JP7170118B2 - SUCTION DEVICE, CONTROL DEVICE FOR SUCTION DEVICE, INFORMATION PROGRAM AND METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a suction device, a suction device control device, an information processing method, and a program.

Inhalation devices, such as electronic cigarettes and nebulizers, that generate gas to which a flavor component is imparted to be inhaled by users are widespread. For example, the suction device is equipped with a flavor component-generating substrate that contributes to the generation of gas to which a flavor component is added, such as an aerosol source for generating an aerosol and a flavor source for imparting flavor to the aerosol. , the contents accumulated in the flavor component-generating base material are consumed each time the gas to which the flavor component is added is generated. A user can enjoy the flavor together with the gas by inhaling (hereinafter also referred to as a puff) the gas to which the flavor component is added, which is generated by these suction devices.

In order to be able to generate the gas to which the flavor component is imparted, it is desirable that the flavor component-generating base material is correctly attached to the suction device. From this point of view, for example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique for detecting whether or not a cigarette has been inserted by an optical sensor in a device that heats a cigarette inserted inside so that flavor components can be inhaled. .

JP-A-7-184627

However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 can only identify whether or not the cigarette has been inserted into the apparatus, and cannot identify whether or not the cigarette has been correctly attached to the apparatus. For example, if the cigarette is heated without being mounted in a correct position such as the innermost position inside the device, there is a risk of uneven heating or empty burning.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism capable of specifying the arrangement of flavor component-generating base materials in a suction device. .

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a holding portion having an internal space, a pressure sensor for detecting pressure applied to an inner wall of the holding portion, and a pressure sensor based on the detection result of the pressure sensor. and a control unit that specifies the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the internal space of the holding unit.

The suction device further includes an action part that applies an action to the flavor component-generating base material held in the internal space of the holding part to generate a gas to which a flavor component is added from the flavor component-generating base material. You may

The holding part has an opening that communicates the internal space with the external space, and the pressure sensor is mounted on the inner wall of the holding part at a position closer to the opening than a position where the action part is applied to the inner wall of the holding part. Applied pressure may be detected.

The flavor component-generating base includes a flavor component-generating part and a non-flavor component-generating part having different hardnesses, which are arranged in order from one end to the other end. may be identified as the predetermined arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material when the pressure sensor detects a pressure corresponding to .

The predetermined arrangement is such that the flavor component generating section and part of the non-flavor component generating section are held in the internal space, and the other part of the non-flavor component generating section extends from the opening to the external space. A projecting arrangement may also be used.

The predetermined arrangement may be an arrangement in which the flavor component generating section is positioned at a position where the action section applies an action.

The holding portion has an opening that communicates the internal space with the external space, and the suction device is provided at a position closer to the opening than a position on the inner wall of the holding portion where the action portion applies an action. A first elastic member may be provided, and the pressure sensor may detect pressure applied to the first elastic member.

The flavor component-generating base material has a partially different hardness from one end to the other end, the suction device has a plurality of the action parts, and the control part controls the flavor component-generating base in the internal space. The position of the one end of the base material may be specified, and the action part to which power is supplied may be selected from the plurality of action parts based on the specified position of the one end.

The holding part has an opening that communicates the internal space with the external space, the flavor component-generating base material is inserted into the internal space through the opening, and the pressure sensor is inserted into the inner wall of the holding part. The pressure applied to the inner wall at the end of the direction may be detected.

The suction device has a piston member movable in the insertion direction, which is provided on the inner wall of the end portion in the insertion direction of the inner wall of the holding portion, and the control portion controls the movement distance of the piston member in the insertion direction. The arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material may be determined to be the prescribed arrangement when the pressure sensor detects a pressure indicating that the has reached a prescribed threshold value.

The flavor component-generating base material has a second elastic member that protrudes in the lateral direction, and the holding part has an opening that communicates the internal space with the external space, and inserts or pulls out the flavor component-generating base material. The second elastic member has a groove on the inner wall along which the second elastic member can slide, and the groove has a first end in the insertion direction and a withdrawal direction provided between the first end and the opening. and a second end of the groove provided in the opening. The suction device further includes a third elastic member that exerts an elastic force in the pulling direction on the flavor component-generating base material, the displacement being large compared to the circumferential positional displacement of the internal space between the ends. may have.

The suction device has a fourth elastic member that protrudes in the lateral direction of the internal space and is capable of sliding in the internal space along the inner wall of the holding part, and an elastic force in the pull-out direction. A fifth elastic member exerted on the sliding member is further provided, and the holding portion has an opening that communicates the internal space with the external space, and the fourth elastic member is slidable as the sliding member slides. a groove on the inner wall, the groove having a first end in the insertion direction and a second end in the withdrawal direction provided between the first end and the opening, Circumferential misalignment of the internal space between the entrance of the groove provided in the opening and the first end corresponds to the circumferential position of the internal space between the entrance and the second end. It may be large compared to the misalignment in direction.

The holding section may comprise a first housing and a second housing that are separable or joinable from each other, and the flavor component-generating base material may be sandwiched between the first housing and the second housing in a joined state. .

The control unit may control the state of power supply to the action unit based on the specified arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material.

When the control unit specifies that the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material is a predetermined arrangement, the control unit may change the state of power supply to the action unit to a state in which power supply to the action unit is permitted. good.

The suction device further includes an operation input section, and the control section controls the action portion to be operated when a predetermined operation is input to the operation input portion in a state in which power supply to the action portion is permitted. Power supply may be started.

The control section may start supplying power to the action section when a user's suction operation is detected in a state in which power supply to the action section is permitted.

When the control unit determines that the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material is not a predetermined arrangement, the control unit may change the state of power supply to the action unit to a state in which power supply to the action unit is not permitted.

The suction device may include a notification unit, and the control unit may control the notification unit to perform notification according to the specified arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material.

The control unit may control the notification unit to perform different notifications depending on whether the specified arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material is a predetermined arrangement.

The notification unit may perform at least one of light emission, display, sound output, and vibration.

In order to solve the above-described problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, the internal space of the holding portion having the internal space is detected based on the detection result of a pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied to the inner wall of the holding portion. A controller for specifying the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the suction device is provided.

In order to solve the above-described problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, the internal space of the holding portion having the internal space is detected based on the detection result of a pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied to the inner wall of the holding portion. A method of information processing is provided, comprising: identifying the placement of the flavor ingredient-generating substrate in the

In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a computer detects pressure applied to an inner wall of a holding portion having an internal space, based on a detection result of a pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied to the holding portion. A program is provided for functioning as a controller that specifies the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the internal space.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a mechanism capable of specifying the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the suction device.

It is a figure showing the example of composition of the suction device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an overall perspective view of a suction device holding a flavor component-generating base material according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a smoking article; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a suction device holding smoking articles according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of the heating control process performed in the suction device which concerns on the same embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a suction device holding smoking articles according to a second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a suction device holding smoking articles according to a third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a suction device holding smoking articles according to a fourth embodiment; It is a flowchart which shows an example of the flow of the heating control process performed in the suction device which concerns on the same embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a procedure for inserting smoking articles into the suction device according to the first modified example; It is a figure which shows the schematic structural example of the suction device which concerns on a 2nd modification.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, thereby omitting redundant description.

<<1. Basic configuration>>
A basic configuration example of a suction device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a suction device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a suction device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of a suction device holding a flavor component-generating base material according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the inhalation device 100 is configured to generate a flavor-bearing aerosol by heating a flavor-generating substrate, such as, for example, a smoking article, having a fill including an aerosol source and a flavor source. be done. In this embodiment, the smoking article 200 is used as the flavor-generating substrate.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, smoking article 200 is but one example of a flavor-generating substrate. The aerosol source contained in the flavor-generating substrate may be solid or liquid. The aerosol source can be, for example, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or liquids such as water. The aerosol source may comprise a tobacco material or an extract derived from the tobacco material that releases flavor and taste components upon heating. If the inhalation device 100 is a medical inhaler, such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may contain a medicament for inhalation by the patient. Depending on the application, the flavor component-generating substrate may be free of flavor sources. Further, the gas generated by the flavor component-generating base material and imparted with the flavor component is not limited to an aerosol, and for example, invisible vapor may be generated.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the suction device 100 has a top housing 171A, a bottom housing 171B, a cover 172, a power switch 173, and a lid portion 174. As shown in FIGS. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the suction device 100 has a holding portion 175 and a heating portion 176 inside. The top housing 171A and the bottom housing 171B constitute the outermost housing 171 of the suction device 100 by being connected to each other. Housing 171 may be sized to fit in a user's hand. In this case, when the user uses the suction device 100, the user can hold the suction device 100 by hand and inhale the aerosol.

Top housing 171A has an opening (not shown), and cover 172 is coupled to top housing 171A to close the opening. As shown in Figure 2, the cover 172 has an opening 172a into which the smoking article 200 can be inserted. The lid portion 174 is configured to open and close the opening 172 a of the cover 172 . Specifically, the lid portion 174 is attached to the cover 172 and configured to be movable along the surface of the cover 172 between a first position that closes the opening 172a and a second position that opens the opening 172a. .

A power switch 173 is used to switch the operation of the suction device 100 on and off. For example, the user operates the power switch 173 with the smoking article 200 inserted into the opening 172a as shown in FIG. The smoking article 200 can be heated without burning. When the smoking article 200 is heated, an aerosol is generated from the aerosol source contained in the smoking article 200 and the flavor of the flavor source is incorporated into the aerosol. The user can inhale the flavor-containing aerosol by inhaling the portion of the smoking article 200 that protrudes from the inhalation device 100 (the portion illustrated in FIG. 2).

In this specification, the direction in which the flavor component-generating base material such as the smoking article 200 is inserted into the opening 172a is also referred to as the insertion direction, and the direction in which the flavor component-generating base material such as the smoking article 200 is pulled out from the opening 172a is referred to as the pulling direction. Also called direction. When there is no particular need to distinguish between the insertion direction and the withdrawal direction, they are also collectively referred to as the longitudinal direction.

The holding part 175 has an internal space, stores a part of the smoking article 200 in the internal space, and holds the smoking article 200 . The holding part 175 has an opening 172a that communicates the internal space with the external space, and holds the smoking article 200 inserted into the internal space through the opening 172a. For example, the holding portion 175 is a cylindrical body extending along the longitudinal direction and defines a columnar internal space. The holding part 175 is configured such that the inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the smoking article 200 in at least a part of the longitudinal direction, and presses the smoking article 200 inserted into the internal space from the outer circumference. can hold Retaining portion 175 also functions to define a flow path for air supplied to smoking article 200 .

When the smoking article 200 is held by the holding portion 175 and the user sucks the smoking article 200 protruding from the opening 172a, air flows into the holding portion 175 through a hole (not shown). The inflowing air passes through the holding portion 175 and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the smoking article 200 . Therefore, the side of the holding portion 175 close to the opening 172a is the downstream side, and the opposite side is the upstream side. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the withdrawal direction is the downstream side and the insertion direction is the upstream side.

The heating part 176 has a function of heating the smoking article 200 held in the inner space of the holding part 175 from the outer circumference by heating the inner space of the holding part 175 from the outer circumference. At least part of the holding portion 175 may be the heating portion 176 . For example, the heating portion 176 may be a tubular body extending along the longitudinal direction and constitute a part of the holding portion 175 . Further, the heating portion 176 may be provided around the holding portion 175 and heat the smoking article 200 through the holding portion 175 . Here, the heating unit 176 is only an example of an action unit that applies an action to the flavor component-generating base material held in the holding unit to generate a gas to which a flavor component is added from the flavor component-generating base material. The action applied to the flavor component-generating base material may be any action other than heat, such as ultrasonic vibration.

The configuration of the suction device 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is merely an example of the configuration of the suction device according to the present invention. The suction device according to the present invention holds and applies an action to the flavor component-generating base material to generate a gas to which a flavor component is added from the flavor component-generating base material, and the user can inhale the generated gas. It can be configured in various forms such that

Next, the configuration of a smoking article 200 will be described as an example of the flavor component-generating base material used in the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of smoking article 200 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a smoking article 200 includes a base portion 200A including a filler 201 and a first wrapping paper 202 around which the filler 201 is wrapped, and an end opposite to the base portion 200A. and a mouthpiece portion 200B forming a . The base material portion 200A and the mouthpiece portion 200B are connected by a second wrapping paper 203 different from the first wrapping paper 202 . However, it is also possible to omit the second wrapping paper 203 and use the first wrapping paper 202 to connect the base portion 200A and the mouthpiece portion 200B.

The mouthpiece portion 200B in FIG. 3 has a paper tube portion 204 , a filter portion 205 , and a hollow segment portion 206 arranged between the paper tube portion 204 and the filter portion 205 . Hollow segment portion 206 includes, for example, a packing layer having one or more hollow channels and a plug wrapper covering the packing layer. Since the packing density of the fibers in the packed bed is high, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow channels during suction, and hardly flow inside the packed bed. In the smoking article 200, when it is desired to reduce the decrease in the delivery amount of the aerosol due to the filtering of the aerosol component in the filter section 205, shortening the length of the filter section 205 and replacing it with the hollow segment section 206 can reduce the delivery amount of the aerosol. is effective for increasing

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the mouthpiece 200B is made up of three segments. However, in other embodiments, the mouthpiece 200B may consist of one or two segments, or may consist of four or more segments. For example, the hollow segment portion 206 may be omitted, and the paper tube portion 204 and the filter portion 205 may be arranged adjacent to each other to form the mouthpiece portion 200B.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, the longitudinal length of the smoking article 200 is preferably between 40mm and 90mm, more preferably between 50mm and 75mm, and even more preferably between 50mm and 60mm. The circumference of the smoking article 200 is preferably between 15 mm and 25 mm, more preferably between 17 mm and 24 mm or less, and even more preferably between 20 mm and 22 mm. In addition, the length of the base portion 200A of the smoking article 200 may be 20 mm, the length of the first wrapping paper 202 may be 20 mm, the length of the hollow segment portion 206 may be 8 mm, and the length of the filter portion 205 may be 7 mm. . The length of each of these segments can be changed as appropriate according to manufacturability, required quality, and the like.

In this embodiment, the fill 201 of smoking article 200 may contain 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. Aerosol sources can include, for example, glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the aerosol source in the filling 201 is not particularly limited, and is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, from the viewpoint of sufficiently generating an aerosol and imparting a good flavor and taste. It is usually 50% by weight or less, preferably 20% by weight or less.

The filling 201 of the smoking article 200 in this embodiment 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 content range of the filler 201 in the smoking article 200 is, for example, 200 mg to 400 mg, preferably 250 mg to 320 mg, when the circumference is 22 mm and the length is 20 mm. The water content of the filler 201 is, for example, 8-18% by weight, preferably 10-16% by weight. Such a water content suppresses the occurrence of winding stains, and improves the winding suitability during manufacturing of the base material portion 200A. There are no particular restrictions on the size of the shredded tobacco used as the filling 201 and the preparation method thereof. For example, dried tobacco leaves cut into pieces having a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm may be used. Alternatively, dried tobacco leaves may be pulverized to have an average particle diameter of about 20 μm to 200 μm, homogenized, processed into sheets, and cut into pieces having a width of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm. . Furthermore, the above-described sheet-processed material may be gathered without being chopped, and used as the filling 201 . Also, the filling 201 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.

In this embodiment, the first wrapping paper 202 and the second wrapping paper 203 of the smoking article 200 can be made from base paper having a basis weight of, for example, 20 gsm to 65 gsm, preferably 25 gsm to 45 gsm. The thickness of the first wrapping paper 202 and the second wrapping paper 203 is not particularly limited, but is 10 μm to 100 μm, preferably 20 μm to 75 μm, from the viewpoint of rigidity, air permeability, and ease of adjustment during paper manufacturing. , more preferably 30 μm to 50 μm.

In this embodiment, the first wrapper 202 and the second wrapper 203 of the smoking article 200 may include filler. The content of the filler can be 10 wt % or more and less than 60 wt %, preferably 15 wt % to 45 wt %, based on the total weight of the first wrapping paper 202 and the second wrapping paper 203 . In this embodiment, it is preferred that the filler be 15% to 45% by weight for the preferred basis weight range (25 gsm to 45 gsm). Examples of fillers that can be used include calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, and kaolin. The paper containing such a filler exhibits a bright white color that is preferable from the viewpoint of appearance when used as wrapping paper for the smoking article 200, and can permanently maintain its whiteness. By including a large amount of such fillers, for example, the ISO whiteness of the wrapping paper can be increased to 83% or higher. From the practical viewpoint of using them as wrapping papers for smoking articles 200, first wrapping paper 202 and second wrapping paper 203 preferably have a tensile strength of 8 N/15 mm or more. This tensile strength can be increased by lowering the filler content. Specifically, it can be increased by making the content of the filler less than the upper limit of the content of the filler shown in each basis weight range exemplified above.

<<2. First Embodiment>>
This embodiment is a form in which a pressure sensor is provided at the downstream end of the holding portion, and the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the holding portion is specified based on the detection result of the pressure sensor.

(Configuration example)
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the suction device 100 holding the smoking article 200 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, the suction device 100 has a pressure sensor 177, a battery 178, a notification section 179 and a control section 180 in addition to the components described with reference to FIGS. Note that the same components (for example, the heating unit 176 and the pressure sensor 177 ) illustrated so as to sandwich the holding unit 175 from above and below are provided so as to surround the holding unit 175 . The same applies to other block diagrams that follow.

Pressure sensor 177 detects the pressure applied to the inner wall of holding portion 175 . The inner wall of the holding portion 175 is a wall that defines the internal space of the holding portion 175 . For example, the pressure sensor 177 may detect pressure applied to at least one point on the inner wall, may detect the total pressure applied to a predetermined range on the inner wall, or may detect pressure applied to a predetermined range on the inner wall. The distribution of applied pressure may be detected. The pressure sensor 177 is provided on the inner wall of the holding portion 175 at a position closer to the opening 172a than the position heated by the heating portion 176, and detects the pressure applied to the inner wall at the position where the pressure sensor 177 is provided. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the pressure sensor 177 is provided at the downstream end of the holding portion 175 and detects the pressure applied to the inner wall of the downstream end. For example, the pressure sensor 177 is provided in a portion of the holding portion 175 that holds the smoking article 200 by pressing it from the outer circumference and has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the smoking article 200 . A pressure sensor 177 detects the pressure applied to such a portion. The pressure sensor 177 can also detect attachment/detachment of the smoking article 200 to/from the suction device 100 based on whether the detected pressure is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. Since the pressure sensor 177 is provided at the downstream end portion of the holding portion 175, it can be separated from the heating portion 176, thereby preventing the pressure sensor 177 from being damaged by heat.

Aspiration device 100 may include any sensor other than pressure sensor 177 . For example, the suction device 100 may include a pressure sensor that detects changes in atmospheric pressure inside the holding portion 175 or a flow rate sensor that detects the flow rate of the aerosol. can be detected. The pressure sensor or flow sensor may be configured to count the number of puffs made by the user using the suction device 100 . Suction device 100 may also include a weight sensor that detects the weight of smoking article 200 . The suction device 100 may also include a sensor that integrates the energization time of the heating portion 176 . The suction device 100 may also include sensors that detect the SOC (State of Charge) of the battery 178, current integration, voltage, and the like. The current integrated value may be obtained by a current integration method, an SOC-OCV (Open Circuit Voltage) method, or the like.

The battery 178 is a power source that stores power and supplies power to each component of the suction device 100 such as the heating unit 176 , the notification unit 179 , the pressure sensor 177 and the control unit 180 . Battery 178 may be, for example, a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. Battery 178 may be recharged by connecting to an external power source through a predetermined port (not shown) of suction device 100 . The battery 178 alone may be removable from the suction device 100 or may be replaced with a new battery 178 .

Notification unit 179 may include a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a display, a speaker, a vibrator, and the like. The notification unit 179 is configured to give some notification to the user by performing at least one of light emission, display, sound output, and vibration as necessary. Also, the notification unit 179 may include a communication device, transmit information to another device such as a smartphone, and notify the user of the information via the other device.

The control unit 180 functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls the general operations within the suction device 100 . The controller 180 may be an electronic circuit module configured as a microprocessor or microcomputer. The control unit 180 may be configured to control the operation of the suction device 100 according to computer-executable instructions stored in a memory unit (not shown). The storage unit is a storage medium such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), or a flash memory. In addition to the computer-executable instructions as described above, the storage unit may store setting data and the like necessary for controlling the suction device 100 . For example, the storage unit may store various data such as the control method of the notification unit 179 (modes such as light emission, vocalization, vibration, etc.), values detected by the pressure sensor 177, heating history of the heating unit 176, and the like. . The control unit 180 reads data from the storage unit as necessary, uses it for controlling the suction device 100, and stores the data in the storage unit as necessary.

The smoking article 200 is inserted and held in the holding portion 175 . When the smoking article 200 is held by the holding portion 175, the longitudinal direction of the suction device 100 and the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 200 match or substantially match. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the suction device 100 and the longitudinal direction of the smoking articles 200 are assumed to be the same unless otherwise specified. The smoking article 200 is inserted into the internal space of the holding portion 175 through the opening 172a with the base portion 200A at the top, and is held with at least a portion of the mouthpiece portion 200B protruding into the external space. Of the longitudinal ends of the smoking article 200, one end on the base portion 200A side is referred to as a front end 210a, and the other end on the mouthpiece portion 200B side is also referred to as a rear end 210b.

Here, the base material portion 200A contains, as contents, a flavor source and an aerosol source to which the gas to which the flavor component is applied contributes. The base material part 200A corresponds to the flavor component generating part of the flavor component generating base material. On the other hand, the mouthpiece part 200B is a part held by the user to inhale the aerosol generated by the base material part 200A, and typically does not include a flavor source or an aerosol source. The mouthpiece part 200B corresponds to the non-flavor component generating part of the flavor component generating base material.

(motion)
-Identification of Arrangement The control section 180 identifies the arrangement of the smoking articles 200 in the internal space of the holding section 175 based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 177 . The arrangement of the smoking articles 200 in the holding portion 175 is the longitudinal arrangement of the smoking articles 200 inserted into the internal space of the holding portion 175 . More simply, the placement of the smoking article 200 in the holding portion 175 is the position of the tip 210a of the smoking article 200 in the longitudinal direction, in other words, the depth of insertion of the smoking article 200 .

For example, the control unit 180 identifies whether or not the arrangement of the smoking articles 200 in the holding section 175 is a predetermined correct arrangement. The arrangement shown in FIG. 4 is an example of correct arrangement. The correct arrangement is an arrangement in which the base material part 200A and part of the mouthpiece part 200B are held in the internal space of the holding part 175, and the other part of the mouthpiece part 200B protrudes from the opening 172a to the external space. . The longitudinal length L _S from the bottom portion 175a of the retaining portion 175 to the opening 172a is longer than the longitudinal length _{LTA of the base portion 200A and longer than the longitudinal length L T of} the smoking article 200. is also short. Therefore, for example, when the smoking article 200 is inserted until the tip 210a of the smoking article 200 contacts the bottom portion 175a of the holding portion 175 (that is, to the far end), the smoking article 200 is properly positioned. From another point of view, the correct arrangement is the arrangement in which the base member 200A is positioned at the position where the heating unit 176 heats. When the smoking article 200 is correctly arranged, more of the base member 200A is heated by the heating unit 176 than when it is not arranged correctly. Efficient generation is possible. In addition, when the smoking articles 200 are properly arranged, it is possible to prevent the heating unit 176 from heating the smoking articles 200 dry.

Here, the smoking article 200 includes a base portion 200A and a mouthpiece portion 200B having different hardnesses, which are arranged in order from a longitudinal tip 210a to a trailing end 210b. The hardness range of the base material portion 200A and the hardness range of the mouthpiece portion 200B are desirably separated by a predetermined value or more in order to ensure the specific accuracy of the arrangement of the smoking article 200 . Typically, the hardness of the base portion 200A and the mouthpiece portion 200B is uniform in the longitudinal direction, with the base portion 200A being softer and the mouthpiece portion 200B being harder.

Control section 180 identifies the arrangement of smoking articles 200 in holding section 175 using the difference in hardness between base material section 200A and mouthpiece section 200B. Specifically, if the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 177 is within the range of pressure that is expected to be detected when the smoking article 200 is correctly positioned, the control unit 180 controls the pressure of the smoking article 200. Identifies the placement as being the correct placement. Here, the longitudinal length L _C from the bottom portion 175a of the holding portion 175 to the position where the pressure sensor 177 detects pressure is longer than the longitudinal length _LTA of the base portion 200A, and the smoking article 200 is shorter than the longitudinal length _LT . Therefore, when the smoking articles 200 are properly arranged, the mouthpiece 200B is located at the position where the pressure sensor 177 detects the pressure, as shown in FIG. Therefore, when the pressure sensor 177 detects a pressure corresponding to the hardness of the mouthpiece 200B, the control unit 180 identifies that the smoking articles 200 are correctly arranged. For example, when the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 177 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the control unit 180 identifies that the smoking articles 200 are correctly arranged. On the other hand, if the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 177 is less than the predetermined threshold, the control unit 180 identifies that the smoking articles 200 are not properly arranged. The predetermined threshold is, for example, an arbitrary value between the pressure value corresponding to the hardness of the base material portion 200A and the pressure value corresponding to the hardness of the mouthpiece portion 200B.

In addition, the operation mode of the suction device 100 may include a sleep mode, a standby mode, and a heating mode. The sleep mode is an operation mode in which pressing of the power switch 173 is monitored. The standby mode is an operational mode that monitors the placement of the smoking article 200 in the holding portion 175 and whether the heating execution conditions are met. A heating mode is an operation mode in which power is supplied to the heating unit 176 . When the operation mode of the suction device 100 is the sleep mode, when the power switch 173 is pressed, it transitions to the standby mode. When the standby mode is entered, power supply from the battery 178 to the pressure sensor 177 is started, the pressure sensor 177 becomes capable of detecting pressure, and the above-described arrangement of the smoking articles 200 is specified. Identification of the placement of the smoking article 200 may continue in the heating mode as well.

- Control According to Specified Arrangement The control unit 180 controls the state of power supply to the heating unit 176 based on the specified arrangement of the smoking articles 200 . Specifically, when the control unit 180 determines that the smoking articles 200 are correctly arranged, the control unit 180 changes the state of power supply to the heating unit 176 to a state in which power supply to the heating unit 176 is permitted. A state in which power supply is permitted is a state in which power is supplied to the heating unit 176 when a predetermined condition (hereinafter referred to as a heating execution condition) is satisfied in the state. On the other hand, when the control unit 180 determines that the smoking articles 200 are not arranged correctly, the control unit 180 changes the state of power supply to the heating unit 176 to a state in which power supply to the heating unit 176 is not permitted. A state in which power supply is not permitted is a state in which power supply to the heating unit 176 is not performed regardless of whether the heating execution condition is satisfied. Electric power supply to the heating unit 176 is allowed only when the smoking articles 200 are properly arranged, so that it is possible to prevent the occurrence of uneven heating and dry heating.

The heating execution condition may be that the power switch 173 is pressed. In this case, control unit 180 starts supplying power to heating unit 176 when power switch 173 is pressed while power supply to heating unit 176 is permitted. Specifically, the control unit 180 causes the battery 178 to start supplying power to the heating unit 176 and causes the heating unit 176 to perform heating. In this case, the user can enjoy a good suction experience that does not cause uneven heating or dry heating simply by pressing the power switch 173 without particularly confirming that the smoking articles 200 are arranged correctly. can. Note that when the operation mode of the suction device 100 is the sleep mode, power supply to the heating unit 176 is started by pressing the power switch 173 twice. The first depression of the power switch 173 is a depression for returning the suction device 100 from the sleep mode to the standby mode. The second depression of the power switch 173 is a depression for starting power supply to the heating unit 176 . The power switch 173 is an example of an operation input unit that receives an operation input from the user, and pressing the power switch 173 is an example of a predetermined operation input to the operation input unit. Alternatively, the operation input unit may be composed of any input device such as a lever or a touch sensor, and the predetermined operation may be, for example, raising or lowering the lever or touching the touch sensor.

As another example, the heating execution condition may be that the user inhales the aerosol. In this case, the control unit 180 starts power supply to the heating unit 176 when the user's aerosol suction operation is detected in a state where power supply to the heating unit 176 is permitted. In this case as well, the user can enjoy a good suction experience without uneven heating or empty heating by simply performing the suction operation without particularly confirming that the smoking articles 200 are arranged correctly. can.

As another example, the heating execution condition may be that the smoking article 200 is worn in the correct orientation. In this case, the control unit 180 starts supplying power to the heating unit 176 when it is determined that the smoking articles 200 are correctly arranged based on the pressure detection result of the pressure sensor 177 . Heating begins immediately when the smoking article 200 is worn in the correct orientation, allowing the user to inhale the aerosol earlier.

If control unit 180 determines that the placement of smoking articles 200 is not correct based on the pressure detection result of pressure sensor 177 while power is being supplied to heating unit 176, control unit 180 immediately or after the elapse of a predetermined period of time supplies power to heating unit 176. Turn off the power supply to stop heating. As a result, even if the user erroneously pulls out the smoking article 200 from the holding portion 175 or shifts the position of the smoking article 200, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of uneven heating or empty burning.

As an example other than controlling the heating unit 176 , the control unit 180 may control the notification unit 179 to perform notification according to the specified arrangement of the smoking articles 200 . For example, the control unit 180 causes the notification unit 179 to output light emission, display, sound, or vibration according to the arrangement of the smoking articles 200 . Here, the control unit 180 may control the notification unit 179 to give different notifications depending on whether the identified smoking articles 200 are correctly arranged. For example, the notification unit 179 emits light in different patterns or colors or outputs different sounds depending on whether the smoking articles 200 are correctly arranged. As another example, the notification unit 179 makes a notification when the smoking articles 200 are correctly arranged, and does not make a notification otherwise. In any case, the user can easily recognize whether or not the arrangement of the smoking articles 200 is correct.

(Processing flow)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of heating control processing executed in the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. At the time when the heating control process according to this flow is started, the operation mode of the suction device 100 is the sleep mode. If it is in the standby mode, the process starts from step S106.

As shown in FIG. 5, the controller 180 first monitors whether the power switch 173 has been pressed (step S102). When the power switch 173 is pressed (step S102/YES), the control unit 180 starts supplying power from the battery 178 to the pressure sensor 177 (step S104). On the other hand, if the power switch 173 is not pressed (step S102/NO), the process returns to step S102 again. After step S104, the control unit 180 acquires the pressure detection result of the pressure sensor 177 (step S106). Next, the control section 180 identifies the arrangement of the smoking articles 200 in the internal space of the holding section 175 based on the pressure detection result by the pressure sensor 177 (step S108). If the arrangement of the smoking articles 200 is identified as correct (step S110/YES), the control unit 180 changes the state of power supply to the heating unit 176 to a state in which power supply is permitted (step S112). . On the other hand, if it is determined that the smoking articles 200 are not arranged correctly (step S110/NO), the control unit 180 changes the state of power supply to the heating unit 176 to a state in which power supply is not permitted (step S114). . Thereafter, the process returns to step S110 again. After step S112, the control unit 180 determines whether the power switch 173 has been pressed and whether a suction operation has been detected (step S116). When the power switch 173 is pressed or when a suction operation is detected (step S116/YES), the control unit 180 supplies power to the heating unit 176 to start heating the smoking article 200 (step S118). ). After that, the process ends. On the other hand, if the power switch 173 is not pressed and the suction operation is not detected (step S116/NO), the process returns to step S116 again.

(effect)
As described above, power is supplied to heating portion 176 only when smoking article 200 is properly positioned in holding portion 175 . That is, even when the smoking article 200 is inserted into the holding portion 175, if the smoking article 200 is not properly arranged, the heating portion 176 is not supplied with power. Therefore, uneven heating and dry heating can be prevented with high accuracy. Moreover, since the specification of whether or not the arrangement is correct is automatically performed using the pressure sensor, the user's convenience can be improved.

(supplement)
The suction device 100 may have an additional pressure sensor between the pressure sensor 177 and the heating section 176 shown in FIG. The longitudinal length from the bottom portion 175a of the holding portion 175 to the position where the additional pressure sensor detects pressure is preferably shorter than the longitudinal length _LTA of the base portion 200A. In that case, the substrate portion 200A is located at a position where the pressure is detected by the additional pressure sensor when the smoking article 200 is properly positioned. When the pressure sensor 177 detects the pressure corresponding to the hardness of the mouthpiece portion 200B and the additional pressure sensor detects the pressure corresponding to the hardness of the base portion 200A, the control portion 180 controls the smoking article. Identify the placement of 200 as the correct placement. Therefore, if the smoking article 200 is inserted too far and the mouthpiece 200B is inserted to the position of the additional pressure sensor, it can be determined that the smoking article 200 is not properly positioned.

<<3. Second Embodiment>>
This embodiment is a form in which a pressure sensor is provided at the upstream end of the holding portion, and the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the holding portion is specified based on the detection result of the pressure sensor. Hereinafter, the description of the parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and the parts different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

(Configuration example)
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the suction device 100 holding the smoking article 200 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the suction device 100 according to this embodiment has the same components as the suction device 100 according to the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. However, in this embodiment, the configuration of the pressure sensor 177 is different from that in the first embodiment.

Pressure sensor 177 detects the pressure applied to the inner wall of holding portion 175 . In this embodiment, the pressure sensor 177 detects the pressure applied to the inner wall at the end in the insertion direction of the inner walls of the holding portion 175 . In the example shown in FIG. 6, the pressure sensor 177 detects the pressure applied to the bottom portion 175a of the holding portion 175. As shown in FIG. Here, the bottom portion 175a according to this embodiment may be configured as a piston member that can move in the insertion direction. A columnar convex portion 175b extending in the insertion direction is provided on the back side of the bottom portion 175a. The elastic member 175c is composed of, for example, a compression coil spring or the like, is provided so as to surround the convex portion 175b, is compressed in the insertion direction, and exerts elastic force in the extraction direction. When the smoking article 200 is inserted into the holding portion 175 and further inserted with the tip 210a in contact with the bottom portion 175a, the bottom portion 175a moves from the initial position in the insertion direction. Then, when the smoking article 200 is pulled out from the holding portion 175, the bottom portion 175a is pushed back in the pulling direction by the elastic member 175c and returns to the initial position. The configuration of the piston member is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 6 as long as such movement is realized.

(motion)
The operation of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment only in the process of specifying the arrangement. This point will be described in detail below.

When the pressure sensor 177 detects a pressure indicating that the moving distance of the bottom portion 175a in the insertion direction has reached a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 180 according to the present embodiment determines that the smoking articles 200 are correctly arranged. Identify there is. As an example, the pressure sensor 177 may be connected to the elastic member 175c. In this case, the control unit 180 determines that the smoking article 200 is correctly arranged when the pressure applied from the elastic member 175c to the pressure sensor 177 reaches a predetermined threshold value. As another example, the pressure sensor 177 may be provided at a position where the convex portion 175b contacts the pressure sensor 177 when the moving distance of the bottom portion 175a in the insertion direction reaches a predetermined threshold value. In this case, the control unit 180 determines that the smoking article 200 is correctly arranged when it is detected that the convex part 175b contacts the pressure sensor 177. FIG. As a configuration for detecting contact, a contact sensor may be provided instead of the pressure sensor 177 . On the other hand, if the pressure sensor 177 does not detect the pressure indicating that the moving distance of the bottom portion 175a in the insertion direction has reached the predetermined threshold value, the control section 180 identifies that the smoking article 200 is not properly positioned.

(Processing flow)
The processing flow of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

(effect)
According to the present embodiment, since the pressure sensor 177 is provided at a position separated from the holding portion 175, the influence of the heat from the heating portion 176 on the pressure sensor 177 is further suppressed as compared with the first embodiment. be able to. Therefore, failure of the pressure sensor 177 due to heat can be further prevented.

<<4. Third Embodiment>>
In this embodiment, an elastic member is provided at the downstream end of the holding portion, and the pressure applied to the elastic member is detected by a pressure sensor. Hereinafter, the description of the parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and the parts different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

(Configuration example)
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the suction device 100 holding the smoking article 200 according to the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, the suction device 100 according to this embodiment has an elastic member 181 in addition to the same components as the suction device 100 according to the first embodiment described with reference to FIG.

The elastic member 181 is provided on the inner wall of the holding portion 175 at a position closer to the opening 172 a than the position heated by the heating portion 176 . For example, the elastic member 181 protrudes from the inner wall of the holding portion 175 toward the inner space at the downstream end of the holding portion 175 so that the inner diameter of the inner space at the projecting portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the smoking article 200. provided in The elastic member 181 holds the smoking article 200 by pressing the smoking article 200 inserted into the inner space of the holding portion 175 from the outer periphery. The elastic member 181 is made of any material such as rubber or sponge. Such a configuration facilitates positioning of the smoking article 200 and strongly prevents the smoking article 200 from being displaced from the correct arrangement.

Pressure sensor 177 detects pressure applied to elastic member 181 . For example, the pressure sensor 177 may be an elastic pressure gauge that detects pressure based on deformation of the elastic member 181 . The pressure sensor 177 detects the pressure applied to the elastic member 181 when the smoking article 200 is held by the elastic member 181 pressing the smoking article 200 from the outer periphery. The pressure sensor 177 can also detect attachment/detachment of the smoking article 200 to/from the suction device 100, for example, based on whether the detected pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

(motion)
The operation of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

(Processing flow)
The processing flow of the suction device 100 according to this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

(effect)
According to this embodiment, the smoking article 200 is held by the elastic member 181 . Therefore, compared to the first embodiment, the smoking article 200 can be easily positioned, and the smoking article 200 can be more strongly prevented from being displaced from the correct arrangement.

<<5. Fourth Embodiment>>
This embodiment is a mode in which a plurality of acting portions are provided, and the acting portion to operate is selected according to the arrangement of the specified flavor component-generating base material. Hereinafter, the description of the parts common to the first embodiment will be omitted, and the parts different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

(Configuration example)
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the suction device 100 holding the smoking article 200 according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the suction device 100 according to this embodiment has the same components as the suction device 100 according to the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. However, the suction device 100 according to this embodiment has a plurality of heating units 176 (heating unit 176A and heating unit 176B).

A plurality of heating portions 176 are provided at different positions in the longitudinal direction. For example, the distance LHA from the bottom portion 175a of the holding portion 175 to the position where the heating portion 176A is provided, and the distance _LHB from the bottom portion 175a of the holding portion 175 to the position where the heating portion _176B is provided are: ,different. The plurality of heating portions 176 heat the smoking article 200 held by the holding portion 175 from the outer periphery at different positions in the longitudinal direction. Although FIG. 8 illustrates an example in which two heating units 176 are provided, three or more heating units 176 may be provided.

(motion)
-Specification of Arrangement In this embodiment, the smoking article 200 has a partially varying hardness from one longitudinal end to the other. For example, the stiffness of the smoking article 200 may be graded longitudinally. The change in hardness may be a uniform increase or a uniform decrease. In order to ensure the specific accuracy of the placement of the smoking article 200, which will be described later, it is desirable that the longitudinal position and stiffness of the smoking article 200 have a one-to-one relationship.

The control section 180 identifies the arrangement of the smoking article 200 in the holding section 175 by using the partial hardness difference from one longitudinal end to the other longitudinal end of the smoking article 200 . Specifically, the control unit 180 recognizes to which position in the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 200 the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 177 corresponds. Then, the controller 180 controls the distance _LI between the position _PI of the smoking article 200 corresponding to the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 177 and the tip 210a of the smoking article 200, and determines the position of the smoking article in the internal space of the holding section 175. Identify the location of tip 210a of 200;

- Control According to Specified Arrangement Based on the specified position of the tip 210a of the smoking article 200 in the internal space of the holding portion 175, the control portion 180 selects the heating portion 176 to which power is to be supplied from the plurality of heating portions 176. Specifically, the control unit 180 selects the heating unit 176 that heats the opening 172a side of the tip 210a of the smoking article 200 from among the plurality of heating units 176 as the power supply destination. For example, the controller 180 calculates the distance _LR between the tip 210a of the smoking article 200 and the bottom _175a of the holder 175 based on the distance LI. Then, the control unit 180 selects the heating units 176A and 176B when the distance L _R is less than the distance L _H-B , and selects the heating units 176A and 176B when the distance L _R is greater than or equal to the distance L _H-B and less than the distance L _H-A . Select the heating unit _176A and select neither if the distance L _R is greater than or equal to the distance LHA. In the example shown in FIG. 8, since the distance L _R is equal to or greater than the distance L _HB and less than the distance L _HA , the control unit 180 selects the heating unit 176A as the power supply destination.

Note that when a power supply destination is selected, the state of power supply to the heating unit 176 selected as the power supply destination transitions to a state in which power supply is permitted. On the other hand, the state of power supply to the heating unit 176 not selected as the power supply destination is changed to a state in which power supply is not allowed.

In this way, by removing the heating unit 176 that heats the position where the smoking article 200 is not inserted among the plurality of heating units 176 from the power supply destination, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of uneven heating and empty heating. Further, by selecting the heating unit 176 that heats the position where the smoking article 200 is inserted from among the plurality of heating units 176 as the power supply destination, even when the holding unit 175 is not inserted to the deepest position, The smoking article 200 can be heated to generate an aerosol.

(Processing flow)
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of heating control processing executed in the suction device 100 according to this embodiment. At the time when the heating control process according to this flow is started, the operation mode of the suction device 100 is the sleep mode. If it is in standby mode, the process starts from step S206.

The processing of steps S202 to S206 is the same as the processing of steps S102 to S106 described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, after step S206, the control unit 180 identifies the position of the tip 210a of the smoking article 200 in the internal space of the holding unit 175 based on the pressure detection result by the pressure sensor 177 (step S208). ). Next, the control unit 180 selects the heating unit 176 to which power is to be supplied from the plurality of heating units 176 based on the identified position of the tip 210a of the smoking article 200 (step S210). Next, control unit 180 changes the state of power supply to heating unit 176 selected as the power supply destination to a state in which power supply is allowed (step S212). Next, the control unit 180 determines whether or not the power switch 173 has been pressed and whether or not a suction operation has been detected (step S214). When the power switch 173 is pressed or when the suction operation is detected (step S214/YES), the control unit 180 supplies power to the heating unit 176 selected as the power supply destination, thereby heating the smoking article 200. is started (step S216). After that, the process ends. On the other hand, if the power switch 173 is not pressed and the suction operation is not detected (step S214/NO), the process returns to step S214 again.

Note that the flow of processing described above is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the processing related to steps S212 and S214 may be omitted. In this case, the suction device 100 selects the heating unit 176 to which power is to be supplied, and immediately thereafter supplies power to the heating unit 176 selected as the power supply destination.

(effect)
According to the present embodiment, even when the smoking article 200 is not inserted to the deepest part of the holding portion 175, the smoking article 200 is heated to generate an aerosol while preventing uneven heating and dry heating. It becomes possible to

<<6. Modification>>
<6.1. First modification>
In each of the above-described embodiments, whether or not the smoking articles 200 are correctly arranged is specified based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 177, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, whether or not the placement of smoking articles 200 is correct may be determined by a physical mechanism. This point will be described in detail below.

(Configuration example)
10A and 10B schematically show the procedure for inserting the smoking article 200 into the suction device 100 according to the first modified example. The insertion procedure proceeds from steps S302 to S306. Step S302 shows the state before insertion. Step S304 shows the state of inserting. Step S306 shows the state after the insertion is completed.

As shown in step S302, the smoking article 200 according to this modification has a stick holder 200C provided to cover the tip 210a of the base portion 200A, in addition to the base portion 200A and the mouthpiece portion 200B. Stick holder 200</b>C has elastic member 211 protruding in the lateral direction of smoking article 200 . Here, the lateral direction is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and for example, if the cross-sectional shape of the stick holder 200C is circular, the lateral direction is the radial direction. The elastic member 211 is made of an elastic member such as rubber, and is configured in a columnar shape extending in the widthwise direction, and exerts elastic force in a direction perpendicular to the widthwise direction.

The holding portion 175 according to this modification has a groove portion 182 in which the elastic member 211 can slide as the smoking article 200 is inserted or pulled out. The groove portion 182 is provided on the inner wall of the holding portion 175 . The smoking article 200 is inserted into the holding portion 175 after the position of the inlet 182A of the groove portion 182 provided in the opening 172a and the position of the elastic member 211 are aligned. The elastic member 211 slides within the groove 182 in the insertion direction when the smoking article 200 is inserted, and slides within the groove 182 in the withdrawal direction when the smoking article 200 is withdrawn. The longitudinal axis extending through inlet 182A is also referred to below as central axis 182B. As shown in FIG. 10 , the groove portion 182 is bent in the circumferential direction of the internal space of the holding portion 175 . In the section where the circumferential positional deviation from the position of the inlet 182A (that is, the circumferential positional deviation from the central axis 182B) d exceeds 0, the elastic member 211 is bent in the circumferential direction and the end thereof is inside the groove 182. is in a state of sliding. In such a state, the elastic member 211 exerts an elastic force to return toward the central axis 182B. The groove 182 has a first end 183 (183A and 183B) in the insertion direction and a second end 184 in the withdrawal direction provided between the first end 183 and the opening 172a. The suction device 100 also has an elastic member 185 that exerts an elastic force on the smoking article 200 in the pulling direction. The elastic member 185 is composed of, for example, a compression coil spring or the like.

As shown in step S304, when the user manually pushes the smoking article 200 in the insertion direction, the elastic member 185 is compressed as the smoking article 200 is inserted. When smoking article 200 is fully inserted into retaining portion 175 , elastic member 211 reaches first end 183 . Here, the circumferential misalignment d1 between the inlet 182A and the _first end 183 is large compared to the circumferential misalignment d2 between the inlet 182A and the _second end 184. . In the example shown in FIG. 10, d ₂ =0, whereas d ₁ >0. Therefore, when the elastic member 211 reaches the first end 183, it exerts an elastic force to return toward the center axis 182B. In this state, when the user releases the smoking article 200, the elastic member 211 tries to return toward the central axis 182B, that is, toward the second end 184 where there is less misalignment with the central axis 182B. Demonstrates the elastic force that it tries to wear. As a result, the elastic force of the elastic member 185 pushes the smoking article 200 back in the withdrawal direction while the elastic member 211 slides in the groove 182 from the first end 183 toward the second end 184 . Then, when the elastic member 211 reaches the second end portion 184, the pushing back in the withdrawal direction is finished. Here, if the tip portion of the elastic member 211 that contacts the groove portion 182 is covered with metal or the like, (the tip portion thereof) of the elastic member 211 collides with the second end portion 184 as a result of being pushed back. A collision sound can be heard.

Step S306 shows the state where the elastic member 211 is pushed back until it reaches the second end 184 . Correct placement of the smoking article 200 according to this modification refers to the state shown in step S306.

When pulling out, the user once pushes the smoking article 200 until the elastic member 211 reaches the first end 183 . After that, the user pulls out the smoking article 200 while rotating it in a direction in which the elastic member 211 moves away from the central axis 182B. In this way, the smoking article 200 can be withdrawn from the retaining portion 175 .

(effect)
According to this variation, the user manually pushes the smoking article 200 in the insertion direction, and then pushes the elastic member 211 back until it reaches the second end 184, so that the smoking article 200 is properly positioned. It is possible to recognize something. More simply, the sound of collision between elastic member 211 and second end 184 also allows the user to recognize that the smoking article 200 is properly positioned. Further, according to this modification, it is possible to prevent the smoking article 200 from being inserted incompletely, thereby preventing the occurrence of uneven heating and empty heating.

(Supplement 1)
Note that the suction device 100 according to this modification may have a pressure sensor 177 . For example, a pressure sensor 177 may be provided to identify the placement of the smoking article 200 as described in the above embodiments. As another example, a pressure sensor 177 is provided at the second end 184 , and the smoking article is controlled based on whether the pressure sensor 177 detects that the elastic member 211 has reached the second end 184 . 200 locations may be identified. Further, a process may be executed according to the specified arrangement of the smoking articles 200 .

(Supplement 2)
Moreover, although FIG. 10 illustrates an example in which the stick holder 200C is provided on the smoking article 200, the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the stick holder 200</b>C may not be provided on the smoking article 200 but may be provided on the suction device 100 as a sliding member that slides in the internal space of the holding portion 175 . Such a sliding member is provided in the internal space of the holding portion 175 so as to be slidable in the internal space of the holding portion 175 along the inner wall of the holding portion 175 . The sliding member has an elastic member 211 protruding in the lateral direction of the internal space of the holding portion 175, like the stick holder 200C shown in FIG. The lateral direction here is a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and if the cross-sectional shape of the internal space of the holding portion 175 is circular, the lateral direction is the radial direction.

Other configurations are the same as those shown in FIG. For example, the holding portion 175 has a groove portion 182 in which the elastic member 211 can slide as the sliding member slides. The sliding member slides in the interior space of the holding part 175 in the insertion direction or in the withdrawal direction as the smoking article 200 is inserted or withdrawn. Correspondingly, the elastic member 211 slides within the groove 182 in the insertion direction when the smoking article 200 is inserted, and slides within the groove 182 in the withdrawal direction when the smoking article 200 is withdrawn. The groove 182 has a first end 183 and a second end 184 . The suction device 100 also has an elastic member 185 that exerts an elastic force in the pulling direction on the sliding member.

The procedure for inserting and withdrawing the smoking article 200 from the suction device 100 is also as described above with reference to FIG. However, when inserting the smoking article 200, the tip of the smoking article 200 pushes the sliding member into the holder 175, and the sliding member slides in the insertion direction. The user can insert the smoking article 200 as the sliding member slides in the insertion direction. On the other hand, when pulling out, the elastic member 185 exerts an elastic force in the pulling direction on the sliding member, and pushes the sliding member back to the position in the holding portion 175 that is closest to the pulling direction. Along with this, the user can pull out the smoking article 200 from the holding portion 175 .

According to this configuration, the smoking article 200 does not need to have the stick holder 200C, so the manufacturing cost of the smoking article 200 can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the smoking article 200 includes the stick holder 200C. .

<6.1. Second modification>
In each of the embodiments described above, an example in which the smoking article 200 is inserted into the internal space of the holding portion 175 through the opening 172a has been described, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. Another example will be described below.

(Configuration example)
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a suction device 100 according to a second modification. As shown in FIG. 11, the holding portion 175 according to this modification is composed of a first housing 190A and a second housing 190B that can be separated or joined to each other. For example, the first housing 190A is coupled to the second housing 190B via a rotating shaft 191 and is rotatable around the rotating shaft 191. As shown in FIG. Then, the first housing 190A and the second housing 190B are separated by being rotated away from each other, and are coupled by being rotated until they come into contact with each other. 11, illustration of the configuration of the heating unit 176 and the like is omitted.

When the smoking article 200 is inserted into the suction device 100, first, the smoking article 200 is placed in the groove 192 of the second housing 190B while the first housing 190A and the second housing 190B are separated. be. In that state, the first housing 190A is rotated until it contacts the second housing 190B, and is fixed in the contacting state, thereby coupling the first housing 190A and the second housing 190B. The holding portion 175 sandwiches the smoking article 200 between the first housing 190A and the second housing 190B in the coupled state. The pressure sensor 177 is provided, for example, in the groove 192 of the second housing 190B to detect the pressure applied when the smoking article 200 is held.

(supplement)
Note that the arrangement of the smoking articles 200 may be identified by the method described in each of the embodiments above, based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 177 . Further, a process may be executed according to the specified arrangement of the smoking articles 200 .

<<7. Summary>>
An embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. FIG. As described above, according to this embodiment, the suction device 100 includes the holding portion 175 that holds the smoking article 200 in the internal space, the pressure sensor 177 that detects the pressure applied to the inner wall of the holding portion 175, have Then, the suction device 100 identifies the arrangement of the smoking article 200 in the holding portion 175 based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 177 . The suction device 100 can specify not only whether or not the smoking article 200 is inserted into the holding portion 175, but also whether or not the smoking article 200 is correctly arranged in the holding portion 175. Moreover, since the pressure sensor 177 is not affected by ambient light, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy as compared with the case where an optical sensor is used.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can conceive of various modifications or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. It is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the arrangement of the smoking articles 200 in the holding portion 175 was explained as the longitudinal arrangement of the smoking articles 200 inserted into the internal space of the holding portion 175, but the present invention is such. Examples are not limiting. For example, the placement of the smoking articles 200 in the retaining portion 175 may be the angle of the smoking articles 200 inserted into the interior space of the retaining portion 175 . Here, the angle of the smoking article 200 is the angle formed by the longitudinal direction of the suction device 100 and the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 200 . For example, a plurality of pressure sensors 177 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the suction device 100 on the inner wall of the holding portion 175, and the angle of the smoking article 200 is adjusted based on the pressure gradient detected by the plurality of pressure sensors 177. can be specified.

Moreover, each embodiment described above may be appropriately combined. For example, the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be combined. In that case, pressure sensors are provided at both the downstream end and the upstream end of the holding portion, and the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the holding portion is specified based on the detection results of these pressure sensors. . In this case, compared to the case where only one of the pressure sensors is provided, it is possible to improve the accuracy of specifying the placement of the flavor component-generating base material.

It should be noted that the suction device 100 described in this specification may be implemented as a single device, or partially or wholly may be implemented as separate devices. For example, in the functional configuration of the suction device 100 described with reference to FIG. may In that case, the suction device 100 transmits the detection result of the pressure sensor 177 to the control device. Next, the control device identifies the arrangement of the smoking articles 200 based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 177, and generates control information (for example, an instruction to start heating by the heating unit 176) according to the identified arrangement. Control information is transmitted to the suction device 100 . Then, the suction device 100 executes the processing instructed in the control information received from the control device.

Also, a series of processes by each device described in this specification may be realized using any of software, hardware, and a combination of software and hardware. Programs constituting software are stored in advance in a storage medium (non-transitory media) provided inside or outside each device, for example. Each program, for example, is read into a RAM when executed by a computer, and executed by a processor such as a CPU. The storage medium is, for example, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a flash memory, or the like. Also, the above computer program may be distributed, for example, via a network without using a storage medium.

Also, the processes described in this specification using flowcharts and sequence diagrams do not necessarily have to be executed in the illustrated order. Some processing steps may be performed in parallel. Also, additional processing steps may be employed, and some processing steps may be omitted.

100 suction device 171 housing 171A top housing 171B bottom housing 172 cover 172a opening 173 power switch 174 lid portion 175 holding portion 175a bottom portion 175b convex portion 175c elastic member 176 heating portion 177 pressure sensor 178 battery 179 notification portion 180 control portion 182 elastic member Groove 182A Inlet 182B Central axis 183 First end 184 Second end 185 Elastic member 190A First housing 190B Second housing 191 Rotating shaft 192 Groove 200 Smoking article 200A Base material 200B Mouthpiece 201 Filling material 202 First wrapping paper 203 Second wrapping paper 204 Paper tube portion 205 Filter portion 206 Hollow segment portion 210a Front end 210b Rear end 211 Elastic member

Claims (19)

a holding part having an internal space and an opening that communicates the internal space with an external space ;
an action part that applies an action to the flavor component-generating base material for generating a gas to which a flavor component is imparted from the flavor component-generating base material held in the internal space of the holding part, the flavor component-generating group comprising: The material comprises a working portion including a flavor component generating portion and a non-flavor component generating portion having different hardness, which are arranged in order from one end to the other end;
a first pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied to the inner wall of the holding portion at a position closer to the opening than the position where the action is applied by the action portion ;
a second pressure sensor disposed between the first pressure sensor and the action portion;
A control unit that specifies the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the internal space of the holding unit based on the detection results of the first and second pressure sensors , and corresponds to the hardness of the non-flavor component-generating unit. When the pressure corresponding to the hardness of the flavor component generating part is detected by the first pressure sensor and the pressure corresponding to the hardness of the flavor component generating part is detected by the second pressure sensor, the arrangement of the flavor component generating base is a predetermined a control identifying a configuration ;
A suction device comprising: The predetermined arrangement is such that the flavor component generating section and part of the non-flavor component generating section are held in the internal space, and the other part of the non-flavor component generating section extends from the opening to the external space. 2. A suction device according to claim 1 , characterized in that it is in a projecting arrangement. The suction device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the predetermined arrangement is an arrangement in which the flavor component generating section is positioned at a position where the action section applies an action. The suction device has a first elastic member provided at a position on the opening side of the inner wall of the holding portion relative to the position where the action is applied by the action portion,
The suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the first pressure sensor detects pressure applied to the first elastic member. The suction device has a plurality of action portions,
The control unit specifies the position of the one end of the flavor component-generating base material in the internal space, and selects the action part to which power is to be supplied from the plurality of action parts based on the specified position of the one end. Suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that. The flavor component-generating base material has a second elastic member projecting in the lateral direction,
the holding part has a groove part in the inner wall thereof in which the second elastic member can slide as the flavor component-generating base material is inserted or pulled out;
The groove has a first end in an insertion direction and a second end in a withdrawal direction provided between the first end and the opening, and the groove provided in the opening. the circumferential misalignment of the interior space between the inlet and the first end of is compared to the circumferential misalignment of the interior space between the inlet and the second end of big,
The suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , characterized in that the suction device further comprises a third elastic member that exerts an elastic force on the flavor component-generating base material in a pulling direction. Device. The suction device has a fourth elastic member that protrudes in the lateral direction of the internal space and is capable of sliding in the internal space along the inner wall of the holding part, and an elastic force in the pull-out direction. further comprising a fifth elastic member exerted against the sliding member;
the holding portion has a groove portion in an inner wall in which the fourth elastic member can slide as the sliding member slides;
The groove has a first end in an insertion direction and a second end in a withdrawal direction provided between the first end and the opening, and the groove provided in the opening. the circumferential misalignment of the interior space between the inlet and the first end of is compared to the circumferential misalignment of the interior space between the inlet and the second end of A suction device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is large. The holding part is composed of a first housing and a second housing that can be separated or joined to each other, and the first housing and the second housing in a joined state sandwich the flavor component-generating base material. The suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein The suction according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the control unit controls the state of power supply to the action unit based on the specified arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material. Device. When the control unit specifies that the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material is a predetermined arrangement, the control unit changes the state of power supply to the action unit to a state in which power supply to the action unit is permitted. 10. A suction device according to claim 9 , characterized in that. The suction device further has an operation input unit,
10. The control unit starts power supply to the action unit when a predetermined operation is input to the operation input unit in a state in which power supply to the action unit is permitted. The suction device according to . 12. The apparatus according to claim 10 or 11 , wherein the control unit starts supplying power to the action unit when a user's suction operation is detected in a state in which power supply to the action unit is permitted. A suction device as described. When the control unit determines that the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material is not a predetermined arrangement, the control unit transitions the state of power supply to the action unit to a state in which power supply to the action unit is not permitted. The suction device according to any one of claims 9 to 12 , wherein The suction device includes a notification unit,
The suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 , wherein the control unit controls the notification unit to perform notification according to the arrangement of the specified flavor component-generating base material. 15. The suction device according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit controls the notification unit to perform different notifications depending on whether the specified arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material is a predetermined arrangement. . The suction device according to claim 14 or 15 , wherein the notification unit performs at least one of light emission, display, sound output and vibration. A control device for a suction device, comprising:
The suction device is
a holding part having an internal space and an opening that communicates the internal space with an external space;
an action part that applies an action to the flavor component-generating base material for generating a gas to which a flavor component is imparted from the flavor component-generating base material held in the internal space of the holding part, the flavor component-generating group comprising: The material comprises a working portion including a flavor component generating portion and a non-flavor component generating portion having different hardness, which are arranged in order from one end to the other end;
a first pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied to the inner wall of the holding portion at a position closer to the opening than the position where the action is applied by the action portion;
a second pressure sensor disposed between the first pressure sensor and the acting portion;
The control device is a control unit that specifies the arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the internal space of the holding unit based on the detection results of the first and second pressure sensors, and the non-flavor component generating unit. When the pressure corresponding to the hardness of the flavor component generating base is detected by the first pressure sensor and the pressure corresponding to the hardness of the flavor component generating part is detected by the second pressure sensor A control device for a suction device, characterized by having a control unit that specifies that the arrangement of is a predetermined arrangement . An information processing method implemented in a suction device,
The suction device is
a holding part having an internal space and an opening that communicates the internal space with an external space;
an action part that applies an action to the flavor component-generating base material for generating a gas to which a flavor component is imparted from the flavor component-generating base material held in the internal space of the holding part, the flavor component-generating group comprising: The material comprises a working portion including a flavor component generating portion and a non-flavor component generating portion having different hardness, which are arranged in order from one end to the other end;
a first pressure sensor that detects the pressure applied to the inner wall of the holding portion at a position closer to the opening than the position where the action is applied by the action portion;
a second pressure sensor disposed between the first pressure sensor and the acting portion;
The information processing method is to specify an arrangement of the flavor component-generating base material in the internal space of the holding unit based on the detection results of the first and second pressure sensors, wherein the non-flavor component generating unit When the pressure corresponding to the hardness of the flavor component generating base is detected by the first pressure sensor and the pressure corresponding to the hardness of the flavor component generating part is detected by the second pressure sensor is a predetermined arrangement . A program for causing a computer to function as a control section of the suction device according to any one of claims 1 to 16 .

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