KR102197837B1 - Non-contacting heating apparatus for cigarette type electronic tabacco - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device. The cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device according to an embodiment includes a metal cylinder having an insertion hole for inserting the cigarette-type electronic cigarette, and an electronic circuit that indirectly heats the metal cylinder by an induced current of a coil wound around the metal cylinder. Include.

Description

Non-contacting heating apparatus for cigarette type electronic tabacco}

The present invention relates to an electronic device that generates heat for a cigarette type electronic cigarette.

1 is a configuration diagram of an electronic device that generates heat for a general cigarette-type electronic cigarette.

Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic device 1 that generates heat for a general cigarette-type electronic cigarette 10 is a method of inhaling nicotine vapor by heating the cigarette-type electronic cigarette 10 with high heat. The cigarette-type electronic cigarette 10 is a cigarette made by rolling tobacco leaves with paper. The electronic device 1 is provided with a heating blade 12 that generates heat, inserts the cigarette-type electronic cigarette 10 into the heating blade 12, and generates heat by passing electric current through the heating blade 12. The tobacco leaf of the cigarette type electronic cigarette 12 is heated according to the method. During smoking, the temperature of the heating blade 12 rises to approximately 250 to 350 degrees, which frequently causes cigarette ash to stick to the heating blade 12.

The heating blade 12 is a device having a small size due to the structure of the cigarette, and since damage may occur in the process of inserting or removing the cigarette-type electronic cigarette 10, caution is required when inserting or removing it. In order to heat the heating blade 12, an electrode is required because current must be supplied. Therefore, contact with moisture on the contact portion may damage the electronic circuit, so it is difficult to wash and remove foreign substances of the heating blade with water with the existing structure.

According to an embodiment, a cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device is proposed that can solve a problem in which a heating blade generating heat is damaged and it is difficult to clean foreign substances in a cigarette.

The cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device according to an embodiment includes a metal cylinder having an insertion hole for inserting the cigarette-type electronic cigarette, and an electronic circuit that indirectly heats the metal cylinder by an induced current of a coil wound around the metal cylinder. Include.

The cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device may further include an insulator positioned between the metal cylinder and the coil to allow heat to pass through the metal cylinder and not to pass electricity.

The cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device may further include a temperature sensor for non-contact sensing the temperature of the metal cylinder by sensing the temperature of the coil in order to keep the heating value of the metal cylinder constant.

The electronic circuit includes a resonator including a coil and a resonant capacitor, a power amplifier that supplies a current induced by a switching operation of the switch to the resonator, and at least one of a temperature of the coil, a voltage of the coil, and a current of the coil. It may include a controller that generates a switching waveform control signal based on one and controls the switching waveform of the power amplifier as it is applied to the power amplifier to adjust energy supplied to the coil.

The electronic circuit further includes a current detection circuit that senses the output current of the power amplifier, and the controller uses the output current of the power amplifier detected through the current detection circuit as the output current of the coil, and the power sensed through the current detection circuit. The switching waveform of the switch in the power amplifier can be controlled according to the current value of the amplifier.

The electronic circuit further includes a voltage sensing circuit for sensing the output voltage of the coil, and the controller may control the switching waveform of the switch in the power amplifier according to the voltage value of the coil sensed through the voltage sensing circuit.

The electronic circuit further includes a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the coil, and the controller may control the switching waveform of the switch in the power amplifier according to the temperature of the coil sensed through the temperature sensor.

The controller may adjust the energy supplied to the coil by changing the frequency of the current signal supplied from the power amplifier to the resonator.

The controller may adjust the energy supplied to the coil by changing the duty ratio of the switching signal driving the switch in the power amplifier.

The electronic circuit includes a resonator including a coil and a resonant capacitor, a power amplifier supplying a current induced by a switching operation of a switch to the resonator, and a power amplifier with a driving voltage for driving the power amplifier by boosting or stepping down the battery voltage. A DC-DC converter applied to the DC-DC converter may include a controller that controls a driving voltage of the DC-DC converter based on at least one of a temperature of the coil, a voltage of the coil, and a current of the coil.

The controller can adjust the energy supplied to the coil in proportion to the changed output voltage of the DC-DC converter as it changes the output voltage of the DC-DC converter by applying the output voltage control signal of the DC-DC converter to the DC-DC converter. have.

According to an embodiment, the heating device of the cigarette type e-cigarette has been improved in a non-contact manner to improve the problem of damage to the heating blade that generates heat in the existing e-cigarette and difficulty in cleaning foreign substances in cigarettes. For example, since the parts requiring electrical contact completely disappear, water cleaning is possible, and there is no need for a heating blade, so the problem of tobacco ash on the heating blade disappears. Furthermore, since there is no heating blade itself, there is no need to worry about damage to the heating blade.

1 is a configuration diagram of an electronic device that generates heat for a general cigarette-type electronic cigarette;
2 is a view showing the configuration of a cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a view showing the configuration of a cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device according to another embodiment of the present invention;
4 is a view showing an electronic circuit of the non-contact heating device for the cigarette type electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a view showing a graph of power delivered to the resonator according to the frequency of a current signal supplied to the resonator to explain a method of controlling energy delivered to the coil using the resonator according to an embodiment of the present invention;
6 is a waveform of a switching waveform control signal for explaining a method of controlling energy delivered to a coil through duty cycle control of a switching signal driving a switch of a power amplifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a drawing shown.

Advantages and features of the present invention, and a method of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in a variety of different forms, only the present embodiments are intended to complete the disclosure of the present invention, and the general knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. It is provided to completely inform the scope of the invention to those who have it, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. The same reference numerals refer to the same components throughout the specification.

In describing embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted, and terms to be described later are in the embodiments of the present invention. These terms are defined in consideration of the function of the user and may vary according to the intention or custom of users or operators. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

Combinations of each block of the attached block diagram and each step of the flowchart may be executed by computer program instructions (execution engine), and these computer program instructions are executed on a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer or other programmable data processing equipment. As it may be mounted, its instructions executed by the processor of a computer or other programmable data processing equipment generate means for performing the functions described in each block of the block diagram or each step of the flowchart.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in computer-usable or computer-readable memory that can be directed to a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement a function in a particular manner, so that the computer-usable or computer-readable memory It is also possible to produce an article of manufacture containing instruction means for performing the functions described in each block of the block diagram or each step of the flow chart.

In addition, since computer program instructions can be mounted on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, a series of operation steps are performed on a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a computer-executable process. It is also possible for the instructions to perform the data processing equipment to provide steps for executing the functions described in each block of the block diagram and each step of the flowchart.

In addition, each block or each step may represent a module, segment, or part of code containing one or more executable instructions for executing specified logical functions, and in some alternative embodiments mentioned in the blocks or steps. It should be noted that it is also possible for functions to occur out of order. For example, two blocks or steps shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially simultaneously, and the blocks or steps may be performed in the reverse order of a corresponding function as necessary.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention exemplified below may be modified in various other forms, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. Embodiments of the present invention are provided to more completely describe the present invention to those of ordinary skill in the art.

2 is a view showing the configuration of a cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, a cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device 1 according to an embodiment includes a metal cylinder (hereinafter referred to as a “metal cylinder”) 20 and a coil 21. It includes an electronic circuit that indirectly heats the metal cylinder 20 by the induced current. The cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device 1 uses an induction heating method to heat the metal cylinder 20. The metal cylinder 20 has an insertion hole 200 for inserting the cigarette-type electronic cigarette in a hollow cylindrical shape, and the coil 21 is wound around the metal cylinder 20. When the AC source 22 passes an AC current through the coil 21, the coil 21 generates a magnetic flux. This line of magnetic force causes an eddy current in the metal cylinder 20. Heat is generated in the metal cylinder 20 by this eddy current, and the heat is used to steam the tobacco leaf of the cigarette type electronic cigarette. Since the metal cylinder 20 is indirectly heated by the AC current of the coil 21, it can be referred to as a non-contact heating device.

3 is a view showing the configuration of a cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the cigarette type electronic cigarette includes a cigarette filter unit 26 and cigarette leaves 25, and the cigarette leaves 25 are inserted into the metal cylinder 20. The cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device 1 according to an embodiment provides an insulator 24 located between the metal cylinder 20 and the coil 21 to allow heat to pass through the metal cylinder 20 and not to conduct electricity. Include more. The insulator 24 is, for example, a plastic case. The insulator 24 allows the line of magnetic force generated in the coil 21 to heat the metal cylinder 20 even if it is electrically insulated.

By selecting such a non-contact induction heating structure, water cleaning is possible because the parts requiring electrical contact are completely disappeared, and the problem of tobacco ash on the heating blade disappears because the heating blade is not required, and the heating blade itself does not have a heating blade. You don't have to worry about it.

However, in the case of heating the metal cylinder 20 in such a non-contact manner, the temperature of the coil 21 is sensed by placing a temperature sensor 27 near the coil 21 in order to maintain the heat generation of the metal cylinder 20 at a constant level. Accordingly, the temperature of the metal cylinder 20 can be sensed and controlled in a non-contact manner.

4 is a view showing an electronic circuit of the non-contact heating device for the cigarette type electronic cigarette according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 and 4, the electronic circuit 4 of the cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device includes a resonator 40, a power amplifier 41, a controller 42, a battery 43, and a DC-DC converter 44. ).

The resonator 40 includes a coil 21 and a resonant capacitor (C) 400, and heats the metal cylinder 20 in a non-contact manner using the coil 21. The coil 21 can be equivalent to an inductor L. A resonator 40 is formed by connecting a resonant capacitor 400 to the coil 21. The resonant capacitor 400 configures the resonator 40 together with the coil 21 to determine the resonant frequency.

The power amplifier 41 includes a switch driver 410 and switches M1 and M2 411 and 412. The switches M1 and M2 (411, 412) alternately on/off and have a reverse phase waveform. The power amplifier 41 supplies the current induced by the switching operation of the switches M1 and M2 411 and 412 to the resonator 40. At this time, the power amplifier 41 drives the resonator 40 by outputting an AC voltage/current having a frequency corresponding to the resonant frequency of the resonator 40. 4 illustrates a class-D power amplifier, the power amplifier 41 may be a class-AB power amplifier, a class-E amplifier, or the like. The switches M1 and M2 411 and 412 may be MOSFET transistors. However, the switches M1 and M2 (411, 412) can perform the same function even by replacing them with an active device capable of switching operation, for example, a device such as a BJT, SiC FET, or GaN FET. The switch driver 410 receives a switching waveform control signal from the controller 42, generates a switching signal for driving the switches M1 and M2 (411, 412), and applies it to the switches M1 and M2 (411, 412).

The DC-DC converter 44 boosts or steps down the voltage VBAT of the battery 43 to generate a driving voltage PVIN for driving the power amplifier 41 and applies it to the power amplifier 41. .

The controller 42 manages the energy supplied to the coil 21 by controlling the switching waveform of the power amplifier 41, controlling the voltage of the DC-DC converter 44, or both. For example, the controller 42 generates a switching waveform control signal for the switches M1 and M2 (411, 412) of the power amplifier 41 and applies it to the power amplifier 41, and the DC-DC converter 44 A signal for controlling the output voltage PVIN is generated and applied to the DC-DC converter 44. The controller 42 controls the switching waveform of the power amplifier 41 by using the temperature of the coil 21, the voltage of the coil 21, the current of the coil 21, or the output of the DC-DC converter 44. The energy supplied to the coil 21 is managed by controlling the voltage PVIN or both. Since the current of the coil 21 is almost the same as the current of the power amplifier 41, the current of the power amplifier 41 can be detected and used as the current of the coil 21.

The controller 42 according to an embodiment generates a switching waveform control signal based on at least one of the temperature of the coil 21 in the resonator 40, the voltage of the coil 21, and the current of the coil 21, As applied to the amplifier 41, the energy supplied to the coil 21 is adjusted by controlling the switching waveform of the power amplifier 41. To this end, the current sensing circuit 414 detects the output current of the power amplifier 41. Since the current of the coil 21 is difficult to measure, the controller 42 may replace the output current of the power amplifier 41 sensed through the current sensing circuit 414 with the output current of the coil 21. When the detected output current of the power amplifier 41 is lower than a preset value, the controller 42 generates a switching waveform control signal to increase it and provides it to the power amplifier 41, and if it is higher than a preset value, the controller 42 switches to lower it. A waveform control signal may be generated and provided to the power amplifier 41.

The voltage sensing circuit 402 senses the output voltage of the coil 21. At this time, the controller 42 controls the switching waveforms of the switches M1 and M2 411 and 412 in the power amplifier 41 by using the voltage of the coil 21 sensed through the voltage sensing circuit 402. For example, if the voltage value of the detected coil 21 is lower than a preset value, the controller 42 generates a switching waveform control signal to increase it and provides it to the power amplifier 41, and if it is higher than a preset value, the controller 42 A switching waveform control signal for lowering may be generated and provided to the power amplifier 41.

The temperature sensor 27 senses the temperature of the coil 21. At this time, the controller 42 controls the switching waveforms of the switches M1 and M2 411 and 412 in the power amplifier 41 by using the temperature of the coil 21 sensed through the temperature sensor 27. For example, if the temperature of the detected coil 21 is lower than a preset value, the controller 42 generates a switching waveform control signal to increase it and provides it to the power amplifier 41, and if it is higher than a preset value, the controller 42 lowers it. A switching waveform control signal may be generated and provided to the power amplifier 41.

The controller 42 according to an embodiment applies the output voltage control signal to the DC-DC converter 44 to change the output voltage PVIN of the DC-DC converter 44 to change the output of the DC-DC converter 44 The energy supplied to the coil 21 is adjusted in proportion to the voltage PVIN.

While smoking the electronic cigarette, it is necessary to control the energy delivered to the coil 21 in order to control the temperature of the metal cylinder 20 suitable for smoking. The energy delivered to the coil 21 can be controlled in three ways. That is, the method of changing the frequency of the current signal supplied from the power amplifier 41 to the resonator 40, the duty ratio of the switching signal driving the switches M1, M2 (411, 412) in the power amplifier (41) ), and a method of changing the output voltage PVIN of the DC-DC converter 44 by applying an output voltage control signal of the DC-DC converter 44 to the DC-DC converter 44. Hereinafter, a method of controlling energy transmitted to the coil 21 will be described with reference to the drawings to be described later.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a graph of power delivered to the resonator according to the frequency of a current signal supplied to the resonator in order to explain a method of controlling energy delivered to the coil using the resonator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 and 5, the first method of controlling the energy transmitted to the coil 21 is to use the resonance characteristics of the resonator 40. When AC current is supplied to the resonator 40 by the coil 21 and the resonant capacitor 400, the maximum power can be supplied at the resonant frequency f0 as shown in FIG. 5. Above and below the resonance frequency f0, the supplied power decreases. Therefore, if the frequency of the current supplied to the resonator 40 is changed 500 from the frequency f1 to the frequency f2 as shown in FIG. 5, the energy of the coil 21 decreases and the heat generation of the metal cylinder 20 is reduced. Decrease. The resonance frequency can be expressed as in Equation 1. Although the energy can be controlled in a similar way even in the part where the frequency is lower than f0, it is generally better to control it at a point higher than f0.

..... (수학식 1)

..... (Equation 1)

6 is a waveform of a switching waveform control signal for explaining a method of controlling energy delivered to a coil through duty cycle control of a switching signal driving a switch of a power amplifier according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a drawing shown.

4 and 6, the second method of controlling the energy delivered to the coil 21 is the duty ratio of the switching signal driving the switches M1 and M2 (411, 412) of the power amplifier 41. ) To change. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the switch M1 411 is controlled with a duty ratio of 50%, and the switching signal driving the switch M2 412 is reversed to the switching signal driving the switch M1 411. If controlled (high duty) 600, maximum power can be delivered to the resonator 40. When the duty ratio of the switching signal driving the switches M1 and M2 411 and 412 is reduced (low duty) 610, energy delivered to the resonator 40 can be lowered.

This method is not a method of changing the switching frequency of the switch to adjust the energy transmitted to the coil 21, but a method of controlling the duty ratio of the switch. The duty ratio is the pulse occupancy U, the ratio of the pulse width (TD) and the pulse repetition period (Tp) of an arbitrary pulse in a periodic pulse train. That is, the pulse occupancy U is TD/Tp. The duty ratio has a value between 0 and 100%.

The third method of controlling the energy delivered to the coil 21 is to adjust the output voltage PVIN of the DC-DC converter 44, and the energy supplied to the coil 21 is the output of the DC-DC converter 44. It changes in proportion to the voltage PVIN. That is, if the output voltage PVIN of the DC-DC converter 44 is increased, the energy transmitted to the coil 21 can be increased, and if the output voltage PVIN of the DC-DC converter 44 is decreased, the energy transmitted to the coil 21 is reduced. Can be lowered.

So far, the present invention has been looked at around the embodiments. Those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will be able to understand that the present invention may be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered from an illustrative point of view rather than a limiting point of view. The scope of the present invention is shown in the claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the present invention.

Claims (11)

A metal cylinder having an insertion hole for inserting a cigarette-type electronic cigarette; And
The metal cylinder is indirectly heated by the induction current of the coil wound around the metal cylinder, but the coil by controlling the switching waveform of the power amplifier or controlling the driving voltage of the DC-DC converter according to at least one of the coil temperature, voltage, and current. An electronic circuit for controlling the cylinder temperature by adjusting the energy supplied to the cylinder;
Cigarette type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device comprising a. The method of claim 1, wherein the cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device
An insulator positioned between the metal cylinder and the coil to allow heat to pass through the metal cylinder and not to pass electricity;
Cigarette type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device, characterized in that it further comprises. The method of claim 1, wherein the cigarette-type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device
A temperature sensor for non-contact sensing of the temperature of the metal cylinder as the temperature of the coil is sensed in order to keep the heating value of the metal cylinder constant;
Cigarette type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device, characterized in that it further comprises. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit
A resonator including a coil and a resonant capacitor;
A power amplifier including a switch and supplying a current induced by a switching operation of the switch to the resonator; And
A controller that generates a switching waveform control signal based on at least one of a temperature of a coil, a voltage of the coil, and a current of the coil, and controls a switching waveform of the power amplifier by applying it to the power amplifier to adjust energy supplied to the coil;
Cigarette type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device comprising a. The method of claim 4, wherein the electronic circuit
A current sensing circuit for sensing the output current of the power amplifier; It further includes,
The controller uses the output current of the power amplifier sensed through the current sensing circuit as the output current of the coil, and controls the switching waveform of the switch in the power amplifier according to the current value of the power amplifier sensed through the current sensing circuit. Cigarette type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device. The method of claim 4, wherein the electronic circuit
A voltage sensing circuit for sensing the output voltage of the coil; It further includes,
The controller controls the switching waveform of the switch in the power amplifier according to the voltage value of the coil sensed through the voltage sensing circuit. The method of claim 4, wherein the electronic circuit
A temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the coil; It further includes,
The controller controls the switching waveform of the switch in the power amplifier according to the temperature of the coil sensed through the temperature sensor. The method of claim 4, wherein the controller
Cigarette type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device, characterized in that the energy supplied to the coil is adjusted by changing the frequency of the current signal supplied from the power amplifier to the resonator. The method of claim 4, wherein the controller
Cigarette type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device, characterized in that adjusting the energy supplied to the coil by changing the duty ratio of the switching signal driving the switch in the power amplifier. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit
A resonator including a coil and a resonant capacitor;
A power amplifier supplying a current induced by the switching operation of the switch to the resonator;
A DC-DC converter for applying a driving voltage for driving the power amplifier to the power amplifier by boosting or stepping down the battery voltage; And
A controller controlling a driving voltage of the DC-DC converter based on at least one of a temperature of a coil, a voltage of the coil, and a current of the coil;
Cigarette type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device comprising a. The method of claim 10, wherein the controller
It is characterized by adjusting the energy supplied to the coil in proportion to the changed output voltage of the DC-DC converter as the output voltage of the DC-DC converter is changed by applying the output voltage control signal of the DC-DC converter to the DC-DC converter. Cigarette type electronic cigarette non-contact heating device.

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