JP2024520780A - Aerosol Generator - Google Patents

Abstract

The aerosol generating device includes a housing including a storage space for storing an aerosol product; and an inlet side support portion located at the opening of the storage space, the inlet side support portion including one or more supports for supporting the aerosol product and an inlet passage that receives air outside the housing and becomes narrower as it enters the storage space.

Description

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device, and more specifically, to an aerosol generating device in which air is smoothly supplied to an aerosol product.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for technology to replace the method of burning a typical cigarette to supply an aerosol. For example, research is being conducted into methods of supplying a flavored aerosol by generating an aerosol from a liquid or solid aerosol generating substance, or by generating vapor from a liquid aerosol generating substance and then passing the generated vapor through a solid flavor medium.

Recently, an aerosol generating device capable of heating an aerosol product to generate an aerosol has been proposed as an alternative to the method of burning a cigarette and supplying an aerosol. For example, the aerosol generating device may refer to a device capable of heating a liquid or solid aerosol generating material to a predetermined temperature via a heater to generate an aerosol.

When using an aerosol generating device, smoking is possible without additional equipment such as a lighter, and users can smoke as much as they wish, which can improve the convenience of smoking for users. Therefore, research on aerosol generating devices has been gradually increasing recently.

To ensure the atomization performance of the aerosol generating device, air must be smoothly supplied to the aerosol product.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol generating device that smoothly supplies air to the aerosol product and improves atomization performance.

This embodiment also provides an aerosol generating device that can precisely sense changes in air flow.

The problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

The aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes a housing including a storage space for storing an aerosol product; and one or more supports for supporting the aerosol product; an inlet support portion that receives air from outside the housing and narrows as it enters the storage space, and is located at an opening of the storage space.

The aerosol generating device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can effectively introduce airflow and improve atomization performance.

In addition, the aerosol generating devices according to various embodiments of the present disclosure include improved airflow passages, allowing for precise sensing of changes in airflow.

The effects of this embodiment are not limited to those described above, and any effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating some components of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . 6 is a development view showing the components of the inlet side support part shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the inlet side support portion shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the inlet side support portion shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a portion of the inlet side support portion shown in FIG. 12 . FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 16 is a plan view of a portion of the inlet side support portion shown in FIG. 15 . FIG. 16 is a side cross-sectional view of the inlet side support portion shown in FIG. 15 . FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment. FIG. 22 is a plan view of a portion of the inlet side support portion shown in FIG. 21 . FIG. 22 is a side cross-sectional view of the inlet support shown in FIG. 21 when an aerosol product is inserted. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

The terms used in this embodiment are currently common terms that are widely used as much as possible, while taking into consideration the functions of the present invention. However, they may differ depending on the intentions of engineers working in the field, legal precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this invention must be defined based on the meanings that the terms have and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply by the names of the terms.

Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, this does not mean to exclude other components, but also means to further include other components, unless specifically stated to the contrary. Furthermore, terms such as "~ section" and "~ module" used in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one of" precedes an array of components, it modifies the entire array of components and not each individual component of the array. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that electrically heats a cigarette contained in the internal space to generate an aerosol.

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

The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate heating element, a needle heating element, or a rod heating element, and depending on the shape of the heating element, the inside or outside of the cigarette may be heated.

Cigarettes also include tobacco rods and filter rods. The tobacco rods can be made of sheets, strands, or cut tobacco that is finely cut into a tobacco sheet. The tobacco rods are also surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material can be a metal foil, such as aluminum foil, but is not limited thereto.

The filter rod may also be a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may be composed of at least one or more segments. For example, the filter rod may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters a specific component contained in the aerosol.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol using a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating substance.

The aerosol generating device also includes a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating material, and a main body that supports the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the main body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed integrally with or incorporated into the main body and fixed so that it cannot be detached by the user. The cartridge may be attached to the main body with the aerosol generating material contained therein. However, is not limited thereto, and the aerosol generating material may be injected into the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the main body.

The cartridge can hold an aerosol generating material in any one of a variety of states, such as liquid, solid, gaseous, or gel. The aerosol generating material can include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition can be a liquid that includes a tobacco-containing material that includes a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid that includes a non-tobacco material.

The cartridge is operated by an electrical signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body, thereby converting the phase of the aerosol generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase and generating an aerosol. The aerosol may refer to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from the aerosol generating material and air are mixed.

In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device can heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol can pass through the cigarette and be delivered to the user. That is, the aerosol generated from the liquid composition can travel along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow passage can be configured to allow the aerosol to pass through the cigarette and be delivered to the user.

In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that uses an ultrasonic vibration method to generate an aerosol from an aerosol generating material. In this case, the ultrasonic vibration method can mean a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol generating material using ultrasonic vibrations generated by a vibrator.

The aerosol generating device also includes a vibrator, and can generate short-period vibrations through the vibrator to atomize the aerosol generating material. The vibrations generated from the vibrator are ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations is from about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto.

The aerosol generating device may further include a wick that absorbs the aerosol generating material. For example, the wick may be positioned to surround at least a region of the transducer or to be in contact with at least a region of the transducer.

When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the transducer, heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the transducer, and the heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the transducer can be transferred to the aerosol generating substance absorbed in the wick. The aerosol generating substance absorbed in the wick can be converted into a gas phase by the heat and/or ultrasonic vibrations transmitted from the transducer, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

For example, the heat generated by the vibrator can reduce the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the core, and the ultrasonic vibrations generated by the vibrator can break the reduced-viscosity aerosol-generating substance into fine particles, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not a limitation.

In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device using an induction heating method.

The aerosol generating device also includes a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil can apply a magnetic field to the susceptor. When power is supplied from the aerosol generating device to the coil, a magnetic field can be formed inside the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is also a magnetic material that generates heat due to an external magnetic field. The susceptor is located inside the coil, and when a magnetic field is applied, the susceptor generates heat, thereby heating the aerosol product. Optionally, the susceptor can be located within the aerosol product.

In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device further includes a cradle.

The aerosol generating device can be combined with a separate cradle to form a system. For example, the cradle can charge the battery of the aerosol generating device. Or, the heater can be heated when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are combined.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that a person having ordinary skill in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be implemented in a form that can be realized in the aerosol generating device of the various embodiments described above, or may be implemented in various different forms, but is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Below, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment also includes a housing 100 into which an aerosol product 20 can be inserted.

The housing 100 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 10 and also includes an interior space (or "arrangement space") in which the components of the aerosol generating device 10 can be arranged. Although the housing 100 is illustrated in the drawings as having a semicircular cross section, the shape of the housing 100 is not limited thereto. For example, the housing 100 may be generally cylindrical, or may be polygonal (e.g., triangular or rectangular) in shape.

The internal space of the housing 100 contains components for heating the aerosol product 20 inserted into the housing 100 to generate an aerosol, and components for detecting the user's puffing action, but a detailed description of these components will be given later.

According to one embodiment, the housing 100 also includes an opening 100h through which the aerosol product item 20 can be inserted into the interior of the housing 100. At least a portion of the aerosol product item 20 can be inserted or received within the interior of the housing 100 through the opening 100h.

The aerosol production product 20 inserted or housed inside the housing 100 can be heated inside the housing 100, resulting in the generation of an aerosol. The user can inhale the aerosol emitted from the aerosol production product 20.

The aerosol generating device 10 further includes a display D on which visual information is displayed.

The display D may be arranged such that at least a portion of the display D is exposed to the outside of the housing 100. The aerosol generating device 10 may provide a variety of visual information to the user through the display D.

For example, the aerosol generating device 10 may provide information regarding whether a user's puffing action has occurred and/or information regarding the number of remaining puffs of the inserted aerosol product 20 via the display D, but the information provided via the display D may be modified in various ways.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device 10 shown in Figure 1 taken along the II direction.

Referring to FIG. 2, the aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment also includes a housing 100, an inlet side support portion 200, a heater assembly 300, an airflow passage 400, an end support portion 500, and a sensor 600.

The housing 100 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 10 and also includes an internal space in which the components of the aerosol generating device 10 can be arranged. For example, the inlet side support 200, the heater assembly 300, the airflow passage 400, the end support 500, and the sensor 600 can be arranged in the internal space of the housing 100, but this embodiment is not limited by the components arranged in the internal space of the housing 100.

According to one embodiment, the housing 100 also includes an opening 100h, and at least a portion of the aerosol product (not shown) can be inserted (or received) inside the housing 100 through the opening 100h. Although the opening 100h is shown in the drawings as being formed in an area of the upper portion of the housing 100, the arrangement of the opening 100h is not limited to the illustrated structure.

The inlet side support part 200 is located inside the opening 100h of the housing 100 and can support at least a portion of the aerosol product inserted into the housing 100. The inlet side support part 200 can also allow air present outside the aerosol generation device 10 to flow into the aerosol generation device 10.

The inlet support section 200 also includes a support 210 for supporting at least a portion of the aerosol product, and an inlet passage 220 for allowing air outside the housing 100 to flow into the interior of the housing 100.

The heater assembly 300 is located in the interior space of the housing 100. The heater assembly 300 can heat an aerosol production product inserted inside the housing 100 to generate an aerosol.

The heater assembly 300 also includes a heater 310 that generates heat when power is supplied thereto. The heater 310 also includes a storage space 300i for storing at least a portion of the aerosol product inserted inside the housing 100. At least a region of the aerosol product stored in the storage space 300i can be heated by the heater 310. When the aerosol product is heated, vaporized particles generated in the aerosol product can be mixed with air in the internal space of the housing 100 to generate an aerosol.

The heater 310 includes a coil 311 and a susceptor 312, and can heat at least a region of the aerosol product contained in the storage space 300i using an induction heating method.

The coil 311 is arranged to surround the outer circumferential surface of the susceptor 312 and can generate an alternating magnetic field via power supplied from a battery (not shown).

The susceptor 312 can be arranged to surround at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product contained in the storage space 300i. The susceptor 312 can heat the aerosol product contained in the storage space 300i by generating heat due to the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil 311.

As another example of the heater assembly 300, the heater assembly 300 may include an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater assembly 300 may include a film heater arranged to surround at least a portion of the outer periphery of the aerosol product inserted inside the housing 100 of the heater assembly 300. The film heater may include a conductive track, and when an electric current flows through the conductive track, the film heater may generate heat to heat the aerosol product inserted into the housing 100.

As yet another example of the heater assembly 300, the heater assembly 300 includes at least one of a needle heater, a rod heater, and a tubular heater that can heat the inside of the aerosol product inserted into the housing 100. The heater can be inserted, for example, into at least one region of the aerosol product to heat the inside of the aerosol product.

The examples are not limited by the specific embodiment of the heater, and the heater may be modified in various forms to heat the aerosol product to a specified temperature. In this disclosure, the "specified temperature" may mean a temperature at which the aerosol generating material contained in the aerosol product can be heated to generate an aerosol. The specified temperature may be a preset temperature in the aerosol generating device 10. Alternatively, the specified temperature may be changed depending on the type of the aerosol generating device 10 and/or a user operation.

The heater assembly 300 further includes an insulating structure 320 for sealing the heater 310.

The heat insulating structure 320 seals the heater 310 and prevents the heat generated by the heater 310 from being transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the housing 100. Even when the temperature of the heater 310 is maintained at a high temperature, the heat insulating structure 320 can prevent high-temperature heat from being transferred to the body (e.g., the palm) of the user holding the housing 100.

The heat insulating structure 320 can be closed by a sealing means (not shown). The sealing means can seal the space in which the heater 310 is located and prevent droplets generated during the aerosol generation process from flowing out of the heater assembly 300. The sealing means can prevent components of the aerosol generating device 10 from malfunctioning or being damaged by droplets.

The insulating structure 320 also includes a first insulating body 321, a second insulating body 322, and an external insulating body 323 having a double-wall structure.

The first insulator 321 is located outside the susceptor.

The second insulator 322 is connected to the upper end of the first insulator 321 and is positioned so as to surround a portion of the outer surface of the first insulator 321.

The external insulation 323 is located outside the second insulation 322 and has a double-wall structure.

The susceptor may be located in an internal space formed by the first insulator 321 and the second insulator 322.

The second insulator 322 may be coupled to at least one region of the upper end of the first insulator 321, but the coupling structure between the second insulator 322 and the first insulator 321 is not limited thereto. As another example, the first insulator 321 and the second insulator 322 may be formed integrally.

The airflow passage 400 is located between the susceptor 312 and the first insulator 321 in the internal space of the housing 100. The airflow passage 400 can fluidly communicate (or fluidly connect) the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 with the accommodation space 300i of the heater assembly 300.

The airflow passage 400 may be arranged to connect an airflow hole (not shown) of the inlet side support part 200 and an air inlet part (not shown) of the end support part 500 located in the accommodation space 300i while being separated from the heater assembly 300. For example, the airflow passage 400 may be arranged between the coil 311 and the susceptor 312 so as to surround the susceptor 312, but the shape of the airflow passage 400 is not limited to such an arrangement structure.

The above-described arrangement of the air flow passage 400 allows fluid communication between the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 and the inside of the storage space 300i.

The end support portion 500 is located at one end (e.g., the lower end) of the storage space 300i and can support the lower end region and side region of the aerosol product to be inserted inside the housing 100.

The end support 500 can be disposed as a separate element at the lower end of the receiving space 300i to support the aerosol product. The end support 500 can be modified to be integrally formed with the receiving space 300i at the lower end of the receiving space 300i.

When an aerosol product is inserted into the storage space 300i, air from the airflow passage 400 can flow into the aerosol product through the end support portion 500.

The sensor 600 is located in the interior space of the housing 100 and can detect the user's puffing action or a change in the heater temperature.

The sensor 600 also includes a puff sensor 610 for sensing pressure changes. The puff sensor 610 can detect pressure changes in the airflow passage 400 due to the user's puffing action.

The sensor 600 also includes a temperature sensor 620 for sensing temperature changes. The temperature sensor 620 can detect changes in the temperature of the heater while the heater is operating.

The puff sensor 610 may be disposed adjacent to the inlet side support part 200. The temperature sensor 620 may be disposed in the internal space so as to be in contact with the susceptor 312. The positions of the temperature sensor 620 and the puff sensor 610 may be varied in various ways.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of some components of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, and is a drawing for explaining the process of air movement in the aerosol generating device due to a user's puffing action.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view specifically illustrating the heater assembly 300 of the aerosol generating device 10 of Figure 2.

Below, with reference to Figure 3, we will explain in detail the specific configuration of the heater assembly 300 of the aerosol generating device 10 and the movement of air caused by the user's puffing action.

Referring to FIG. 3, the aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment also includes a housing 100, an inlet side support 200, a heater assembly 300, an airflow passage 400, an end support 500, and a sensor 600. At least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment is the same as or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 illustrated in FIG. 2, and therefore, the overlapping description will be omitted below.

According to one embodiment, when a user places the mouth of the aerosol product 20 in contact with the aerosol product and performs a puffing action, a pressure difference occurs between the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 and the internal space of the housing 100, and external air can flow into the inside of the housing 100 through the inlet side support part 200.

External air flowing into the housing 100 can pass through the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200, pass through the airflow hole 400h, and reach the airflow passage 400.

Air moving along the airflow passage 400 can reach the air inlet section 500i of the end support section 500.

The air that reaches the air inlet section 500i passes through the air outlet section 500e in a U-shape following the shape of the end support section 500, and flows into the end of the aerosol product 20 inserted in the storage space 300i (Figure 2).

The air flowing into the storage space 300i (FIG. 2) can be mixed with vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol product 20 to generate an aerosol. The user can inhale the aerosol generated in the storage space 300i (FIG. 2) through a puffing action to inhale the aerosol product 20.

Figure 4 is a plan view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating the housing 100 with the aerosol product 20 inserted therein and the inlet side support portion 200 in the aerosol generating device 10 of Figure 2.

Referring to FIG. 4, the aerosol generating device 10 also includes a housing 100 and an inlet side support portion 200. At least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 is the same as or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 illustrated in FIG. 2, and therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted below.

The inlet side support part 200 is located inside the opening 100h of the housing 100, is attached to the aerosol generating device 10, and can support the aerosol product 20.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an inlet support portion attached to an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the inlet side support part 200 in the aerosol generating device 10 of Figure 4.

Referring to FIG. 5, the interior space of the housing 100 also includes a storage space 300i for storing an aerosol product (not shown). The inlet side support part 200 is located at one end (e.g., the upper end) of the storage space 300i and may be exposed to the outside of the housing 100.

The inlet support section 200 also includes one or more supports 210 for supporting at least a portion of the aerosol product, and an inlet passage 220 for allowing air outside the housing 100 to flow into the interior of the storage space 300i.

The support 210 can contact at least a portion of the outside of the aerosol product and support the aerosol product. Thus, a plurality of supports 210 can be arranged along the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i so as to contact the outside of the aerosol product. When an aerosol product is inserted into the inlet side support part 200, the support 210 can contact the aerosol product and form an inflow passage 220 in the space between the inlet side support part 200 and the aerosol product. That is, the inflow passage 220 can be located between adjacent supports 210.

The inlet passage 220 allows air to flow, and may have a shape that narrows as it moves from the outside of the housing 100 to the inside of the storage space 300i. Such a shape of the inlet passage 220 may provide two advantages in relation to the air flow compared to a conventional shape that has a constant width along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

First, the area of the opening (not shown) of the inlet passage 220 that opens toward the outside of the housing 100 is the largest in the entire path of the inlet passage 220, so that a sufficient amount of outside air can smoothly flow into the storage space 300i. Such an inlet passage structure can improve the atomization performance of the aerosol generating device 10.

Secondly, the size of the inlet passage 220 becomes smaller as it moves from the opening open to the outside of the housing 100 to the interior of the storage space 300i. The change in size of the inlet passage 220 may change the flow rate of the air flow passing through the inlet passage 220. The change in the flow rate of the air changes the air pressure in the storage space 300i, and the puff sensor 610 (FIG. 2) can detect the change in air pressure. The controller (not shown) can recognize the occurrence of a puff action in which the user performs an inhalation action based on the detection of the pressure change by the puff sensor.

The size of the inflow passage 220 may be reduced along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 as it enters the interior of the accommodation space 300i. One inflow passage 220 is surrounded by the support 210 in the circumferential direction of the accommodation space 300i. The size of the support 210 may be increased along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 as it enters the interior of the accommodation space 300i.

The inlet passage 220 may have a shape that narrows as it moves from the outside of the housing 100 to the inside of the accommodation space 300i. The configuration and shape of the inlet side support part 200 may be modified in various ways.

The inlet passage 220 between adjacent supports 210 includes a side wall 220w that is blocked by the supports 210 in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i.

Since one inflow passage 220 is surrounded by the support 210 in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i, the side wall 220w of the inflow passage 220 is also the facing side wall of the support 210 in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i.

The sidewall 220w may extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 and be inclined toward the circumferential direction of the accommodation space 300i. The inclination of the sidewall 220w may result in a shape in which the size of the inlet passage 220 decreases or the size of the support 210 increases as the sidewall 220w approaches the interior of the accommodation space 300i from the outside along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100. This embodiment is not limited by such a shape of the sidewall, and the shape of the sidewall 220w may be modified in various ways.

The inlet support portion 200 includes an upper end portion that faces the outside of the housing 100 in the longitudinal direction of the housing 100, and a lower end portion that faces the inside of the accommodation space 300i. That is, the support body 210 includes an upper end portion 210u and a lower end portion 210l, and the inlet passage 220 also includes an upper end portion 220u and a lower end portion 220l.

The length by which the inflow passage 220 extends from the upper end 220u of the inflow passage 220 in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i is longer than the length by which the inflow passage 220 extends from the lower end 220l of the inflow passage 220 in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i. In contrast to the extension length of the inflow passage 220, the length by which the support 210 extends from the lower end 210l of the support 210 in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i is longer than the length by which the support 210 extends from the upper end 210u of the support 210 in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i.

As a result, the inlet passage 220 may have a shape that narrows as it moves from the outside of the housing 100 to the inside of the accommodation space 300i, but the configuration and shape of the inlet side support part 200 may be modified in various ways.

Figure 6 is an exploded view that shows the components of the inlet side support section shown in Figure 5.

Figure 6 is an exploded view of the inlet support part 200 in Figure 5 in the circumferential direction, showing the support body 210, the inlet passage 220, and the air flow hole 400h.

Referring to FIG. 6, from the upper end to the lower end of the unfolded view of the inlet side support part 200, the size of the inlet passage 220 may decrease and the size of the support body 210 may increase.

The upper end of the development is the outside of the housing 100, and the lower end of the development is the portion facing the inside of the storage space 300i (Figure 2). Due to the inclination of the side wall 220w described with reference to Figure 5, the size of the inflow passage 220 decreases along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 as it enters the storage space 300i (Figure 2).

Figure 7 is a plan view of the inlet side support portion shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of the aerosol generating device 10 of Figure 5, with the inlet side support part 200 separated and only the inlet side support part 200 shown.

Referring to FIG. 7, the inlet side support part 200 also includes a support body 210, an inlet passage 220, and a connecting part for connecting to the housing 100. The shape of the inlet side support part 200 can be modified in various ways.

Due to the inclination of the side wall 220w, the size of the inlet passage 220 may be reduced along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 as it enters the interior of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2). Contrary to the shape of the inlet passage, the size of the support 210 may be increased along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 as it enters the interior of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2).

The size of the support 210 and the inlet passage 220 is constant along the radial direction of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2). However, this embodiment is not limited by the shape of the inlet passage 220.

Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view of the inlet support portion shown in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken in the VIII-VIII direction of the inlet side support part 200 shown in Figure 7 when attached to the aerosol generating device 10.

Referring to FIG. 8, the side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 may extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 and be inclined toward the periphery of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2).

The side wall 220w described with reference to FIG. 5 is inclined, which is an example of a shape in which the size of the inlet passage 220 is reduced as it moves along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 and into the interior of the storage space 300i (FIG. 2).

Figure 9 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the inlet side support part 200 in which the shape of the side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 has been deformed along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100, as compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 5.

Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 9, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet support part 200 according to the embodiment different from the first embodiment may have a shape that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space 300i along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

The side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 can extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 and form a continuous plane from one end (e.g., upper end) to the other end (e.g., lower end) of the inlet passage 220.

The side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 of the inlet support part 200 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 may include one or more flat or curved surfaces to form a discontinuous shape (e.g., a stepped shape).

Figure 10 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the inlet side support part 200 in which the shape of the side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 has been deformed along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100, as compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 5.

Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 10, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to the one embodiment and the further embodiment may have a shape that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space 300i along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

The side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 may extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 and be linearly inclined toward the periphery of the accommodation space 300i.

The side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 of the inlet support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 may extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 and be curved and inclined toward the periphery of the accommodation space 300i.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the inlet side support part 200 in which the curved inclined shape of the side wall 220w has been modified as compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 10.

Referring to FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to the two embodiments may have a shape that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space 300i due to a curved inclination present in the side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220.

The side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 may extend along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 and have a concave curved inclination around the accommodating space 300i.

The side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 11 extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 and can have a convex curved inclination around the accommodating space 300i.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the inlet side support part 200 in which the shape of the inlet passage 220 has been deformed in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i (Figure 2) when compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 5.

5 and 12, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to one embodiment and another embodiment may have a shape that narrows toward the inside of the storage space 300i along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100. In addition, the inlet passage 220 may have a shape that opens toward the aerosol product (not shown) inserted into the aerosol generating device 10.

The inlet passage 220 of the inlet support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 also includes one or more flat or curved surfaces between the supports 210 and oriented in a circumferential direction of the storage space 300i.

The inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 may have a concave shape between the supports 210 and facing in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i.

Figure 13 is a plan view of a portion of the inlet side support portion shown in Figure 12.

Figure 13 is a plan view of the aerosol generating device 10 of Figure 12, with the inlet side support part 200 separated and only a portion of the inlet side support part 200 shown.

Referring to FIG. 13, the inlet side support part 200 according to another embodiment has a structure corresponding to the inlet side support part 200 according to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 7, but there is a difference in the shape of the inlet passage 220 described with reference to FIG. 12.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment, and is a drawing for explaining the air flow in the inlet passage.

Figure 14 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part 200 in which the shape of the inlet passage 220 is different on the air flow side when compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 5, and is a drawing to explain the different air flows depending on the shape of the inlet passage 220.

5 and 14, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to the one embodiment and the further embodiment may have a shape that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space 300i along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100. In addition, the inlet passage 220 allows air outside the housing 100 to flow into the inside of the accommodation space 300i.

The inlet passage 220 of the inlet support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 has a shape that extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100, allowing the inlet air to flow in the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

The inlet passage 220 of the inlet support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 14 extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 and also includes a shape that is curved toward the periphery of the accommodation space 300i.

Because of its curved shape, the inlet passage 220 causes the air flowing along the inlet passage 220 to flow in a vortex shape, surrounding the aerosol product (not shown).

Figure 15 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment.

Figure 15 is a perspective view of the inlet side support part 200, which has been modified so that the inlet passage 220 becomes narrower as it enters the storage space 300i, as compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 5.

5 and 15, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to one embodiment and another embodiment may have a shape that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space 300i along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100. In other words, the length extending from the inlet passage 220 in the circumferential direction of the accommodation space 300i is longer at the upper end 220u of the inlet passage 220 than at the lower end 220l of the inlet passage 220.

The inlet side support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 also includes an inlet passage 220 that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space 300i due to the inclination of the side wall 220w described with reference to FIG. 5. However, the size of the support body 210 and the inlet passage 220 is constant along the radial direction of the accommodation space 300i.

The inlet side support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 does not have a slope in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i at the side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220. Instead, in the radial direction of the storage space 300i, the width between the lower end 220l of the inlet passage 220 and the aerosol product is narrower than the width between the upper end 220u of the inlet passage 220 and the aerosol product.

Accordingly, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 may have a shape that narrows as it enters the storage space 300i due to the width difference between each part of the inlet passage 220 and the aerosol product 20.

The size of the support 210 is constant along the radial direction of the accommodation space 300i. However, this embodiment is not limited by the shape of the support 210 and the inlet passage 220, and the shapes of the support 210 and the inlet passage 220 can be modified in various ways.

Figure 16 is a plan view of a portion of the inlet side support portion shown in Figure 15.

Figure 16 is a plan view of the aerosol generating device 10 of Figure 15, with the inlet side support part 200 separated and only a portion of the inlet side support part 200 shown.

Referring to FIG. 16, the inlet side support part 200 according to another embodiment also includes a support body 210 and an inlet passage 220. The shape of the inlet side support part 200 can be modified in various ways.

In yet another embodiment, due to the width difference between each portion of the inlet passage 220 described with reference to FIG. 15 and the aerosol product (not shown), the inlet passage 220 may be narrowed as it enters the storage space 300i (FIG. 2).

The size of the support 210 is constant along the radial direction of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2) and along the circumferential direction of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2). However, this embodiment is not limited by the shape of the support 210 and the inlet passage 220.

Figure 17 is a side cross-sectional view of the inlet side support part shown in Figure 15. Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken in the XVII-XVII direction of the inlet side support part 200 shown in Figure 16 when it is attached to the aerosol generating device 10 and the aerosol product 20 is inserted.

Referring to FIG. 17, in a further embodiment, in the radial direction of the storage space 300i, the width between the lower end 220l of the inlet passage 220 and the aerosol product 20 is narrower than the width between the upper end 220u of the inlet passage 220 and the aerosol product 20.

This is also an example of a shape in which the inflow passage 220 becomes narrower the further inside the storage space 300i due to the difference in width between each portion of the inflow passage 220 and the aerosol product 20, as described with reference to FIG. 15.

Figure 18 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment.

Figure 18 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part 200 in which the shape of the surface that views the aerosol product (not shown) inserted into the aerosol generating device 10 in the inlet passage 220 has been deformed along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 (Figure 2) when compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 15.

Referring to FIG. 15 and FIG. 18, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet support part 200 according to the two embodiments may have a shape that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space 300i along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

In the radial direction of the storage space 300i in the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the width of one end of the inlet passage 220 and the aerosol product varies continuously along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

For the embodiment shown in FIG. 18, in the aforementioned directions, the aforementioned widths may vary discontinuously along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

Figure 19 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment.

Figure 19 is a perspective view of the inlet side support part 200 in which the shape of the surface that views the aerosol product (not shown) inserted into the aerosol generating device 10 in the inlet passage 220 has been modified along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 (Figure 2) when compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 15.

Referring to FIG. 15 and FIG. 19, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 according to the two embodiments may have a shape that narrows toward the inside of the accommodation space 300i along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

In the radial direction of the storage space 300i in the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the width of one end of the inlet passage 220 and the aerosol product varies linearly along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

For the embodiment shown in FIG. 19, in the aforementioned directions, the aforementioned widths may vary non-linearly along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

Figure 20 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment.

Figure 20 is a perspective view of an inlet side support part 200 in which the direction of curvature of the surface through which the aerosol product (not shown) inserted into the aerosol generating device 10 is viewed is different in the inlet passage 220 compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 19.

Referring to Figures 19 and 20, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet support part 200 according to the two embodiments can have a shape that narrows as it enters the housing space 300i along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100 due to a width that changes nonlinearly along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

In the embodiment of the inlet passage 220 shown in FIG. 19, the surface viewing the aerosol product is also convex.

The aforementioned surface of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 20 is also concave.

Figure 21 is a perspective view of an inlet support part attached to an aerosol generating device according to yet another embodiment.

Figure 21 is a perspective view of the inlet side support part 200, which has been modified so that the inlet passage 220 becomes narrower as it enters the storage space 300i, as compared to the embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 15.

Referring to FIG. 21, in another embodiment, the inlet passage 220 of the inlet side support part 200 may have a shape that narrows as it enters the inside of the accommodation space 300i, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 15.

In the embodiment of the inlet side support part 200 shown in FIG. 21, the side wall 220w of the inlet passage 220 does not have an inclination in the circumferential direction of the accommodation space 300i, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 15. However, unlike the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the thickness of the support body 210 in the radial direction of the accommodation space 300i may vary along the longitudinal direction of the housing 100.

Specifically, in the radial direction of the storage space 300i, the thickness of the upper end 210u of the support 210 is thinner than the thickness of the lower end 210l of the support 210.

The upper end 210u of the support 210 does not contact the aerosol product (not shown), so a space is formed between the support 210 and the aerosol product. The space may be part of the inlet passage 220.

The inlet passages 220 between the supports 210 in the circumferential direction of the storage space 300i have a constant width in the radial direction of the storage space 300i to the aerosol product.

The inlet passage 220 formed between the support 210 and the aerosol product may have a shape that becomes narrower as it enters the storage space 300i due to the thickness difference of the support 210 described above.

The lower end 210l of the support 210 may contact the outside of the aerosol product to the extent that it can support the aerosol product. However, this embodiment is not limited by the shape of the support 210 and the inlet passage 220, and the shapes of the support 210 and the inlet passage 220 may be modified in various ways.

Figure 22 is a plan view of a portion of the inlet side support portion shown in Figure 21.

Figure 22 is a plan view of the aerosol generating device 10 of Figure 21, with the inlet side support part 200 separated and only a portion of the inlet side support part 200 shown.

Referring to FIG. 22, the inlet side support part 200 according to another embodiment also includes a support body 210 and an inlet passage 220. The shape of the inlet side support part 200 can be modified in various ways.

In yet another embodiment, due to the thickness difference of the support 210 described with reference to FIG. 21, the inlet passage 220 may become narrower as it enters the interior of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2).

The size of the inflow passage 220 between the supports 210 in the circumferential direction of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2) is constant along the radial direction of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2) and along the circumferential direction of the accommodation space 300i (FIG. 2). However, this embodiment is not limited by the shape of such a support 210 and the inflow passage 220.

Figure 23 is a side cross-sectional view of an aerosol product inserted into the inlet support shown in Figure 21.

Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along the XXIII-XXIII direction of the inlet side support part 200 shown in Figure 22 attached to the aerosol generating device 10 with the aerosol product 20 inserted.

Referring to FIG. 23, in the radial direction of the storage space 300i (FIG. 2), the thickness of the upper end 210u of the support 210 is thinner than the thickness of the lower end 210l of the support 210.

This is also an example of a shape in which the inflow passage 220 becomes narrower the further inside the storage space 300i due to the difference in thickness of the support 210 described with reference to Figure 21.

The lower end 210l of the support 210 may contact the outside of the aerosol product to the extent that it can support the aerosol product. However, this embodiment is not limited by the shape of the support 210 and the inlet passage 220, and the shapes of the support 210 and the inlet passage 220 may be modified in various ways.

Figure 24 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

The aerosol generating device 2400 also includes a control unit 2410, a sensing unit 2420, an output unit 2430, a battery 2440, a heater 2450, a user input unit 2460, a memory 2470, and a communication unit 2480. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 2400 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 24. In other words, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field related to this embodiment would be able to understand that some of the components shown in FIG. 24 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 2400.

The sensing unit 2420 can sense the state of the aerosol generating device 2400 or the state around the aerosol generating device 2400, and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 2410. Based on the sensed information, the control unit 2410 can control the aerosol generating device 2400 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 2450, restricting smoking, determining whether or not to insert an aerosol product (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.), and displaying notifications.

The sensing unit 2420 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 2422, an insertion detection sensor 2424, and a puff sensor 2426, but is not limited to these.

The temperature sensor 2422 can sense the temperature to which the heater 2450 (or the aerosol generating material) is heated. The aerosol generating device 2400 can include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the heater 2450, or the heater 2450 itself can act as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 2422 can be disposed around the battery 2440 to monitor the temperature of the battery 2440.

The insertion detection sensor 2424 can detect the insertion and/or removal of an aerosol product. For example, the insertion detection sensor 2424 can include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and can detect a signal change due to the insertion and/or removal of an aerosol product.

The puff sensor 2426 can detect a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or airflow channel. For example, the puff sensor 2426 can detect a user's puff based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

In addition to the above-mentioned sensors (temperature sensor 2422, insertion detection sensor 2424, and puff sensor 2426), the sensing unit 2420 may further include at least one of a temperature/humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., GPS (global positioning system)), a proximity sensor, and an RGB (red-green-blue) sensor (illuminance sensor). The function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from its name by a person of ordinary skill in the art, so a detailed description may be omitted.

The output unit 2430 may output information related to the status of the aerosol generating device 2400 and provide it to a user. The output unit 2430 may include at least one of a display unit 2432, a haptic unit 2434, and an audio output unit 2436, but is not limited to these. When the display unit 2432 and the touchpad have a layered structure and are configured as a touch screen, the display unit 2432 may be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

The display unit 2432 may visually provide information related to the aerosol generating device 2400 to a user. For example, the information related to the aerosol generating device 2400 may include various information such as a charging/discharging state of the battery 2440 of the aerosol generating device 2400, a preheating state of the heater 2450, an insertion/removal state of an aerosol product, or a state in which the use of the aerosol generating device 2400 is restricted (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display unit 2432 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 2432 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light-emitting display panel (OLED), etc. The display unit 2432 may also be in the form of an LED (light-emitting diode) light-emitting element.

The haptic unit 2434 can convert electrical signals into mechanical or electrical stimuli and provide tactile information related to the aerosol generating device 2400 to the user. For example, the haptic unit 2434 can include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The acoustic output unit 2436 can provide audible information related to the aerosol generating device 2400 to the user. For example, the acoustic output unit 2436 can convert an electrical signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

The battery 2440 may supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 2400. The battery 2440 may supply power so that the heater 2450 can be heated. The battery 2440 may also supply power necessary for the operation of other components (e.g., the sensing unit 2420, the output unit 2430, the user input unit 2460, the memory 2470, and the communication unit 2480) provided in the aerosol generating device 2400. The battery 2440 may be a rechargeable battery or a single-use battery. For example, the battery 2440 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

The heater 2450 may receive power from the battery 2440 and heat the aerosol generating material. Although not shown in FIG. 24, the aerosol generating device 2400 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC (direct current)/DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 2440 and supplies it to the heater 2450. In addition, when the aerosol generating device 2400 generates an aerosol using an induction heating method, the aerosol generating device 2400 may further include a DC/AC (alternating current) converter that converts the direct current power supply of the battery 2440 into an alternating current power supply.

The control unit 2410, the sensing unit 2420, the output unit 2430, the user input unit 2460, the memory 2470, and the communication unit 2480 can perform their functions by receiving power from the battery 2440. Although not shown in FIG. 24, the device may further include a power conversion circuit, such as an LDO (low drop out) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 2440 and supplies it to each component.

In one embodiment, the heater 2450 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials may be metals or metal alloys including, but not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, and the like. The heater 2450 may also be embodied as, but not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate with conductive tracks, a ceramic heating element, and the like.

In another embodiment, the heater 2450 is an induction heater. For example, the heater 2450 may include a susceptor that generates heat via a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol generating material.

The user input unit 2460 may receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 2460 may be a keypad, a dome switch, a touchpad (contact type capacitance type, pressure type resistive film type, infrared sensing type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, integral type tension measurement type, piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc., but is not limited thereto. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 24, the aerosol generating device 2400 may further include a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface, and may connect to another external device through the connection interface such as the USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 2440.

The memory 2470 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 2400, and can store data processed by the control unit 2410 and data to be processed. The memory 2470 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD (secure digital) memory or XD (extreme digital) memory), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), or a programmable read-only memory (PROM). The memory 2470 may include at least one type of recording medium selected from the group consisting of a memory, a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory 2470 may store the operation time of the aerosol generating device 2400, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data related to the user's smoking pattern.

The communication unit 2480 also includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 2480 also includes a short-range wireless communication unit 2482 and a wireless communication unit 2484.

The short-range communication unit 2482 may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication unit, a short-range wireless communication unit (near field communication unit), a WLAN (wireless local area network) (Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity)) communication unit, a Zigbee (registered trademark) communication unit, an infrared (IrDA: infrared data association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct communication unit, a UWB (ultra-wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, and the like.

The wireless communication unit 2484 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a LAN (local area network) or a WAN (wide area network)) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 2484 may also use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) to verify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 2400 within the communication network.

The control unit 2410 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 2400. In one embodiment, the control unit 2410 also includes at least one processor. The processor may be realized by an array of multiple logic gates, or may be realized by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program that can be executed by the microprocessor is stored. In addition, a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which this embodiment pertains will be able to understand that the processor may also be realized by other forms of hardware.

The control unit 2410 can control the temperature of the heater 2450 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 2440 to the heater 2450. For example, the control unit 2410 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of the switching elements of the battery 2440 and the heater 2450. As another example, a heating direct circuit can control the power supply to the heater 2450 by a control command from the control unit 2410.

The control unit 2410 can analyze the results sensed by the sensing unit 2420 and control the processes to be performed thereafter. For example, the control unit 2410 can control the power supplied to the heater 2450 so that the operation of the heater 2450 is started or stopped based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 2420. In another example, the control unit 2410 can control the amount of power supplied to the heater 2450 and the time for which the power is supplied so that the heater 2450 is heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 2420.

The control unit 2410 can control the output unit 2430 based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 2420. For example, if the number of puffs counted through the puff sensor 2426 reaches a preset number, the control unit 2410 can notify the user through at least one of the display unit 2432, the haptic unit 2434, and the audio output unit 2436 that the aerosol generating device 2400 will soon be shut down.

In one embodiment, the control unit 2410 can control the time and/or amount of power supplied to the heater 2450 depending on the state of the aerosol product (e.g., aerosol product 20 (FIG. 1)) sensed by the sensing unit 2420. For example, when the aerosol product 20 is in an overly humid state, the control unit 2410 can control the time of power supply to the induction coil (e.g., induction coil 311 (FIG. 2)) to extend the preheating time compared to when the aerosol product 20 is in a normal state.

An embodiment may also be realized in the form of a recording medium containing computer executable instructions, such as a program module executed by a computer. A computer readable medium is any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, including both volatile and non-volatile media, and both separate and non-separate media. A computer readable medium also includes both a computer recording medium and a communication medium. The computer recording medium includes both volatile and non-volatile, separate and non-separate media embodied in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. The communication medium typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal, such as a program module, or other transmission mechanism, and includes any information transmission medium.

The above description of the embodiments is merely illustrative, and a person having ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention is defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to the contents described in the claims should be interpreted as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims (15)

a housing including a receiving space for receiving the aerosol product;
An aerosol generating device comprising: one or more supports for supporting the aerosol product; an inlet passage that receives air outside the housing and becomes narrower as it enters the storage space; and an inlet side support portion positioned at the opening of the storage space. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the size of the inflow passage decreases as it goes further inside the storage space along the longitudinal direction of the housing. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein at least one side wall of the inlet passage in the circumferential direction of the storage space extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing and is inclined in the circumferential direction of the storage space. The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the sidewall is curved and inclined. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the supports are arranged, and the inflow passage has a concave shape between adjacent supports and opens toward the aerosol product. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the inlet passage extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing and includes a curved shape toward the periphery of the storage space, and the inlet passage causes air flowing along the inlet passage to flow in a vortex shape surrounding the aerosol product. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the length of the opening of the inlet passage facing the outside of the housing in the longitudinal direction of the housing, which extends in the circumferential direction of the storage space, is longer than the length of the portion of the inlet passage located inside the storage space, which extends in the circumferential direction of the storage space. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the inflow passage includes an upper end portion that faces the outside of the housing in the longitudinal direction of the housing and a lower end portion that faces the inside of the storage space, and the width of the lower end portion is narrower than the width of the upper end portion in the radial direction of the storage space. The aerosol generating device according to claim 8, wherein the width narrows discontinuously. The aerosol generating device of claim 8, wherein the width narrows nonlinearly. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the supports are arranged around the periphery of the storage space so as to contact the outside of the aerosol product, and the inflow passage is located between adjacent supports. The aerosol generating device according to claim 11, wherein the size of at least one of the supports increases in the longitudinal direction of the housing from the outside of the housing to the inside of the storage space. The aerosol generating device according to claim 12, wherein the side wall of at least one of the supports that faces the circumferential direction of the storage space extends along the longitudinal direction of the housing and is inclined toward the circumferential direction of the storage space. The aerosol generating device according to claim 11, wherein, in the longitudinal direction of the housing, the length of at least one lower end of the support that faces the inside of the storage space is longer than the length of at least one upper end of the support that faces the outside of the housing. The aerosol generating device described in claim 11, wherein the support includes an upper end portion toward the outside of the housing and a lower end portion toward the inside of the storage space in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and the thickness of the upper end portion in the radial direction of the storage space is thinner than the thickness of the lower end portion.