KR20230068948A - Aerosol generating device and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An aerosol generating device comprises: a housing including an opening through which an aerosol generating article is inserted; a heater assembly located within the housing and including a receiving space for receiving the aerosol generating article inserted through the opening; an airflow passage located between the housing and the heater assembly and fluidly connecting the outside of the aerosol generating device with the inside of the receiving space; a sensor disposed adjacent to the airflow passage; and a processor which is electrically connected to the sensor and detects pressure or temperature changes in the airflow passage through the sensor, wherein if a pressure change amount or a temperature change amount in the airflow passage is greater than a specified value, the processor may output a notification indicating that a puff motion by a user has occurred. According to the present invention, the aerosol generating device can output a notification indicating that a puff motion by a user has occurred, and thus can improve user convenience.

Description

Aerosol generating device and operating method thereof {AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF}

Embodiments relate to an aerosol generating device capable of detecting a user's puff action through a change in pressure or temperature of an airflow passage and an operating method thereof.

In recent years, demand for technology to replace a method of supplying an aerosol by burning a general cigarette is increasing. For example, an aerosol is generated from an aerosol-generating material in a liquid state or a solid state, or a vapor is generated from an aerosol-generating material in a liquid state, and then the generated vapor is passed through a solid-state flavor medium to supply an aerosol having a flavor. Research on such methods is in progress.

Recently, an aerosol generating device capable of generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating article has been proposed as a method to replace a method of supplying an aerosol by burning a cigarette. For example, the aerosol generating device may refer to a device capable of generating an aerosol by heating a liquid or solid aerosol generating material to a predetermined temperature through a heater.

In the case of using an aerosol generating device, smoking is possible without an additional product such as a lighter, and the user's smoking convenience can be improved, such as allowing users to smoke as much as they want. Recently, research on aerosol generating devices is gradually increasing. there is.

Recently, research into an aerosol generating device capable of improving user convenience by detecting a user's puff action as well as generating an aerosol by simply heating an aerosol generating article has been gradually increasing.

Conventionally proposed aerosol-generating devices generally measure the temperature of an aerosol-generating article or a heat source that heats the aerosol-generating article, and detect a user's puff action based on a change in temperature of the aerosol-generating article or heat source.

However, in an aerosol generating device that detects a user's puff action through a temperature change of an aerosol generating article or heat source, as the temperature detecting sensor is placed in a high temperature environment, a situation in which it malfunctions or is damaged by the high temperature occurs. It was difficult to accurately detect the user's puff action.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol generating device capable of detecting a user's puff action through a pressure change or temperature change of an airflow passage separated from an aerosol generating article and a heater, and an operating method thereof, thereby improving the precision of puff action detection. want to improve

The problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and problems not mentioned are clearly understood by those skilled in the art from this specification and the accompanying drawings to which the embodiments belong. It could be.

An aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment includes a housing including an opening into which an aerosol-generating article is inserted, a heater assembly located inside the housing and including a receiving space for accommodating an aerosol-generating article inserted through the opening, the housing and the heater. An air flow passage located between the assemblies and fluidly communicating the outside of the aerosol generating device with the inside of the accommodation space, a sensor disposed adjacent to the air flow passage, and electrically connected to the sensor, via the sensor, a change in pressure or temperature in the air flow passage A processor configured to detect a change may be included, and the processor may output a notification indicating that a user's puff action has occurred if the change in pressure or temperature of the airflow passage is greater than or equal to a specified value.

According to another embodiment, a method of operation of an aerosol generating device is positioned between a housing including an opening through which an aerosol generating article is inserted through a sensor and a heater assembly including a receiving space containing an aerosol generating article inserted through the opening. The process of detecting the pressure or temperature change of the airflow passage that fluidly communicates the outside of the aerosol generating device with the accommodation space, and when the pressure change amount or temperature change amount of the airflow passage exceeds the specified value, a notification indicating that the user's puff action has occurred It may include the step of outputting.

An aerosol generating device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may improve detection precision of a user's puff action by preventing malfunction or damage to a sensor due to temperature.

In addition, the aerosol generating device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may improve user convenience by outputting a notification to the user that the user's puff action has occurred.

The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments belong from this specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.
2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of components of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.
3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of some components of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a process of moving air according to a user's puff action in the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 3 .
5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of detecting a puff action of a user of an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment.
6 is a flowchart illustrating a process of detecting a user's puff action of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.
7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of some components of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of detecting a user's puff action of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 7 .
9 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

The terms used in the embodiments have been selected from general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while considering the functions in the present invention, but they may vary depending on the intention of a person skilled in the art, precedent, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in a specific case, there is also a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention, not simply the name of the term.

When it is said that a certain part "includes" a certain component throughout the specification, it means that it may further include other components without excluding other components unless otherwise stated. In addition, terms such as "-unit" and "-module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented as hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software.

As used herein, when an expression such as "at least one of" precedes an array of components, it modifies the entire array rather than individual components. 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 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 electrical resistive heater. For example, the heater may include electrically conductive tracks, and the heater may be heated when current flows through the electrically conductive tracks.

The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate heating element, a needle 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.

A cigarette may include a tobacco rod and a filter rod. Tobacco rods can be made into sheets, can be made into strands, and tobacco sheets can be made into chopped cut filler. Additionally, the tobacco rod may be surrounded by a heat conducting material. For example, the thermal conduction 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 be composed of at least one or more segments. 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, the 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 an 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 integrally formed or assembled with the main body, and may be fixed so as not to be 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 thereto, and an aerosol generating material may be injected into the cartridge while the cartridge is coupled to the main body.

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

The cartridge may perform a function of generating an aerosol by converting a phase of an aerosol-generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase by being operated by an electric signal or a radio signal transmitted from the main body. Aerosol may refer to a gas in a state in which vaporized particles and air generated from an aerosol-generating material are mixed.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may heat the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which may pass through the cigarette and be delivered to a user. That is, an aerosol generated from the liquid composition may travel along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow passage may be configured such that the aerosol passes through the cigarette and is delivered to a 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. In this case, the ultrasonic vibration method may refer to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material with ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

The aerosol-generating device may include a vibrator, and may atomize the aerosol-generating material by generating vibration of a short period through the vibrator. The vibration generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibration, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibration may be 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 disposed to surround at least one region of the vibrator or to contact at least one region of the vibrator.

As a voltage (eg, AC 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 by the wick may be converted into a gaseous 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 heat generated from the vibrator, and the aerosol-generating material whose viscosity is lowered by the ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator may be finely divided to generate an aerosol. , but is not limited thereto.

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 in an induction heating manner.

An 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 positioned inside the coil and a magnetic field is applied, the aerosol-generating article may be heated by generating heat. Also, 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 may constitute a system with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may charge the battery of the aerosol generating device. Alternatively, the heater may be heated while the cradle and the aerosol generating device are coupled.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying 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 embodied in the aerosol generating devices of various embodiments described above or 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.

1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment may include a housing 100 into which an aerosol generating article 20 may be inserted.

The housing 100 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 10 and may include an internal space (or 'placement space') in which components of the aerosol generating device 10 can be placed. In the drawings, the housing 100 is illustrated only in an embodiment in which the cross section is formed in a semicircular shape as a whole, but the shape of the housing 100 is not limited thereto. Depending on the embodiment (not shown), the housing 100 may be formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole or in a polygonal column shape (eg, a triangular column or a quadrangular column).

Components for generating an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 and components for detecting a user's puff action may be disposed in the inner space of the housing 100. A detailed description of this will be given later.

According to one embodiment, the housing 100 may include an opening 100h through which the aerosol-generating article 20 may be inserted into the interior of the housing 100 . At least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20 may be inserted or received inside the housing 100 through the opening 100h.

An aerosol-generating article 20 inserted or received inside the housing 100 may be heated inside the housing 100, resulting in an aerosol being generated. Aerosol generated inside the housing 100 may be discharged to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 10 through the inserted aerosol-generating article 20 and/or the space between the aerosol-generating article 20 and the opening 100h. and the user can inhale the aerosol emitted.

The aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment may further include a display D displaying visual information.

The display D may be disposed such that at least a portion of the area is exposed to the outside of the housing 100, and the aerosol generating device 10 may provide various visual information to the user through the display D.

For example, the aerosol-generating device 10 may provide information on whether or not a puff action of the user has occurred and/or information on the remaining number of puffs of the inserted aerosol-generating article 20 through the display D. , Information provided through the display D is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of components of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 1 taken in the direction A-A'.

Referring to FIG. 2, an aerosol generating device 10 (eg, the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 1) according to an embodiment includes a housing 100 (eg, the housing 100 of FIG. 1), a heater assembly ( 200), an airflow passage 300 and a sensor 500.

The housing 100 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 10 and may include an internal space in which components of the aerosol generating device 10 can be disposed. For example, the heater assembly 200, the airflow passage 300, and the sensor 500 may be disposed in the inner space of the housing 100, but are not limited thereto.

According to one embodiment, the housing 100 may include an opening 100h, and at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20 may be inserted (or received) into the interior of the housing 100 through the opening 100h. can Although the drawing shows an embodiment in which the opening 100h is formed in one area of the housing 100 toward the +z direction, the arrangement structure of the opening 100h is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

The heater assembly 200 is located in the inner space of the housing 100 and can generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 through the opening 100h.

According to one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 has an accommodation space 200i for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 through the opening 100h and power is supplied thereto. A heater (not shown) generating heat may be included. At least one area of the aerosol-generating article 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i may be heated by a heater, and vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol-generating article 20 may be passed through the opening 100h to the housing. An aerosol may be generated by mixing air introduced into the inner space of the 100 .

In one example, the heater of the heater assembly 200 may include an induction heating type heater. For example, the heater may include a coil (or 'electrically conductive coil') that generates an alternating magnetic field as power is supplied, and a susceptor that generates heat by the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil. The susceptor may be disposed to cover at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 to heat the inserted aerosol generating article 20 .

In another example, the heater of heater assembly 200 may include an electrical resistive heater. For example, the heater may include a film heater disposed to cover at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 . The film heater includes electrically conductive tracks, and as current flows through the electrically conductive tracks, the film heater may generate heat to heat the aerosol-generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 .

In another example, the heater of the heater assembly 200 may include at least one of a needle-type heater, a rod-type heater, and a tubular heater capable of heating the inside of the aerosol-generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100. can The aforementioned heater may be inserted into at least one region of the aerosol-generating article 20, for example, to heat the interior of the aerosol-generating article 20.

The heater is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the embodiment of the heater can be varied as long as it can heat the aerosol-generating article 20 to a specified temperature. In the present disclosure, 'designated temperature' may mean a temperature at which an aerosol generating material included in the aerosol generating article 20 may be heated to generate an aerosol. The designated temperature may be a temperature preset in the aerosol generating device 10, but the corresponding temperature may be changed according to the type of the aerosol generating device 10 and/or a user's operation.

The airflow passage 300 is located between the housing 100 and the heater assembly 200 in the inner space of the housing 100, and the outer space of the aerosol generating device 10 and the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 may be in fluid communication (or fluid connection).

According to one embodiment, the air flow passage 300 includes an air inlet 300i formed in one area (eg, one area in the +z direction) of the housing 100 in a state spaced apart from the heater assembly 200 and the heater assembly ( It may be arranged to connect the air outlet 300e formed in the accommodating space 200i of 200. For example, the air flow passage 300 may be substantially formed in a “U” shape while being spaced apart from the heater assembly 200 and may be disposed to surround the heater assembly 200, but the air flow passage 300 The shape is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

Due to the above-described arrangement structure of the airflow passage 300, the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 and the inside of the accommodation space 200i can be in fluid communication, and as a result, the air outside the aerosol generating device 10 (hereinafter, Referred to as 'external air') is introduced into the air flow passage 300 through the air inlet 300i, moves along the air flow passage 300, and passes through the air outlet 300e to the inside of the accommodation space 200i. can move to

According to one embodiment, the airflow passage 300 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 by a specified distance d, and as a result, the temperature and/or pressure of the airflow passage 300 may not be affected by heat generated from the heater of the heater assembly 200 . In the present disclosure, the 'designated distance (d)' may mean a distance in which the temperature and/or the temperature of the airflow passage 300 do not change even when heat is generated in the heater of the heater assembly 200, and the expression is the same below. meaning can be used.

The sensor 400 is disposed adjacent to the airflow passage 300 spaced apart from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 by a designated distance d, and airflow according to the user's puff action for detecting the user's puff action. A temperature change or a pressure change of the passage 300 may be detected.

In one example, the sensor 400 may include a pressure sensor for detecting a change in pressure, and a change in pressure in the airflow passage 300 according to a user's puff action may be detected through the pressure sensor. In another example, the sensor 400 may include a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature change, and a temperature change of the airflow passage 300 according to a user's puff motion may be detected through the temperature sensor.

In another example, the sensor 400 may include both a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor to detect both a pressure change and a temperature change of the airflow passage 300 according to the user's puff action, but a detailed description thereof will be described later. let it do

When the heater assembly 200 and the airflow passage 300 are disposed adjacent to each other, the temperature and/or pressure of the airflow passage 300 is increased even in the absence of a user's puff operation due to heat generated by the heater of the heater assembly 200. Changing circumstances may occur.

On the other hand, in the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment, the air flow passage 300 is spaced apart from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 by a specified distance d, so that the heater assembly 200 It is possible to improve the accuracy of puff action detection by preventing a change in temperature and/or pressure of the airflow passage 300 due to the above.

In addition, in the case of an aerosol generating device that detects a user's puff action based on a temperature change of the aerosol generating article 20 or the heater assembly 200, the sensor 400 is inevitably exposed to a high-temperature environment and the sensor 400 is inevitably exposed to a high-temperature environment. Malfunctioning or damage of 400 may occur.

On the other hand, in the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment, by disposing the sensor 400 adjacent to the air flow passage 300 spaced apart from the heater assembly 200, the sensor by heat generated from the heater assembly 200 ( 400) may be prevented from malfunctioning and/or damage, and as a result, the accuracy of detecting a user's puff action may be improved.

The aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment may further include a processor 410 and a battery 420.

The processor 410 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 10 . In one example, the processor 410 may be electrically or operatively connected to the heater of the heater assembly 200 to control the operation of the heater. In another example, the processor 410 may be electrically or operatively connected to the sensor 400 to detect a user's puff action based on a change in pressure or temperature of the airflow passage 300 detected by the sensor 400. there is. In the present disclosure, the expression 'operatively connected' may refer to a state in which components are connected to transmit and receive signals through wireless communication or to transmit and receive optical signals and/or magnetic signals. The expression may be used in the same meaning below.

According to one embodiment, the processor 410 may be disposed or mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) located in the inner space of the housing 100, and a heater of the printed circuit board and heater assembly 200 and/or It may be electrically or operatively connected to the heater and/or the sensor 400 through an electrical connection member (eg, cable, C-clip, FPCB, etc.) connecting the sensor 400 . However, the arrangement structure of the processor 410 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the arrangement structure of the processor 410 may be changed according to the embodiment.

The battery 420 may supply power necessary for the operation of the aerosol generating device 10 . For example, the battery 420 may supply power to the heater to heat the heater of the heater assembly 200 . As another example, the battery 420 may supply power necessary for the operation of the processor 410 or power necessary for the operation of the sensor 400 .

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 , a detailed configuration of the heater assembly 200 of the aerosol generating device 10 and movement of air according to a user's puff action will be described in detail.

3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of some components of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the heater assembly 200 of the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 2 in detail.

Referring to FIG. 3 , an aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment may include a housing 100, a heater assembly 200, an airflow passage 300, and a sensor 400. At least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment may be the same as or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIG. omit it.

The heater assembly 200 is located in the inner space of the housing 100, and has an accommodation space 200i for accommodating the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the inner space of the housing 100 through the opening 100h and a receiving space 200i. A heater 210 for heating the aerosol-generating article 20 accommodated in the space 200i may be included.

According to one embodiment, the heater 210 may include the coil 211 and the susceptor 212 to heat at least one area of the aerosol generating article 20 accommodated in the accommodating space 200i using an induction heating method. there is.

The coil 211 may be disposed to surround the outer circumferential surface of the susceptor 212 and may generate an alternating magnetic field through power supplied from a battery (eg, the battery 420 of FIG. 2 ).

The susceptor 212 is disposed to cover at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the aerosol generating article 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i, and can heat the aerosol generating article 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i. For example, the susceptor 212 may heat the aerosol generating article 20 accommodated in the accommodating space 200i by generating heat by an alternating magnetic field generated by the coil 211 .

However, the embodiment of the heater 210 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and according to the embodiment, the heater 210 can heat the inside and/or outside of the aerosol generating article 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i. An electrical resistive heater may be included.

According to one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 may further include an insulating structure 220 for sealing the heater 210 .

The heat insulating structure 220 is disposed to surround the heater 210 to seal the heater 210 so as to prevent droplets generated during the aerosol generation process through the heater 210 from leaking out of the heater assembly 200. By doing so, it is possible to prevent malfunction or damage to the components of the aerosol generating device 10 by the droplets.

In addition, the heat insulating structure 220 seals the heater 210 to prevent heat generated from the heater 210 from being transferred to the outer circumferential surface of the housing 100, thereby maintaining the temperature of the heater 210 at a high temperature. It is also possible to prevent high-temperature heat from being transferred to the user's body (eg, palm) holding the housing 100 .

According to one embodiment, the heat insulation structure 220 is disposed to surround one region (eg, a lower region and a side region) of the outer circumferential surface of the heater 210, and the first structure 221 and the upper end of the first structure 221 It may include a second structure 222 positioned on the heater 210 and covering another area (eg, an upper area) of the outer circumferential surface of the heater 210 . The heater 210 may be positioned in an inner space formed by the first structure 221 and the second structure 222, and the first structure 221 and the second structure 222 are positioned in the inner space. (210) can be sealed.

According to one embodiment, the second structure 222 may be coupled to at least one area of the top of the first structure 221, but is not limited thereto. In another embodiment (not shown), the first structure 221 and the second structure 222 may be integrally formed.

The airflow passage 300 is arranged to fluidly communicate the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 and the accommodating space 200i of the heater assembly 200 in a state of being spaced apart from the heater assembly 200, so that outside air flows into the accommodating space 200i. ) can act as a flow path for inflow into the interior.

According to one embodiment, the air flow passage 300 is arranged to connect an air inlet 300i formed in one area of the housing 100 and an air outlet 300e formed in the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200. can At this time, the air outlet 300e is formed to pass through at least one region of the heater assembly 200, so that the inside of the accommodating space 200i may be connected to the airflow passage 300.

External air may flow into the accommodation space 200i through the airflow passage 300 . External air introduced into the accommodation space 200i may be mixed with vaporized particles generated as the aerosol-generating article 20 is heated by the heater 210, and as a result, an aerosol may be generated.

The sensor 400 may be disposed adjacent to the air flow passage 300 to detect a temperature change or a pressure change of the air flow passage 300 . For example, the sensor 400 is located in a branched passage in a direction away from the heater assembly 200 at one point of the airflow passage 300, and the temperature or pressure change of the airflow passage 300 according to the user's puff motion. However, the arrangement structure of the sensor 400 is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

In one example, the sensor 400 may include a pressure sensor to detect a change in pressure of the airflow passage 300 according to the user's puff motion, but is not limited thereto. In another example, the sensor 400 may include a temperature sensor and detect a temperature variation of the airflow passage 300 according to the user's puff motion.

Information on the amount of change in temperature or pressure of the airflow passage 300 detected by the sensor 400 may be transmitted to a processor (eg, the processor 410 of FIG. 2 ), and the processor may transmit the airflow passage detected by the sensor 400. Based on the change in temperature or pressure in 300 , it may be detected whether a puff action of the user has occurred. However, a description of a process of detecting a user's puff action using the detection result of the sensor 400 of the processor will be described later.

According to one embodiment, the air flow passage 300 is removed from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 so that the temperature and/or pressure inside the air flow passage 300 does not change due to the heat generated by the heater 210. They may be spaced apart from each other by a designated distance (eg, the designated distance (d) in FIG. 2 ).

When the air flow passage 300 and the heater assembly 200 are disposed adjacent to each other, a situation in which the temperature and/or pressure of the air flow passage 300 changes due to heat generated from the heater 210 may occur even without a user's puff action. can In the above case, the change in temperature and/or pressure of the airflow passage 300 caused by the heat generated by the heater 210 is mistaken for a change in temperature and/or pressure of the airflow passage 300 caused by the user's puff action, and the user's A situation in which the user's puff action is detected even though the puff action has not occurred may occur.

On the other hand, in the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment, the temperature of the air flow passage 300 by the heat generated from the heater 210 through the air flow passage 300 disposed apart from the heater assembly 200 by a specified distance. and/or pressure change may be prevented, and as a result, accuracy of detecting a user's puff action may be improved.

In addition, the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment measures the temperature change of the aerosol generating article 20 to detect the user's puff action, unlike the aerosol generating device, the temperature or pressure change of the air flow passage 300 By detecting the user's puff action through, it is possible to stably detect the user's puff action without being affected by a change in the characteristics or state of the aerosol-generating article 20 according to heating.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a process of moving air according to a user's puff action in the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 3 . The aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIG. 4 may be substantially the same as or similar to the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 3 , and duplicate descriptions will be omitted below.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment detects a pressure or temperature change of the air flow passage 300 through a sensor 400, and detects a pressure or temperature change of the air flow passage 300. Based on this, the user's puff action may be detected.

When the user touches the aerosol-generating article 20 with the mouth and performs a puff action, a pressure difference is generated between the outside of the aerosol-generating device 10 and the inner space of the housing 100, so that outside air flows through the air inlet ( 300i) may be introduced into the housing 100. External air introduced into the housing 100 moves along the airflow passage 300 and may reach the air outlet 300e, and the external air reaching the air outlet 300e passes through the air outlet 300e. Thus, the heat may flow into the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200.

At this time, the external air introduced into the accommodation space 200i may be mixed with vaporized particles generated as the aerosol-generating article 20 is heated to generate an aerosol, and the user may use a puff action to create an aerosol in the accommodation space 200i. ) can be inhaled.

In the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment, the pressure or temperature change of the air flow passage 300 generated while external air moves along the air flow passage 300 by a user's puff action through the sensor 400 may be detected, and based on the detected pressure or temperature variation of the airflow passage 300, whether or not the user's puff action may be detected.

In addition, the processor may output a notification indicating that a puff action has occurred (or 'user notification') to the user based on the determination that the user's puff action has occurred.

For example, the notification may include a visual notification notifying that a user's puff action has occurred through visual information, an auditory notification and tactile information notifying that a user's puff action has occurred through auditory information (eg, sound) ( For example, vibration) may include at least one of tactile notifications that a user's puff action has occurred, but is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 , an operation of detecting a puff operation of a user of a processor and outputting a notification to the user will be described.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of detecting a puff action of a user of an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment. Hereinafter, in describing a process of detecting a user's puff action of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 5, the components of the aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and/or 3 will be described with reference to the description. .

Referring to FIG. 5 , in step 501, the aerosol generating device 10 (eg, the aerosol generating device 10 of FIGS. 2 and 3 ) according to an exemplary embodiment is connected to the sensor 400 (eg, FIGS. 2 and 3 ). A change in pressure or temperature of the air flow passage 300 (eg, the air flow passage 300 of FIGS. 2 and 3 ) may be detected through the sensor 400 of FIG.

At this time, the information about the change in temperature or pressure of the airflow passage 300 detected by the sensor 400 is sent to the processor 410 electrically or operatively connected to the sensor 400 (eg, the processor 410 of FIG. 2 ). can be sent to

In step 502, the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment compares the amount of pressure change or temperature change of the airflow passage 300 detected in step 501 with a specified value in order to detect the user's puff action. can In the present disclosure, a 'specified value' may mean a temperature change value or a pressure change value of the airflow passage 300 that is a standard for detecting a user's puff action. For example, when a user's puff action occurs, the amount of temperature change or pressure change of the airflow passage 300 may be greater than or equal to a specified value. In addition, the designated value may be a value stored in the processor 410 or a memory (not shown), and the designated value may be changed according to the type of aerosol generating device 10, use environment, or user's manipulation.

When a user's puff action occurs, a pressure drop or temperature drop in the air flow passage 300 occurs while the air in the air flow passage 300 is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 10. can happen Accordingly, the processor 410 may determine whether the pressure or change amount of the airflow passage 300 detected through the sensor 400 is equal to or greater than a specified value in order to detect the user's puff action.

In one example, the processor 410 may determine whether the pressure drop of the airflow passage 300 is greater than or equal to a specified first value in order to detect the user's puff action.

In another example, the processor 410 may determine whether the second value specified for the temperature drop of the airflow passage 300 is greater than or equal to the user's puff action. In this case, the designated second value as the standard for the temperature drop may be a different value from the designated first value as the standard for the pressure drop, but the designated first value and the designated second value may be the same value according to embodiments.

In step 503, when the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment determines that the pressure change amount or the temperature change amount of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified value in step 502, the user's puff action occurs. and a notification indicating that the user's puff action has occurred may be output.

In one example, the processor 410 may output a visual notification indicating that the user's puff action has occurred through a display (eg, the display D of FIG. 1 ) or an LED, but is not limited thereto. In another example, the processor 410 may output an audible notification that the user's puff action has occurred through a speaker or generate a vibration through a motor to output a tactile notification that the user's puff action has occurred. .

In addition, the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment calculates the remaining number of puffs of the aerosol generating article 20 based on the number of puffs of the user, and outputs a notification indicating the remaining number of puffs to the user. You may.

According to one embodiment, the processor 410 counts the number of puffs of the user when it is determined that the user's puff action has been performed, and calculates the total number of puffs of the aerosol-generating article 20 and the counted number of puffs of the user. The difference allows the number of remaining puffs of the aerosol-generating article 20 to be calculated. For example, if the total number of puffs of the pre-specified aerosol-generating article 20 is 14 and the counted number of puffs by the user is 6, the processor 410 may set the number of remaining puffs of the aerosol-generating article 20 to 8. It can be calculated, and a notification corresponding to the number of remaining puffs can be output.

In contrast, when it is determined in step 502 that the amount of change in pressure or temperature in the air flow passage 300 is less than the specified value, the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment changes the pressure or temperature by the noise of the sensor 400. is detected, or it is determined that there is no change in pressure or temperature, and steps 501 to 502 may be performed again.

6 is a flowchart illustrating a process of detecting a user's puff action of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. Hereinafter, in describing a process of detecting a user's puff action of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 6, the components of the aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and/or 3 will be described with reference to the description. .

Referring to FIG. 6 , in step 601, the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment (eg, the aerosol generating device 10 of FIGS. 2 and 3 ) operates on a sensor 400 (eg, FIGS. 2 and 3 ). A change in pressure or temperature of the air flow passage 300 (eg, the air flow passage 300 of FIGS. 2 and 3 ) may be detected through the sensor 400 of FIG.

In step 602, the processor 410 (eg, the processor 410 of FIG. 2) of the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment detects the user's puff action through the sensor 400 in step 601. It may be determined whether the amount of pressure change or temperature change of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than a specified value. Step 602 may be substantially the same as or similar to step 502 of FIG. 5 , and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

In step 603, when the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment determines that the pressure change amount or the temperature change amount of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified value in step 602, the heater 210 operates. It is possible to determine whether or not a specified time has elapsed after the start of the process.

In contrast, when it is determined in step 602 that the pressure change amount or the temperature change amount of the air flow passage 300 is less than the specified value, the other aerosol generating device 10 detects the pressure or temperature change by the noise of the sensor 400, It is determined that there is no change in pressure or temperature, and steps 601 to 602 may be performed again.

After the operation of the heater 210 starts, a preheating process for raising the temperature of the heater 210 to a temperature for heating the aerosol-generating article 20 may be performed for a designated time. In the present disclosure, 'designated time' may mean a time taken from when the heater 210 starts to operate until the preheating process ends, and the corresponding expression may be used in the same meaning below.

At this time, the pressure or temperature of the airflow passage 300 may be changed by heat generated during the preheating process of the heater 210, and as a result, the pressure or temperature of the airflow passage 300 generated during the preheating process of the heater 210. A situation in which the change is mistaken for a pressure or temperature change of the airflow passage 300 caused by a user's puff motion may occur.

The aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment determines whether the time when the pressure or temperature variation of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified value is the time when the specified time elapses after the operation of the heater 210 starts, A change in pressure or temperature of the air passage 300 generated during the preheating process may be prevented from being misinterpreted as a change in pressure or temperature of the air passage 300 caused by a user's puff action.

In step 604, the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment sets the specified time after the operation of the heater 210 starts when the pressure or temperature variation of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified value. When it is determined that the time has elapsed, a notification indicating that the user's puff action has occurred may be output.

For example, the processor 410 may perform a puff operation of the user when the time when the pressure or temperature change of the airflow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified value is the time when the specified time elapses after the operation of the heater 210 starts. It is determined that a change in pressure or temperature of the airflow passage 300 has occurred, and a notification that the user's puff action has occurred may be output. Step 604 may be substantially the same as or similar to step 503 of FIG. 5, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted below.

In step 605, the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment sets a specified time after the operation of the heater 210 starts when the pressure or temperature variation of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified value. When it is determined that the time has not elapsed, it may be determined that a change in pressure or temperature of the air flow passage 300 has occurred due to the operation of the heater 210 .

For example, when the processor 410 determines that the time when the pressure or temperature variation of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified value is the time when the specified time has not elapsed after the operation of the heater 210 starts, the heater 210 ) It is determined that the pressure or temperature of the air flow passage 300 has changed due to the heat generated in the preheating process, and the pressure or temperature change of the air flow passage 300 can be ignored.

In the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment, the pressure or temperature change of the air flow passage 300 according to the preheating operation of the heater 210 is converted into the air flow passage 300 by the user's puff operation through steps 601 to 605. It may not be mistaken for a change in pressure or temperature, and as a result, detection accuracy of the user's puff action may be improved.

7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of some components of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7 , an aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment may include a housing 100, a heater assembly 200, an airflow passage 300, and a sensor 400. An aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment may be a device in which the sensor 400 is changed from the aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIG. 3, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted below.

The sensor 400 may be disposed adjacent to the air flow passage 300 to detect a temperature change and a pressure change of the air flow passage 300 .

According to one embodiment, the sensor 400 may include a pressure sensor 401 for detecting a change in pressure of the air flow passage 300 and a temperature sensor 402 for detecting a change in temperature of the air flow passage 300. there is.

The pressure sensor 401 is located in a first passage branched in a direction away from the heater assembly 200 at one point of the air flow passage 300 and can detect a change in pressure in the air flow passage 300 according to a user's puff motion. can

The temperature sensor 402 is located in a second passage branched in a direction away from the heater assembly 200 at another point of the air flow passage 300 spaced apart from the pressure sensor 401, and the air flow passage according to the user's puff action ( 300) can detect the temperature change. However, the arrangement structure of the pressure sensor 401 and the temperature sensor 402 shown in the drawing is an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the arrangement structure of the pressure sensor 401 and the temperature sensor 402 is in the illustrated embodiment. It is not limited.

Each of the pressure sensor 401 and the temperature sensor 402 may be electrically or operatively connected to a processor (eg, the processor 410 of FIG. 2 ), and the air flow detected by the pressure sensor 401 and the temperature sensor 402 Information on the amount of pressure change and temperature change of the passage 300 may be transmitted to the processor.

The processor detects the occurrence of a puff action of the user based on the information on the amount of change in pressure and the amount of temperature change of the airflow passage 300 received from the pressure sensor 401 and the temperature sensor 402, and the puff action is generated by the user. You can print a notification that it has been done.

For example, when the change in pressure of the air passage 300 is greater than or equal to the specified first value and the amount of change in temperature of the air flow passage 300 is greater than or equal to the specified second value, the processor generates a puff action of the user to generate the air flow passage 300. It is determined that the pressure and temperature of the device have changed, and a notification indicating that the user's puff action has occurred may be output.

The notification includes, for example, a visual notification notifying that the user's puff action has occurred through visual information, an auditory notification and tactile information notifying that the user's puff action has occurred through auditory information (eg, sound) ( For example, vibration) may include at least one of tactile notifications that a user's puff action has occurred, but is not limited thereto.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8 , an operation of detecting a user's puff action and outputting a notification that a puff action has occurred to the user will be described in detail.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a process of detecting a user's puff action of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 7 . Hereinafter, in describing a process of detecting a user's puff action of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 8, the components of the aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and/or 7 will be described with reference to the description. .

Referring to FIG. 8 , in step 801, the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment (eg, the aerosol generating device 10 of FIGS. 2 and 7 ) is connected to a pressure sensor 401 (eg, the pressure of FIG. 7 ). A pressure change and a temperature change of the airflow passage 300 may be detected through the sensor 401) and the temperature sensor 402 (eg, the temperature sensor 402 of FIG. 7).

In step 802, the processor 410 (eg, the processor 410 of FIG. 2) of the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment uses the air flow passage 300 detected in step 801 to detect the user's puff action. It is possible to determine whether the pressure change amount and temperature change amount of is greater than the specified value.

When a user's puff action occurs, a pressure drop or temperature drop in the air flow passage 300 occurs while the air in the air flow passage 300 is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 10. can happen Accordingly, the processor 410 determines whether the pressure change amount of the air flow passage 300 detected by the pressure sensor 401 is equal to or greater than the specified first value, and the temperature change amount of the air flow passage 300 detected by the temperature sensor 402 is specified. It may be determined whether it is equal to or greater than the second value.

In the present disclosure, the 'designated first value' may mean the amount of pressure change in the airflow passage 300 as a criterion for detecting the user's puff motion, and when the user's puff motion occurs, the pressure change amount in the airflow passage 300 may be greater than or equal to the specified first value. In addition, the 'designated second value' may refer to the amount of temperature change of the airflow passage 300 as a criterion for detecting the user's puff motion, and when the user's puff motion occurs, the temperature change amount of the airflow passage 300 It may be equal to or greater than the specified second value.

In step 803, the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment determines in step 802 that the pressure change amount of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified first value, and the temperature change amount of the air flow passage 300 is specified. When it is determined that the value is equal to or greater than the second value, it may be determined whether or not a specified time has elapsed after the operation of the heater 210 starts.

After the operation of the heater 210 starts, a preheating process for raising the temperature of the heater 210 to a temperature for heating the aerosol-generating article 20 may be performed for a designated time. At this time, the pressure or temperature of the airflow passage 300 may be changed by heat generated during the preheating process of the heater 210, and as a result, the pressure or temperature of the airflow passage 300 generated during the preheating process of the heater 210. A situation in which the change is mistaken for a pressure or temperature change of the airflow passage 300 caused by a user's puff motion may occur.

In the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment, the time when the change in pressure of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified first value and the amount of change in temperature is greater than or equal to the specified second value is a specified time after the operation of the heater 210 starts. By determining whether the time has elapsed, it is possible to prevent the pressure or temperature change of the air passage 300 generated during the preheating process from being mistaken for the pressure or temperature change of the air passage 300 caused by the user's puff action. .

In contrast, when it is determined in step 802 that the pressure change amount of the air flow passage 300 is less than the specified first value or the temperature change amount is less than the specified second value, the other aerosol generating device 10 responds to the noise of the sensor 400. When a change in pressure or temperature is sensed, or it is determined that there is no change in pressure or temperature, steps 801 to 802 may be performed again.

In step 804, the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment controls the heater 210 when the pressure change amount of the air flow passage 300 is greater than or equal to the specified first value and the temperature change amount is greater than or equal to the specified second value. ), when it is determined that the specified time has elapsed after the operation starts, a notification that the user's puff operation has occurred may be output.

For example, the processor 410 determines when the pressure change amount of the air flow passage 300 is equal to or greater than the specified first value and the temperature change amount is equal to or greater than the specified second value, after the operation of the heater 210 starts, and a specified time period has elapsed. In the case of a point in time, it is determined that the change in pressure and temperature of the airflow passage 300 has occurred due to the user's puff action, and a notification that the user's puff action has occurred may be output.

In one example, the processor 410 may output a visual notification indicating that the user's puff action has occurred through a display (eg, the display D of FIG. 1 ) or an LED, but is not limited thereto. In another example, the processor 410 may output an audible notification that the user's puff action has occurred through a speaker or generate a vibration through a motor to output a tactile notification that the user's puff action has occurred. .

In addition, the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment calculates the remaining number of puffs of the aerosol generating article 20 based on the number of puffs of the user, and outputs a notification indicating the remaining number of puffs to the user. You may.

According to one embodiment, the processor 410 counts the number of puffs of the user when it is determined that the user's puff action has been performed, and calculates the total number of puffs of the aerosol-generating article 20 and the counted number of puffs of the user. Through the difference, the number of remaining puffs of the aerosol-generating article 20 may be calculated and a notification may be output to the user.

In step 805, the processor 410 of the aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment controls the heater 210 when the pressure change amount of the air flow passage 300 is greater than or equal to the specified first value and the temperature change amount is greater than or equal to the specified second value. ) After the operation starts, when it is determined that the designated time has not elapsed, it can be determined that the pressure or temperature change of the airflow passage 300 has occurred due to the operation of the heater 210 .

For example, after the operation of the heater 210 starts, the processor 410 determines when the pressure change amount of the air flow passage 300 is greater than or equal to a specified first value and the temperature change amount is greater than or equal to a specified second value. , When it is determined that the specified time has not elapsed, it is determined that the pressure or temperature of the air flow passage 300 has changed due to the heat generated in the preheating process of the heater 210, and the pressure or temperature of the air flow passage 300 change can be ignored.

The aerosol generating device 10 according to another embodiment converts the change in pressure or temperature of the air flow passage 300 according to the preheating operation of the heater 210 through steps 801 to 805 into the air flow passage 300 according to the user's puff action. may not be mistaken for a change in pressure or temperature. As a result, the aerosol generating device 10 can more precisely detect the user's puff action and provide accurate puff information to the user.

9 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

The aerosol generating device 900 includes a control unit 910, a sensing unit 920, an output unit 930, a battery 940, a heater 950, a user input unit 960, a memory 970, and a communication unit 980. can include However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 900 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 9 . That is, those skilled in the art can understand that some of the components shown in FIG. 9 may be omitted or new components may be further added according to the design of the aerosol generating device 900. there is.

The sensing unit 920 may detect a state of the aerosol generating device 900 or a state around the aerosol generating device 900 and transmit the detected information to the controller 910 . Based on the detected information, the controller 910 performs various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 950, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol-generating article (eg, cigarette, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, and displaying a notification, based on the detected information. The aerosol generating device 900 may be controlled.

The sensing unit 920 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 922, an insertion detection sensor 924, and a puff sensor 926, but is not limited thereto.

The temperature sensor 922 may detect the temperature at which the heater 950 (or aerosol generating material) is heated. The aerosol generating device 900 may include a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heater 950, or the heater 950 itself may serve as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 922 may be disposed around the battery 940 to monitor the temperature of the battery 940 .

Insertion detection sensor 924 can detect insertion and/or removal of an aerosol-generating article. For example, insertion detection sensor 924 can include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, a light sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, wherein the aerosol-generating article is inserted and/or The signal change as it is removed can be detected.

The puff sensor 926 may detect a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow path or airflow channel. For example, the puff sensor 926 may detect a user's puff based on any one of temperature change, flow change, voltage change, and pressure change.

In addition to the sensors 922 to 926 described above, the sensing unit 920 includes a temperature/humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (eg, GPS), It may further include at least one of a proximity sensor and an RGB sensor (illuminance sensor). Since a person skilled in the art can intuitively infer the function of each sensor from its name, a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

The output unit 930 may output and provide information about the state of the aerosol generating device 900 to the user. The output unit 930 may include at least one of a display unit 932, a haptic unit 934, and a sound output unit 936, but is not limited thereto. When the display unit 932 and the touch pad form a layer structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 932 may be used as an input device as well as an output device.

The display unit 932 may visually provide information about the aerosol generating device 900 to the user. For example, the information about the aerosol generating device 900 may include a charging/discharging state of the battery 940 of the aerosol generating device 900, a preheating state of the heater 950, an insertion/removal state of an aerosol generating article, or an aerosol generating device. This may refer to various information such as a state in which use of the device 900 is restricted (eg, detection of an abnormal item), and the display unit 932 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 932 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD) or an organic light emitting display panel (OLED). Also, the display unit 932 may be in the form of an LED light emitting device.

The haptic unit 934 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus or electrical stimulus to tactilely provide information about the aerosol generating device 900 to the user. For example, the haptic unit 934 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The audio output unit 936 may audibly provide information about the aerosol generating device 900 to the user. For example, the sound output unit 936 may convert an electrical signal into a sound signal and output it to the outside.

The battery 940 may supply power used for the operation of the aerosol generating device 900 . The battery 940 may supply power so that the heater 950 can be heated. In addition, the battery 940 includes other components provided in the aerosol generating device 900 (eg, the sensing unit 920, the output unit 930, the user input unit 960, the memory 970, and the communication unit 980). can supply the power required for operation. The battery 940 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 940 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

The heater 950 may receive power from the battery 940 to heat the aerosol generating material. Although not shown in FIG. 9 , the aerosol generating device 900 may further include a power conversion circuit (eg, a DC/DC converter) that converts power of the battery 940 and supplies it to the heater 950 . In addition, when the aerosol generating device 900 generates aerosol using an induction heating method, the aerosol generating device 900 may further include a DC/AC converter that converts DC power of the battery 940 into AC power.

The controller 910 , the sensing unit 920 , the output unit 930 , the user input unit 960 , the memory 970 , and the communication unit 980 may receive power from the battery 940 to perform their functions. Although not shown in FIG. 9 , a power conversion circuit that converts power of the battery 940 and supplies it to respective components, for example, a low dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit may be further included.

In one embodiment, heater 950 may be formed from any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials are 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. In addition, the heater 950 may be implemented as a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate on which an electrically conductive track is disposed, a ceramic heating element, etc., but is not limited thereto.

In another embodiment, the heater 950 may be an induction heating type heater. For example, the heater 950 may include a susceptor that heats an aerosol-generating material by generating heat through a magnetic field applied by a coil.

The user input unit 960 may receive information input from the user or output information to the user. For example, the user input unit 960 may include a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact capacitance method, pressure resistive film method, infrared sensing method, surface ultrasonic conduction method, integral type tension measurement method, piezo effect method, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like, but are not limited thereto. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 9, the aerosol generating device 900 further includes a connection interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) interface and is connected to other external devices through the connection interface such as a USB interface. Thus, information may be transmitted/received or the battery 940 may be charged.

The memory 970 is hardware that stores various data processed in the aerosol generating device 900, and may store data processed by the controller 910 and data to be processed. The memory 970 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (eg SD or XD memory, etc.), RAM (RAM, random access memory) SRAM (static random access memory), ROM (ROM, read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), PROM (programmable read-only memory), magnetic memory, magnetic disk , an optical disk, and at least one type of storage medium. The memory 970 may store the operating time of the aerosol generating device 900, 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 980 may include at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 980 may include a short range communication unit 982 and a wireless communication unit 984 .

The short-range wireless communication unit 982 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 (WFD) communication unit, WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, Ant+ communication unit, etc. may be included, but is not limited thereto.

The wireless communication unit 984 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, and the like. The wireless communication unit 984 may identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 900 within the communication network using subscriber information (eg, International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)).

The controller 910 may control overall operations of the aerosol generating device 900 . In one embodiment, the controller 910 may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which programs executable by the microprocessor are stored. In addition, those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which this embodiment belongs can understand that it may be implemented in other types of hardware.

The controller 910 may control the temperature of the heater 950 by controlling supply of power from the battery 940 to the heater 950 . For example, the controller 910 may control power supply by controlling switching of a switching element between the battery 940 and the heater 950 . In another example, the direct heating circuit may control power supply to the heater 950 according to a control command of the controller 910 .

The controller 910 may analyze a result detected by the sensing unit 920 and control processes to be performed thereafter. For example, the controller 910 may control power supplied to the heater 950 to start or end the operation of the heater 950 based on a result detected by the sensing unit 920 . For another example, the controller 910 controls the amount of power supplied to the heater 950 so that the heater 950 can be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the result detected by the sensing unit 920 . You can control the amount and time the power is supplied.

The controller 910 may control the output unit 930 based on a result detected by the sensing unit 920 . For example, when the number of puffs counted through the puff sensor 926 reaches a preset number of times, the controller 910 activates at least one of the display unit 932, the haptic unit 934, and the sound output unit 936. Through this, it is possible to notify the user that the aerosol generating device 900 will soon end.

In one embodiment, the controller 910 determines the power supply time and/or the heater 950 according to the state of the aerosol-generating article (eg, the aerosol-generating article 20 of FIG. 1) detected by the sensing unit 920. Alternatively, the amount of power supply can be controlled. For example, when the aerosol-generating article 20 is in an over-humidified condition, the control unit 910 controls the power supply time to the induction coil (eg, the induction coil 124 of FIG. 2 ) so that the aerosol-generating article 20 ) can increase the preheating time compared to the case of a general state.

An embodiment may be implemented in the form of a recording medium including 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 nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. Also, computer readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, 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 in a modulated data signal such as program modules, or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media.

The description of the above-described embodiments is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention will be determined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to those described in the claims will be construed as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims (15)

In the aerosol generating device,
a housing comprising an opening into which an aerosol-generating article is inserted;
a heater assembly located inside the housing and including a receiving space for accommodating an aerosol generating article inserted through the opening;
an airflow passage positioned between the housing and the heater assembly and fluidly communicating the outside of the aerosol generating device with the inside of the accommodation space;
a sensor disposed adjacent to the airflow passage; and
A processor electrically connected to the sensor and detecting a pressure change or temperature change of the airflow passage through the sensor;
Wherein the processor outputs a notification indicating that a user's puff action has occurred when the pressure change amount or the temperature change amount of the air flow passage is greater than or equal to a specified value. According to claim 1,
The air flow passage is arranged to connect an air inlet formed in one area of the housing and an air outlet formed in one area of the accommodation space;
The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein air outside the aerosol generating device is introduced into the air flow passage through the air inlet, moves along the air flow passage, and then moves into the accommodation space through the air outlet. According to claim 1,
The aerosol generating device of claim 1 , wherein the airflow passage is spaced apart from the accommodation space by a specified distance. According to claim 1,
wherein the heater assembly comprises a heater for generating an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating article inserted into the accommodation space. According to claim 4,
The heater assembly further comprises an insulating structure disposed to surround an outer circumferential surface of the heater to seal the heater and to insulate heat generated from the heater. According to claim 4,
the heater
a coil that generates an alternating magnetic field; and
and a susceptor heating an aerosol-generating article inserted into the accommodating space by generating heat by the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil. According to claim 4,
the processor,
For a specified time after operation of the heater, it is determined that the puff operation of the user does not occur even when the amount of pressure change or temperature change of the air flow passage of the air flow passage is greater than or equal to a specified value. According to claim 1,
the processor,
An aerosol generating device that outputs a notification indicating that a user's puff action has occurred when the pressure drop of the airflow passage is equal to or greater than a specified first value. According to claim 1,
the processor,
An aerosol generating device that outputs a notification indicating that a user's puff action has occurred when the temperature drop of the airflow passage is equal to or greater than a specified second value. According to claim 1,
The sensor,
a pressure sensor that detects a change in pressure in the airflow passage; and
and a temperature sensor disposed spaced apart from the pressure sensor and detecting a change in temperature of the airflow passage. According to claim 10,
the processor,
An aerosol generating device that outputs a notification indicating that a user's puff action has occurred when the pressure drop of the air flow passage is greater than or equal to a specified first value and the temperature drop of the air flow passage is greater than or equal to a specified second value. According to claim 1,
further comprising a display;
Wherein the processor displays a notification indicating that a user's puff action has occurred through the display. In the method of operating the aerosol generating device,
It is located between a housing including an opening into which an aerosol generating article is inserted through a sensor and a heater assembly including a receiving space accommodating an aerosol generating article inserted through the opening, wherein the aerosol generating device is separated from the outside of the aerosol generating device and the receiving space. detecting a change in pressure or temperature in an airflow passage communicating with the fluid; and
And outputting a notification indicating that a user's puff action has occurred when the pressure change amount or the temperature change amount of the air flow passage is greater than or equal to a specified value. According to claim 13,
In the step of outputting the notification,
If the pressure drop of the air flow passage is equal to or greater than a specified first value, outputting a notification indicating that a user's puff action has occurred. According to claim 13,
In the step of outputting the notification,
If the temperature drop of the airflow passage is equal to or greater than a specified second value, outputting a notification indicating that a user's puff action has occurred.

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