSB output from LSW3 is input to the input terminal VBUS of charging IC2. In addition, the _USB voltage V_USB output from LSW3 is directly supplied to LEDs L1 to L8 as system power supply voltage Vcc4.

When the MCU1 detects that the USB connection has been established, the MCU1 further outputs a low-level enable signal from the terminal P22 to the charge enable terminal CE(~) of the charge IC2. As a result, the charging IC 2 enables the charging function of the power supply BAT, and starts charging the power supply BAT with the _USB voltage VUSB input to the input terminal VBUS. At this time, the MCU 1 does not heat the heater HTR for aerosol generation while keeping the switches S3 and S4 off. In other words, when the MCU 1 detects that the USB connection has been made based on the voltage input to the terminal P17, it prohibits the supply of power from the power supply BAT to the heater connector Cn. As a result, power consumption from the power supply BAT during charging can be avoided.

[Receptacle board]
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting substrate 162. As shown in FIG. A main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting substrate 162 is one surface of the region SP formed by the two substrates 161 and 162 held in parallel.

On the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting board 162 extending in the vertical direction, a heater connector Cn is arranged near the upper end, a receptacle RCP is arranged at the lower end, and a boosted DC is provided between the heater connector Cn and the receptacle RCP. A reactor Lc of the /DC converter 9 is arranged.

In the vicinity of the receptacle RCP, a positive battery connector 222 (hereinafter referred to as positive battery connector 222) is arranged on the right side, and an opening 176 into which the second small diameter portion 192b of the spacer 173 is fitted is arranged on the left side. there is Further, on the left side of the reactor Lc, a battery connector 224 on the negative electrode side (hereinafter referred to as a negative battery connector 224) and a power supply temperature detection connector 234 connected to a thermistor T1 constituting a power supply temperature sensor are arranged. A positive power supply bus bar 236 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) extending from the positive terminal of the power supply BAT is connected to the positive battery connector 222, and a negative power supply bus bar extending from the negative terminal of the power supply BAT is connected to the negative battery connector 224. 238 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) are connected.

The receptacle RCP is arranged at the lower end of the receptacle mounting board 162, and the opening 176 where the spacer 173 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are connected is closer to the lower end than to the upper end. That is, in the receptacle mounting board 162 extending in the vertical direction, the receptacle RCP and the opening 176 are arranged close to each other in the vertical direction (lower end side in this embodiment). This current may generate noise near the path through which power supplied from an external power supply passes. The substrate area of the substrate 162 can be effectively utilized. As a result, it is possible to prevent the size of the receptacle mounting board 162 from increasing, so that the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating apparatus can be reduced.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the secondary surface 162b of the receptacle mounting board 162. As shown in FIG. On the secondary surface 162b of the receptacle mounting board 162, the overvoltage protection IC 11 is arranged below the opening 176, and above the opening 176, the protection IC 10, the operational amplifier OP1, and the step-up DC/DC converter 9 are arranged in order from the bottom. It is

[MCU board]
FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the main surface 161a of the MCU mounting board 161. As shown in FIG. On the main surface 161a of the MCU-mounted substrate 161 extending in the vertical direction, a heater temperature detection connector 240 to which a thermistor T3 constituting a heater temperature sensor is connected via a lead wire is arranged at the upper end. A charging IC2 is arranged in . An opening 175 into which the first small diameter portion 192a of the spacer 173 is fitted is arranged at a position corresponding to the opening 176 of the receptacle mounting board 162, and the MCU1 is arranged near the opening 175. As shown in FIG.

The MCU 1 is arranged below the MCU mounting board 161, and the opening 175 where the spacer 173 and the MCU mounting board 161 are connected is closer to the lower end than to the upper end. That is, in the vertically extending MCU mounting board 161, the MCU 1 and the opening 175 are arranged close to each other in the vertical direction (lower end side in this embodiment). Here, an opening peripheral portion 166 around the opening 175 of the MCU mounting substrate 161 is an insulating portion 167, and the bolt head of the bolt 136 that fixes the MCU mounting substrate 161 and the receptacle mounting substrate 162 to the chassis 150 abuts thereon. . Electrical connection between the head of the bolt 136 and the peripheral edge portion 166 of the MCU mounting board 161 is cut off by the insulating portion 167 . By arranging the MCU1 in the vicinity of the insulating portion 167 of the MCU mounting substrate 161, noise that enters the MCU1 can be reduced.

By placing the MCU1 on the MCU mounting board 161 with respect to the receptacle mounting board 162 where the receptacle RCP is arranged, the MCU1 is separated from the receptacle RCP. . Thereby, operation|movement of the suction device 100 can be stabilized more.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting board 161. As shown in FIG. The secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting substrate 161 is the surface on the other side of the area SP formed by the two substrates 161 and 162 held in parallel.

On the secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting substrate 161, a motor connector 226 to which the vibration motor M is connected via a wire is arranged above the opening 175, and further above, a thermistor T4 constituting a case temperature sensor is provided with a wire. A case temperature detection connector 228 is connected via a lead wire, and an intake air detection connector 230 is connected via a lead wire to a thermistor T2 constituting an intake air sensor.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the suction device 100. FIG.
In this manner, a plurality of elements and ICs are mounted on the main surface 162a and the subsurface 162b of the MCU mounting board 161 and the main surface 161a and the subsurface 161b of the receptacle mounting board 162, respectively. As shown in FIG. 21, in the region SP formed by the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting substrate 162 and the subsurface 161b of the MCU mounting substrate 161 held in parallel, the receptacle RCP and the step-up DC/DC converter are provided as described above. A reactor Lc connected to 9 is arranged. Reference numeral 300 in FIG. 21 denotes a heat diffusion member that dissipates heat generated in the step-up DC/DC converter 9 or the like.

By arranging the receptacle RCP having a relatively large volume in the region SP between the receptacle mounting board 162 and the MCU mounting board 161, the board area can be effectively utilized. Thereby, the cost and size of the suction device 100 can be reduced.

In general, the size of reactor Lc connected to boost DC/DC converter 9 increases according to the current output from boost DC/DC converter 9 . Since the heater HTR is the component that consumes the most power in the inhaler 100, the reactor Lc tends to be larger than the boost DC/DC converter 9 itself. By arranging the reactor Lc having a large volume in the region SP between the receptacle mounting substrate 162 and the MCU mounting substrate 161, it is possible to suppress the projection to the outside.

Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope described in the claims, and these also belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Understood. Moreover, each component in the above embodiments may be combined arbitrarily without departing from the gist of the invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the spacer 173 has a cylindrical shape, but it is not limited to this, and may have a cylindrical shape as long as there is a through hole 194 through which the bolt 136 is inserted.

This specification describes at least the following matters. In addition, although the parenthesis shows the components corresponding to the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.

(1) a power supply (power supply BAT);
a heater connector (heater connector Cn) to which a heater (heater HTR) that consumes power supplied from the power source and heats the aerosol source is connected;
a first substrate (MCU mounting substrate 161);
a second substrate (receptacle mounting substrate 162) separate from the first substrate;
a case (case 110) housing the power supply, the heater connector, the first substrate, and the second substrate;
a spacer (spacer 173) disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and holding the first substrate and the second substrate in parallel;
The power unit of the aerosol generator (non-combustion inhaler 100).

According to (1), by holding the two substrates arranged in the case in parallel via the spacer, it is possible to prevent the substrates from coming into contact with each other and causing a short circuit. Moreover, the two substrates held in parallel can secure an electrically safe area in the case, and the space in the case can be effectively used.

(2) A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (1),
Further comprising a chassis (chassis 150) arranged inside the case,
the first substrate and the second substrate are fixed to the chassis;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (2), by fixing the first board and the second board to the chassis in the case, the two boards can be stably held.

(3) A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (2),
At least part of the chassis (front and rear dividing wall 152) is disposed between the power source and the first substrate and the second substrate.
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (3), the power source can be separated from the first substrate and the second substrate, and the heat of the power source can be suppressed from being transmitted to the first substrate and the second substrate.

(4) The power unit of the aerosol generator according to (2) or (3),
The spacer has a cylindrical shape with a through hole (through hole 194),
The first substrate and the second substrate each have openings (openings 175 and 176),
The first substrate and the second substrate are fixed to the chassis with the spacer sandwiched therebetween by bolts (bolts 136) that pass through the through holes and the openings.
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (4), the cost of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator can be reduced by using a highly versatile bolt.

(5) A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (4),
The opening peripheral edge portion (opening peripheral edge portion 166) of the first substrate that contacts the head of the bolt has an insulating portion (insulating portion 167),
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (5), the electrical connection between the head of the bolt and the peripheral edge of the opening of the first substrate is cut off by the insulating portion.

(6) The power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (5),
further comprising a controller (MCU1) arranged on the first substrate and configured to be able to control power supply from the power source to the heater connector;
The first substrate extends in a predetermined direction (vertical direction),
The controller is provided on one end side (lower side) in the predetermined direction,
A portion (opening portion 175) where the spacer and the first substrate are connected is closer to the one end side than the other end side (upper side) in the predetermined direction,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (6), noise entering the controller can be reduced by arranging the controller in the vicinity of the insulating portion of the first substrate.

(7) A power supply unit for the aerosol generator according to any one of (1) to (6),
The spacer has conductivity,
connecting the grounds of the first substrate and the second substrate;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (7), by connecting the grounds of the two substrates through the spacer, the ground potentials of the two substrates can be made uniform, and the charging voltage between the IC on the first substrate and the IC on the second substrate can be adjusted. It is possible to stabilize power supply, operation power supply, and communication. Moreover, since the volume of the spacer can be arbitrarily set, the resistance can be reduced by increasing the volume of the spacer.

(8) The power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to any one of (1) to (7),
further comprising a receptacle (receptacle RCP) electrically connectable to an external power supply,
the receptacle is positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (8), by disposing a receptacle having a relatively large volume in a space defined by two substrates held in parallel, the substrate area can be effectively utilized. This reduces the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator.

(9) A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (8),
The second substrate extends in a predetermined direction (vertical direction),
The receptacle is arranged on one end side (lower side) of the second substrate in the predetermined direction,
A portion (opening portion 176) where the spacer and the second substrate are connected is closer to the one end side than the other end side (upper side) in the predetermined direction,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

This current may cause noise in the vicinity of the path through which the power supplied from the external power supply passes. According to (9), the substrate area of the second substrate can be effectively utilized by providing a spacer that is not affected by noise near this path. As a result, an increase in the size of the second substrate can be suppressed, so that the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device can be reduced.

(10) A power supply unit for the aerosol generator according to any one of (1) to (9),
a voltage conversion IC (step-up DC/DC converter 9) including an input terminal (input terminal VIN) connected to the power supply and an output terminal (output terminal VOUT) connected to the heater connector;
a reactor (reactor Lc) connected to the voltage conversion IC,
The reactor is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

The size of the reactor connected to the voltage conversion IC increases according to the current output by the voltage conversion IC. Since the heater is the component that consumes the most power in the aerosol generator, the reactor tends to be larger than the voltage conversion IC itself. According to (10), by arranging the reactor having a large volume between the first substrate and the second substrate, it is possible to suppress the projection to the outside.

1 MCU (controller)
9 step-up DC/DC converter (voltage conversion IC)
100 non-combustion aspirator (power unit for aerosol generator)
110 case 136 bolt 150 chassis (at least part of the chassis)
152 front and rear dividing wall 161 MCU mounting substrate (first substrate)
162 receptacle mounting board (second board)
166 opening peripheral portion 167 insulating portion 173 spacer 175 opening (place where the spacer and the first substrate are connected)
176 opening (location where spacer and second substrate are connected)
194 Through hole BAT Power supply HTR Heater Cn Heater connector Lc Reactor RCP Receptacle VIN Input terminal VOUT Output terminal

Claims (10)

a power supply;
a heater connector connected to a heater that consumes power supplied from the power supply to heat the aerosol source;
a first substrate;
a second substrate separate from the first substrate;
a case that houses the power supply, the heater connector, the first substrate, and the second substrate;
a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and holding the first substrate and the second substrate in parallel;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator. A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to claim 1,
further comprising a chassis disposed inside the case;
the first substrate and the second substrate are fixed to the chassis;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator. A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to claim 2,
at least a portion of the chassis is disposed between the power supply and the first and second substrates;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator. The power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to claim 2 or 3,
The spacer has a cylindrical shape with a through hole,
The first substrate and the second substrate each have an opening,
The first substrate and the second substrate are fixed to the chassis with the spacer sandwiched by bolts passing through the through hole and the opening.
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator. A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to claim 4,
an opening peripheral portion of the first substrate that contacts the head of the bolt has an insulating portion;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator. A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to claim 5,
further comprising a controller arranged on the first substrate and configured to be able to control power supply from the power supply to the heater connector;
The first substrate extends in a predetermined direction,
The controller is provided on one end side in the predetermined direction,
A portion where the spacer and the first substrate are connected is closer to the one end side than the other end side in the predetermined direction,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator. The power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The spacer has conductivity,
connecting the grounds of the first substrate and the second substrate;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator. The power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
It also has a receptacle that can be electrically connected to an external power supply,
the receptacle is positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator. A power supply unit for an aerosol generator according to claim 8,
The second substrate extends in a predetermined direction,
The receptacle is arranged on one end side of the second substrate in the predetermined direction,
A portion where the spacer and the second substrate are connected is closer to the one end side than the other end side in the predetermined direction,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator. The power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
a voltage conversion IC including an input terminal connected to the power supply and an output terminal connected to the heater connector;
a reactor connected to the voltage conversion IC,
The reactor is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

Images