KR20210080843A - Aerosol generating apparatus with multiple heaters and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are an aerosol generation device with a plurality of heaters and a control method thereof. According to some embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol generation device comprises: a first heater; a second heater; a battery for supplying power to the first heater and the second heater; and a controller controlling the first heater and the second heater in a pulse width modulator mode. The control unit determines whether an on-duty section of the first heater and an on-duty section of the second heater overlap and adjusts the phase of the on-duty section for a predetermined heater in response to an overlap determination result. Accordingly, the aerosol generation device can solve a problem of poor control stability, such as a bad effect to the battery due to a large amount of current flowing instantaneously.

Description

Aerosol-generating device having multiple heaters and a control method therefor {AEROSOL GENERATING APPARATUS WITH MULTIPLE HEATERS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF}

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol-generating device having multiple heaters and a method for controlling the same. More particularly, it relates to an aerosol-generating device capable of ensuring control stability and heating performance for multiple heaters, and a multiple heater control method performed in the device.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for alternative smoking articles that overcome the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is a growing demand for electrically heated aerosol-generating devices that generate aerosols by heating the aerosol-generating material (e.g. tobacco medium) through a heater, rather than by heating the aerosol-generating material (e.g. tobacco medium) through a combustible heat source. Accordingly, research on an electrically heated aerosol generating device is being actively conducted.

Some electrically heated aerosol-generating devices employ multiple heater structures to increase heating performance. However, it is not easy to ensure control stability for multiple heaters while maintaining heating performance. For example, when power is supplied to a plurality of heaters at the same time, a large amount of current may flow instantaneously, and such an overcurrent may adversely affect the performance of the battery. Alternatively, the protection circuit of the battery may be activated due to overcurrent, causing the device to stop during use.

A technical problem to be solved through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol-generating device capable of ensuring control stability for multiple heaters and a multiple heater control method performed in the device.

Another technical problem to be solved through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol-generating device capable of ensuring heating performance as well as control stability for multiple heaters and a method for controlling multiple heaters performed in the device.

Another technical problem to be solved through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a method for controlling multiple heaters that can ensure control stability and heating performance when controlling multiple heaters in a pulse width modulation mode.

Another technical problem to be solved through some embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a method for controlling multiple heaters that can ensure control stability and heating performance when controlling multiple heaters in a pulse frequency modulation mode.

The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to solve the technical problem, an aerosol-generating device having multiple heaters according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a first heater, a second heater, a battery for supplying power to the first heater and the second heater and controlling the first heater and the second heater in a pulse width modulator mode, and whether an on-duty section of the first heater overlaps with an on-duty section of the second heater and a control unit for adjusting the phase of the on-duty section of the first heater so that the on-duty section does not overlap in response to the determination that the on-duty section overlaps.

In some embodiments, the controller calculates a sum value of a duty ratio of the first heater and a duty ratio of the second heater, and in response to determining that the sum value is less than or equal to a threshold, the The phase of the on-duty section of the first heater may be adjusted.

In some embodiments, the control unit calculates a sum value for a duty ratio of the first heater and a duty ratio of the second heater, and in response to determining that the sum value exceeds a threshold, A duty ratio reduction process of reducing the duty ratio of the first heater may be further performed.

In some embodiments, further comprising a boost-type DC-DC converter connected to the battery and increasing a voltage input to the first heater or the second heater, wherein the control unit is configured to supply power according to the duty ratio reduction process The reduction amount may be calculated, and the operation of the step-up DC-DC converter may be controlled based on the reduction amount of the supplied power.

Multiple heater control method according to some embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem, a multiple heater including a first heater and a second heater in an aerosol generating device in a pulse width modulation (Pulse Width Modulator) mode In the controlling method, in response to determining whether an on-duty section of the first heater overlaps with an on-duty section of the second heater, and in response to determining that the on-duty section overlaps, the on-duty section does not overlap. It may include adjusting the phase of the on-duty section of the first heater.

A computer program according to some embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above technical problem is combined with hardware to determine whether an on-duty section of the first heater and an on-duty section of the second heater overlap. In order to execute the step of determining and adjusting the phase of the on-duty section of the first heater so that the on-duty section does not overlap in response to the determination that the overlapping section overlaps, it may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium.

In order to solve the technical problem, an aerosol-generating device having multiple heaters according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure, a first heater, a second heater, supplying power to the first heater and the second heater The first heater and the second heater are controlled in a battery and pulse frequency modulator mode, and the sum of the duty ratio of the first heater and the duty ratio of the second heater is calculated. and a control unit that adjusts the frequency of the first heater so that a duty ratio of the first heater is reduced in response to determining that the sum value is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

In some embodiments, in response to determining that the sum value is less than the threshold value, the controller determines whether an on-duty section of the first heater and an on-duty section of the second heater overlap. In response to the determination that they overlap, the phase of the on-duty section of the first heater or the second heater may be adjusted so that the on-duty section does not overlap.

In some embodiments, further comprising a boost-type DC-DC converter connected to the battery and boosting a voltage input to the first heater or the second heater, wherein the control unit reduces a duty ratio of the first heater may calculate an amount of reduced supply power according to the , and control the operation of the step-up DC-DC converter based on the reduced amount of supply power.

Multi-heater control method according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem, a multi-heater including a first heater and a second heater in an aerosol-generating device pulse frequency modulation (Pulse Frequency Modulator) mode In the controlling method, in response to calculating a sum value of the duty ratio of the first heater and the duty ratio of the second heater, and determining that the sum value is equal to or greater than a threshold, the first It may include adjusting the frequency of the first heater so that the duty ratio of the heater is reduced.

A computer program according to some embodiments of the present disclosure for solving the above-described technical problem is combined with hardware to calculate a sum of the duty ratio of the first heater and the duty ratio of the second heater and adjusting the frequency of the first heater so that the duty ratio of the first heater is reduced in response to determining that the summed value is greater than or equal to a threshold value, it may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium .

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure described above, when controlling multiple heaters in the pulse width modulation or pulse frequency modulation mode, precise control may be performed so that the on-duty sections do not overlap. Thereby, the control stability of the aerosol-generating device can be ensured.

In addition, when the sum of the duty ratios exceeds the threshold, by automatically reducing the duty ratio, the problem that excessive current flows and adversely affects the battery can be prevented in advance. Accordingly, the control stability of the aerosol-generating device can be ensured, and the efficiency of the battery can be increased.

In addition, when the duty ratio is reduced and adjusted, compensation for the reduced power may be made through the DC-DC converter. Accordingly, the heating performance according to the multiple heaters can also be guaranteed.

In addition, since the DC-DC converter is operated only when the duty ratio is reduced and adjusted, power consumption of the DC-DC converter may be minimized, and the efficiency of the battery may be further increased.

Effects according to the technical spirit of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

1 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating device having multiple heaters according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
2 and 3 illustrate multiple heaters that may be referenced in various embodiments of the present disclosure.
4 to 6 show various implementations of an aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.
7 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for controlling multiple heaters according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.
8 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a detailed process of the duty ratio adjustment step S50 illustrated in FIG. 7 .
9 and 10 are exemplary views for further explaining the phase adjustment step S70 illustrated in FIG. 7 .
11 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for controlling multiple heaters according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.
12 and 13 are exemplary diagrams for further explaining the phase adjustment step S170 shown in FIG. 11 .
14 is an exemplary circuit configuration diagram in which control logic is implemented 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. Advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods for achieving them, will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, but may be implemented in various different forms, and only the following embodiments complete the technical spirit of the present disclosure, and in the technical field to which the present disclosure belongs It is provided to fully inform those of ordinary skill in the scope of the present disclosure, and the technical spirit of the present disclosure is only defined by the scope of the claims.

In adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even though they are indicated on different drawings. In addition, in describing the present disclosure, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used with the meaning commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. In addition, terms defined in a commonly used dictionary are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless clearly defined in particular. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase.

In addition, in describing the components of the present disclosure, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the essence, order, or order of the components are not limited by the terms. When a component is described as being “connected”, “coupled” or “connected” to another component, the component may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but another component is between each component. It should be understood that elements may be “connected,” “coupled,” or “connected.”

As used herein, “comprises” and/or “comprising” refers to a referenced component, step, operation and/or element of one or more other components, steps, operations and/or elements. The presence or addition is not excluded.

Prior to a description of various embodiments of the present disclosure, some terms used herein will be clarified.

As used herein, "aerosol-generating material" refers to a material capable of generating an aerosol, and may also refer to an aerosol-forming substrate. Aerosols may contain volatile compounds. The aerosol-generating material may be solid or liquid.

For example, the solid aerosol-generating material may include a solid material based on tobacco raw materials such as leaf tobacco, cut filler, reconstituted tobacco, etc., the liquid aerosol-generating material may include nicotine, tobacco extract and/or various flavoring agents. liquid compositions based on it. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the examples listed above.

As a more specific example, the liquid aerosol-generating material may include at least one of propylene glycol (PG) and glycerin (GLY), ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol and oleic acid. It may further include at least one of one alcohol. As another example, the aerosol-generating material may further include at least one of nicotine, moisture, and a flavoring material. As another example, the aerosol-generating material may further include various additives such as cinnamon and capsaicin. The aerosol-generating material may include a material in the form of a gel or solid as well as a liquid material having high flowability. As such, the composition of the aerosol-generating material may be variously selected according to the embodiment, and the composition ratio thereof may also vary depending on the embodiment. In the following specification, "liquid phase" may be understood to refer to an aerosol-generating substance in a liquid phase.

In this specification, "aerosol-generating device" may refer to a device that generates an aerosol using an aerosol-generating material to generate an aerosol that can be directly inhaled into the user's lungs through the user's mouth. The aerosol-generating device may include, for example, a liquid-type aerosol-generating device using a liquid cartridge, and a hybrid aerosol-generating device using a liquid cartridge and a cigarette together. However, in addition, various types of aerosol-generating devices may be further included, so that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the examples listed above. Reference is made to FIGS. 4 to 6 for some examples of aerosol-generating devices.

As used herein, "puff" means inhalation of a user, and inhalation may mean a situation in which the user is drawn into the user's oral cavity, nasal cavity, or lungs through the user's mouth or nose.

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

1 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the aerosol-generating device 1 may include a battery 20 , multiple heaters 30-1 to 30-n, and a control unit 40 . However, only the components related to the embodiment of the present disclosure are illustrated in FIG. 1 . Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can see that other general-purpose components other than those shown in FIG. 1 may be further included. For example, the aerosol-generating device 1 may further include a housing constituting the exterior of the device, a vaporizer, a temperature sensor, a flow sensor, and the like. In addition, at least some of the multiple heaters 30-1 to 30-n shown in FIG. 1 may be detailed components of the vaporizer. Hereinafter, when referring to an arbitrary heater (30-1 or 30-2, ??, 30-n) or collectively calling multiple heaters (30-1 to 30-n), the reference number “30” is used. . Hereinafter, each component will be described.

The battery 20 may supply the power required for the aerosol-generating device 1 to operate. For example, the battery 20 may supply power so that the multiple heaters 30 can heat the aerosol-generating material, and may supply power necessary for the control unit 40 to operate.

In addition, the battery 20 may supply electric power required to operate electrical components such as a display (not shown), a sensor (not shown), and a motor (not shown) installed in the aerosol generating device 1 .

Next, the multi-heater 30 may heat the aerosol-generating material by electric power supplied from the battery 20 . In addition, the multi-heater 30 may include two or more heaters (eg 30-1, 30-2), and the number, shape/form, arrangement position, heating target, etc. of the heaters are variously selected according to the embodiment. can be designed

In some embodiments, the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2 may be disposed in different places to heat different aerosol-generating materials. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , the first heater 30 - 1 may be a heater that heats the liquid aerosol-generating material 11 , and the second heater 30 - 2 is the cigarette 13 . It may be a heater for heating the solid aerosol-generating material contained in the. In this case, the heating temperature of each of the heaters 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 may be set differently depending on the type of the aerosol generating material. That is, the heating temperature of the first heater 30 - 1 and the heating temperature of the second heater 30 - 2 may be different from each other. When the aerosol-generating material is a solid, the heating temperature may vary depending on the thickness of the aerosol-generating material and the constituent material. The controller 40 may control the operation of each of the heaters 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 in consideration of the heating temperature of each of the heaters 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 .

In some other embodiments, the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2 may heat the same aerosol-generating material. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3 , the first heater 30 - 1 and the second heater 30 - 2 may be heaters for heating the solid aerosol-generating material contained in the cigarette 15 . 3 illustrates that the multiple heaters 30 including the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2 are configured in multiple stages, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. When the multiple heaters 30 are configured in multiple stages, the controller 40 may sequentially operate the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2, or may operate simultaneously. As another example, the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2 may simultaneously heat the liquid aerosol-generating material.

As mentioned above, each heater 30 may be designed in various shapes/forms. The heater 30 may be a tubular heater, a plate heater, or a coil heater.

Next, the control unit 40 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device (1). For example, the control unit 40 may control the operation of the battery 20 and/or the multi-heater 30 , and may also control the operation of other components included in the aerosol-generating device 1 . The controller 40 may control the power supplied by the battery 20 , the heating temperature of the multiple heaters 30 , and the like. Also, the control unit 40 may determine whether the aerosol-generating device 1 is in an operable state by checking the state of each of the components of the aerosol-generating device 1 .

On the other hand, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the control unit 40 is a pulse width modulation (hereinafter, referred to as "PWM") or a pulse frequency modulation (hereinafter referred to as "PFM") mode to control multiple heaters 30 . For example, the controller 40 may control each of the first heater 30 - 1 and the second heater 30 - 2 in the PWM mode. In this case, the controller 40 controls the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2 to solve the problem of poor control stability due to overcurrent flowing due to overlapping on-duty sections. ) of the on-duty section and/or the duty ratio can be appropriately controlled. Through this, the control stability of the aerosol-generating device 1 can be greatly improved, and this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings below in FIG. 7 .

In some embodiments, the control unit 40 is implemented as a combination of a processor and a memory in which a program that can be executed in the processor is stored, and at least a part of control logic of the control unit 40 may be implemented in the form of a program. . In this case, the processor may control the operation of the aerosol-generating device 1 by executing a program in which the control logic is implemented. The program may include one or more instructions. The processor may be a micro controller unit (MCU), but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device 1 may further include an input unit (not shown) for receiving a user input. The input unit may be implemented as a switch or a button, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the control unit 40 may control the aerosol-generating device 1 in response to a user input received through the input unit. For example, the control unit 40 may control the aerosol-generating device 1 to generate an aerosol according to the user operating a switch or button.

Also, although not shown in FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device 1 may further include an output unit (not shown) for outputting predetermined information in a form recognizable by a user. For example, the output unit may include an LED display window, a display such as an LED lamp, a motor, a speaker, a temperature indicator, and the like, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In the present embodiment, the control unit 40 may output predetermined information through the output unit. For example, the control unit 40 recognizes information such as the remaining amount of liquid (liquid phase exhaustion), heater failure, temperature of the heater, number of puffs, remaining battery level, etc. visually (eg LED lamp blinking), auditory recognition It can transmit in a possible way (eg speaker output) and/or in a tactilely perceptible way (eg motor vibration). In some embodiments, the controller 40 may deliver information in a differential manner according to the importance of the information. For example, information such as the remaining battery level may be transmitted only in a visually recognizable way, and information such as liquid exhaustion may be transmitted simultaneously in a way that is visually and aurally (or tactile) recognizable. By doing so, information delivery for important information can be ensured. In addition, the effect of preventing the user from puffing when the liquid is exhausted is achieved, so that the problem of feeling a burnt taste during smoking can be alleviated.

The aerosol-generating device 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be designed and implemented in various forms. For example, the aerosol-generating device 1 may be implemented in a cigarette type, a liquid type or a hybrid type. Hereinafter, various implementations of the aerosol-generating device 1 will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6 . do.

4 shows a liquid aerosol-generating device 1-1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the aerosol generating device 1-1 may include a battery 20 , a control unit 40 , a vaporizer 50 , and a mouthpiece 60 . However, this is only a preferred embodiment for achieving the object of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that some components may be added or omitted as necessary. In addition, each component of the aerosol-generating device 1-1 shown in FIG. 4 represents functionally distinct functional elements, and a plurality of components are implemented in a form that is integrated with each other in an actual physical environment, or a single component. The element may be implemented in a form in which the element is divided into a plurality of detailed functional elements. Hereinafter, each component of the aerosol generating device 1-1 will be described.

The mouthpiece 60 is located at one end of the aerosol generating device 1-1, and may be in contact with the user's mouth to inhale the aerosol generated from the vaporizer 50.

Next, the vaporizer 50 may include multiple heaters 30 shown in FIG. 1 , and may generate an aerosol by heating a liquid aerosol-generating material through the heater 30 . By heating the liquid phase through multiple heaters 30, the heating performance can be improved and the amount of aerosol generated can be increased. The liquid aerosol-generating material may be stored in the liquid storage unit, and the generated aerosol may be delivered in the direction of the mouthpiece 60 through the airflow pipe.

In the art, vaporizer 50 may also be referred to as a cartomizer or atomizer. The detailed structure of the vaporizer 50 may be designed and implemented in various ways.

On the other hand, since the temperature of the aerosol is lowered in the process that the generated aerosol moves along the airflow pipe of the vaporizer 50, it may be difficult for the user to feel the warmth of the aerosol as when smoking a general cigarette, and the temperature of the aerosol lowered As this is liquefied again, a droplet or liquid overflow phenomenon may occur.

In order to prevent the above problem, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, an aerosol heating unit (not shown) may be further included between the vaporizer 50 and the mouthpiece 60 . The aerosol heating unit (not shown) may include an airflow tube that delivers the aerosol to the mouthpiece 60, and may re-heat the aerosol passing through the airflow tube. As the aerosol is heated again, the user can feel the warmth of the aerosol as when smoking a general cigarette, and the droplet or liquid spill phenomenon can be prevented as the aerosol whose temperature is lowered is liquefied again.

Also, in some embodiments, an aerosol heating unit (not shown) may heat at least a portion of the mouthpiece 60 . The aerosol heating unit (not shown) may heat at least a portion of the mouthpiece 60 so that the user feels a sense of warmth when the mouthpiece 60 is bitten in the mouth. Accordingly, not only the feeling of warmth through the aerosol, but also the feeling of warmth felt from the contact with the mouthpiece 60 may be provided to the user. In addition, a smoking experience similar to that of smoking a regular cigarette may be provided to the user.

Also, in some embodiments, the mouthpiece 60 may include a thin aluminum film surrounding at least a portion of the mouthpiece 60 . Accordingly, when at least a portion of the mouthpiece 60 is heated by the aerosol heating unit (not shown), the thermal conductivity from the aerosol heating unit (not shown) is increased, so that a feeling of warmth such as when smoking a cigarette is more It can be effectively provided to the user.

5 and 6 show hybrid aerosol-generating devices 1-2, 1-3 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. 5 illustrates an aerosol-generating device 1-2 in which a vaporizer 50 and a cigarette 70 are arranged in parallel, and FIG. 6 is an aerosol in which a vaporizer 50 and a cigarette 70 are arranged in series. The generating device 1-3 is illustrated. In such a hybrid aerosol-generating device (1-2, 1-3), multiple heaters 30 may be designed to heat only the cigarette 70, and the first heater 30-1 heats the cigarette 70 And the second heater 30-2 may be designed to be included in the vaporization unit 50 to heat the liquid aerosol generating material. In order to exclude duplicate descriptions, descriptions of the components of each of the devices 1-2 and 1-3 will be omitted.

Although not shown in the drawings, the aerosol-generating device 1 may be implemented in a cigarette type. In this case, the multiple heater 30 may be designed to heat the cigarette by being configured in multiple stages, and may be designed to respectively heat the inside and the outside of the cigarette.

So far, the aerosol-generating device 1 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure and various embodiments (1-1 to 1-3) thereof have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6 . Hereinafter, a method of controlling the aerosol generating device 1 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings below in FIG. 7 .

Unless otherwise stated, it is assumed that the control method to be described below is performed by the control unit 40 of the aerosol-generating device 1 . Therefore, when the subject of a specific step or operation is omitted in the following description, it may be understood that the corresponding step or operation is performed by the controller 40 .

In addition, in the following, for convenience of understanding, it is assumed that the multiple heater 30 is composed of two heaters 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 and the description is continued. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to clearly understand that even when the multi-heater 30 includes three or more heaters, the following description can be applied without changing the actual technical idea.

First, a multi-heater control method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10 . The first embodiment relates to a method of controlling multiple heaters 30 based on PWM control.

7 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for controlling multiple heaters according to the first embodiment. However, this is only a preferred embodiment for achieving the purpose of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that some steps may be added or deleted as needed.

As shown in FIG. 7 , the multi-heater control method may be started in step S10 of setting the control mode for the multi-heater 30 to the PWM mode. However, if the aerosol generating device 10 is implemented to control the multiple heaters 30 only by PWM, an explicit setting operation may be omitted.

In step S20, it may be determined whether the multi-heater 30 is operating. The multiple heater 30 may be operated when the power of the aerosol generating device 1 is applied or the user's puff is sensed, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In step S30 , when the multi-stage heater 30 is operating, the duty ratios of the first heater 30 - 1 and the second heater 30 - 2 may be summed. The duty ratio refers to a ratio (%) of the on-duty section in the PWM signal period, and may be used interchangeably with the term duty cycle in the art.

In step S40, it may be determined whether the sum value is equal to or greater than a threshold value. Here, the threshold may mean a value set to prevent the occurrence of battery overload or overcurrent, and may be a preset fixed value or a variable value that varies according to circumstances. For example, the threshold may be preset to 100%. As another example, the threshold value may be preset in consideration of the characteristics of the battery. As a more specific example, in the case of an unstable battery (e.g. a battery with large fluctuations in supply power (voltage)), the threshold may be set to a value less than 100%. As another example, the threshold may be a variation value that varies based on the remaining life of the battery or the degree of voltage variation. For example, when the remaining lifespan of the battery falls below the reference value or the voltage fluctuation degree becomes greater than or equal to the reference value, the threshold value may be changed to a smaller value for more stable control.

In step S50, in response to the determination that the threshold value or more, the duty ratio may be adjusted. The detailed process of this step is shown in FIG. 8 .

Referring to FIG. 8 , in step S51 , a duty ratio reduction process for the multi-stage heater 30 may be performed. That is, in this step, the sum of the duty ratios of the multi-stage heater 30 may be reduced to be less than or equal to the threshold value. For example, the duty ratio may be reduced such that the sum of the duty ratio of the first heater 30 - 1 and the duty ratio of the second heater 30 - 1 becomes a threshold value.

In this case, the duty ratio reduction values for the respective heaters 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 may be the same or different from each other. For example, the duty ratio of each of the heaters 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 may be reduced at a constant rate. As another example, the duty ratio of each of the heaters 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 may be reduced by a predetermined value. As another example, only the duty ratio of either the first heater 30 - 1 or the second heater 30 - 2 may be reduced. As another example, the reduction in the duty ratio of each of the heaters 30-1 and 30-2 is the characteristic of the heating object (eg temperature profile), the arrangement position of the heaters 30-1 and 30-2, and the heater 30- 2, 30-2) may be determined based on the effect of aerosol generation and the like.

In step S52, an amount of reduced power supply according to the reduction of the duty ratio may be calculated. For example, the sum of the duty ratios of the multi-stage heaters 30 is 120%, the duty ratios of the respective heaters 30-1 and 30-2 are equal to 60%, the threshold is 100%, and the duty ratio reduction process It is assumed that the duty ratio of the first heater 30-1 is reduced from 60% to 40% by S51. In this case, since the power supplied to the first heater 30 - 1 will be reduced by 20%, the amount of power supply reduction may be calculated as the power corresponding to the 20%.

In step S53, the operation of the DC-DC converter may be controlled based on the amount of supply power reduction. Specifically, in order to further supply power to the heater 30 by the amount of reduced supply power, a voltage input to the heater may be increased by driving a boost-type DC-DC converter. In the case of the above-described example, the DC-DC converter may be controlled to increase the voltage input to the first heater 30 - 1 . In this way, even if the duty ratio is reduced, since additional power can be provided to the corresponding heater 30 - 1 , the heating performance of the multiple heaters 30 can be guaranteed, and the aerosol-generating material is heated according to the temperature profile to improve smoking An experience may be provided to the user.

In addition, the DC-DC converter is not always driven, but may be driven only when the duty ratio reduction process S51 is performed. Accordingly, the power consumption of the DC-DC converter is minimized, and most of the power of the battery 20 is used to heat the multiple heaters 30 , so that the efficiency of the battery 20 can be increased.

The description will be continued with reference to FIG. 7 again.

In step S60 , in response to the determination that the sum of the duty ratios is less than the threshold, an additional determination as to whether the on-duty sections of the multiple heaters 30 overlap may be performed. This is because even if the sum of the duty ratios is less than the threshold value, when the on-duty sections overlap, an overcurrent may instantaneously flow and adversely affect the battery 20 .

In step S70 , in response to determining that the on-duty sections overlap, the phases of the on-duty sections may be adjusted. For example, the phases of the on-duty sections of the first heater 30 - 1 and/or the second heater 30 - 2 may be adjusted so that the on-duty sections of the multiple heaters 30 do not overlap. In order to provide more convenience of understanding, it will be described in more detail with reference to the examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 .

9 and 10 illustrate the PWM signals 81 and 83 and the battery output 85 (e.g. current value) of the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2. Specifically, FIG. 9 illustrates a case in which the PWM signals 81 and 83 of the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2 overlap, and FIG. 10 shows the two heaters 30-1 and 30-2. 30-2) exemplifies that the phase of the on-duty section of the second heater 30-2 is adjusted so that the on-duty section of the second heater 30-2 does not overlap.

As shown in FIG. 9 , it can be seen that the battery output 85 exceeds the reference line 87 as the on-duty sections of the two heaters 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 overlap. In this case, an overcurrent may occur to adversely affect the performance of the battery, or the battery protection circuit may operate to stop the operation of the aerosol generating device (e.g. 1).

On the other hand, when the phase of the on-duty section of the second heater 30 - 2 is adjusted, the output 85 of the battery 20 may stably operate below the reference line 87 .

Meanwhile, steps S30 to S70 may be repeatedly performed while the multiple heaters 30 are operating.

So far, the multi-heater control method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure has been described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10 . According to the above-described method, when controlling multiple heaters in the PWM mode, precise control can be performed so that the on-duty sections do not overlap. Accordingly, the control stability of the aerosol-generating device 1 can be ensured.

In addition, when the sum of the duty ratios exceeds the threshold, by automatically reducing the duty ratio, the problem that excessive current flows and adversely affects the battery can be prevented in advance. Accordingly, the control stability of the aerosol-generating device can be ensured, and the efficiency of the battery can be increased.

In addition, when the duty ratio is reduced and adjusted, compensation for the reduced power may be made through the DC-DC converter. Accordingly, the heating performance of the multiple heaters 3 together with control stability can be ensured.

In addition, only when the duty ratio is reduced and adjusted, since the DC-DC converter is used, the power consumed by the DC-DC converter is minimized, and the efficiency of the battery can be further increased.

Hereinafter, a method for controlling multiple heaters according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13 . The second embodiment relates to a method of controlling multiple heaters in PFM mode. Hereinafter, for clarity of explanation, content overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted, and the differences between the two embodiments will be mainly described.

11 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a method for controlling multiple heaters according to the second embodiment. However, this is only a preferred embodiment for achieving the purpose of the present disclosure, and it goes without saying that some steps may be added or deleted as needed.

11 , the multi-heater control method may be started in step S110 of setting the control mode for the multi-heater 30 to the PFM mode. However, if the aerosol-generating device 1 is implemented to control the multiple heaters 30 only by the PFM mode, an explicit setting operation may be omitted.

In step S120, it may be determined whether the multi-heater 30 is operating.

In step S130 , when the multiple heaters 30 are operating, the duty ratios of the first heater 30 - 1 and the second heater 30 - 2 may be summed.

In step S140 , it may be determined whether the sum value is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

In step S150, in response to the determination that the threshold value or more, the frequency (duty ratio) may be adjusted (reduced). In the case of the PFM mode, since the duty ratio is determined according to the frequency, it is possible to reduce the duty ratio by setting the frequency to a smaller value. For example, the frequency of the specific heater 30 may be reduced such that the sum of duty ratios of the multi-stage heater 30 is equal to or less than a threshold value.

Also, similarly to the first embodiment, in this step S150, an amount of reduced power supply according to the reduction of the duty ratio may be calculated, and the operation of the DC-DC converter may be controlled based on the amount of reduced supply power. Specifically, in order to supply more power to the heater 30 by the amount of reduced supply power, a voltage input to the heater may be increased by driving a boost-type DC-DC converter.

In step S160 , in response to the determination that the sum of the duty ratios is less than the threshold, an additional determination as to whether the on-duty sections of the multiple heaters 30 overlap may be performed. This is because even if the sum of the duty ratios is less than the threshold value, when the on-duty sections overlap, an overcurrent may instantaneously flow and adversely affect the battery 20 .

In step S170, in response to the determination that the on-duty period overlaps, the phase of the on-duty period may be adjusted. For example, the phases of the on-duty sections of the first heater 30 - 1 and/or the second heater 30 - 2 may be adjusted so that the on-duty sections of the multiple heaters 30 do not overlap. In order to provide more convenience of understanding, it will be described in more detail with reference to the examples shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 .

12 and 13 illustrate the PFM signals 91 and 93 of the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2 and the output 95 (e.g. current value) of the battery 20 . More specifically, FIG. 12 illustrates a case in which the PFM signals 91 and 93 of the first heater 30-1 and the second heater 30-2 overlap, and FIG. 13 shows the two heaters 30-1. , 30-2) exemplifies that the phase of the on-duty section of the first heater 30-1 is adjusted so that the on-duty section of the first heater 30-1 does not overlap. 13 , as the phase is adjusted, the output 95 of the battery 20 may stably operate below the reference line 97 .

Meanwhile, in the case of the PFM mode, it may be difficult to adjust the phase of the PFM signal so that the on-duty sections do not overlap when the frequencies are not in a multiple relationship. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the frequency of the multiple heaters 30 is matched or set in a multiple relationship, and then step S170 of adjusting the phase of the on-duty section may be performed. Also, in some other embodiments, after the control mode is switched to the PWM mode, a process of adjusting the phase of the on-duty section may be performed.

For reference, steps S130 to S170 may be repeatedly performed while the multi-heater 30 is operating.

So far, a method for controlling multiple heaters according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure has been described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13 . According to the above-described method, when controlling multiple heaters in the PFM mode, precise control can be performed so that the on-duty sections do not overlap. Thereby, the control stability of the aerosol-generating device can be ensured.

In addition, when the sum of the duty ratios exceeds the threshold, by automatically reducing the duty ratio, a problem that an overcurrent flows and adversely affects the battery can be prevented in advance. Accordingly, the control stability of the aerosol-generating device can be ensured, and the efficiency of the battery can be increased.

In addition, when the duty ratio is reduced and adjusted, compensation for the reduced power may be made through the DC-DC converter. Accordingly, the heating performance due to the multiple heaters together with the control stability can be ensured.

In addition, only when the duty ratio is reduced and adjusted, since the DC-DC converter is used, the power consumed by the DC-DC converter is minimized, and the efficiency of the battery can be further increased.

Finally, an exemplary circuit configuration diagram in which multiple heater control logic (method) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is implemented will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 14 . In the circuit configuration diagram illustrated in FIG. 14 , the controller 40 may correspond to the MCU 45 or may correspond to a circuit configuration including the MCU 45 , the DC-DC converter 41 and the DAC 43 . Hereinafter, it will be described with reference to FIG. 14 .

In the circuit configuration diagram illustrated in FIG. 14 , the MCU 45 may control the overall operation. For example, the MCU 45 may control the multiple heaters 30 - 1 and 30 - 2 according to the PWM mode or the PFM mode. More specifically, the MCU 45 outputs a PWM signal (or PFM signal) for controlling the multiple heaters 30-1 and 30-2, and a voltage supplied to each of the heaters 30-1 and 30-2. After reading (V1, V2), it can be converted into digital signals DA1 and DA2 of desired values and transmitted to the DAC 43 . In addition, the MCU 45 may perform a control operation according to various embodiments of the present disclosure described above.

The DAC 43 may convert the digital signals DA1 and DA2 received from the MCU 45 into analog signals FB1 and FB2 and provide them as a feedback signal of the DC-DC converter 41 .

The DC-DC converter 41 is a step-up converter and may increase the voltage input to the first heater 30 - 1 and the second heater 30 - 2 . For example, the DC-DC converter 41 generates voltages V1 and V2 corresponding to the feedback signals FB1 and FB2 input from the DAC 43 and provides them to the respective heaters 30-1 and 30-2. can do. The DC-DC converter 41 may be driven only when the duty ratio reduction process is performed, but the scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The technical idea of the present disclosure described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14 so far may be implemented as computer-readable codes on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable recording medium may be, for example, a removable recording medium (CD, DVD, Blu-ray disk, USB storage device, removable hard disk) or a fixed recording medium (ROM, RAM, computer-equipped hard disk). can The computer program recorded in the computer-readable recording medium may be transmitted to another computing device through a network such as the Internet and installed in the other computing device, thereby being used in the other computing device.

In the above, even though all components constituting the embodiment of the present disclosure are described as being combined or operated in combination, the technical spirit of the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to this embodiment. That is, within the scope of the object of the present disclosure, all of the components may operate by selectively combining one or more.

Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains may practice the present disclosure in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. can understand that there is Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The protection scope of the present disclosure should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent range should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the technical ideas defined by the present disclosure.

1, 1-1, 1-2, 1-3: aerosol generating device
20: battery
30: heater
40: control unit
50: vaporizer
60: mouthpiece

Claims (15)

a first heater;
a second heater;
a battery for supplying power to the first heater and the second heater; and
The first heater and the second heater are controlled in a pulse width modulator mode, and it is determined whether an on-duty section of the first heater and an on-duty section of the second heater overlap. and a control unit for determining and adjusting the phase of the on-duty section of the first heater so that the on-duty section does not overlap in response to the overlapping determination,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. According to claim 1,
The control unit is
The sum of the duty ratio of the first heater and the duty ratio of the second heater is calculated, and in response to determining that the sum is less than or equal to a threshold, the phase of the on-duty section of the first heater is determined. adjusted,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. According to claim 1,
The control unit is
calculating a sum of the duty ratio of the first heater and the duty ratio of the second heater, and reducing the duty ratio of the first heater in response to determining that the sum exceeds a threshold to further perform a duty ratio reduction process,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. 4. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising a step-up DC-DC converter connected to the battery and increasing the voltage input to the first heater or the second heater,
The control unit is
calculating a supply power reduction amount according to the duty ratio reduction process, and controlling the operation of the step-up DC-DC converter based on the supply power reduction amount,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. 4. The method of claim 3,
Further comprising a step-up DC-DC converter connected to the battery and increasing the voltage input to the first heater or the second heater,
The control unit is
Only when the duty ratio reduction process is performed, driving the step-up DC-DC converter,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. According to claim 1,
wherein the first heater and the second heater heat the same aerosol-generating material,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. According to claim 1,
the first heater heats a first aerosol-generating material and the second heater heats a second aerosol-generating material;
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. A method of controlling multiple heaters including a first heater and a second heater in an aerosol-generating device in a pulse width modulator mode, the method comprising:
determining whether an on-duty section of the first heater overlaps an on-duty section of the second heater; and
In response to the determination that the overlapping, comprising the step of adjusting the phase of the on-duty section of the first heater so that the on-duty section does not overlap,
Multiple heater control methods. 9. The method of claim 8,
The method further comprising calculating a sum of the duty ratio of the first heater and the duty ratio of the second heater;
The step of adjusting the phase,
in response to determining that the sum is below a threshold, adjusting the phase;
Multiple heater control methods. 9. The method of claim 8,
calculating a sum of the duty ratio of the first heater and the duty ratio of the second heater; and
In response to determining that the sum value exceeds a threshold value, further comprising the step of reducing the duty ratio of the first heater,
Multiple heater control methods. a first heater;
a second heater;
a battery for supplying power to the first heater and the second heater; and
Controlling the first heater and the second heater in a pulse frequency modulator mode, calculating a sum of the duty ratio of the first heater and the duty ratio of the second heater, In response to determining that the sum value is equal to or greater than a threshold value, comprising a control unit for adjusting the frequency of the first heater so that the duty ratio of the first heater is reduced,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. 12. The method of claim 11,
The control unit is
In response to determining that the sum value is less than the threshold, it is determined whether an on-duty section of the first heater and an on-duty section of the second heater overlap, and in response to determining that the on-duty section overlaps, turn on Adjusting the phase of the on-duty section of the first heater or the second heater so that the duty section does not overlap,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. 12. The method of claim 11,
The control unit is
It is determined whether the on-duty section of the first heater and the on-duty section of the second heater overlap, and the control mode is switched to a pulse width modulator mode in response to the determination that they overlap. doing,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. 12. The method of claim 11,
Further comprising a step-up DC-DC converter connected to the battery and boosting the voltage input to the first heater or the second heater,
The control unit is
calculating an amount of supply power reduction according to a decrease in the duty ratio of the first heater, and controlling the operation of the boost-type DC-DC converter based on the reduction amount of the supply power,
Aerosol-generating device with multiple heaters. A method of controlling multiple heaters including a first heater and a second heater in an aerosol-generating device in a pulse frequency modulator mode, the method comprising:
calculating a sum of the duty ratio of the first heater and the duty ratio of the second heater; and
In response to determining that the sum value is equal to or greater than a threshold, adjusting the frequency of the first heater to decrease a duty ratio of the first heater;
Multiple heater control methods.

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