JP7201861B2 - aerosol generator - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device .

Patent Literatures 1 and 2 describe a power supply unit for an aerosol generator having a receptacle for USB or the like.

The receptacle is provided with many terminals other than the VBUS terminal for supplying charging power.

On the other hand, in order to safely introduce the power supplied from the external power source into the device via the receptacle, it is preferable to provide a protection component to protect the electronic components within the device from disturbances in the external power source.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-504599 U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0380388

There is room for study on how to connect the protection component to the terminals provided on the receptacle.

The present invention provides a power supply unit for an aerosol generator capable of stabilizing the operation while suppressing increases in cost and size by connecting an appropriate protective component to the receptacle.

According to some embodiments,
a power supply;
a controller configured to be able to control power supply to a heater that consumes the power supplied from the power source and heats the aerosol source;
a charging IC including an input terminal and a bat terminal connected to the power supply, configured to convert electric power input to the input terminal and output from the bat terminal;
a power terminal configured to be electrically connectable to an external power source;
a data terminal for data transfer with the external power supply;
a power line connecting the power terminal and the input terminal;
a data line connected to the data terminal;
a first protection component provided on the power supply line;
a second protection component provided on the data line;
a first substrate on which the power supply terminal, the data terminal, the first protection component, and the second protection component are arranged;
a second substrate on which the controller is arranged, arranged parallel to the first substrate and separate from the first substrate;
the number of the first protection components is greater than the number of the second protection components ,
The first protection component and the second protection component are arranged only on the first substrate out of the first substrate and the second substrate,
An aerosol generating device is provided.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the operation|movement can be stabilized, suppressing the increase in the cost and size of the power supply unit of an aerosol generation apparatus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are arranged parallel to each other in the board accommodation area 144 . More specifically, the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are arranged such that their element mounting surfaces are arranged along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and the MCU mounting board 161 is arranged in front of the receptacle mounting board 162. . The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are provided with openings 175 and 176 (see FIGS. 18 to 21), respectively. The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are fastened with bolts 136 to the board fixing portion 156 of the front and rear dividing wall 152 with a cylindrical spacer 173 interposed between the peripheral edges of the openings 175 and 176 . be. That is, the spacer 173 is a fixing member that fixes the positions of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 inside the case 110 and mechanically connects the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 . As a result, it is possible to prevent the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 from coming into contact with each other and causing a short-circuit current between them. Also, the spacer 173 has conductivity, and the grounds of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are connected via the spacer 173 . As a result, the ground potentials of the MCU-mounted substrate 161 and the receptacle-mounted substrate 162 can be aligned, and the supply of charging power and operating power and communication between the MCU-mounted substrate 161 and the receptacle-mounted substrate 162 can be stabilized. can.

For the sake of convenience, the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 have main surfaces 161a and 162a that face forward, and secondary surfaces 161b and 162b that are opposite to the main surfaces 161a and 162a. and the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting substrate 162 face each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. A main surface 161 a of the MCU mounting board 161 faces the front surface of the case 110 , and a secondary surface 162 b of the receptacle mounting board 162 faces the front and rear dividing walls 152 of the chassis 150 . The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are electrically connected via a flexible wiring board 165 . Elements and ICs mounted on the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 will be described later.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

<Receptacle>
The receptacle RCP has a plurality of pins (terminals) electrically connected to pins of an inserted plug, as shown in FIGS. Specifically, the receptacle RCP includes a pair of GND pins (“GND” in the drawing, hereinafter also referred to as a GND pin pair), a pair of V _BUS pins (“V _BUS ” in the drawing, hereinafter also referred to as a V _BUS pin pair). ), CC1 pin (“CC1” in the figure), CC2 pin (“CC2” in the figure), a pair of D-pins (“D-” in the figure, hereinafter also referred to as a D-pin pair), a pair of It has a D+ pin (“D+” in the figure, hereinafter also referred to as a D+ pin pair), an SBU1 pin (“SBU1” in the figure), and an SBU2 pin (“SBU2” in the figure). It should be noted that, in this embodiment, only main pins among the pins provided in the receptacle RCP are described. The role of these pins will be explained later.

<Protective parts for receptacles>
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing power supply line PL and data lines DL1-DL4 extending from receptacle RCP and protection components for receptacle RCP. The protection component is a concept including protection elements (element components) and protection ICs (integrated circuits).

The GND pin pair of receptacle RCP is grounded by a ground line. The V _BUS pin pair of receptacle RCP accepts power input to aspirator 100 from an external power plug inserted into receptacle RCP. For example, when a plug is inserted into the receptacle RCP, predetermined USB bus power is supplied to the inhaler 100 via the V _BUS pin pair from the inserted plug. Also, power corresponding to USB PD (USB Power Delivery) may be supplied to the inhaler 100 from an external power plug inserted into the receptacle RCP. Since the voltage applied between the V _BUS pin pair of the receptacle RCP and the GND pin pair of the receptacle RCP is used for charging the power supply BAT and operating the aspirator 100, the V _BUS pin pair of the receptacle RCP is used as a power supply terminal. Function. Therefore, the line connected to the V _BUS pin pair of the receptacle RCP is called the power supply line PL.

The V _BUS pin pair is connected to the IN pin of overvoltage protection IC 11 via power supply line PL. The power supply line PL is further connected from the OUT pin of the overvoltage protection IC 11 to the VIN pin of the LSW 3 via the flexible wiring board 165 . A plurality of protection components are provided on the power supply line PL between the V _BUS pin pair and the overvoltage protection IC 11 . Specifically, in the power supply line PL, a fuse Fs and a ferrite bead Fb are arranged in this order from the V _BUS pin pair side between the V _BUS pin pair and the overvoltage protection IC 11 . Further, the power supply line PL is connected to the ground line through an EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) removal filter 200, an ESD (Electro Static Discharge) suppressor 202, and capacitors 203 and 204 on the overvoltage protection IC 11 side of the ferrite bead Fb. . EMI suppression filter 200 is mainly used to eliminate (remove) electromagnetic interference. The ESD suppressor 202 is mainly used to eliminate (remove) electrostatic discharges and surges. Hereinafter, the overvoltage protection IC 11, the fuse Fs, the ferrite bead Fb, the EMI removal filter 200, the ESD suppressor 202, and the capacitors 203 and 204 provided on the power line PL may be referred to as a power line protection component 205.

The fuse Fs is a non-grounded element that cuts off the circuit when a large current exceeding the rating flows through the power supply line PL. A non-grounded element is an element whose ends are not directly connected to a ground line. The fuse Fs may be a power fuse that detects a large current above the rating from power, or a thermal fuse that detects a large current above the rating from temperature. The ferrite bead Fb is a type of inductor and is a non-grounded element that converts noise into heat in a predetermined band. A wire-wound inductor may be used instead of the ferrite bead Fb.

The ESD suppressor 202 is an element that has two terminals (electrodes) and has the property of rapidly decreasing the resistance value when a high voltage is applied between these terminals. ESD suppressor 202 is a grounding element having one end connected to power supply line PL and the other end connected to a ground line. A grounding element is an element that either end of the element is directly connected to a ground line. Therefore, for example, even if static electricity is generated in the V _BUS pin pair due to rubbing of the plug when inserting the plug into the receptacle RCP, this static electricity is released to the ground line via the ESD suppressor 202 to protect the overvoltage protection IC 11. can do.

The capacitors CD1 and CD2 smooth the ripple component (pulsation component) contained in the input voltage using the charging and discharging actions of the capacitors, thereby stabilizing the output voltage. Capacitors CD1 and CD2 are ground elements each having one end connected to the power supply line PL and the other end connected to the ground line. Therefore, even if noise or surge occurs in the _VBUS pin pair, the capacitors CD1 and CD2 can protect the overvoltage protection IC 11 from this noise and surge.

EMI suppression filter 200 is a grounding element in which one end of a parallel circuit in which an ESD suppressor and a capacitor are connected in parallel is connected to power supply line PL and the other end is connected to a ground line. Therefore, for example, even if noise that can cause electromagnetic interference is generated in the V _BUS pin pair due to rubbing of plugs in the receptacle RCP when they are inserted, the noise can be released to the ground line via an EMI suppression filter or a capacitor. , the overvoltage protection IC 11 can be protected.

The power line protection component 205 is arranged only on the receptacle mounting board 162 out of the MCU mounting board 161 on which the MCU 1 and the charging IC 2 are arranged and the receptacle mounting board 162 on which the receptacle RCP is arranged. As a result, noise and surges are sufficiently removed from the power supplied from the external power source by the power line protection component 205 before reaching the MCU mounting board 161 . MCU1 and charging IC2 can be protected. A specific arrangement position of the power line protection component 205 will be described later.

In this embodiment, the overvoltage protection IC 11, the fuse Fs, the ferrite bead Fb, the EMI removal filter 200, the ESD suppressor 202, and the capacitors 203 and 204 are exemplified as the power line protection components 205. However, the types and number of power line protection components are , can be set arbitrarily. Power supply line protection component 205 preferably includes both a grounded element that is an element connected to the ground line and a non-grounded element that is not connected to the ground line. By arranging both the grounded terminal and the non-grounded terminal on the power supply line PL through which a large current flows, it is possible to achieve thorough protection.

Moreover, the arrangement order of the power line protection components can be set arbitrarily. As in this embodiment, in the power supply line PL, the V _BUS pin pair, non-grounded elements (fuse Fs, ferrite bead Fb), grounded elements (EMI removal filter 200, ESD suppressor 202, capacitors 203 and 204), charging IC 2 By arranging them in the order of the input terminal VBUS, the noise that escapes to the ground to which other electronic components are connected can be reduced in advance by the non-grounded element, so that the suction device 100 operates stably.

Also, some of the power line protection components 205 may be arranged on the MCU mounting board 161, but the number of the power line protection components 205 arranged on the receptacle mounting board 162 is limited to the number of power lines arranged on the MCU mounting board 161. Preferably, the number is greater than the number of protection components 205 . This can also protect the MCU-mounted board 161 and the charging IC 2 arranged on the MCU-mounted board 161 .

The CC1 and CC2 pins of the receptacle RCP are configuration channel pins, and are pins used to detect the up-down orientation of the plug inserted into the receptacle RCP. That is, the CC1 pin and CC2 pin have properties as data terminals.

The D− pin pair and the D+ pin pair of the receptacle RCP are pins for data transfer with an external power supply through the external power supply plug inserted in the receptacle RCP. That is, the D− pin and D+ pin have properties as data terminals.

The CC1 pin, CC2 pin, D- pin pair, and D+ pin pair of receptacle RCP are connected to MCU1 via data lines DL1-DL4, respectively. Each of the data lines DL1-DL4 is provided with a protective component. These protective components preferably include only one of the non-grounded element and the grounded element, more preferably only the grounded element. By reducing the number of protection elements in the data lines DL1 to DL4 through which a small current flows, it is possible to suppress an increase in the cost and size of the sucker 100 and stabilize its operation. In particular, the data lines DL1 to DL4 can be effectively protected with a small number of protection elements by providing a grounding element that allows noise and the like to escape to the ground.

Specifically, the data line DL1 of the CC1 pin is connected to one end of the EMI removal filter 206, the data line DL2 of the CC2 pin is connected to one end of the EMI removal filter 208, and the D- One end of the ESD suppressor 210 is connected to the data line DL3 of the pin pair, and one end of the ESD suppressor 212 is connected to the data line DL4 of the D+ pin pair. The other end is connected to the ground line. Therefore, for example, even if static electricity or noise is generated in these pins due to rubbing of the plug when inserting the plug into the receptacle RCP, the static electricity or noise is removed by the EMI removal filters 206, 208 or the ESD suppressors 210, 212. can escape to the ground line via Thereby, MCU1 can be protected and malfunction of MCU1 can be suppressed. The EMI removal filters 206 and 208 and the ESD suppressors 210 and 212 provided on these data lines DL1 to L4 are hereinafter sometimes referred to as a data line protection component 215. FIG.

The data line protection component 215 is arranged only on the receptacle mounting board 162 between the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 . As a result, before reaching the MCU mounting board 161, noise is sufficiently removed from the power supplied from the external power supply by the data line protection component 215, so that the MCU mounting board 161 and the MCU 1 arranged on the MCU mounting board 161 can be protected.

Although some of the data line protection components 215 may be arranged on the MCU mounting board 161, the number of the data line protection components 215 arranged on the receptacle mounting board 162 is limited to the number of data lines arranged on the MCU mounting board 161. Preferably, the number is greater than the number of protective components 215 . This can also protect the MCU-mounted board 161 and the charging IC 2 arranged on the MCU-mounted board 161 .

According to this embodiment, the power line protection component 205 and the data line protection component 215 are arranged only on the receptacle mounting board 162 between the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 . Therefore, before reaching the MCU mounting board 161, noise and surges are sufficiently removed from the power supplied from the external power supply by the power line protection component 205 and the data line protection component 215. The charging IC2 arranged on the substrate 161 can be protected.

Although the EMI removal filters 206 and 208 and the ESD suppressors 210 and 212 are illustrated as the data line protection components 215 in this embodiment, the type and number of data line protection components can be set arbitrarily. Electronic components other than the EMI rejection filters 206, 208 and the ESD suppressors 210, 212 may be used for the data line protection components 215 to better protect the data lines DL1-L4.

Data line protection component 215 may include the same protection elements as power line protection component 205 . By using a common protective element for the power supply line PL and the data lines DL1 to DL4, the procurement cost of this protective element can be reduced, and the cost of the aspirator 100 can be reduced. On the other hand, data line protection component 215 may not include the same protection element as power line protection component 205 . Since suitable protective elements can be connected to the power supply line PL and the data lines DL1 to DL4, the operation of the aspirator 100 can be made more stable.

In this embodiment, as the power line protection component 205, seven of the overvoltage protection IC 11, the fuse Fs, the ferrite bead Fb, the EMI removal filter 200, the ESD suppressor 202, and the capacitors 203 and 204 are provided, and as the data line protection component 215, Four EMI rejection filters 206, 208 and ESD suppressors 210, 212 are provided. As described above, the number and types of protection components forming the power line protection component 205 and the number and types of protection components forming the data line protection component 215 are not limited to these, but the power line protection Components 205 are preferably greater in number than data line protection components 215 . By arranging more protective elements in the line to which the higher current is supplied, the cost and size of the sucker 100 can be suppressed while its operation is stabilized.

<Detailed description of the board>
Here, the arrangement of ICs and elements arranged on the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 will be described.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting board 162. As shown in FIG. A main surface 162a of a receptacle mounting board 162 extending in the vertical direction has a heater connector Cn arranged on the upper side and a receptacle RCP arranged at the lower end thereof. Reactor Lc of converter 9 is arranged. Between the receptacle RCP and the reactor Lc and in the vicinity of the receptacle RCP, among the data line protection components 215, the EMI suppression filter 208 arranged on the data line DL2 of the CC2 pin and the data line DL3 of the D-pin pair are arranged. and an ESD suppressor 212 placed on the data line DL4 of the D+ pin pair. Since the data line protection component 215 is arranged on the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting board 162, the board area can be effectively used, and an increase in the size of the receptacle mounting board 162 can be suppressed. Thereby, the cost and size of the suction device 100 can be reduced.

In the vicinity of the receptacle RCP, a positive battery connector 222 (hereinafter referred to as a positive battery connector 222) is arranged on the right side so as to sandwich these data line protection components 215 in the left-right direction, and a spacer 173 is arranged on the left side. A locking opening 176 is provided. Furthermore, on the left side of the reactor Lc of the step-up DC/DC converter 9, there is a battery connector 224 on the negative electrode side (hereinafter referred to as the negative battery connector 224) and a power supply temperature detection connector 234 connected to the thermistor T1 constituting a power supply temperature sensor. A switch S4 for detecting the temperature of the heater HTR is arranged on the side opposite to the negative battery connector 224 in the horizontal direction. A positive power supply bus bar 236 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) extending from the positive terminal of the power supply BAT is connected to the positive battery connector 222, and a negative power supply bus bar extending from the negative terminal of the power supply BAT is connected to the negative battery connector 224. 238 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) are connected.

The opening 176 of the receptacle mounting substrate 162 for fixing the spacer 173 is provided at a position close to the receptacle RCP arranged at the lower end, in other words, closer to the lower end than the upper end with respect to the center. This current may generate noise near the path through which power supplied from an external power supply passes. The substrate area of the substrate 162 can be effectively utilized.

Furthermore, the positive battery connector 222 electrically connecting the power supply BAT and the receptacle mounting board 162 is provided at a position close to the receptacle RCP arranged at the lower end, in other words, closer to the lower end than the upper end with respect to the center. ing. The positive battery connector 222, which is a conductor, is not a little affected by noise. By providing 222, the substrate area of the receptacle RCP can be effectively utilized. These measures can prevent the size of the receptacle mounting board 162 from increasing, so that the cost and size of the aspirator 100 can be reduced.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the secondary surface 162b of the receptacle mounting board 162. As shown in FIG. A power line protection component 205 is arranged below the opening 176 on the secondary surface 162 b of the receptacle mounting board 162 . Specifically, the overvoltage protection IC 11, the fuse Fs, the ferrite bead Fb, the EMI suppression filter 200, the ESD suppressor 202, and the capacitors 203 and 204, which constitute the power line protection component 205, are located on the subsurface 162b of the receptacle mounting board 162. located at the bottom end of the In this way, by arranging the power line protection component 205 on the secondary surface 162b opposite to the main surface 162a on which the receptacle RCP is arranged, compared to the case where the receptacle RCP and the power line protection component 205 are arranged on the same surface, The substrate area can be effectively utilized, and an increase in the size of the receptacle mounting substrate 162 can be suppressed. Thereby, the cost and size of the suction device 100 can be reduced.

These overvoltage protection IC 11, fuse Fs, ferrite bead Fb, EMI removal filter 200, ESD suppressor 202, and capacitors 203 and 204 are similar to the receptacle RCP when viewed from the direction perpendicular to the element arrangement surface of the receptacle mounting board 162 (front-rear direction). It is arranged in a receptacle projection area 220 where the receptacle RCP is projected in the overlapping position, that is, in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the distance between the V _BUS pin pair of the receptacle RCP and the power line protection component 205 can be minimized, and the power before being protected by the power line protection component 205 is arranged on the receptacle mounting substrate 162. can reduce the impact on electronic components. As a result, the durability of the suction device 100 can be improved and its operation can be stabilized. It should be noted that it is not necessary to arrange all of the power line protection component 205 in the receptacle projection area 220 , and at least part of it may be arranged in the receptacle projection area 220 .

EMI removal filter 206 constituting data line protection component 215 is arranged on the right side of opening 176, and protection IC 10, operational amplifier OP1, step-up DC/DC converter 9, and aerosol generation A switch S3 is arranged.

As described above, data line protection components 215 (EMI suppression filter 208, ESD suppressor 210, and ESD suppressor 212) other than EMI suppression filter 206 are arranged on main surface 162a of receptacle mounting board 162. FIG. While the power line protection component 205 is arranged on the subsurface 162b of the receptacle mounting board 162, by arranging many data line protection components 215 on the main surface 162a and changing the mounting surface, it is possible to effectively utilize the board area. can. As a result, it is possible to prevent the size of the receptacle mounting board 162 from increasing, and to reduce the cost and size of the aspirator 100 . All the data line protection components 215 including the EMI removal filter 206 may be collectively arranged on the main surface 162 a of the receptacle mounting substrate 162 .

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the main surface 161a of the MCU mounting board 161. As shown in FIG. On the main surface 161a of the MCU mounting board 161 extending in the vertical direction, the charging IC2 is arranged on the upper side, the MCU1 is arranged on the lower side, and the LSW3 is arranged between the charging IC2 and the MCU1. A heater temperature detection connector 240 to which a thermistor T3 constituting a heater temperature sensor is connected via a lead wire is arranged further above the charging IC 2 . An opening 175 for fixing a spacer 173 is arranged diagonally to the lower left of the MCU1. Also, on the main surface 161 a of the MCU mounting board 161 , a voltage dividing circuit Pc, which is a series circuit of two resistors, is arranged between the MCU 1 and the right edge of the MCU mounting board 161 .

Since the MCU1 and the charging IC2 are separated from the receptacle RCP by arranging the MCU1 and the charging IC2 on the receptacle mounting board 162 on which the receptacle RCP is arranged, static electricity, etc. that may enter from the receptacle RCP is prevented. less susceptible to Thereby, operation|movement of the suction device 100 can be stabilized more.

Also, an LSW 3 that can open and close the power line PL and is provided between the power line protection component 205 and the input terminal VBUS of the charging IC 2 is arranged on the MCU mounting board 161 . Therefore, the power supplied from the external power supply from which noise has been removed by the power supply line protection component 205 is prevented from being suddenly supplied to the charging IC 2 by the LSW 3 . This prevents a rush current and a short-circuit current from being input to the charging IC 2, so that the charging IC 2 can be further protected.

LSW3 supplies power to charging IC2 when the signal input to control terminal ON via bipolar transistor S2 connected to terminal P19 of MCU1 goes high as described above. In other words, LSW3 is not automatically turned ON, and is turned ON only after receiving a command from MCU1. Since the malfunction of LSW3 can be suppressed by intervening the control of MCU1 in LSW3, charging IC2 can be protected further.

On the other hand, the MCU1 controls power supply from the power supply BAT to the heater connector Cn based on the voltage _supplied from the power supply input terminal VBUS of the receptacle RCP input to the terminal P17. Specifically, when the voltage _supplied from the power supply input terminal VBUS is input to the terminal P17, the MCU1 prohibits the supply of power from the power supply BAT to the heater connector Cn. Therefore, the MCU 1 protected from the power supplied from the external power supply can perform the control based on the detection of the external power supply. As a result, charging control can be executed more reliably, and the performance of the suction device 100 is improved. Also, power consumption from the power supply BAT during charging can be avoided.

Further, power supplied from an external power supply, from which noise is removed by the power supply line protection component 205, is input to the voltage dividing circuit Pc. As a result, the voltage dividing circuit Pc is less likely to be damaged, and control by the MCU 1 can be performed more reliably, thereby improving the performance of the aspirator 100 . The voltage dividing circuit Pc prevents a voltage higher than the system power supply voltage Vcc0 from being input to the MCU1, and allows the aspirator 100 to operate stably.

The two resistors of the voltage dividing circuit Pc are arranged between the MCU1 and the right edge, which is the edge of the MCU mounting substrate 161 closest to the MCU1. Specifically, the two resistors of the voltage dividing circuit Pc are arranged between the right edge of the MCU mounting board 161 and the terminal P17 of the MCU1. It should be noted that both of the two resistors of the voltage dividing circuit Pc do not necessarily need to be arranged between the right edge, which is the edge of the MCU mounting substrate 161, and the MCU1, and at least one of them may be arranged. As a result, at least a portion of the voltage dividing circuit Pc serves as a barrier against noise entering from the right edge of the MCU mounting substrate 161, making it difficult for the MCU 1 to be damaged or malfunction. to work.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing the secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting board 161. As shown in FIG. On the secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting substrate 161, a motor connector 226 to which the vibration motor M is connected via a wire is arranged above the opening 175, and further above, a thermistor T4 constituting a case temperature sensor is provided with a wire. A case temperature detection connector 228 is connected via a lead wire, and an intake air detection connector 230 is connected via a lead wire to a thermistor T2 constituting an intake air sensor.

A flexible wiring board 165 that electrically connects the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 connects the FPC connection portions 231 and 232 of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 to each other. The FPC connection portions 231 and 232 are located at the right end portions of the MCU mounting substrate 161 and the receptacle mounting substrate 162, respectively, and from the substantially central portion in the vertical direction to the vicinity of the openings 175 and 176 downward.

As shown in FIG. 20, in the MCU mounting board 161, the LSW3 is arranged closer to the FPC connection portion 231 than the charging IC2. That is, the LSW 3 is provided in the vicinity of the point where the power supplied from the external power supply is input to the MCU mounting board 161 . As a result, noise generated when rush current, short-circuit current, or the like is reduced by the LSW 3 can reduce the effect on other elements and ICs arranged on the MCU-mounted board 161, thereby further protecting the MCU-mounted board 161. be able to. It is preferable that the LSW 3 be arranged closer to the FPC connection section 231 than any IC arranged on the MCU mounting board 161 .

As shown in FIG. 18, the FPC connection part 232 of the receptacle mounting board 162 is provided at a position close to the receptacle RCP arranged at the lower end, in other words, closer to the lower end than the upper end with respect to the center. As a result, the power supplied from the external power supply does not pass through the entire receptacle mounting board 162, and the noise generated by this current can reduce the influence of other elements and ICs arranged on the receptacle mounting board 162.

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

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

(1) a power supply (power supply BAT);
a heater connector (heater connector Cn) to which a heater (heater HTR) that consumes power supplied from the power source and heats the aerosol source is connected;
a controller (MCU1) configured to control the supply of power from the power source to the heater connector;
It includes an input terminal (input terminal VBUS) and a charging terminal (charging terminal bat) connected to the power supply, and is configured to convert power input to the input terminal and output from the charging terminal. a charging IC (charging IC2);
a receptacle (receptacle RCP) including a power supply terminal (power supply input terminal V _BUS ) and data terminals (CC1 pin, CC2 pin, D− pin, D+ pin) and configured to be electrically connectable to an external power supply; ,
a power line (power line PL) connecting the power terminal and the input terminal;
data lines (data lines DL1 to DL4) connecting the data terminals and the controller;
a first protection component (power line protection component 205) provided on the power line;
a second protection component (data line protection component 215) provided on the data line,
The number of the first protection components is greater than the number of the second protection components,
The power unit of the aerosol generator (non-combustion inhaler 100).

According to (1), since more protective elements are arranged in the line to which a larger current is supplied, it is possible to stabilize the operation while suppressing an increase in the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator. can be done.

(2) A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (1),
equipped with a ground,
The first protection components include grounded elements (EMI removal filter 200, ESD suppressor 202, capacitors 203 and 204) which are elements connected to the ground, and non-grounded elements (fuse Fs, ferrite bead Fb) which are not connected to the ground. ), including
the second protection component includes only one of the grounding element and the non-grounding element;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (2), the power supply unit of the aerosol generator is designed to protect the power supply line through which a large current flows with a ground terminal and a non-ground terminal, while reducing the number of protection elements in the data line through which a small current flows. The operation can be stabilized while suppressing an increase in the cost and size of the device.

(3) A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (2),
The second protection component includes only the grounding element out of the grounding element and the non-grounding element,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (3), the data line is provided with a grounding element that allows noise and the like to escape to the ground, thereby effectively protecting the data line with a small number of protective elements. As a result, the operation can be stabilized while suppressing an increase in the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator.

(4) The power unit of the aerosol generator according to (2) or (3),
In the power supply line, the power supply terminal, the non-grounded element, the grounded element, and the input terminal are connected in this order.
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (4), the noise that escapes to the ground to which other electronic components are connected can be reduced in advance by the non-grounded element, so that the power supply unit of the aerosol generator operates stably.

(5) A power supply unit for the aerosol generator according to any one of (1) to (4),
The first protection component and the second protection component include the same element,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (5), by using a common protection element for the power supply line and the data line, the procurement cost of this protection element can be reduced. Thereby, the cost of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator can be reduced.

(6) A power supply unit for the aerosol generator according to any one of (1) to (4),
The first protection component and the second protection component do not include the same element,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (6), protective elements suitable for each of the power supply line and the data line can be connected, so that the operation of the aerosol generator can be made more stable.

(7) A power supply unit for the aerosol generator according to any one of (1) to (6),
a first substrate (MCU mounting substrate 161);
A second substrate (receptacle mounting substrate 162) separate from the first substrate,
The controller and the charging IC are arranged on the first substrate,
the receptacle is disposed on the second substrate;
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (7), since the controller and the charging IC are separated from the receptacle, they are less likely to be affected by static electricity that may enter from the receptacle. Thereby, the operation of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator can be made more stable.

(8) A power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (7),
The first protection component and the second protection component are arranged only on the second substrate out of the first substrate and the second substrate,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (8), noise is sufficiently removed from the power supplied from the external power supply by the first protection component and the second protection component before reaching the first substrate on which the controller and charging IC are arranged. Operation of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator can be made more stable.

(9) The power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to any one of (7) or (8),
The second substrate has a main surface (main surface 162a) and a secondary surface (subsurface 162b) that is the back surface of the main surface,
The receptacle is arranged on the main surface,
The first protective component is arranged on the minor surface,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (9), the substrate area can be effectively used compared to the case where the receptacle and the first protection component are arranged on the same surface, so that the increase in size of the second substrate can be suppressed. This reduces the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator.

(10) The power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (9),
At least part of the first protection component is arranged in an area (receptacle projection area 220) projected from the direction perpendicular to the second substrate.
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (10), the distance between the power terminal of the receptacle and the first protection component can be minimized, and the power before being protected by the first protection component is arranged on the second substrate. The influence on electronic parts can be reduced. As a result, the durability of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator can be improved, and the operation thereof can be stabilized.

(11) The power supply unit of the aerosol generator according to (9) or (10),
The second protection component is arranged on the main surface,
Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

According to (11), by arranging the second protection component in the empty space on the main surface where the receptacle is arranged, it is possible to suppress the size of the second substrate from increasing. This reduces the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator.

1 MCU (controller)
2 charging IC
100 non-combustion aspirator (power unit for aerosol generator)
161 MCU mounting board (first board)
162 receptacle mounting board (second board)
162a primary surface 162b secondary surface 205 power line protection component (first protection component)
215 data line protection component (second protection component)
220 Receptacle projection area CC1 pin (data terminal)
CC2 pin (data terminal)
D- pin (data terminal)
D+ pin (data terminal)
DL1 Data line DL2 Data line DL3 Data line DL4 Data line BAT Power supply HTR Heater Cn Heater connector RCP Receptacle PL Power supply line V _BUS power supply input terminal (power supply terminal)
VBUS input terminal (input terminal)
bat charging terminal Fs fuse (ungrounded element)
Fb Ferrite bead (non-grounded element)
200 EMI suppression filter (grounding element)
202 ESD suppressor (grounding element)
203 capacitor (ground element)
204 capacitor (ground element)

Claims (7)

a power supply;
a controller configured to be able to control power supply to a heater that consumes the power supplied from the power source and heats the aerosol source;
a charging IC including an input terminal and a bat terminal connected to the power supply, configured to convert electric power input to the input terminal and output from the bat terminal;
a power terminal configured to be electrically connectable to an external power source;
a data terminal for data transfer with the external power supply;
a power line connecting the power terminal and the input terminal;
a data line connected to the data terminal;
a first protection component provided on the power supply line;
a second protection component provided on the data line;
a first substrate on which the power supply terminal, the data terminal, the first protection component, and the second protection component are arranged;
a second substrate on which the controller is arranged, arranged parallel to the first substrate and separate from the first substrate;
the number of the first protection components is greater than the number of the second protection components ,
The first protection component and the second protection component are arranged only on the first substrate out of the first substrate and the second substrate,
Aerosol generator. The aerosol generating device of claim 1,
wherein the first protective component and the second protective component comprise elements of the same type;
Aerosol generator. The aerosol generator according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The first substrate has a major surface and a minor surface opposite to the major surface of the first substrate,
The second substrate includes a main surface on which the controller is provided, and a subsurface opposite to the main surface of the second substrate and facing the main surface of the first substrate,
Aerosol generator. An aerosol generator according to claim 3 ,
an opening into which a flavor component-generating base containing a susceptor can be inserted;
a thermistor disposed near the opening and constituting an intake sensor;
an intake detection terminal to which the thermistor is connected via a lead wire and which is provided on the second substrate;
Aerosol generator. 5. The aerosol generating device of claim 4 ,
The intake detection terminal is provided on the secondary surface of the second substrate,
Aerosol generator. The aerosol generator according to any one of claims 3 to 5 ,
a fixing member disposed between the main surface of the first substrate and the minor surface of the second substrate and fixing the positions of the first substrate and the second substrate;
Aerosol generator. An aerosol generator according to any one of claims 3 to 6 ,
Wiring electrically connecting the first substrate and the second substrate,
The edge of the first substrate on which the power terminal is arranged is different from the edge of the first substrate to which the wiring is connected,
Aerosol generator.

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