JP7513351B2 - Sidestream smoke removal device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a sidestream smoke removal device and a control method thereof. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a sidestream smoke removal device and a control method thereof that can further improve ease of use and safety by providing a safe extinguishing function for smoking articles.

A sidestream smoke removal device is a type of smoking aid designed to reduce hand odor and remove (purify) sidestream smoke. A sidestream smoke removal device usually has an enclosed smoking space and a sidestream smoke removal means inside, and a user can insert a cigarette into the smoking space inside the sidestream smoke removal device to smoke.

However, most sidestream smoke removal devices proposed to date do not have a means for extinguishing the cigarette. This means that users of the device have to remove the cigarette and extinguish it themselves after finishing smoking, which is inconvenient, and mistakes during the extinguishing process can lead to burns or fires.

The technical problem to be solved through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a sidestream smoke removal device and a control method for the device that can further improve convenience and safety of use by providing a safe extinguishing function for smoking articles.

The technical problems of this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field of this disclosure from the description below.

In order to solve the above technical problems, a sidestream smoke removal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure may include a housing in which a smoking space is formed, an article insertion section located at one end of the housing and forming an opening for inserting a smoking article into the smoking space, an ignition section that ignites the smoking article inserted into the smoking space, a sidestream smoke processing section that processes sidestream smoke generated from the smoking article inserted into the smoking space, and a cutting section that provides a cutting function for the smoking article inserted into the smoking space.

In some embodiments, the housing may include an outer surface provided with a pussy button, and the cutting portion may be configured to cut the inserted smoking article as an external force is applied to the pussy button.

In some embodiments, the cutting portion may be configured to cut the inserted smoking article as an external force is applied to the housing that twists the housing.

In some embodiments, the cutting portion may be configured to cut the inserted smoking article as an external force is applied to the housing that expands or contracts the housing.

In some embodiments, the cutting section may include a plurality of cutting blades and have an opening formed therein, and the cutting section may be configured to cut the smoking article as the plurality of cutting blades retract and close when the inserted smoking article passes through the opening.

In some embodiments, the cutting section may include a plurality of cutting blades and have an opening formed therein, and the cutting section may be configured to cut the smoking article as the plurality of cutting blades move with the inserted smoking article passing through the opening. In this case, as the plurality of cutting blades move, an overlap area between the plurality of cutting blades may increase and the size of the opening may decrease.

In some embodiments, the cutting portion may be located at a fixed position and configured to cut a specific portion of the inserted smoking article.

In some embodiments, the cutting section may be configured to be movable.

In some embodiments, the sidestream smoke treatment unit may include a filter structure that filters the sidestream smoke and an exhaust fan that exhausts the filtered sidestream smoke.

In some embodiments, the housing may have a vent hole formed therein through which outside air can flow.

In some embodiments, the smoking article may further include a temperature sensor arranged to measure the temperature near the downstream end of the smoking material portion constituting the inserted smoking article, and a control unit that detects the end of smoking based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure described above, a cutting unit for cutting smoking articles may be disposed inside the sidestream smoke removal device. The cutting unit can provide a convenient and safe extinguishing function at a time desired by the user by cutting the smoking article during burning to prevent further burning, thereby minimizing the risk of burns that may occur due to the user's carelessness (e.g., the risk of burns due to carelessness when directly extinguishing a fire) and the risk of fire.

In addition, the vent holes and exhaust fans can be appropriately controlled depending on the smoking progress, thereby improving the user's smoking satisfaction.

An automatic extinguishing function may also be implemented as the end of smoking is sensed, further minimizing the risk of fire or burns due to the user's carelessness.

The effects of the technical ideas of this disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the description below.

1 is an illustrative diagram for explaining a sidestream smoke removal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and various modified examples. 1 is an illustrative diagram for explaining a sidestream smoke removal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and various modified examples. 1 is an illustrative diagram for explaining a sidestream smoke removal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and various modified examples. 1 is an illustrative diagram for explaining a sidestream smoke removal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and various modified examples. FIG. 2 is an illustrative diagram for explaining a sidestream smoke removal device having a fire extinguishing function according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1A to 1C are illustrative diagrams for explaining various operating modes of a sidestream smoke removal device with a fire extinguishing function according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1A to 1C are illustrative diagrams for explaining various operating modes of a sidestream smoke removal device with a fire extinguishing function according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1A to 1C are illustrative diagrams for explaining various operating modes of a sidestream smoke removal device with a fire extinguishing function according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1A to 1C are illustrative diagrams for explaining a cutting structure of a cutting portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1A to 1C are illustrative diagrams for explaining a cutting structure of a cutting portion according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 1 is an exemplary flow chart illustrating a method for controlling a sidestream smoke removal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 11 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for controlling a sidestream smoke removal device according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram for explaining a current smoking position determination method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present disclosure, as well as the methods for achieving them, will become apparent from the following detailed embodiments along with the accompanying drawings. However, the technical idea of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, and may be embodied in various different forms. The following embodiments are merely provided to complete the technical idea of the present disclosure and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the present disclosure of the scope of the present disclosure, and the technical idea of the present disclosure is only defined by the scope of the claims.

When assigning reference symbols to components in each drawing, care should be taken to assign the same symbols to the same components as much as possible, even if they appear in different drawings. In addition, in describing this disclosure, if it is determined that a specific description of related publicly known configurations or functions may obscure the gist of this disclosure, the detailed description will be omitted.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification may be used in a manner commonly understood by those having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not idealized or overly interpreted unless expressly defined otherwise. The terms used in the following embodiments are intended to describe the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. In the following embodiments, the singular form includes the plural form unless otherwise specified in the text.

In addition, when describing components of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. Such terms are merely used to distinguish the component from other components, and do not limit the essence, procedure, or order of the components. When a component is described as being "coupled," "bonded," or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that other components may also be "coupled," "bonded," or "connected" between each component.

As used in this disclosure, "comprises" and/or "comprising" means that a referenced component, step, operation and/or element does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements.

First, let us clarify some terms used in the various embodiments of this disclosure.

In the following embodiments, "smoking article" refers to any product that can be smoked or that can provide a smoking experience, whether based on tobacco, tobacco derivatives, expanded tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, or tobacco substitutes. For example, smoking articles may include smokable products such as cigarettes, cigars, and cigarillos.

In the following embodiments, "smoking material" refers to a material that produces smoke and/or aerosol or is used for smoking. For example, the smoking material may include tobacco material. The tobacco material may include, for example, tobacco shreds, tobacco stems, or materials processed therefrom. As more specific examples, the tobacco material may include ground tobacco leaves, ground reconstituted tobacco, expanded shreds, expanded midribs, and tabular leaves. However, the tobacco material is not limited to these.

In the following embodiments, "upstream" or "upstream direction" refers to a direction away from the user's mouth, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" refers to a direction toward the user's mouth. The terms upstream and downstream are used to describe the relative positions of elements that make up a smoking article. For example, in the smoking article 30 illustrated in FIG. 1, the filter portion is located downstream or downstream of the smoking material portion, and the smoking material portion is located upstream or upstream of the filter portion.

In the following embodiments, "longitudinal direction" means the direction corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the smoking article.

In the following embodiments, "puff" refers to the user's inhalation, where inhalation refers to drawing the gas through the user's mouth or nose into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an illustrative diagram showing a sidestream smoke removal device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, figures such as Figure 1 show a state in which a smoking article 30 is inserted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may include a housing 11, an article insertion section 12, a back cover 13, a heat insulating section 14, a temperature sensor 20, an ignition section 15, a sidestream smoke processing section 16, a mesh net 17, a display section 19, and a control section 18. However, FIG. 1 shows only components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Therefore, a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs will understand that in addition to the components shown in FIG. 1, other general-purpose components may be further included. For example, the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may further include a battery (not shown) for supplying power to the electrical components (e.g., the control section 18, the display section 19, etc.). In addition, some of the components shown in FIG. 1 may not be essential components of the sidestream smoke removal device 1. That is, the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may be embodied in a form in which some of the illustrated components are omitted. For example, the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may not include the display section 19. Each component of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 will be described below.

The housing 11 can form a smoking space inside the sidestream smoke removal device 1 and can form at least a part of the exterior of the sidestream smoke removal device 1. Although FIG. 1 illustrates the housing 11 as referring to the side wall of the sidestream smoke removal device 1, the housing 11 may refer to the entire exterior forming structure including the item insertion section 12, the back cover 13 and the heat insulating section 14. In order to ensure the durability of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 and minimize the risk of damage, the housing 11 is preferably made of a sturdy material.

In some embodiments, a vent hole 111 may be formed in the housing 11 to allow outside air to smoothly flow into the smoking space. The vent hole 111 allows outside air to flow in during smoking, thereby promoting the combustion of the smoking article 30, and thus greatly improving the smoking function of the sidestream smoke removal device 1. Although FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which one vent hole 111 is formed in the housing 11, the number of vent holes 111 may be multiple. In addition, the formation position, size, interval, etc. of the vent hole 111 can be variously designed. Whether or not the vent hole 111 is opened and/or closed and/or the degree of opening and closing can be controlled by the control unit 18, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 11.

Next, the article insertion section 12 is located at one end (e.g., the upper end) of the housing 11 and can form an opening for inserting the smoking article 30. A user can insert the smoking article 30 into the smoking space in the sidestream smoke removal device 1 through the article insertion section 12. In order to prevent heat inside the smoking space from being released to the outside, the article insertion section 12 is preferably made of a heat insulating material. In addition, in order to prevent the inserted smoking article 30 from shaking, the article insertion section 12 is preferably made of a holder structure that can hold the smoking article 30.

In some embodiments, the article insertion section 12 may have a structure that allows the size of the opening to be adjusted. For example, the article insertion section 12 may have a structure that allows the opening to be tightened or loosely expanded through manual operation. As another example, the article insertion section 12 may be configured to automatically tighten the opening to fit the smoking article 30. As a more specific example, the article insertion section 12 may be controlled by the control section 18, and the control section 18 may control the opening of the article insertion section 12 to be tightened when it detects the insertion of the smoking article 30 through a sensor or receives a user input (e.g., a button push). According to this embodiment, the size of the opening is adjusted to fit the smoking article 30, thereby preventing the smoking article 30 from shaking and improving the support stability. Furthermore, since smoking articles of various sizes can be inserted, the usability of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 can be improved.

The smoking article 30 may be composed of a filter portion located downstream and a smoking material portion abutting the upstream end of the filter portion. However, the detailed structure of the smoking article 30 may be changed as much as desired. The filter portion may include a filter material capable of filtering smoke, and the smoking material portion may include a smoking material. An example of a smoking article 30 includes, but is not limited to, a combustion cigarette, and the smoking article 30 may include any article that generates sidestream smoke when smoked.

Next, the back cover 13 is located at the other end (e.g., the lower end) of the housing 11 and can function as a cover for the sidestream smoke removal device 1. A gas exhaust passage may be formed in the back cover 13 so that the sidestream smoke that has been treated (purified) through the sidestream smoke treatment unit 16 can be discharged to the outside. For example, the back cover 13 may be formed with a gas exhaust passage such as a fine hole.

Next, the insulating section 14 is made of a material with low thermal conductivity and can prevent heat inside the smoking space from escaping to the outside. The insulating section 14 is disposed on the outer surface of the housing 11 and can prevent the risk of burns caused by internal heat when the user's body comes into contact with the sidestream smoke removal device 1 (e.g., when holding the device 1 to smoke).

Next, the temperature sensor 20 is disposed in the smoking space and can measure the temperature of the smoking article 30 inserted in the smoking space. The number, shape, placement position, placement interval, etc. of the temperature sensors 20 can be variously designed and may vary depending on the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the temperature sensor 20 may be positioned to measure the temperature near the downstream end of the smoking material portion. In this case, the end of smoking can be accurately determined using only the temperature sensor 20 without providing an additional monitoring module, which can be understood as taking advantage of the fact that smoking usually ends when the smoking material portion is completely burned. For example, the control unit 18 can determine that smoking has ended when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20 is equal to or higher than a reference value (e.g., when the current smoking position has reached the downstream end of the smoking material portion) or when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20 increases and then decreases below the reference value (e.g., when the burning power at the downstream end of the smoking material portion weakens).

In some other embodiments, multiple temperature sensors 20 may be arranged at different positions in the smoking space. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2, multiple temperature sensors 20-1, 20-2 may be arranged in the length direction of the smoking article 30. Alternatively, multiple temperature sensors 20 may be arranged at positions facing each other. Although FIG. 2 illustrates the arrangement of two temperature sensors 20-1, 20-2, the number of temperature sensors 20 may be three or more. In this case, the arrangement intervals of the temperature sensors 20 may be the same or different. By using multiple temperature sensors 20, the smoking progress status (e.g., the degree of smoking progress) can be monitored more accurately, and various monitoring information can be obtained as follows.

In some examples, the start of smoking can be sensed (determined) through a temperature sensor (e.g., 20-2) located near the upstream end of the smoking material portion. For example, the control unit 18 can determine that smoking has started when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor (e.g., 20-2) is equal to or higher than a reference value.

In some examples, the temperature measurements of multiple temperature sensors (e.g., 20-1, 20-2) arranged in the longitudinal direction can be compared to determine the extent of smoking progress of the smoking article 30 (e.g., the current smoking (combustion) position). This example will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 12 and 13.

In some examples, multiple temperature sensors 20 may be arranged in opposing positions relative to the inserted smoking article 30, or may be arranged in the circumferential direction of the smoking article 30 within the smoking space (e.g., four temperature sensors 20 arranged at 90 degree intervals). In such cases, the measured temperatures of the multiple temperature sensors 20 can be compared to determine the degree of tilt (sway) of the smoking article 30. For example, if the measured temperature of a specific temperature sensor is higher than that of other temperature sensors, the control unit 18 can determine that the smoking article 30 inserted in the direction of the specific temperature sensor is tilted. Alternatively, if the measured temperatures of the multiple temperature sensors 20 fluctuate by more than a reference value, the control unit 18 can determine that the inserted smoking article 30 is swinging.

In some other embodiments, a temperature sensor 20 having an elongated body may be disposed in the smoking space. For example, the elongated temperature sensor 20 may be disposed in the length direction of the smoking article 30. The temperature sensor 20 according to this embodiment may be embodied such that a first portion of the elongated body can measure the temperature of a first corresponding portion of the smoking material portion constituting the smoking article 30, and a second portion can measure the temperature of a second corresponding portion of the smoking material portion. The specific embodiment method is not important. In such a case, the smoking progress status can be monitored based on the measured temperature of a specific portion of the elongated body. For example, the control unit 18 can compare the measured temperatures of each portion of the elongated body to determine the smoking progress of the smoking article 30.

In some other embodiments, the temperature sensor 20 may be arranged based on a combination of the above-mentioned embodiments.

Next, the ignition unit 15 is disposed in the smoking space and can ignite the smoking article 30 inserted in the smoking space. The ignition unit 15 can be controlled by the control unit 18, and can also perform the ignition function by manual operation by the user. The number, shape, arrangement, etc. of the ignition unit 15 can be designed in various ways, and this can be changed depending on the embodiment.

In some embodiments, the ignition unit 15 may be located at a fixed position. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the ignition unit 15 may be located so as to be able to ignite the vicinity of the upstream end of the inserted smoking article 30. In such a case, the structure of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 is simplified, and the defective rate during manufacturing can be minimized.

In some other embodiments, the ignition unit 15 may be designed and embodied to be movable. The specific implementation method may be any method. For example, the ignition unit 15 may be embodied to move in the length direction by manual operation by the user or by control of the control unit 18. In some examples, the ignition unit 15 may be moved to the upstream end of the smoking article 30 in response to the control unit 18 detecting the insertion of the smoking article 30. According to this embodiment, the sidestream smoke removal device 1 can be universally applied to smoking articles of various lengths, greatly improving the usability of the sidestream smoke removal device 1.

Next, the sidestream smoke treatment device 16 is disposed in the smoking space and can perform various treatments on the sidestream smoke generated from the inserted smoking article 30. For example, the sidestream smoke treatment device 16 is disposed between the inserted smoking article 30 and the back cover 13 and can perform a purification function on the sidestream smoke. The sidestream smoke treatment device 16 can also perform an exhaust function to allow the purified sidestream smoke to be efficiently discharged to the outside. However, the detailed structure and operation method of the sidestream smoke treatment device 16 can be designed in various ways, which can be changed depending on the embodiment.

In some embodiments, as shown, the sidestream smoke processing device 16 may be configured to include a filter structure 161 and an exhaust fan 162. The filter structure 161 may perform a purification function for sidestream smoke, and the exhaust fan 162 may perform an exhaust function for sidestream smoke. For example, the exhaust fan 162 may rotate to suck sidestream smoke into the filter structure 161, and the sidestream smoke that has passed through the filter structure 161 may be smoothly exhausted to the outside. The operation of the exhaust fan 162 may be controlled by the control unit 18, which will be described later with reference to drawings such as FIG. 11.

Next, the mesh net 17 is disposed between the sidestream smoke processing device 16 and the back cover 13 and can act as a safety net. For example, the mesh net 17 can prevent a specific object (such as a small piece of the filter part 161) inside the smoking space from escaping in the direction of the back cover 13.

Next, the display unit 19 is located on the outer surface of the housing 11 and can display various information under the control of the control unit 18. For example, the display unit 19 can display information on smoking progress, device information, smoking history information, user information, etc. Here, the information on smoking progress can include, for example, smoking progress information (e.g., all information related to smoking progress, such as the degree of smoking progress, current smoking position, remaining number of puffs, smoking time, remaining smoking time, etc.), puff information (e.g., all information related to puff events, such as the number of puffs, puff length, puff interval, puff strength, whether or not puffing is in progress), etc., but is not limited thereto. The device information can include, for example, information such as the power supply state, the presence or absence of a malfunction, the battery state (e.g., remaining battery level, whether charging is required, etc.), etc., but is not limited thereto. The smoking history information can include, for example, the cumulative number of smokes, etc., but is not limited thereto.

The display unit 19 can visually display the various information by being equipped with a visual display means such as an LED display. However, the specific display means can be changed as much as desired.

Next, the control unit 18 can generally control the operation of the sidestream smoke removal device 1. For example, the control unit 18 can control the operation of the exhaust fan 162, the operation of the display unit 19, and the operation of other components included in the sidestream smoke removal device 1. The control unit 18 can also determine the smoking progress status of the smoking article 30, and can check the status of each component of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 to determine whether the sidestream smoke removal device 1 is in an operable state. The specific operation method of the control unit 18 will be described in detail later with reference to Figures 11 to 13.

The control unit 18 may be implemented by at least one processor. The processor may be implemented by an array of a number of logic gates, or may be implemented by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executable by the microprocessor is stored. In addition, a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains will understand that the control unit 18 may be implemented by other forms of hardware.

Although FIG. 1 illustrates the control unit 18 as being located outside the housing 11 of the sidestream smoke removal device 1, this is merely for ease of understanding, and the location of the control unit 18 can be changed as desired. For example, the control unit 18 may be located at a specific position within the housing 11 to prevent failure due to external impact.

Meanwhile, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sidestream smoke elimination device 1 may further include a module that provides auditory and/or tactile output. For example, the sidestream smoke elimination device 1 may further include a speaker, a vibration module, etc. In such a case, the control unit 18 may further utilize the modules exemplified above to provide various information to the user.

Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 3, the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may include an elastic support portion 21 arranged to elastically support the upstream end of the inserted smoking article 30. The elastic support portion 21 may include an elastic body capable of expanding and contracting, such as a spring, and may be arranged to contract in the insertion direction as the smoking article 30 is inserted. For example, the elastic support portion 21 is arranged in the length direction within the smoking space and can support the smoking article 30 by contracting in the insertion direction due to the insertion force of the smoking article 30, thereby improving the support stability and ignition stability of the smoking article 30.

In the previous embodiment, as shown, the ignition part 15 is coupled to the elastic support part 21, and may be arranged so that the ignition part 15 comes into close contact with the upstream end of the smoking article 30 as the smoking article 30 is inserted. In this case, the ignition part 15 performs an ignition function while supporting the upstream end of the smoking article 30 together with the elastic support part 21, so that the ignition stability and ignition performance can be further improved. In this example, the part of the ignition part 15 that comes into close contact with the upstream end of the smoking article 30 may have a pointed protruding shape (e.g., a needle shape). In this case, as the smoking article 30 is inserted, at least a part of the ignition part 15 penetrates the upstream end of the smoking article 30, so that the smoking article 30 can be more stably supported during ignition, and thus the support stability and ignition stability of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 can be further improved.

In addition, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, as shown in FIG. 4, a support part 22 for supporting the side of the smoking article 30 may be further arranged in the smoking space of the sidestream smoke removal device 1. For example, as shown in the figure, a plurality of support parts 22 may be arranged to support the side of the smoking article 30 at a first point and the side of the smoking article 30 at a second point. In order to support a specific point of the smoking article 30, a plurality of support parts 22 may be arranged in the circumferential direction of the smoking article 30 (e.g., four support parts 22 arranged at 90 degree intervals), or one support part 22 having a ring shape may be arranged. In this way, the number, arrangement, shape, etc. of the support parts 22 may be designed and embodied in various ways.

In addition, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may further include a cutting unit (23 in FIG. 5). The cutting unit 23 can provide a convenient and safe extinguishing function at a time desired by the user by cutting the burning smoking article 30 to prevent further combustion, and can minimize the risk of burns that may occur due to the user's carelessness (e.g., the risk of burns due to carelessness when directly extinguishing) and the risk of fire. This embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 5 and subsequent figures.

The structure of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and some modified examples thereof have been described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. As described above, information on the smoking progress can be provided through the multiple temperature sensors 20 and the display unit 19, and the support stability and ignition stability of the smoking article 30 can be improved through the elastic support unit 22 and/or the support unit 23. This improves the convenience of use of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 and increases user satisfaction.

Below, a sidestream smoke removal device 1 with a fire extinguishing function according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Figure 5 and subsequent figures. However, for the sake of clarity of the present disclosure, descriptions of contents that overlap with Figures 1 to 4 will be omitted.

Figure 5 is an illustrative diagram for explaining a sidestream smoke removal device 1 equipped with a fire extinguishing function according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 5, the sidestream smoke removal device 1 may include a cutting unit 23 that provides an extinguishing function by cutting the inserted smoking article 30. However, the arrangement, operation method and/or cutting structure of the cutting unit 23 may be designed in a variety of ways.

First, the arrangement of the cutting section 23 can be designed in a variety of ways, as shown below.

In some examples, the cutting unit 23 may be located at a fixed position and configured to cut a specific portion of the inserted smoking article 30. For example, the cutting unit 23 may be fixedly located at a position where it can cut between the filter portion and the smoking material portion. In such a case, a safe extinguishing function can be guaranteed regardless of the current smoking (burning) position of the smoking article 30, and the structure of the sidestream smoke removal device 1 can be simplified.

In some other examples, the cutting unit 23 may be configured to be movable. For example, the cutting unit 23 may be configured to be moved by an external force (manual operation) of the user, or may be configured to be moved under the control of the control unit 18. As a more specific example, the cutting unit 23 may be automatically moved to the vicinity of the current smoking (burning) position of the smoking article 30 by the control unit 18. For the method by which the control unit 18 determines the current smoking (burning) position of the smoking article 30, refer to the explanation of FIG. 13.

Next, the operating method of the cutting unit 23 can be designed in a variety of ways, as shown below.

In some examples, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a pussy-shaped button 24 may be provided on the outer surface of the housing 11. The cutting unit 23 may be configured to operate as an external force F is applied to the pussy-shaped button 24 (i.e., as the user pushes the button 24). For example, the cutting unit 23 may be configured to cut the smoking article 30 by the external force F applied to the pussy-shaped button 24 by mechanically interlocking with the pussy-shaped button 24. Alternatively, the cutting unit 23 may be electrically interlocked with the control unit 18, and the control unit 18 may operate the cutting unit 23 in response to the external force F applied to the pussy-shaped button 24.

7, the cutting unit 23 may be configured to operate as an external force F that twists the housing 11 is applied to the housing 11. For example, the cutting unit 23 may be configured to cut the smoking article 30 by mechanically interlocking with the housing 11 and applying an external force F that twists the housing 11 (e.g., when the housing 11 is held with both hands and rotated in opposite directions). Alternatively, the cutting unit 23 may be electrically interlocked with the control unit 18, and the control unit 18 may operate the cutting unit 23 in response to the external force F that twists the housing 11.

In still other examples, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the cutting unit 23 may be configured to operate as an external force (F1 or F2) that expands or contracts the housing 11 is applied to the housing 11. For example, the cutting unit 23 may be configured to cut the smoking article 30 by mechanically interlocking with the housing 11, by an external force F1 that expands the housing 11 (e.g., when the housing 11 is held with both hands and pulled in opposite directions) or an external force F2 that contracts the housing 11 (e.g., when the housing 11 is held with both hands and pushed in opposite directions). Alternatively, the cutting unit 23 may be electrically interlocked with the control unit 18, and the control unit 18 may operate the cutting unit 23 in response to the external force (F1 or F2) that expands or contracts the housing 11.

Next, the cutting structure of the cutting section 23 can be designed in a variety of ways, as shown below.

9, the cutting section 23-1 may include a plurality of cutting blades 231, 232 and an opening formed near the center to allow the smoking article 30 to pass through. For example, the smoking article 30 may be designed to pass through the opening of the cutting section 23-1 as the smoking article 30 is inserted into the smoking space. The cutting section 23-1 may also be configured to cut the smoking article 30 as the plurality of cutting blades 231, 232 that have been expanded are contracted. The plurality of cutting blades 231, 232 may be arranged in a circumferential direction (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise) of the opening, and the number of the cutting blades may be changed as desired. Such a cutting structure of the cutting section 23-1 may be understood to be similar to the folding structure of a folding steamer.

In some other examples, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the cutting section 23-2 may include multiple cutting blades 231, 232 and an opening formed near the center to allow the smoking article 30 to pass through. For example, the smoking article 30 may be designed to pass through the opening of the cutting section 23-2 as the smoking article 30 is inserted into the smoking space. The cutting section 23-2 may also be configured to cut the smoking article 30 as the multiple cutting blades 233, 234 move in a direction that reduces the opening (i.e., a direction that reduces the size of the opening). The multiple cutting blades 233, 234 may be arranged in a circumferential direction of the opening (e.g., clockwise or counterclockwise) and may be designed to increase the overlap area between the multiple cutting blades 233, 234 as they move in the direction that reduces the opening, and the number of cutting blades 233, 234 may be changed as needed. Such a cutting structure of the cutting section 23-2 can be understood to be similar to the structure of an aperture in a camera.

In some other examples, the cutting portion 23 may have a different cutting structure than that described above.

The various examples described above may be combined in various forms to realize the cutting unit 23. For example, the cutting unit 23 may be embodied to operate as illustrated in FIG. 7, have a cutting structure illustrated in FIG. 9, and be movable by manual operation of a user.

Aforegoing, a sidestream smoke removal device 1 having a fire extinguishing function according to several embodiments of the present disclosure has been described with reference to Figures 5 to 10. As described above, by providing a cutting unit 23 as a fire extinguishing means, a convenient and safe fire extinguishing function can be provided at a time desired by the user, and the risk of burns that may occur due to the user's carelessness (e.g., the risk of burns due to carelessness when directly extinguishing a fire) and the risk of fire can be minimized. This greatly improves the convenience and safety of using the sidestream smoke removal device 1.

Below, control methods according to some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 11 and subsequent figures.

Each step of the control method described below may be performed by a control unit (e.g., 18) of a sidestream smoke removal device (e.g., 1). Also, each step of the control method may be embodied as one or more instructions executed by the control unit. The control method may be applied to various types of sidestream smoke removal devices, but for ease of understanding, the following description will be given assuming that the control method is performed in the sidestream smoke removal device 1 illustrated in Figures 1 to 10. Therefore, when the subject of a particular operation is omitted in the following description, it can be understood that the operation is performed by the control unit 18 of the illustrated device 1.

Figure 11 is an exemplary flowchart showing a control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. However, this is merely a preferred embodiment for achieving the object of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that some steps may be added or removed as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 11, the control method may begin with step S10 of detecting the start of smoking. The manner of detecting the start of smoking in this step may be varied.

In some embodiments, the control unit 18 can detect the start of smoking through a user input (e.g., a button input, etc.) that activates the ignition unit 15. Alternatively, the control unit 18 can recognize the start of smoking through a user input (e.g., a button input, etc.) that requests the start of smoking and can activate the ignition unit 15.

In some other embodiments, the control unit 18 can detect the start of smoking in response to determining that the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20 is equal to or greater than a reference value. In this case, the temperature sensor 20 may be disposed to measure the temperature near the upstream end of the smoking article 30, for example, in the smoking space.

In step S20, in response to the start of smoking being detected, the control unit 18 can open the vent hole 111 (e.g., partially open or fully open). This is because the outside air flowing in through the vent hole 111 can promote the combustion of the smoking article 30. The control unit 18 can also operate the exhaust fan 162. This is because the operation of the exhaust fan 162 can smoothly exhaust sidestream smoke generated during smoking.

Meanwhile, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control unit 18 can control the vent hole 111 and the exhaust fan 162 based on the user's puff events while smoking. However, the specific control method is diverse.

In some examples, the control unit 18 can adjust the degree of opening and closing of the vent hole 111 based on the puff event. Specifically, the control unit 18 can open the vent hole 111 more when puffing and open the vent hole 111 less when not puffing. In this case, outside air can flow in more smoothly when puffing, further promoting the combustion of the smoking article 30. In addition, the problem of unpurified sidestream smoke leaking through the vent hole 111 when not puffing can be alleviated. For reference, when puffing, not much sidestream smoke is generated and an airflow path is formed through which gas flows in through the vent hole 111, so that even if the vent hole 111 is opened, the problem of sidestream smoke leaking does not occur.

In some other examples, the control unit 18 can operate (rotate) the exhaust fan 162 in the reverse direction when puffing, and operate (rotate) the exhaust fan 162 in the forward direction when not puffing. Here, the forward direction means a rotation direction in which sidestream smoke is drawn toward the filter structure 161, and the reverse direction means the opposite rotation direction. In such a case, when puffing, airflow can be concentrated toward the upstream end of the smoking article 30 to promote combustion, and when not puffing, sidestream smoke can be drawn toward the filter structure 161 to smoothly exhaust the sidestream smoke.

In some other examples, the control unit 18 can adjust the degree of opening and closing of the vent hole 111 and/or the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 162 based on information about the puff event (e.g., puff strength, puff interval, puff length, etc.). For example, if the puff strength increases, the puff length increases, or the puff interval decreases, the control unit 18 can open the vent hole 111 more. In the opposite case, the control unit 18 can open the vent hole 111 less. This is because if the smoking article 30 does not burn smoothly, there is a high possibility that the puff strength will increase. Alternatively, if the puff strength increases, the puff length increases, or the puff interval decreases, the control unit 18 can increase the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 162 during puffing (i.e., the rotation speed in the reverse direction). In the opposite case, the control unit 18 can decrease the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 162.

In some other examples, the control unit 18 may also perform control based on a combination of the examples described above.

In the previous embodiment, the control unit 18 may detect a puff in a variety of ways. For example, the control unit 18 may detect a puff based on a change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20. Specifically, the control unit 18 may recognize that a puff has occurred when the degree of temperature change is equal to or greater than a reference value (e.g., when the combustion temperature of the smoking article 30 increases instantaneously). This may be understood as utilizing the phenomenon in which combustion accelerates at the upstream end of the smoking article 30 when a puff is performed. The control unit 18 may also determine the puff strength based on the degree of temperature change. For example, the control unit 18 may determine that the puff strength is stronger as the degree of temperature change increases, and that the puff strength is weaker as the degree of temperature change decreases.

In step S30, the control unit 18 can detect the end of smoking. In this step, the manner in which the control unit 18 detects the end of smoking can be varied and can vary depending on the embodiment.

In some embodiments, the control unit 18 can detect the end of smoking based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20. In this case, the temperature sensor 20 may be disposed, for example, near the downstream end of the smoking material portion of the smoking article 30. For example, the control unit 18 can determine that smoking has ended when the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 20 is equal to or greater than a reference value, or when the measured temperature increases and then decreases.

In some other embodiments, the control unit 18 may detect the end of smoking based on the time elapsed since smoking began, a puffing event, etc. For example, the control unit 18 may determine that smoking has ended if a certain amount of time has elapsed since smoking began, if the number of puffs is equal to or greater than a reference value, or if no puffs have been detected for a certain amount of time since the most recent puff.

In some other embodiments, a smoking cessation condition may be set. For example, the smoking cessation condition may be set based on the number of puffs, the elapsed smoking time, etc. In such cases, the control unit 18 can decide to quit smoking in response to the preset smoking cessation condition being satisfied.

In step S40, in response to the detection of the end of smoking, the control unit 18 can perform an automatic extinguishing function. In this step, the manner in which the control unit 18 performs the automatic extinguishing function can be varied.

In some embodiments, the control unit 18 can close the vent hole 111 and stop the operation of the exhaust fan 162. In such a case, the inflow of outside air is interrupted by closing the vent hole 111, and the smoking article 30 is naturally extinguished due to a lack of oxygen.

In some other embodiments, the control unit 18 may close the vent hole 111 and stop the exhaust fan 162 after operating for a certain period of time, or operate it continuously. In such a case, the inflow of outside air is stopped by closing the vent hole 111, and the internal air is exhausted to the outside through the exhaust fan 162, thereby naturally extinguishing the smoking article 30.

In some other embodiments, the control unit 18 can also perform an automatic fire extinguishing function by operating the cutting unit 23.

In some other embodiments, the control unit 18 can perform the automatic extinguishing function based on a combination of the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, the control unit 18 can perform the automatic extinguishing function through a first extinguishing process of closing the vent hole 111 and stopping the operation of the exhaust fan 162, and a second extinguishing process of cutting the inserted smoking article 30 through the cutting unit 23. In this case, the first extinguishing process and the second extinguishing process can be performed in any order.

Meanwhile, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the control unit 18 may operate the exhaust fan 162 in the forward direction (i.e., in the inhalation direction) for a certain period of time in response to the end of smoking being detected. In this case, the exhaust fan 162 causes smoking by-products such as cigarette ash to gather near the filter structure 161, making it easier to clean the inside of the sidestream smoke removal device 1. In some examples, the control unit 18 may adjust the rotation speed of the exhaust fan 162 based on the degree of consumption of the smoking article 30. For example, when the smoking article 30 is completely consumed, since there are more by-products, the control unit 18 may rotate the exhaust fan 162 faster, and in the opposite case, may rotate it slower. The degree of consumption of the smoking article 30 may be determined based on the number of puffs, the smoking elapsed time, the current smoking position (see FIG. 13), etc.

The above describes the control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to FIG. 11. According to the above-described method, the vent hole 111 and the exhaust fan 162 can be appropriately controlled according to the smoking progress, so that the user's satisfaction with the device can be improved. In addition, an automatic fire extinguishing function is performed when smoking is finished, so that the risk of fire and burns due to user carelessness can be minimized.

Below, control methods according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG. 12. However, for the sake of clarity of the present disclosure, descriptions of content that overlaps with the control method illustrated in FIG. 11 will be omitted.

Figure 12 is an exemplary flowchart showing a control method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. However, this is merely a preferred embodiment for achieving the object of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that some steps may be added or removed as necessary.

As shown in FIG. 12, the control method may begin with step S110 of detecting the start of smoking. In this step, the control unit 18 may display a display notifying the start of smoking through the display unit 19. For further explanation of this step, please refer to step S10 illustrated in FIG. 11.

In step S120, the control unit 18 may monitor the smoking progress. Here, the smoking progress may include all situations related to smoking, such as the degree of smoking progress, puff events, etc.

In some embodiments, the control unit 18 can accurately determine the smoking progress (or current smoking (combustion) position) of the smoking article 30 by comparing the measured temperatures of the multiple temperature sensors 20 arranged at different positions. Specifically, assume that multiple temperature sensors 20-1, 20-2, and 20-3 are arranged in the lengthwise direction in the smoking space inside the sidestream smoke removal device 1 as shown in FIG. 13. Then, the control unit 18 can determine the current smoking position and smoking progress of the smoking article 30 by comparing the measured temperatures of the first temperature sensor 20-1, the second temperature sensor 20-2, and the third temperature sensor 20-3. For example, if the measured temperature of the first temperature sensor 20-1 is the lowest, the measured temperature of the second temperature sensor 20-2 is lower than the third temperature sensor 20-3, and the measured temperature of the third temperature sensor 20-3 is the highest, the control unit 18 can determine that the current smoking position of the smoking article 30 is between the second temperature sensor 20-2 and the third temperature sensor 20-3, and is closer to the third temperature sensor 20-3. In this case, the control unit 18 can determine that the greater the temperature difference between the second temperature sensor 20-2 and the third temperature sensor 20-3, the closer the second temperature sensor 20-2 is to the third temperature sensor 20-3.

In step S130, the control unit 18 may display the monitoring information through the display unit 19. However, the type of monitoring information and the specific display method thereof may be designed in various ways.

In some embodiments, the control unit 18 may display information regarding the degree of smoking progress through the display unit 19. For example, the control unit 18 may control the display unit 19 to display an indication (e.g., a cigarette-shaped object) indicating the smoking article 30 (or the degree of smoking progress) and to decrease the length of the indication as smoking progresses. As another example, the control unit 18 may control the display unit 19 to display an indication area (e.g., an LED-lit area/section) indicating the degree of smoking progress through the display unit 19 and to change the size of the indication area (e.g., the number of LED-lit areas/sections) as smoking progresses. In this case, the size of the display area may increase or decrease as smoking progresses.

In some other embodiments, the control unit 18 may display information about the puff event through the display unit 19. For example, the control unit 18 may display the number of puffs. As another example, the control unit 18 may display an indication that a puff is in progress in response to a puff being detected.

In step S140, the control unit 18 can detect the end of smoking. In this step, the control unit 18 can also display an indication indicating the end of smoking through the display unit 19. For further explanation of this step, please refer to step S40 illustrated in FIG. 11.

On the other hand, if the end of smoking is detected, the control unit 18 can perform the automatic extinguishing function and display a display indicating automatic extinguishing through the display unit 19, and when the automatic extinguishing is completed, a display indicating the completion of automatic extinguishing can be displayed.

The above describes the control method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to Figures 12 and 13. According to the above-mentioned method, information regarding the smoking progress can be displayed through the display unit 19. This allows the user to check the smoking progress in real time through the display unit 19, greatly improving the convenience of using the sidestream smoke removal device 1.

At least a portion of the technical ideas of the present disclosure described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 13 may be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium. The computer readable recording medium may be, for example, a portable recording medium (CD, DVD, Blu-ray disc, USB storage device, portable hard disk) or a fixed recording medium (ROM, RAM, computer-equipped hard disk). The computer program recorded on the computer readable recording medium may be transferred to another computing device via a network such as the Internet and installed in the other computing device, and thus can be used in the other computing device.

Although it has been described above that all of the components constituting the embodiments of the present disclosure are combined into one or operate in combination, the technical ideas of the present disclosure are not necessarily limited to such embodiments. In other words, all of the components may be selectively combined in one or more combinations within the scope of the present disclosure.

Although operations are illustrated in the figures in a particular order, it should not be understood that the operations must be performed in the particular order illustrated, or in a sequential order, or that desired results can be obtained only if all illustrated operations are performed. In certain situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various components in the above-described embodiments should not be understood as necessarily requiring such separation, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems may generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged in multiple software products.

Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can understand that the present disclosure can be implemented in other specific forms without changing its technical ideas or essential features. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The scope of protection of the present disclosure should be interpreted according to the claims below, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the technical ideas defined by the present disclosure.

Claims (8)

A housing having a smoking space formed therein;
an article insertion portion located at one end of the housing and forming an opening for inserting a smoking article into the smoking space;
an ignition unit that ignites the smoking article inserted into the smoking space;
a sidestream smoke treatment unit that treats sidestream smoke generated from the smoking article inserted into the smoking space;
a cutting unit that provides a cutting function for the smoking article inserted into the smoking space and automatically moves to a combustion position of the smoking article;
Sidestream smoke removal device. A housing having a smoking space formed therein;
an article insertion portion located at one end of the housing and forming an opening for inserting a smoking article into the smoking space;
an ignition unit that ignites the smoking article inserted into the smoking space;
a sidestream smoke treatment unit that treats sidestream smoke generated from the smoking article inserted into the smoking space;
a cutting unit that provides a cutting function for the smoking article inserted into the smoking space and automatically moves to a combustion position of the smoking article ;
a temperature sensor disposed to measure the temperature near a downstream end of the inserted smoking material portion of the smoking article;
A control unit that detects the end of smoking based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor,
The control unit performs an automatic extinguishing function by controlling the cutting unit in response to the end of smoking being detected.
Sidestream smoke removal device. The housing has an outer surface provided with a push button,
3. The sidestream smoke removal device according to claim 1, wherein the cutting portion cuts the inserted smoking article as an external force is applied to the pussy-shaped button. The cutting portion includes a plurality of cutting blades and has an opening formed therein;
The sidestream smoke removal device according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting section cuts the inserted smoking article as the multiple cutting blades contract and close while the inserted smoking article passes through the opening. the cutting section includes a plurality of cutting blades and has an opening formed therein, the cutting section cuts the smoking article as the plurality of cutting blades move in a state in which the inserted smoking article passes through the opening,
5. A sidestream smoke removal device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein as the cutting blades move, an overlap area between the cutting blades increases and the size of the opening decreases. The sidestream smoke removal device according to claim 1 , wherein the sidestream smoke treatment unit includes a filter structure for filtering the sidestream smoke, and an exhaust fan for exhausting the filtered sidestream smoke. The sidestream smoke removal device according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed with a vent hole through which outside air flows in. The housing is formed with a vent hole through which outside air flows in,
The sidestream smoke treatment device includes an exhaust fan for exhausting the sidestream smoke,
The sidestream smoke removal device according to claim 1 , further comprising a control unit that closes the vent hole and stops operation of the exhaust fan in response to detection of the end of smoking.

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