KR102660016B1 - Aerosol generating system and aerosol generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol generating system according to various embodiments includes a housing; an elongated cavity disposed inside the housing, one side of which communicates with the outside of the aerosol-generating device; a cartridge disposed inside the housing and storing an aerosol-forming substrate; and an aerosol generating device comprising a vibrating member disposed adjacent to the cartridge; and a medium containing article accommodated in the elongated cavity of the aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generated through vibration of the vibrating member can pass through the medium containing article and transfer the medium.

Description

Aerosol generating system and aerosol generating device {AEROSOL GENERATING SYSTEM AND AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE}

The following examples relate to aerosol generating systems and aerosol generating devices.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative products and methods that overcome the disadvantages of common aerosol-generating products. For example, there is an increasing demand for a method of generating an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating material in the aerosol-generating article, rather than a method of generating an aerosol by burning the aerosol-generating article. Accordingly, research on heated aerosol-generating articles and heated aerosol-generating devices is actively underway. For example, Patent Publication No. 10-2019-0049396 discloses an aerosol generating device.

The purpose of one embodiment is to provide an aerosol generating system that can minimize carbonization of a medium or liquid delivery means due to heating by generating an aerosol using a vibrating member.

The purpose of one embodiment is to provide an aerosol generating device that can selectively use either a stick accommodation type or a liquid heating type by including one or more cartridges.

An aerosol generating system according to various embodiments includes a housing; an elongated cavity disposed inside the housing, one side of which communicates with the outside of the aerosol-generating device; a cartridge disposed inside the housing and storing an aerosol-forming substrate; and an aerosol generating device comprising a vibrating member disposed adjacent to the cartridge; and a medium containing article accommodated in the elongated cavity of the aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generated through vibration of the vibrating member can pass through the medium containing article and transfer the medium.

In one embodiment, the device may further include a mouthpiece disposed at a downstream end of the housing, and the cartridge may be disposed between the mouthpiece and the vibration member.

In one embodiment, the cartridge includes a first end face adjacent the elongated cavity, a second end face adjacent the cartridge, and an aerosol penetrating at least a portion of the first end face and the second end face. and a pass through which aerosol generated by the vibrating member can travel into the elongated cavity.

In one embodiment, the aerosol path may be formed to pass through the center of the first and second end surfaces of the cartridge.

In one embodiment, the vibrating member is disposed in contact with the second end surface of the cartridge, and the aerosol-forming substrate discharged through the second end surface of the cartridge is aerosolized by vibration of the vibrating member. It can be.

In one embodiment, the vibration member includes a piezoelectric transducer and a mesh plate, and the aerosol-forming material stored in the cartridge is transmitted between the respective meshes of the mesh plate by vibration of the piezoelectric transducer, thereby forming an aerosol. .

In one embodiment, the piezoelectric transducer may have a frequency of 2 MHz or more and 3 MHz or less.

In one embodiment, the medium-accommodating article may include a medium and an alkaline pH adjuster.

In one embodiment, a heater that heats the aerosol-forming substrate may be further included.

An aerosol generating device according to various embodiments includes a housing; an elongated cavity disposed at least partially inside the housing, one side of which communicates with the outside of the aerosol-generating device; two or more cartridges disposed inside the housing and storing an aerosol-forming substrate; and a vibrating member disposed adjacent to the cartridges, wherein the cartridges include a first cartridge containing a first substance and a second cartridge containing a second substance, and when operating the aerosol generating device, the An aerosol may be generated from at least one of the first cartridge and the second cartridge.

In one embodiment, the first material may include a humectant, and the second material may include a medium.

In one embodiment, the first cartridge includes a heater for heating the first material, and the second cartridge includes a heater for heating the second material when a medium receiving article is received in the elongate cavity. A heater included in the first cartridge heats, and when a medium-accommodating article is not accommodated in the elongated cavity, a heater included in the second cartridge may heat.

In one embodiment, it further includes a control unit, wherein the control unit changes the ratio of power delivered to the first cartridge and the second cartridge to be transferred from the first cartridge and the second cartridge to the elongated cavity. The proportion of aerosol can be controlled.

In one embodiment, it further includes a user input unit, wherein the user input unit receives aerosol ratio information input from the user and transmits it to the control unit to determine the level of aerosol delivered from the first cartridge and the second cartridge to the elongated cavity. The ratio can be adjusted.

The aerosol generating system according to one embodiment can minimize carbonization of the medium or liquid delivery means due to heating by generating an aerosol using a vibrating member.

The aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes one or more cartridges and can selectively use either a stick accommodation type or a liquid heating type.

The effects of the aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating system according to one embodiment are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.
2A is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.
Figure 2b is a schematic diagram showing the operation of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment.
Figure 2C is a schematic plan view of a vibration member according to one embodiment.
2D is a schematic perspective view of a cartridge according to one embodiment.
3A is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.
Figure 3b is a schematic diagram showing the operation when a medium containing article is accommodated in an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.
Figure 3c is a cross-sectional view cut through the cartridge area of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

The terms used in the embodiments are general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while considering the function in the present invention, but this may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person working in the art, the emergence of new technology, etc. In addition, in certain cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the relevant invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply the name of the term.

When it is said that a part "includes" a certain element throughout the specification, this means that, unless specifically stated to the contrary, it does not exclude other elements but may further include other elements. Additionally, terms such as “~unit” and “~module” used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software.

As used herein, when an expression such as “at least any one” precedes arranged elements, it modifies all of the arranged elements rather than each arranged element. For example, the expression “at least one of a, b, and c” should be interpreted as including a, b, c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a and b and c. do.

In the following embodiments, “medium-accommodating article” may refer to an article that accommodates a medium through which an aerosol passes and the medium is transferred. A representative example of the medium-accommodating article may be a cigarette, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In the following embodiments, "upstream" or "upstream direction" means a direction away from the user's (smoker's) mouth, and "downstream" or "downstream direction" means a direction closer to the user's mouth. It can mean. The terms upstream and downstream may be used to describe the relative positions of the elements that make up the aerosol generating device.

In the following embodiments, “puff” refers to the user's inhalation, and inhalation refers to the situation of pulling the puff into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs through the user's mouth or nose.

In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette accommodated in an internal space.

The aerosol-generating device may include a heater. In one embodiment, the heater may be an electrically resistive heater. For example, a heater may include an electrically conductive track, and a current flowing through the electrically conductive track may cause the heater to heat.

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

The cigarette may include a tobacco rod and a filter rod. Tobacco rods can be made from sheets, strands, or tobacco sheets can be made from cut fillers. Additionally, the tobacco rod may be surrounded by a heat-conducting material. For example, the heat-conducting material may be a metal foil such as aluminum foil, but is not limited thereto.

The filter rod may be a cellulose acetate filter. A filter rod may consist of at least one segment. For example, a filter rod may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters certain components contained within the aerosol.

In another embodiment, an aerosol-generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol using a cartridge containing an aerosol-generating material.

An aerosol-generating device may include a cartridge containing aerosol-generating material and a body supporting the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the main body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed or assembled integrally with the main body, and may be fixed so as not to be detached or detached by the user. The cartridge may be mounted on the main body while containing the aerosol-generating material therein. However, it is not limited to this, and an aerosol-generating material may be injected into the cartridge while the cartridge is coupled to the main body.

The cartridge may contain an aerosol-generating material in any one of various states, such as liquid state, solid state, gas state, and gel state. Aerosol-generating materials may include liquid compositions. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing tobacco-containing substances, including volatile tobacco flavor components, or may be a liquid containing non-tobacco substances.

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

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

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material using an ultrasonic vibration method. At this time, the ultrasonic vibration method may refer to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol-generating material with ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

The aerosol generating device may include a vibrator, and may generate short-period vibration through the vibrator to atomize the aerosol-generating material. The vibration generated from the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibration, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibration may be from about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto.

The aerosol generating device may further include a wick that absorbs the aerosol generating material. For example, the wick may be arranged to surround at least one area of the vibrator or may be arranged to contact at least one area of the vibrator.

As a voltage (e.g., alternating voltage) is applied to the vibrator, heat and/or ultrasonic vibration may be generated from the vibrator, and the heat and/or ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator may be transmitted to the aerosol-generating material absorbed by the wick. . The aerosol-generating material absorbed into the wick may be converted into a gas phase by heat and/or ultrasonic vibration transmitted from the vibrator, and as a result, an aerosol may be generated.

For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating material absorbed into the wick may be lowered by the heat generated from the vibrator, and the aerosol-generating material with the lowered viscosity due to ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator may be converted into fine particles, thereby generating an aerosol. , but is not limited to this.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating article accommodated in the aerosol generating device using induction heating.

The aerosol-generating device may include a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil may apply a magnetic field to the susceptor. As power is supplied to the coil from the aerosol generating device, a magnetic field may be formed inside the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor may be a magnetic material that generates heat by an external magnetic field. As the susceptor is located inside the coil and a magnetic field is applied, the aerosol-generating article may be heated by generating heat. Additionally, optionally, the susceptor may be located within the aerosol-generating article.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further include a cradle.

The aerosol generating device can form a system with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle can charge the battery of an aerosol-generating device. Alternatively, the heater may be heated while the cradle and the aerosol generating device are combined.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement them. The present disclosure may be implemented in a form that can be implemented in the aerosol generating devices of various embodiments described above, or may be implemented in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 100 according to an embodiment.

The aerosol generating device 100 includes a control unit 110, a sensing unit 120, an output unit 130, a battery 140, a heater 150, a user input unit 160, a memory 170, and a communication unit 180. It can be included. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1. That is, those skilled in the art can understand that, depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 100, some of the configurations shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted or new configurations may be added. there is.

The sensing unit 120 may detect the state of the aerosol generating device 100 or the state surrounding the aerosol generating device 100 and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 110. Based on the sensed information, the control unit 110 performs various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 150, restricting smoking, determining whether to insert an aerosol-generating article (e.g., an aerosol-generating article, cartridge, etc.), displaying a notification, etc. The aerosol generating device 100 can be controlled to perform the operation.

The sensing unit 120 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 122, an insertion detection sensor 124, and a puff sensor 126, but is not limited thereto.

The temperature sensor 122 may detect the temperature at which the heater 150 (or an aerosol-generating material) is heated. The aerosol generating device 100 may include a separate temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater 150, or the heater 150 itself may serve as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 122 may be disposed around the battery 140 to monitor the temperature of the battery 140.

Insertion detection sensor 124 may detect insertion and/or removal of an aerosol-generating article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 124 may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, where the aerosol-generating article is inserted and/or Signal changes can be detected as it is removed.

The puff sensor 126 may detect the user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or airflow channel. For example, the puff sensor 126 may detect the user's puff based on any one of temperature change, flow change, voltage change, and pressure change.

In addition to the sensors 122 to 126 described above, the sensing unit 120 includes a temperature/humidity sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., GPS), It may further include at least one of a proximity sensor and an RGB sensor (illuminance sensor). Since the function of each sensor can be intuitively deduced by a person skilled in the art from its name, detailed descriptions may be omitted.

The output unit 130 may output information about the status of the aerosol generating device 100 and provide it to the user. The output unit 130 may include at least one of a display unit 132, a haptic unit 134, and an audio output unit 136, but is not limited thereto. When the display unit 132 and the touch pad form a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 132 can be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

The display unit 132 can visually provide information about the aerosol generating device 100 to the user. For example, information about the aerosol-generating device 100 may include the charging/discharging state of the battery 140 of the aerosol-generating device 100, the preheating state of the heater 150, the insertion/removal state of the aerosol-generating article, or the aerosol generation. It may refer to various information such as a state in which the use of the device 100 is restricted (e.g., detection of an abnormal item), and the display unit 132 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 132 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD) or an organic light emitting display panel (OLED). Additionally, the display unit 132 may be in the form of an LED light-emitting device.

The haptic unit 134 may convert electrical signals into mechanical stimulation or electrical stimulation to provide tactile information about the aerosol generating device 100 to the user. For example, the haptic unit 134 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The sound output unit 136 can provide information about the aerosol generating device 100 audibly to the user. For example, the audio output unit 136 may convert an electrical signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

The battery 140 may supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 140 may supply power so that the heater 150 can be heated. In addition, the battery 140 may be connected to other components provided in the aerosol generating device 100 (e.g., sensing unit 120, output unit 130, user input unit 160, memory 170, and communication unit 180). It can supply the power required for operation. Battery 140 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 140 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

The heater 150 may receive power from the battery 140 to heat the aerosol-generating material. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit (eg, DC/DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies it to the heater 150. Additionally, when the aerosol generating device 100 generates an aerosol by induction heating, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include a DC/AC converter that converts direct current power of the battery 140 into alternating current power.

The control unit 110, sensing unit 120, output unit 130, user input unit 160, memory 170, and communication unit 180 may perform their functions by receiving power from the battery 140. Although not shown in FIG. 1, it may further include a power conversion circuit that converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies it to each component, for example, a low dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit.

In one embodiment, heater 150 may be formed from any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials include titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. It may be a metal or metal alloy containing, but is not limited thereto. Additionally, the heater 150 may be implemented as a metal hot wire, a metal plate with electrically conductive tracks, a ceramic heating element, etc., but is not limited thereto.

In another embodiment, the heater 150 may be an induction heating type heater. For example, the heater 150 may include a susceptor that heats the aerosol-generating material by generating heat through a magnetic field applied by the coil.

In one embodiment, the heater 150 may include a plurality of heaters. For example, the heater 150 may include a first heater for heating the aerosol-generating article and a second heater for heating the liquid phase.

The user input unit 160 may receive information input from the user or output information to the user. For example, the user input unit 160 includes a key pad, a dome switch, and a touch pad (contact capacitive type, pressure resistive type, infrared detection type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, and integral type). Tension measurement method, piezo effect method, etc.), jog wheel, jog switch, etc., but are not limited thereto. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 100 further includes a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface, and is connected to other external devices through a connection interface such as a USB interface. In this way, information can be transmitted or received or the battery 140 can be charged.

The memory 170 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 100, and can store data processed by the control unit 110 and data to be processed. The memory 170 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory, etc.), or RAM. (RAM, random access memory) SRAM (static random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), PROM (programmable read-only memory), magnetic memory, magnetic disk , and may include at least one type of storage medium among optical disks. The memory 170 may store the operation time of the aerosol generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data on the user's smoking pattern.

The communication unit 180 may include at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 180 may include a short-range communication unit 182 and a wireless communication unit 184.

The short-range wireless communication unit 182 includes a Bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication unit, a Near Field Communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, and an infrared (IrDA) communication unit. , infrared Data Association) communication unit, WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, Ant+ communication unit, etc., but is not limited thereto.

The wireless communication unit 184 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (eg, LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 184 may identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 100 within the communication network using subscriber information (eg, International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)).

The control unit 110 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100. In one embodiment, the control unit 110 may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed on the microprocessor. Additionally, those skilled in the art can understand that this embodiment may be implemented with other types of hardware.

The control unit 110 can control the temperature of the heater 150 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 140 to the heater 150. For example, the control unit 110 may control power supply by controlling the switching of the switching element between the battery 140 and the heater 150. In another example, the heating direct circuit may control power supply to the heater 150 according to a control command from the control unit 110.

The control unit 110 can analyze the results sensed by the sensing unit 120 and control subsequent processes. For example, the control unit 110 may control the power supplied to the heater 150 to start or end the operation of the heater 150 based on the result detected by the sensing unit 120. For another example, based on the results detected by the sensing unit 120, the control unit 110 controls the power supplied to the heater 150 so that the heater 150 can be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintain an appropriate temperature. You can control the amount and time at which power is supplied.

The control unit 110 may control the output unit 130 based on the results detected by the sensing unit 120. For example, when the number of puffs counted through the puff sensor 126 reaches a preset number, the control unit 110 operates at least one of the display unit 132, the haptic unit 134, and the sound output unit 136. Through this, it is possible to notify the user that the aerosol generating device 100 will soon be terminated.

In one embodiment, the control unit 110 may control the power supply time and/or power supply amount to the heater 150 according to the state of the aerosol-generating article detected by the sensing unit 120. For example, when the aerosol-generating article is in an overhumidified state, the controller 110 may control the power supply time to the induction coil to increase the preheating time compared to when the aerosol-generating article is in a normal state.

One embodiment may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing instructions executable by a computer, such as program modules executed by a computer. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. Additionally, computer-readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, other data such as program modules, modulated data signals, or other transmission mechanisms, and includes any information delivery medium.

Figure 2A is a schematic diagram of an aerosol-generating device 2 according to one embodiment.

Referring to Figure 2a, the aerosol generating device 2 according to one embodiment includes a housing 21, an elongated cavity 22, a vibration member 23, a cartridge 24, a mouthpiece 25, and a control unit ( 26) and a power supply unit 27.

The housing 21 according to one embodiment may be configured to at least partially accommodate a medium-accommodating article (e.g., the medium-accommodating article C of FIG. 2B) and various electronic/mechanical components.

The elongated cavity 22 according to one embodiment may be configured to accommodate a medium-accommodating article (eg, the medium-accommodating article C in FIG. 2B). In one embodiment, elongated cavity 22 may be disposed inside housing 21 .

The vibration member 23 according to one embodiment can generate aerosol through vibration. In order for the vibrating member 23 to vibrate to generate an aerosol, the aerosol-forming substrate must be continuously delivered to the vibrating member 23, so the vibrating member 23 is disposed adjacent to the cartridge 24 that accommodates the aerosol-forming substrate. It can be.

The cartridge 24 according to one embodiment may be configured to accommodate an aerosol-forming substrate that generates an aerosol. Aerosol-forming substrates according to one embodiment include, but are not limited to, glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. . In the art, aerosol-forming substrates may be used interchangeably with terms such as moisturizer, humectant, etc. In one embodiment, the cartridge 24 may be placed inside the housing 21, and preferably between the mouthpiece 25 and the vibrating member 23. When the cartridge 24 is disposed between the mouthpiece 25 and the vibration member 23, the aerosol-forming substrate contained in the cartridge 24 moves toward the vibration member 23 under the influence of gravity, and the vibration member ( 23) can aerosolize an aerosol-forming substrate.

The mouthpiece 25 according to one embodiment is a part that comes into contact with the user's mouth, and aerosol can be transferred to the user through a fluid flow path included in the mouthpiece 25. In one embodiment, mouthpiece 25 may be disposed at one end of elongated cavity 22.

The control unit 26 (e.g., the control unit 110 in FIG. 1) according to one embodiment can generally control the operation of the aerosol generating device 2. For example, the control unit 26 can control the power supplied from the power supply unit 27 to the vibration member 23. Additionally, the control unit 26 may control the operation of the power unit 27 and the vibration member 23 as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 2. The control unit 26 according to one embodiment includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed on the microprocessor. Additionally, those skilled in the art can understand that the present embodiment may be implemented with other types of hardware.

In one embodiment, power source 27 (e.g., battery 140 in FIG. 1) supplies power used to operate aerosol-generating device 2. For example, the power supply unit 27 may supply power so that the vibrating member 23 of the aerosol generating device 2 vibrates, and the control unit 26 (e.g., the control unit 110 of FIG. 1) operates. It can supply the necessary power. Additionally, the power unit 27 can supply power necessary for the operation of displays, sensors, motors, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device 2.

The aerosol generating device 2 according to one embodiment may further include a heater (eg, heater 150 of FIG. 1). The aerosol-forming substrate stored in cartridge 24 may generally include a highly viscous liquid. Compared to generating an aerosol using only the vibration of the vibrating member 23 according to one embodiment, generating an aerosol by vibrating the vibrating member 23 after heating the aerosol-forming substrate through the heater 150 is rich in atomization. It can be advantageous to generate .

Figure 2b is a schematic diagram showing the operation of an aerosol generating system according to an embodiment.

The aerosol generating system according to one embodiment may include the aerosol generating device 2 and the medium containing article C described with reference to FIG. 2A.

The medium containing article (C) according to one embodiment may be accommodated inside the elongated cavity (22) of the aerosol generating device (2). In one embodiment, the medium containing article (C) may be similar to a conventional combustible cigarette. For example, the medium containing article C may be divided into a first part containing an aerosol-generating material and a second part containing a filter, etc. Alternatively, the second portion of the medium containing article (C) may also contain an aerosol-generating material. An aerosol-generating material, for example in the form of granules or capsules, may be inserted into the second part. As for the medium containing article C, the entire first part may be inserted into the inside of the aerosol generating device 2, and the second part may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only part of the first part may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, or the entire first part and part of the second part may be inserted. The user may inhale the aerosol while holding the second portion with his or her mouth. At this time, the aerosol is generated by external air passing through the first part, and the generated aerosol is delivered to the user's mouth by passing through the second part.

In one embodiment, when the medium containing article (C) is accommodated in the aerosol generating device (2), the liquid composition contained in the cartridge (24) may be transferred to the vibrating member (23). In one embodiment, the liquid composition contained in the cartridge 24 may be transferred in the direction in which the vibrating member 23 is disposed by gravity. In another embodiment, the liquid composition material contained in the cartridge 24 is vibrated by capillary action along the liquid delivery means (e.g., wick, cotton, etc.) contained within the cartridge 24. (23) can be transmitted in the direction in which it is placed.

In one embodiment, the medium containing article (C) may include a medium. For example, the medium may include, but is not necessarily limited to, liquid compositions based on nicotine, caffeine, GABA, taurine, vitamins and/or various flavoring agents. Additionally, the medium receiving article (C) may contain a pH adjuster. The pH adjuster according to one embodiment may preferably be an alkaline salt, for example, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium oxide, etc., but is not limited thereto. Additionally, a pH adjuster that generates the least negative scent when puffing may be selected and used. When the pH adjuster is mixed with the medium, the pH of the medium increases, and accordingly, migration substances such as nicotine can be sufficiently transferred from the medium even when the medium is heated to a relatively low temperature. Therefore, even when the heat partially generated by the vibration of the vibration member 23 is not sufficient to move the medium contained inside the medium containing article C, the medium containing article C contains the alkaline pH adjuster. In this case, it may be easy to transfer the medium toward the user's mouth.

The pH adjuster may be mixed together during the production of the medium granules (P1) and included in the granules themselves, or may be placed separately in a separate location from the medium granules (P1).

In one embodiment, when the liquid composition contained in the cartridge 24 is transferred to the vibrating member 23, the vibrating member 23 may aerosolize the liquid composition through vibration. The aerosol formed by the vibrating member 23 may move in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2B due to a pressure difference when the user inhales the medium containing article C.

Figure 2c is a schematic plan view of the vibration member 23 according to one embodiment.

In one embodiment, the vibrating member 23 may be of any suitable shape, and may be substantially circular or oval. The oscillating member 23 may be substantially triangular, square or of any regular or irregular shape.

In one embodiment, the vibration member 23 may include a piezoelectric transducer 232 and a mesh plate 234. The piezoelectric transducer 232 according to one embodiment is a conversion element that can convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, and can generate ultrasonic waves under the control of the control unit 26. Anyone skilled in the art will be able to clearly understand the principle of the piezoelectric transducer 232, so further detailed description thereof will be omitted. The piezoelectric transducer 232 may be electrically connected to the control unit 26 and the power supply unit 27. The mesh plate 234 according to one embodiment may contact the aerosol-forming substrate to atomize (aerosolize) the aerosol-forming substrate. The vibration generated by the piezoelectric transducer 232 according to one embodiment generates a pressure wave in the aerosol-forming substrate, and the pressure wave pushes the aerosol-forming substrate into the space, narrow area, or hole between the fine meshes of the mesh plate 234. It can be atomized.

In one embodiment, the vibration generated by the piezoelectric transducer 232 may be ultrasonic vibration, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibration may be a frequency band of about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz, preferably a frequency of 2 MHz or more and 3 MHz or less. It may be a band, but is not limited thereto. The above frequency band range corresponds to a frequency band significantly higher than the frequency/frequency band of electronic devices such as general ultrasonic humidifiers, and this is to sufficiently aerosolize the highly viscous aerosol-forming substrate. In the process of converting the electrical energy provided from the power source 27 into mechanical energy by the vibration of the piezoelectric transducer 232 having a high frequency band, some of the electrical energy is converted into thermal energy. The converted thermal energy can heat the aerosol-forming substrate.

Figure 2D is a schematic perspective view of cartridge 24 according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 2D , in one embodiment, cartridge 24 includes a first end face 24a, a second end face 24b, and at least the first end face 24a and the second end face 24b. It may include a partially penetrating aerosol pass (AP). Referring again to FIG. 2B, the cartridge 24 may be disposed between the mouthpiece 25 and the vibrating member 23, in which case the aerosol-forming substrate contained in the cartridge 24 moves against the vibrating member ( 23), the vibration member 23 can aerosolize the aerosol-forming substrate. However, the aerosol formed by the vibrating member 23 can be delivered to the user's mouth only if there is a path through which fluid can pass between the vibrating member 23 and the mouthpiece 25. To this end, the cartridge 24 may comprise an aerosol path AP passing through at least a portion of the first end face 24a and the second end face 24b of the cartridge 24 . The aerosol pass (AP) according to one embodiment may be an opening passing through the center of the first end surface 24a and the second end surface 24b of the cartridge 24. The aerosol pass (AP) according to another embodiment may be two or more openings penetrating the outer portions of the first end surface 24a and the second end surface 24b of the cartridge 24. However, the above aerosol pass (AP) is only an exemplary embodiment, and the aerosol formed in the vibrating member 23 can be delivered to the user's mouth along the elongated cavity 22 and/or the medium receiving article (C). All paths can be included. That is, referring again to FIG. 2B, the vibrating member 23 may be disposed in contact with the second end face 24b of the cartridge 24, and may be disposed through the second end face 24b of the cartridge 24. The discharged aerosol-forming substrate may be aerosolized by vibration of the vibrating member 23.

Figure 3a is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device 3 according to another embodiment.

Referring to Figure 3a, the aerosol generating device 3 according to another embodiment includes a housing 31, an elongated cavity 32, a vibration member 33, a cartridge 34, a mouthpiece 35, and a control unit ( 36) and a power supply unit 37.

The structure and role of the aerosol generating device 3 and the components 31 to 36 included in the aerosol generating device 3 according to another embodiment are similar to those of the aerosol generating device 2 and the aerosol according to the above-described embodiment. The structure and role of the components 21 to 26 included in the generating device 2 are the same and/or similar. Hereinafter, only the differences between the aerosol generating device 3 according to another embodiment and the aerosol generating device 2 according to one embodiment will be described, and other matters are the same as the aerosol generating device 2 according to one embodiment. and/or may be considered similar.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 3A, the cartridge 34 according to another embodiment may be configured to accommodate a liquid composition material that generates an aerosol. The aerosol generating device 3 according to another embodiment may include a plurality of cartridges 34. In another embodiment, the cartridges 34 may include a first cartridge 341 containing a first material and a second cartridge 342 containing a second material. That is, the first cartridge 341 and the second cartridge 342 are independent cartridges 34 that accommodate different materials, and the aerosol generating mechanisms of the cartridges 341 and/or 342 may also be independent, and the aerosol generation mechanism may be independent. When the generating device 3 operates, an aerosol may be generated from at least one of the first cartridge 341 and the second cartridge 342. In another embodiment, the first cartridge 341 may include a heater 341H for heating the first material, and the second cartridge 342 may include a heater 342H for heating the second material. .

In another embodiment, the control unit 36 (e.g., the control unit 110 of FIG. 1) may generally control the operation of the aerosol generating device 3. For example, the control unit 36 may control power supplied from the power source 37 to the heaters 341H and/or 342H. Additionally, the control unit 36 controls the operation of the vibration member 33 and the power unit 37 as well as other components included in the aerosol generating device 3. In addition, the control unit 36 changes the ratio of power delivered to the heater 341H of the first cartridge 341 and the heater 342H of the second cartridge 342 to change the heating temperature of the heaters 341H and/or 342H. By controlling, it is possible to adjust the amount and rate of aerosol delivered from the first cartridge 341 and the second cartridge 342 to the elongated cavity 32.

The control unit 36 according to one embodiment includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed on the microprocessor. Additionally, those skilled in the art can understand that the present embodiment may be implemented with other types of hardware.

Figure 3b is a schematic diagram showing the operation when a medium containing article is accommodated in an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Referring to Figure 3B, a medium containing article C may be received in an elongated cavity of the aerosol-generating device 3 (e.g., elongated cavity 32 in Figure 3A). When the medium containing article C is accommodated in the elongated cavity 32, the control unit 36 may cause the heater 341H included in the first cartridge 341 containing the first material to be heated. The first material may include a humectant. For example, the humectant may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. In one embodiment, the medium containing article (C) includes a medium and thus contains an agent contained within the first cartridge (341) that generates an aerosol when the medium containing article (C) is contained in the elongated cavity (32). 1 Matter does not necessarily include a medium. When the first material accommodated inside the first cartridge 341 is heated by the heater 341H and becomes aerosolized, the medium passes through the medium containing article (C) in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3b and is transferred to the user's mouth. It can be passed on to the district.

The aerosol-generating device 3 according to another embodiment may be activated without receiving the aerosol-generating article C. When the aerosol-generating article C is not received in the elongated cavity 32, the control unit 26 controls the heater included in the second cartridge 342 containing the second material (e.g., heater 342H in FIG. 2B). ) can be heated. The second material may include a humectant and a medium. For example, the humectant may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. For example, the medium may include, but is not necessarily limited to, liquid compositions based on nicotine, caffeine, GABA, taurine, and vitamins and/or various flavoring agents. In one embodiment, when the operation of the aerosol generating device 2 is activated alone, the heater 342H of the second cartridge 342 containing the second material comprising the medium according to one embodiment is heated to generate an aerosol. This generation allows the aerosol containing the medium to be delivered to the user's mouth along the elongated cavity 32.

The first cartridge 341 and the second cartridge 342 can selectively generate aerosol as described above, but the first cartridge 341 and the second cartridge 342 operate independently of each other, so the two cartridges ( 34) can also generate aerosols together at the same time.

For example, when the aerosol-generating article C is accommodated in the elongated cavity 32, the heater 341H of the first cartridge 341 as well as the heater 342H of the second cartridge 342 are heated to generate aerosol. can occur. Additionally, for example, if the aerosol-generating article C is not received in the elongated cavity 32, the heater 342H of the second cartridge 342 as well as the heater 341H of the first cartridge 341 An aerosol can be generated by heating. At this time, the control unit 36 controls the ratio of aerosol atomized from the two cartridges by adjusting the power delivered to the heater 341H of the first cartridge 341 and the heater 342H of the second cartridge 342. You can. As the proportion of aerosol atomized in the second cartridge 342 containing the medium increases, the density of the medium contained in the total aerosol transferred to the user's mouth increases, making it easy to quickly inhale the medium, and it is easy to inhale the medium. 1 As the ratio of atomized aerosol in the cartridge 341 increases, the density of the medium contained in the total aerosol transferred to the user's mouth decreases. However, depending on the high humectant ratio, throat swallowing and hitting sensation are increased, thereby improving the taste. .

Figure 3c is a cross-sectional view cut through the cartridge area of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Referring to Figure 3C, cartridges 34 according to another embodiment may be arranged to surround at least a portion of an elongated cavity (e.g., elongated cavity 32 of Figure 3A. In Figure 3C, one embodiment Cartridges 34 according to can wrap the entire perimeter of the elongated cavity 32 .

Cartridges 34 according to another embodiment may form a ring surrounding the outside of the elongated cavity 32. Additionally, each cartridge 34 may have a shape corresponding to a portion of a ring. For example, referring to FIG. 3C, the cartridges 34 according to one embodiment include a first cartridge 341 and a second cartridge 342, and the first cartridge 341 and the second cartridge 342 forms a ring surrounding the outside of the elongated cavity 32. At this time, the first cartridge 341 constitutes half of the ring according to an embodiment, and the second cartridge 342 constitutes the remaining half of the ring according to an embodiment. 3C is only one embodiment, and the cartridges 34 may include three or more individual cartridges 34.

Although not shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the aerosol generating device 3 according to another embodiment includes a user input unit (e.g., the user input unit 160 of FIG. 1) and/or a display unit (e.g., the display unit of FIG. 1). (132)) may further be included.

In one embodiment, the user input unit 160 may receive aerosol ratio information input from the user. The user input unit 160 transmits the received aerosol rate information to the control unit 36 to determine the amount of aerosol delivered from the first cartridge 341 to the elongate cavity 32 and the amount of aerosol delivered from the second cartridge 342 to the elongated cavity 32. (32) The rate can be controlled by adjusting the amount of aerosol delivered.

In one embodiment, the display unit 132 may convey information about the type of cartridge that generates aerosol among the first cartridge 341 and the second cartridge 342 to the user. Additionally, when the first cartridge 341 and the second cartridge 342 generate aerosol together, information about the ratio of atomized aerosol from the two cartridges 34 can be delivered to the user.

Although the embodiments have been described with limited drawings as described above, those skilled in the art can apply various technical modifications and variations based on the above. For example, the described techniques are performed in a different order than the described method, and/or components of the described system, structure, device, circuit, etc. are combined or combined in a different form than the described method, or other components are used. Alternatively, appropriate results may be achieved even if substituted or substituted by an equivalent.

Therefore, other implementations, other embodiments and equivalents of the claims also fall within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (14)

In the aerosol generating system,
housing; an elongated cavity disposed inside the housing and having one side open to the outside of the aerosol-generating device; a cartridge disposed inside the housing and storing an aerosol-forming substrate; And a vibrating member disposed adjacent to the cartridge; an aerosol generating device comprising a
comprising a medium containing article received in the elongated cavity of the aerosol-generating device,
the cartridge comprising a first end face adjacent the elongated cavity, a second end face opposite the first end face and an aerosol path penetrating a portion of the first end face and the second end face,
The vibration member is disposed in contact with the second end surface of the cartridge and includes a mesh plate facing the aerosol path and a piezoelectric transducer surrounding the mesh plate,
The aerosol-forming substrate is discharged through the second end surface of the cartridge, penetrates between each mesh of the mesh plate by vibration of the piezoelectric transducer, and becomes an aerosol,
wherein the aerosol travels through the aerosol pass into the elongated cavity and carries the medium through the medium receiving article.
Aerosol generating system.
According to claim 1,
Further comprising a mouthpiece disposed at the downstream end of the housing,
The cartridge is disposed between the mouthpiece and the vibration member,
Aerosol generating system.
delete According to claim 1,
wherein the aerosol path passes through the center of the first and second end faces of the cartridge,
Aerosol generating system.
delete delete According to claim 1,
The piezoelectric transducer has a frequency of 2 MHz or more and 3 MHz or less,
Aerosol generating system.
According to claim 1,
The medium receiving article includes a medium and an alkaline pH adjuster,
Aerosol generating system.
According to claim 1,
Further comprising a heater for heating the aerosol-forming substrate,
Aerosol generating system.
In the aerosol generating device,
housing;
an elongated cavity disposed at least partially inside the housing and having one side communicating with the outside of the aerosol-generating device;
two or more cartridges disposed inside the housing and storing an aerosol-forming substrate; and
It includes a vibrating member disposed adjacent to the cartridges,
The cartridges include a first cartridge containing a first substance and a second cartridge containing a second substance,
When the aerosol generating device operates, an aerosol is generated from at least one of the first cartridge and the second cartridge,
The cartridges include a first end face adjacent the elongated cavity, a second end face opposite the first end face and an aerosol path penetrating a portion of the first end face and the second end face,
The vibration member is disposed adjacent to the second end surface of the cartridges and includes a mesh plate facing the aerosol path and a piezoelectric transducer surrounding the mesh plate,
The aerosol-forming substrate is discharged from at least one of the cartridges through the second end surface, is transmitted between each mesh of the mesh plate by vibration of the piezoelectric transducer, and becomes an aerosol,
The aerosol travels into the elongated cavity through the aerosol path,
Aerosol generating device.
According to claim 10,
wherein the first substance comprises a humectant and the second substance comprises a medium,
Aerosol generating device.
According to claim 10,
The first cartridge includes a heater for heating the first material, and the second cartridge includes a heater for heating the second material,
A heater included in the first cartridge heats when a medium receiving article is received in the elongated cavity, and a heater included in the second cartridge heats when the medium receiving article is not received in the elongated cavity.
Aerosol generating device.
According to claim 10,
Further comprising a control unit,
The control unit controls the proportion of aerosol delivered from the first cartridge and the second cartridge to the elongated cavity by changing the ratio of power delivered to the first cartridge and the second cartridge,
Aerosol generating device.
According to claim 13,
Further comprising a user input unit,
The user input unit receives aerosol ratio information input from the user and transmits it to the control unit to adjust the ratio of aerosol delivered from the first cartridge and the second cartridge to the elongated cavity.
Aerosol generating device.