TW202008900A - Inhalant component generating apparatus, method and program for controlling inhalant component generating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The inhalant component generation apparatus has: a first inhalant component source for generating a first inhalant component; a second inhalant component source for generating a second inhalant component; a second electric load for adjusting the amount of the second inhalant component generated from the second inhalant component source; a control unit. The control unit is configured to control the power supplied to the second electrical load based on a value related to the amount of the first inhalant component generated from the first inhalant component source.

Description

Apparatus for producing tasting ingredients, method and program for controlling apparatus for producing tasting ingredients

The invention relates to a taste component generating device for generating taste components for a user to taste, a control method and a program of the taste component generating device.

There is known an electric smoking device that can replace a cigarette. The electric smoking device is, for example, an electronic cigarette in which an aerosol source is atomized by an electric load such as a heater to generate an aerosol for smoking (Patent Document 1) And Patent Literature 2).

The smoking devices described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 have an aerosol source (eg, glycerin, propylene glycol, etc.) for generating an aerosol, and a flavor base material such as a tobacco base material that generates flavor.

The smoking device described in Patent Document 1 has: an upstream section composed of a tobacco filler or a processed tobacco filler material containing an aerosol-forming material; and a downstream section formed of a flavor and/or aerosol The material is made of polyethylene terephthalate fiber and other substrates. In Patent Document 1, an aerosol having tobacco flavor or the like is generated by passing heated air through an upstream section and a downstream section.

The smoking device described in Patent Document 2 is configured to simultaneously ingest nicotine from tobacco leaves (tobacco substrate) and smoke from an electronic cigarette of a nebulizer. The smoking device has a heater for heating the leaves of the paper roll tobacco, and a heater provided in the atomizer. Patent Document 2 describes that these heaters are individually controlled.

[Prior Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5247711.

Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2017-127300.

The first feature is intended to be a taste component generating device having: a first taste component source for generating a first taste component, a second taste component source for generating a second taste component, and adjustment A second electrical load of the amount of the second taste component (second taste component amount) generated by the second taste component source, and a control unit, the control unit configured to be generated based on the source of the first taste component The correlation value of the amount of the aforementioned first taste component (the amount of the first taste component) controls the power supplied to the second electrical load.

Here, the first tasting ingredient source may contain any of an aerosol source and a fragrance source. The second tasting ingredient source may contain either an aerosol source or a fragrance source. However, it is preferred that when the first inhalation ingredient source is one of the aerosol source and the fragrance source, the second inhalation ingredient source is the other of the aerosol source and fragrance source. In addition, the second electrical load may include any one of the electrical load for atomization and the electrical load for fragrance described below, when possible.

The second feature is intended to include the first electrical load in the taste component generating device of the first feature, the first electrical load can adjust the amount of the first taste component produced by the first taste component source, by the aforementioned The correlation value of the first taste component amount generated by a taste component source is the measured value or estimated value of the first taste component amount, the power supplied to the first electrical load, the temperature of the first electrical load, or The time to supply power to the first electrical load.

The third feature is aimed at the absorption component generating device of the second feature, wherein the aforementioned first electrical load is a temperature regulator.

The fourth feature is intended to include the temperature sensor in the taste component generating device of the first feature, which monitors the temperature of the area where the first taste component is generated, and the The correlation value of the first taste component amount is the value obtained by the aforementioned temperature sensor.

The fifth feature is intended to be in the absorption component generating device of any one of the first to fourth features, the aforementioned second electrical load is a temperature regulator.

The sixth feature is aimed at the taste component producing device of any one of the features 1 to 5, wherein the control unit suppresses the change in the amount of the second taste component with the change in the correlation value of the amount of the first taste component In a changing manner, the aforementioned second electrical load is controlled.

The seventh feature is aimed at the taste component generating device of any one of the features 1 to 6, wherein the control unit suppresses the instability of the correlation value of the second taste component with the first taste component In a variable manner, the aforementioned second electrical load is controlled.

The eighth feature is aimed at the taste component generating device of the seventh feature, the set value of the correlation value of the first taste component is configured in a variable manner, and the control unit is configured to suppress when the set value is changed The second electric load is controlled by the aforementioned method of changing the amount of the second absorption component.

The ninth feature is intended to include a flow path in the taste component producing device according to any one of the features 1 to 8, the flow path is to make at least a part of the first taste component produced by the source of the first taste component It reaches the outlet through the aforementioned second taste component source.

The tenth feature is aimed at the taste component producing device of the ninth feature, the amount of the second taste component produced by the source of the second taste component is the first taste component produced by the source of the first taste component When at least a part of passes through the second source of the second taste component, the amount of the second taste component generated by the second source of the second taste component.

The eleventh feature is aimed at the tasting component generating device of the ninth or tenth feature, wherein the first tasting component source is an aerosol source, and the second tasting component source is a flavor source that imparts a flavor component to the aerosol.

The twelfth feature is aimed at the taste component producing device of any one of the features 9 to 11, comprising: passing the first taste component through the second taste component source and leading it to the first flow path of the suction port, making the first A suction component is directed to the second flow path of the suction port without passing through the source of the second suction component, and a flow rate adjustment means for adjusting the ratio of the flow rate of the first flow path to the flow rate of the second flow path.

The thirteenth feature is aimed at the taste component production device of the twelfth feature, the control unit is configured to control the supply to the second taste component based on the target value of the amount of the second taste component generated by the source of the second taste component The electric power of the electric load and the flow rate adjustment means; the control unit does not control the aforementioned when determining that the amount of the second absorption component generated by the second absorption component source can achieve the target value by controlling the flow adjustment method The second electrical load controls the flow adjustment means.

The 14th feature is intended to include in the taste component producing device of any one of the features 1 to 8 a flow path that makes at least a part of the second taste component produced by the source of the second taste component It reaches the outlet through the aforementioned first taste component source.

The fifteenth feature is aimed at the tasting component generating device of the thirteenth or fourteenth feature, wherein the second tasting component source is an aerosol source, and the first tasting component source is a flavor source imparting a flavor component to the aerosol.

The 16th feature is aimed at the taste component generating device of the 11th or 15th feature, the set value of the associated value of the aforementioned first taste component amount is constituted in a variable manner, and the variable range of the aforementioned set value is specified in A given amount of the fragrance component is given to the value of the aerosol.

The seventeenth feature is aimed at the absorption component generating device of the eleventh feature, the second electrical load is a temperature regulator, the set value of the aerosol volume-related value is variably configured, and the control unit is composed of the The smaller the amount of aerosol produced by the aerosol source, the higher the temperature of the flavor source is controlled by controlling the temperature regulator; the lower limit of the set value is limited to the range where the flavor source will not be burned.

The eighteenth feature is aimed at the taste component producing device of the seventeenth feature, the aforementioned lower limit is variable according to the relation value of the amount of the fragrance component generated by the aforementioned fragrance source.

The 19th feature is intended to be in the absorption component generating device of the 11th or 15th feature, the set value of the aerosol amount correlation value is constituted in a variable manner, and the upper limit of the set value is specified as the aforementioned with the aerosol generation The consumption rate of the aerosol source does not exceed the supply rate of the aerosol source for atomizing the aerosol source.

The 20th feature is intended to have a plurality of modes for the user to select from in the taste component generating device of any one of the features 1 to 19, the plurality of modes being in response to the plurality of first taste component production amounts The target value is determined by a combination of a plurality of target values of the aforementioned second taste component generation amount.

The 21st feature is intended to be the taste component generating device of any one of the features 1 to 5, wherein the control unit is configured to be based on the correlation value of the amount of the first taste component produced by the first taste component source and The second electrical load is controlled by the relationship of the correlation value of the amount of the second taste component generated by the source of the second taste component.

The 22nd feature is intended to include the adjusting means for adjusting the amount of the first taste component produced by the first taste component source in the taste component producing device of the 21st feature, and the control unit is configured to control the second electrical component Both the load and the aforementioned adjustment means.

The 23rd feature is aimed at the taste component producing device of the 22nd feature, having a flow path that allows at least a part of the first taste component produced by the first taste component to pass through the second taste The ingredient source reaches the outlet, the first inhalation ingredient source is an aerosol source, the second inhalation ingredient source is a fragrance source that imparts a fragrance component to the aerosol, and the control unit is configured to control the second electrical load , Priority control of the aforementioned adjustment means to achieve a predetermined amount of aerosol and a predetermined amount of fragrance.

The 24th feature is intended to be in the taste component producing device of any one of the 21st to 23rd features, the aforementioned relationship is determined based on a predetermined function or a predetermined reference table which combines the aforementioned first taste component The correlation value of the quantity and the correlation value of the aforementioned quantity of the second taste component produced by the source of the aforementioned second taste component give relevance.

The 25th feature is intended to be in the taste component generating device of any one of the features 21 to 24, the aforementioned relationship is in response to at least one of the type of the first taste component source and the type of the second taste component source It's different.

The 26th feature is intended to be a method of controlling a taste component producing device, the taste component producing device having: a first taste component source for producing a first taste component and a second taste component for producing a second taste component A second taste component source, and a second electrical load that regulates the amount of the second taste component produced by the second taste component, the method includes the first according to the first taste component produced by the first taste component The step of controlling the power supplied to the aforementioned second electrical load by absorbing the relevant value of the amount of the component.

The 27th feature is intended to be a program that causes the taste component generating device to perform the method as the 26th feature.

10‧‧‧Power

20‧‧‧Taste sensor

21‧‧‧Body

22‧‧‧Hood

22A‧‧‧Opening

23‧‧‧ substrate

40‧‧‧ entrance

50‧‧‧Control Department

52‧‧‧Memory

100‧‧‧sucking ingredient generating device

110‧‧‧Power supply unit

111‧‧‧ Connection

120‧‧‧Atomization unit

121‧‧‧ Connection

122‧‧‧Atomizing temperature regulator

122P‧‧‧Storage

122Q‧‧‧Core

122R‧‧‧Electrical load for atomization

124‧‧‧Temperature regulator for fragrance

124R‧‧‧Fragrant electrical load

125‧‧‧ entrance

126‧‧‧Insulation

127‧‧‧Flow

128‧‧‧ First class

129‧‧‧Second flow path

130‧‧‧ Fragrance unit

131‧‧‧Cylinder

132‧‧‧filter

133‧‧‧membrane component

141‧‧‧ Suction

150, 160‧‧‧temperature sensor

200‧‧‧Input

210‧‧‧Display

730‧‧‧Flow adjustment method

731A‧‧‧The first cylindrical member

731B‧‧‧Second cylindrical member

760A, 760B through hole

E1‧‧‧ Suction port

E2‧‧‧Non-suction port

P1, P2, P3, P4 ‧‧‧ points

R1, R2, R3, R4

A‧‧‧Scheduled direction

C‧‧‧rotation axis

S100, S104, S106, S108, S110, S116, S118, S120, S301, S302, S303, S304, S305, S306, S307, S308, S309, S310, S311, S312, S313, S314

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an absorption component generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an atomizing unit according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a taste sensor according to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the flow rate adjustment means of an embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a taste component generating device.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the control in the absorption component generating device of one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the combination of the target value of the fragrance component and the target value of the aerosol amount.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the control in the taste component generating device of the embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the target value of the fragrance component and the target value of the aerosol amount.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of the control in the taste component producing device of the embodiment.

Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described. In the description of the following drawings, the same or similar symbols are attached to the same or similar parts. However, the intention should be left as an illustration only, and the ratio of each size may be different from the actual product.

Therefore, you should refer to the following description to determine the specific dimensions. In addition, there may be cases where the size relationship and the ratio are different between the drawings.

[Summary of disclosure]

The smoking device described in Patent Document 1 generates an aerosol having tobacco flavor and the like. However, the amount of tobacco flavor relative to the amount of aerosol depends on the design of the device, and it is difficult to change the amount of aerosol and the amount of tobacco flavor independently of each other.

Patent Document 2 discloses a heater for controlling the heating of tobacco leaves and a heater provided in an atomizer, respectively. However, Patent Document 2 does not specifically describe how to control such heaters.

According to one aspect, the taste component generating device includes: a first taste component source for generating the first taste component, a second taste component source for generating the second taste component, and the second suction component The taste component source generates the electrical load of the second taste component and the control unit. The control unit is configured to control the power supplied to the electrical load based on the correlation value of the amount of the first taste component generated by the first taste component source.

According to one aspect, in a method of controlling a taste component generating device, the taste component generating device has a first taste component source for generating a first taste component and a second taste component for generating a second taste component A taste component source, and a second electrical load that generates the second taste component from the second taste component source, the control method includes a method based on the first taste component generated from the first taste component source Control the step of supplying power to the aforementioned second electrical load.

An aspect of the program is to cause the absorption component generating device to perform the above method.

According to the above aspect, the power supplied to the second electrical load is controlled according to the correlation value of the amount of the first taste component produced by the first taste component source, and the second taste sample produced by the second taste component source is adjusted Ingredients. Thereby, it can be configured such that the amount of the second taste component contained in the first taste component can be suitably changed according to the amount of the first taste component. In particular, when the amount of the first taste component affects the amount of the second taste component produced by the source of the second taste component, the supply to the The electric power of the two electrical loads can be used to adjust the second absorption component appropriately.

Therefore, for example, the amount of the flavor component (second taste component) in the aerosol may be appropriately adjusted according to the correlation value of the amount of the aerosol (first taste component). As a specific example, the amount of aerosol can be increased or decreased while the amount of flavor components is kept constant. At this time, for example, when considering the surrounding people and suppressing the amount of aerosol, the amount of the fragrance component in the aerosol is also kept constant, whereby the user can still taste the desired fragrance.

Furthermore, in the smoking device described in Patent Document 2, nicotine is produced from tobacco leaves (tobacco base material), and the smoke of an electronic cigarette produced by an atomizer is added to the air containing nicotine. In other words, the smoke of electronic cigarettes is generated downstream of the place where nicotine is generated. At this time, the amount of smoke (aerosol) of the electronic cigarette depends only on the output of the heater of the atomizing section, and the amount of tobacco flavor component depends only on the output of the heater for tobacco. Therefore, Patent Document 2 does not disclose that the technical idea of adjusting the output of the heater for tobacco according to the amount of smoke of the electronic cigarette or adjusting the output of the heater of the atomizing section according to the amount of tobacco flavor components should be noted.

(Sucking ingredient generating device)

Next, a taste component generating device according to an embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing a taste component generating device according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of an atomizing unit according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a taste sensor according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the flow rate adjustment means of an embodiment. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a taste component generating device.

The tasting component generating device 100 may be a non-burning flavor inhaler for tasting aroma without accompanying combustion. The taste component producing device 100 may preferably be a portable flavor taster. The suction component generating device 100 may have a shape extending along a predetermined direction A, which is a direction from the non-suction port end E2 to the suction port end E1. At this time, the tasting component generating device 100 may include: an end E1 on one side of the mouth 141 having a taste to taste, and the other end E2 on the side opposite to the mouth 141.

The absorption component generating device 100 may have a power supply unit 110 and an atomization unit 120. The atomizing unit 120 may be configured to be attachable to and detachable from the power supply unit 110 via mechanical connection parts 111 and 121. When the atomizing unit 120 and the power supply unit 110 are mechanically connected to each other, the atomizing electrical load 122R and the fragrance electrical load 124R described later in the atomizing unit 120 are electrically connected to the power supply 10 provided in the power supply unit 110.

The atomizing unit 120 includes an aerosol source (a source of intake components) for the user to inhale, and an electrical load 122R for atomizing the aerosol source by electric power from the power supply 10.

The electrical load 122R for atomization may be an element that can adjust the amount of aerosol (amount of the absorption component) generated by the aerosol source according to the supplied electric power. For example, the electrical load 122R for atomization may be the temperature regulator 122 for atomization. As an example, the electrical load 122R for atomization constituting the temperature regulator 122 for atomization may be a resistance heating element.

Hereinafter, a more detailed example of the atomizing unit 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The atomizing unit 120 may have a storage 122P, a core 122Q, and an electrical load 122R for atomization. The storage place 122P may be configured to store a liquid aerosol source. The storage place 122P can be, for example, a porous body composed of a resin mesh or the like. The core 122Q may be a liquid holding member that transports the aerosol source from the storage place 122P to the vicinity of the electrical load 122R for atomization by the capillary phenomenon. The core 122Q may be composed of, for example, glass fiber, porous ceramic, or the like.

The electrical load 122R for atomization heats the aerosol source held in the core 122Q. The electric load 122R for atomization can be constituted by, for example, a resistance heating element (for example, a heating wire) wound around the core 122Q.

The electric load 122R for atomization may be, for example, a temperature regulator 122 such as an electric heater. Alternatively, the electrical load 122R for atomization may also be a temperature regulator having the function of heating and cooling the aerosol source held by the core 122Q.

The air flowing in through the inlet 125 through the flow path 127 passes near the atomizing electrical load 122R in the atomizing unit 120. The aerosol generated at the atomizing electrical load 122R flows in the direction of the suction port 141 together with air.

The aerosol source can be liquid at normal temperature. For example, polyols can be used as aerosol sources. The aerosol source may contain tobacco raw materials that release flavor components by heating, extracts derived from tobacco raw materials, and the like.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example of an aerosol source that is liquid at normal temperature has been described in detail, but instead, the aerosol source may be solid at normal temperature. At this time, in order to generate an aerosol from the solid aerosol source, the electric load 122R for atomization may contact or approach the solid aerosol source.

The atomizing unit 120 may include an exchangeable fragrance unit 130. The fragrance unit 130 may have a cylindrical body 131 that accommodates a fragrance source (smoke component source). The barrel 131 may contain a membrane member 133 and a filter 132 that can pass air, aerosol, and the like. A fragrance source may be provided in the space formed by the membrane member 133 and the filter 132.

The absorption component generating device 100 has flow paths 127 and 128 through which at least a part of the aerosol generated by the aerosol source passes through the flavor source and reaches the outlet. Thereby, the fragrance source in the fragrance unit 130 imparts a fragrance component to the aerosol generated by the atomizing electrical load 122R of the atomization unit 120. The fragrance component imparted to the aerosol by the fragrance source is transported to the suction port 141 of the taste component generating device 100.

The fragrance source in the fragrance unit 130 may be solid at normal temperature. In one example, the flavor source may be composed of a raw sheet of plant material that imparts a flavor component to the aerosol. As the raw material sheet constituting the flavor source, a shaped body formed by cutting tobacco materials such as cut tobacco and tobacco raw material into granules can be used. Instead, the flavor source may also be a shaped body that shapes the tobacco material into a thin sheet. In addition, the raw material sheet constituting the flavor source may be composed of plants other than tobacco (for example, mint, herbs, etc.). Spices such as menthol can also be added to the fragrance source.

The scent source can also be fluidly accommodated in the space formed by the membrane member 133 and the filter 132. At this time, since the fragrance source flows in the fragrance unit 130 during use, uneven contact between the fragrance source and the fragrance electrical load 124R is reduced, so that the fragrance component can be released stably.

Alternatively, the fragrance source may be substantially fixed in the space formed by the membrane member 133 and the filter 132. At this time, heat can be efficiently transferred from the fragrance electric load 124R to the fragrance source.

The fragrance electric load 124R provided in the atomization unit 120 may be located around the cylinder 131 of the fragrance unit 130 installed in the atomization unit 120. The electric load 124R for fragrance can be configured to adjust the amount of fragrance (a taste component) generated by the fragrance source. The fragrance electric load 124R may be an element that can adjust the amount of fragrance generated by the fragrance source in accordance with the supplied power. For example, the fragrance electric load 124R may be a temperature regulator 124 that can regulate the temperature of the fragrance source. The temperature regulator 124 may be constituted by a resistance heating element. Alternatively, the temperature regulator 124 may be a cooling element such as a Peltier element. Also, the temperature regulator 124 may be an element that can implement both heating and cooling.

A heat insulating material 126 may be provided outside the electrical load 124R for fragrance. With this, it is possible to suppress the temperature difference between the outer edge temperature of the absorption component generating device 100 and the outside air temperature from becoming excessively large. That is, it is possible to suppress the outer edge of the absorption component generating device 100 from becoming too cold or too hot. In addition, the heat insulation material 126 can also reduce the heat conduction loss of the electric load 124R for fragrance, and can adjust the temperature for energy saving.

The tasting component generating device 100 may include a mouthpiece with a mouthpiece, which has a mouthpiece for letting the user taste the ingredients. The gripping nozzle can be configured to be detachable to the atomizing unit 120 or the fragrance unit 130, or can be configured to be integral and inseparable.

Also, the suction component generating device 100, specifically, the atomizing unit 120 may have a first flow path 128 that guides the aerosol through the fragrance source and leads to the suction port 141, and guides the aerosol to the suction port 141 without passing through the fragrance source Second flow path 129. The aerosol passing through the second flow path 129 reaches the suction port 141 without being imparted with fragrance by the fragrance source. At this time, the atomizing unit 120 may include flow rate adjustment means 730 for adjusting the ratio of the flow rate of the first flow path 128 to the flow rate of the second flow path 129. The flow rate adjusting means 730 is provided between the atomizing unit 120 and the fragrance unit 130, that is, near the junction. By this, since the amount of aerosol ventilated to the fragrance source can be adjusted without depending on the amount of aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120, the total amount of aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120 is ventilated to the fragrance source At the maximum amount, the ratio of the aerosol contained in the gas reaching the suction port 141 to the flavor component can be controlled.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the flow adjustment means 730 according to an embodiment. The flow rate adjusting means 730 may have two cylindrical members 731A and 731B arranged coaxially with each other. The first cylindrical member 731A and the second cylindrical member 731B may be configured to rotate around the rotation axis C, respectively. The first cylindrical member 731A and the second cylindrical member 731B may have a through hole 760A and a through hole 760A at the rotation axis, respectively. As a result, at least a part of the aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120 flows into the first flow path 128 in the fragrance unit 130 through the through hole 760A and the through hole 760A of the flow rate adjustment means 730.

The first cylindrical member 731A and the second cylindrical member 731B may have other through holes 760B, 760B that pass around the rotation axis and penetrate in the predetermined direction A. The 760B and 760B can change the overlapping area according to the relative positional relationship between the first cylindrical member 731A and the second cylindrical member 731B in the rotation direction. That is, according to the relative positional relationship between the first cylindrical member 731A and the second cylindrical member 731B in the rotation direction, the aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120 flows into the second flow path 129 outside the fragrance unit 130. In this way, the flow rate adjustment means 730 can adjust the ratio of the flow rate of the first flow path 128 to the flow rate of the second flow path 129.

The power supply unit 110 may include the power supply 10 and the control unit 50. The control unit 50 may have a memory 52 which stores necessary information for implementing various controls required for the operation of the absorption component generating device 100. In addition, the control unit 50 may be provided with a notification unit as necessary, and the notification unit issues a notification for notifying the user of various information. The notification section may be, for example, a light-emitting element that emits light such as an LED, an element that emits sound, or a vibrator that generates vibration. Furthermore, the notification unit may be constituted by a combination of elements that emit light, sound, or vibration.

The power supply 10 accumulates the power required to operate the component generating device 100. The power supply 10 can be attached to and detached from the power supply unit 110. The power source 10 may be, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

The control unit 50 can perform various controls necessary for the operation of the absorption component generating device 100. For example, the control unit 50 can control the power supplied from the power supply 10 to the atomizing electrical load 122R and the fragrance electrical load 124R. In addition, the control unit 50 can electrically drive the flow rate adjustment means 730 automatically. For example, if the flow rate adjusting means 730 is as shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 50 rotates at least one of the first cylindrical member 731A and the second cylindrical member 731B about the rotation axis C.

The control unit 50 may include a taste detection unit that detects a user's taste request action. The tasting detection unit may be, for example, a tasting sensor 20 that detects the tasting action of the user. Alternatively, the tasting detection unit may also be, for example, a button for the user to press.

The control unit 50 generates an instruction to operate the electric load 122R for atomization and/or the electric load 124R for fragrance when the taste detection unit detects a taste request operation. The control unit 50 may be configured to change the power supplied to the atomizing electrical load 122R and the fragrance electrical load 124R according to the mode or environment specified by the user.

The control unit 50 preferably supplies power to the atomizing electrical load 122R and/or the fragrance electrical load 124R in the form of electric pulses. Thereby, the control unit 50 can control the duty supplied to the atomizing electrical load 122R and/or the fragrance electrical load 124R by adjusting the duty cycle of pulse amplitude modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM) electricity.

When electric power is supplied to the atomizing electrical load 122R, the temperature of the atomizing temperature regulator 122 rises to vaporize or atomize the aerosol source, thereby generating an aerosol. When electric power is supplied to the fragrance electric load 124R, the temperature of the fragrance temperature regulator 124 changes, and the amount of the fragrance component released by the fragrance source is changed according to the temperature.

The absorption component generating device 100 may include a temperature sensor 150 that can estimate or obtain the temperature of the aerosol source or the temperature regulator 122 for atomization, and a temperature that can estimate or obtain the flavor source or the temperature regulator 124 for flavor as needed. The temperature sensor 160.

The taste sensor 20 may be configured to output an output value that changes according to the taste of the mouth. Specifically, the suction sensor 20 may be a sensor that outputs a value (for example, a voltage value or a current value) that changes according to the air flow (that is, the user's suction action) drawn from the non-suction side to the suction side . Examples of such sensors include a condenser microphone sensor and a known flow sensor.

FIG. 3 shows a specific example of the taste sensor 20. The taste sensor 20 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a sensor body 21, a cover 22, and a substrate 23. The sensor body 21 is composed of, for example, a capacitor. The capacitance of the sensor body 21 changes according to the vibration (pressure) generated by the air sucked from the inlet 40 (that is, the air sucked from the non-suction port side to the suction port side). The cover portion 22 is provided on the suction port side of the sensor body 21 and has an opening 22A. By providing the cover portion 22 with the opening 22A, the capacitance of the sensor body 21 can be easily changed, and the response characteristics of the sensor body 21 are improved. The substrate 23 outputs a value (here, voltage value) indicating the capacitance of the sensor body 21 (capacitor).

The absorption component generating device 100 may have an input unit 200 and a display unit 210. The input unit 200 may be configured to allow a user to input various commands. The input unit 200 may be, for example, a touch panel screen or an operation key. The display unit 210 may be a screen for displaying various information to the user.

The input unit 200 can be used, for example, to select a mode described below. In addition, the input unit 200 can be used to set the target value of the generated aerosol and/or the target value of the flavor component. The control unit 50 can adjust the amount of electric power supplied to the atomizing electrical load 122R and/or the fragrance electrical load 124R in accordance with these target values.

(Control of electrical load 1)

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of control in the taste component producing device according to an embodiment. In this embodiment, the user sets the target value of the aerosol amount before starting the tasting operation (step S301). The target value A of the aerosol amount can be selected from a plurality of options (modes) or can be set by specific values. The control unit 50 determines the electric power or the amount of electric power supplied to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization in response to the target value A of the aerosol amount (step S302).

In step S301, the target value of the aerosol amount is set. Instead, the associated value of the aerosol volume can also be set. The correlation value of the amount of aerosol may be, for example, the temperature of the temperature regulator 122 for atomization, the power supplied to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization, and the time when the power is supplied to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization.

The user sets the target value Y of the flavor component (step S303). After that, the control unit 50 determines the target temperature of the fragrance temperature regulator 124 (step S304). More specifically, the control unit 50 may determine the power to be supplied to the fragrance temperature regulator 124 according to the target value A of the aerosol amount and the target value Y of the fragrance component, that is, to determine the target temperature of the fragrance temperature regulator 124 .

In addition, in step S303, the target value of the amount of the flavor component is set. Instead, the correlation value of the amount of fragrance components can also be set. The correlation value of the amount of the fragrance component may be, for example, the temperature of the fragrance temperature regulator 124, the power supplied to the fragrance temperature regulator 124, the time when the fragrance temperature regulator 124 is supplied with power, and the pair adjusted by the flow adjustment means 730 The amount of aerosol ventilated by the fragrance source is specifically the opening degree of the second flow path 129 adjusted by the flow adjustment means 730 and the like.

The amount of aroma components produced by the aerosol can vary depending on the amount of aerosol passing through the aroma source, temperature, etc. For example, the greater the amount of aerosol passing through the fragrance source, the greater the amount of fragrance components generated for the aerosol. In addition, the higher the temperature of the flavor source, the greater the amount of flavor components generated for the aerosol. Therefore, the control unit 50 determines the electric power to be supplied to the flavor temperature regulator 124 (second electric load) in accordance with the target value of the amount of aerosol (the amount of the first taste component). In this way, the amount of flavor components contained in the aerosol amount can be controlled independently of the aerosol amount.

After determining the power to be supplied to the temperature controller 122 for atomization and the power to the temperature controller 124 for fragrance, the control unit 50 estimates or measures the fragrance source or the temperature controller for fragrance after detecting the start of the tasting cycle The temperature of 124 (step S305 and step S306). The tasting cycle can be detected, for example, by the user pressing a key or the like. In addition, the tasting cycle is a state in which the temperature controller 122 for atomization and/or the temperature controller 124 for fragrance is operable due to the user's tasting operation, including one or more cycles of the user tasting operation . In addition, the tasting action refers to the action such as the user depressing a button or being attracted by a suction port.

The temperature of the fragrance source or fragrance temperature regulator 124 can be estimated or measured by the temperature sensor 160. Instead, when the fragrance temperature regulator 124 is a heater containing a resistance heating element, the control unit 50 can estimate the resistance value from the voltage drop of the resistance heating element, thereby estimating the temperature of the resistance heating element. In addition, the amount of voltage drop of the resistance heating element can be measured by a known voltage sensor.

The control unit 50 determines whether the temperature of the fragrance source or the fragrance temperature regulator 124 is further away from the target temperature T _target than the predetermined value Δ (step S307). When the temperature of the fragrance source or fragrance temperature regulator 124 is further away from the target temperature T _target than the predetermined value △, the control unit 50 supplies power to the fragrance temperature regulator 124 to maintain the fragrance source or fragrance temperature regulator 124 at The control is performed near the target temperature (step S308). The predetermined value △ is the allowable value of the temperature error, for example, set to a range of several degrees Celsius to less than 10 degrees Celsius.

In addition, when the difference between the temperature of the fragrance source or the fragrance temperature regulator 124 and the target temperature T _target is a predetermined value Δ or less, it is not necessary to supply power to the fragrance temperature regulator 124. As a result, the taste-absorbing component generating device can save electricity.

The control unit 50 determines the power supplied to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization and the power supplied to the temperature regulator 124 for fragrance, and then monitors whether the user has a tasting operation (step S309). The user's tasting action can be detected by the tasting sensor 20 described above, for example.

When the user's tasting operation is detected, the control unit 50 supplies power to the atomizing electrical load 122R (adjusting means) to heat the atomizing temperature regulator 122 (step S310). This produces an aerosol from the atomizing unit. The aerosol generated by the atomizing unit is given a fragrance by passing through a fragrance source. The user inhales the aerosol after giving the fragrance.

The control unit 50 stops supplying electric power to the atomizing electrical load 122R when detecting the end of the suction operation (step S311) (step S312). Here, the end of the tasting operation can be detected by the tacking sensor 20. Furthermore, even if the tasting operation by the user has ended, the control unit 50 may continue to supply power to the flavor temperature regulator 124 until the end of the tasting cycle, and maintain the temperature of the flavor source at the target temperature.

In addition, even when it is detected that the timing other than the end of the tasting operation is completed, the control unit 50 may stop supplying power to the atomizing electrical load 122R. For example, the user may stop supplying power to the atomizing electrical load 122R when the user continues to perform a very long tasting operation, or when the atomizing electrical load 122R or the power supply 10 is abnormal.

When detecting the end of the tasting cycle (step S313), the control unit 50 may stop supplying power to the fragrance electric load 124R (step S314). The control unit 50 can determine that the tasting cycle has ended when the user presses a predetermined key, or when a predetermined period has elapsed from the end of the previous tasting operation. Alternatively, the control unit 50 may determine that the tasting cycle has ended when a predetermined number of tasting operations have been detected in one tasting cycle, when a predetermined period has elapsed from the start of the tasting cycle.

In the aforementioned control flow, the timings of starting and ending the supply of electric power to the atomizing electrical load 122R and the fragrance electrical load 124R are different. Instead, the timing of starting and/or ending the supply of electric power to the atomizing electrical load 122R and the fragrance electrical load 124R may be the same.

In the above-mentioned step S304, the control unit 50 determines the power to be supplied to the flavor thermostat 124 (second electric load) in response to the target value of the amount of aerosol (amount of the first taste component). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit 50 may be configured to control the electric power supplied to the fragrance electric load 124R based on the correlation value of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source.

The correlation value of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source can be the measured or estimated value of the amount of aerosol, the power supplied to the electrical load 122R for atomization, the temperature of the electrical load 122R for atomization, and the electrical load for atomization The time when the 122R supplies power, the amount of power supplied to the atomizing electrical load 122R, and so on. In addition, the correlation value of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source may also be a value obtained by a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the aerosol generation area. In addition, the correlation value of the aerosol amount may be the aerosol amount itself. Even in such cases, the amount of flavor components contained in the aerosol amount can be controlled independently of the aerosol amount.

According to the control flow shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 50 is configured to control the temperature regulator 124 for the fragrance based on the relationship between the correlation value of the amount of aerosol produced by the aerosol source and the correlation value of the amount of fragrance component produced by the fragrance source .

This relationship can be determined based on a reference table that gives a correlation between the correlation value of the amount of aerosol and the correlation value of the amount of fragrance components produced by the fragrance source. That is, when the user sets the correlation value of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source and the correlation value of the amount of fragrance component generated by the fragrance source, the control unit 50 may refer to the reference table stored in the memory 52 to determine the supply Electric power for the atomizing electrical load 122R and the fragrance electrical load 124R. That is, when the user sets the correlation value of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source and the correlation value of the amount of fragrance component generated by the fragrance source, the control unit 50 can determine the supply based on the reference table stored in the memory 52 Electric power for the atomizing electrical load 122R and the fragrance electrical load 124R.

Alternatively, this relationship can also be determined by a correlation function between the correlation value of the amount of aerosol and the correlation value of the amount of fragrance components produced by the fragrance source. That is, when the user sets the correlation value of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source and the correlation value of the amount of fragrance component generated by the fragrance source, the control unit 50 can calculate the supply according to a predetermined function stored in the memory 52 Electric power for the atomizing electrical load 122R and the fragrance electrical load 124R. The predetermined function can be determined by, for example, experiments conducted in advance. Furthermore, if a predetermined function is used, the electric load 122R for atomization can be continuously determined according to any combination of the correlation value of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source and the correlation value of the amount of fragrance component generated by the fragrance source And the electric power of electric load 124R for fragrance.

The aforementioned relationship may vary according to at least one of the type of aerosol source and the type of fragrance source. Here, the types of aerosol source and fragrance source can be determined according to the composition differences of individual aerosol sources and fragrance sources. The relationship between the correlation value of the aerosol amount generated by the aerosol source and the correlation value of the fragrance component amount generated by the fragrance source may vary depending on the composition of the aerosol source and the fragrance source.

According to the above aspect, the user sets both the target value of the aerosol amount and the target value of the flavor component. At this time, it is preferable that the set value of the aerosol amount and/or the set value of the flavor component have an upper limit value and/or a lower limit value that are required.

For example, the variable range of the set value of the amount of aerosol and/or the amount of fragrance component is preferably defined based on the value of a predetermined amount of fragrance component that can be given to the aerosol. Thereby, a predetermined range of flavor components can be imparted to the aerosol without depending on the aerosol amount. Therefore, the user can taste the desired fragrance without depending on the amount of aerosol.

The upper limit of the set value of the correlation value of the flavor component amount is preferably less than the combustion temperature of the flavor source. This prevents the fragrance source from being heated above the combustion temperature of the fragrance source. Specifically, when using tobacco raw materials as a flavor source, the upper limit of the setting value of the correlation value of the flavor component amount can be specified to a value corresponding to the temperature of the flavor temperature regulator 124 of 200°C, preferably a value corresponding to 150°C .

The upper limit of the set value of the correlation value of the flavor component amount is preferably a value corresponding to the boiling point of the aerosol source or less. In this way, the temperature of the fragrance source can be maintained below the boiling point of the aerosol source. In this case, it is possible to suppress the decrease in the amount of aerosol caused by re-evaporation, diffusion, etc. of the aerosol passing through the fragrance source. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7, the upper limit of the set value of the correlation value of the flavor component amount can be changed according to the set value of the correlation value of the aerosol amount.

When the aerosol source contains a plurality of aerosol precursors, such as glycerin, propylene glycol, etc., the "boiling point of the aerosol source" may be specified as the boiling point of the largest component contained by weight in the aerosol source. Instead, the "boiling point of the aerosol source" can also be specified in the plurality of aerosol precursors, the boiling point of the component with the lowest boiling point of the single component. For example, when the aerosol source contains glycerin and propylene glycol, it can be specified as about 190°C of the boiling point of propylene glycol. In addition, when the content of glycerin is higher than that of propylene glycol, the boiling point of the aerosol source can be defined as about 250°C, which is the boiling point of glycerin.

In addition, from the viewpoint of suppressing the reduction in the amount of aerosol caused by the re-evaporation and diffusion of the aerosol, the temperature of the fragrance source is preferably maintained at about 250°C or less, or about 190°C or less, or about 100°C or less ( (Below the boiling point of water). Therefore, when determining that the temperature of the fragrance source determined by the set values of the amount of aerosol and/or fragrance component cannot be maintained at these upper limit temperatures, the control unit 50 may display an error message on the display unit 210 and warn These settings should be changed.

The lower limit of the set value of the correlation value of the flavor component amount may be, for example, a value corresponding to -10°C or higher, preferably 0°C or higher, and more preferably 10°C or higher. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the aerosol passing through the fragrance source from being aggregated in the air flow path, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in the amount of aerosol reaching the mouthpiece. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the lower limit of the set value of the correlation value of the flavor component amount may be variable depending on the set value of the correlation value of the aerosol amount.

The upper limit of the set value of the correlation value of the amount of aerosol is preferably specified so that the consumption rate of the aerosol source as the aerosol is generated does not exceed the supply rate of the aerosol source to the atomized aerosol source. In addition, in the aspect of controlling the fragrance temperature by increasing the temperature of the fragrance source as the amount of aerosol produced by the aerosol source is smaller, the lower limit of the set value of the correlation value of the aerosol amount is preferably It is specified in the range where the fragrance source will not burn. The upper limit and/or lower limit of the set value of the correlation value of the aerosol amount may be variable according to the relationship value of the amount of fragrance components generated by the fragrance source (see also FIG. 7).

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the combination of the target value of the fragrance component and the target value of the aerosol amount. The boundary line between the region R2 and the region R3 indicates the possibility that the amount of fragrance component Y and the amount of aerosol A may change when the output of the temperature controller 122 for atomization is changed without operating the temperature controller 124 for fragrance at a certain ambient temperature value. Therefore, when the user sets the fragrance component amount Y and the aerosol amount A indicated by point P2, the control unit 50 can operate the atomization temperature regulator 122 without operating the fragrance temperature regulator 124.

In addition, it is not limited to the case where the amount of fragrance component Y and the amount of aerosol A are set to correspond to points on the boundary between the region R2 and the region R3 shown in FIG. 7, even if the amount of fragrance component Y and the amount of aerosol A are set to The control unit 50 may operate the temperature controller 122 for atomization without operating the temperature controller 124 for the fragrance, corresponding to the situation within the strip line having a predetermined width from the boundary line. It should be noted here that the width of the strip line (the width in the vertical axis direction of FIG. 7) that does not need to operate the fragrance temperature regulator 124 is related to 2 of the predetermined value △ in step S307 of the control flow shown in FIG. 6 Times (2△).

In addition, the region R2 is a region where the amount of the fragrance component contained in the aerosol is larger than when the fragrance temperature controller 124 is not operated. Therefore, when the fragrance component amount Y and the aerosol amount A indicated by the point P3 are set, the control unit 50 can operate both the atomizing temperature regulator 122 and the fragrance temperature regulator 124.

The boundary between the region R2 and the region R1 represents the upper limit of the amount of aerosol and the upper limit of the amount of flavor component. The upper limit of the amount of flavor components can be set as described above. At this time, when the fragrance component amount Y and the aerosol amount A indicated by point P4 are set, the control unit 50 displays an error message on the display unit 210 to remind the user to change the setting.

Compared with the case where the temperature controller 124 for fragrance is not operated, the region R3 is a region where the amount of fragrance components contained in the aerosol is small. At this time, the required amount of fragrance component Y and the amount of aerosol A included in the region R3 can be achieved by operating the flow rate adjusting means 730. For example, if the aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120 is partially ventilated through the second flow path 129, the amount of flavor components in the aerosol can be reduced. As described above, the control unit 50 may be configured not only to control the power supplied to the flavor temperature regulator 124 based on the target value of the amount of flavor components generated by the flavor source, but also to control the flow rate adjustment means 730 based on the target value. More specifically, the control unit 50 may control both the electric power and the flow rate adjustment means 730 supplied to the fragrance temperature regulator 124 in order to generate the required fragrance component amount and aerosol amount.

In addition, the control unit 50 may control the flow rate adjustment means 730 without controlling the temperature regulator 124 for the fragrance when determining that the amount of the flavor component generated by the flavor source can be achieved by controlling the flow rate adjustment means 730. The power consumption of the flow adjustment means 730 is smaller than the power consumption of the fragrance temperature controller 124. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the amount of the flavor component by the flow rate adjusting means 730 before driving the temperature controller 124 for the flavor.

When the amount of fragrance component Y and the amount of aerosol A shown at point P1 in FIG. 7 are set, the control unit 50 can reduce the amount of aerosol ventilated in the first flow path 128 by the flow rate adjustment means 730 and use it for atomization. The temperature regulator 122 operates. Instead, when the amount of fragrance component Y is to be reduced, the fragrance source can be cooled by a temperature regulator 124 for fragrance with a cooling function.

In the foregoing example, the predetermined target value in the region R3, for example, the point P1, is realized using the flow adjustment means 730. Alternatively, the predetermined target value in the region R3 can also be realized by the fragrance temperature controller 124 having a cooling function. That is, the temperature of the fragrance source 124 can be used to reduce the temperature of the fragrance source to reduce the amount of fragrance components in the aerosol. With this, the predetermined target value in the region R3 where the proportion of the fragrance component is low relative to the aerosol amount can be achieved.

The boundary between the region R3 and the region R4 indicates the lower limit value of the amount of flavor components or the lower limit value of the amount of aerosol when the flow rate adjustment means 730 is not used. The lower limit of the amount of flavor component or the lower limit of the amount of aerosol can be set as described above. Therefore, when the amount of fragrance component Y and the amount of aerosol A included in the region R4 are set, the control unit 50 displays an error message on the display unit 210 to remind the user that the setting should be changed.

Instead, the target values of the aerosol amount and flavor component in the region R4 can be achieved by cooling using the flow rate adjusting means 730, or the combined flow rate adjusting means 730 and the flavor temperature controller 124.

For example, the control unit 50 allows most of the aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120 to be ventilated to the second flow path 129, greatly reducing the amount of aerosol ventilating to the first flow path, and greatly reducing the amount of flavor components in the aerosol. With this, the target values of the amount of aerosol and the amount of flavor components in the region R4 can be achieved.

Alternatively, the temperature of the fragrance source can be reduced by the fragrance temperature regulator 124, and the amount of aerosol vented to the first flow path can be reduced by the flow adjustment means 730 to achieve the amount of aerosol and the amount of fragrance components in the region R4 Target value.

Regarding the combination of the target value of the fragrance component and the target value of the aerosol amount in Fig. 7, in a region where the target value of the aerosol amount is small, the aerosol (smoke) discharged from the inhalation component generating device is not visible Confirmed or difficult to visually confirm. The operation mode of such a target value absorption component generating device is also called "smokeless mode". The smokeless mode can be realized by, for example, not operating the atomizing temperature regulator 122 or maintaining the heating amount of the atomizing temperature regulator 122 at a low value.

When substantially no power is supplied to both the temperature controller 122 for atomization and the temperature controller 124 for fragrance, a mode in which the aerosol amount A is 0 at the boundary between the regions R2 and R3 in FIG. 7 can be realized. That is, even in a case where electric power is not substantially supplied to both the temperature controller 122 for atomization and the temperature controller 124 for fragrance, as shown in FIG. 7, the user can taste some fragrance components. In other words, depending on the set value of the flavor component amount Y, it is possible to consider a state in which electric power is not substantially supplied to both the atomizing temperature controller 122 and the flavor temperature controller 124.

(Control of electrical load 2)

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of control in the taste component generating device of the embodiment. In the present embodiment, the unit 50 controls the amount of flavor components contained in the aerosol to be fixed. The amount of the fragrance component can be set in advance, or can be set by the user before the tasting action.

First, the user sets the target value of the aerosol amount before starting the tasting operation (step S301). The target value A of the aerosol amount can be selected from a plurality of options (modes) or can be set by specific values. The control unit 50 determines the electric power or the amount of electric power supplied to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization in response to the target value A of the aerosol amount (step S302).

Next, the control unit 50 determines the target temperature of the flavor temperature regulator 124 in response to the target value A of the aerosol amount (first taste component amount) (step S304). More specifically, based on the target value A of the aerosol amount, the control unit 50 determines the electric power to be supplied to the fragrance temperature regulator 124 so that the amount of the fragrance component generated in the aerosol becomes fixed.

The subsequent steps S305 to S314 are the same as the control flow shown in FIG. 6, so a detailed description is omitted.

Here, even when the target value of the aerosol amount is changed during the tasting cycle, the control unit 50 preferably re-controls from step S301. At this time, the control unit 50 can maintain the target value of the flavor component contained in the aerosol constant.

Figure 9 shows an example of the relationship between the target value of the fragrance component and the target value of the aerosol amount. The solid line in Fig. 9 shows the target value of the flavor component. The broken line in Fig. 9 shows the target value of the aerosol amount. As shown in FIG. 9, when the target value of the aerosol amount is changed while the target value of the fragrance component is kept constant, the temperature of the flavor source can be changed according to the changed target value of the aerosol amount, that is, the supply to The power of the thermostat 124 is used for fragrance.

In the above step S304, the control unit 50 determines the electric power to be supplied to the flavor temperature regulator 124 in response to the target value of the aerosol amount (first intake component amount). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit 50 may be configured to determine the electric power supplied to the fragrance electric load 124R based on the correlation value of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source. The correlation value of the amount of aerosol produced by the aerosol source is as described above.

In this control flow, even if the amount of aerosol is changed, the amount of fragrance components contained in the aerosol can be kept constant. Therefore, even if the amount of aerosol decreases or is exhausted with the taste, the amount of the fragrance component remains constant, so the user can taste without sacrificing the fragrance. In this way, when a person is close to the user during the scent absorption and the aerosol amount is reduced, the amount of aerosol visible can be reduced without damaging the scent.

In the control flow shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 50 performs control so that the amount of flavor components contained in the aerosol is fixed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When the set value of the aerosol amount is changed, the control unit 50 can control the fragrance electric load 124 (second electric load) in such a manner as to suppress the change of the amount of the fragrance component with the change of the aerosol-related value. ). That is, it is not necessary to keep the amount of fragrance components in the aerosol constant, and it is also possible to control in such a manner that the amount of change in fragrance components is moderated. For example, it is preferable to maintain the fragrance component within the target value within a range of ±20%, and more preferably within a range of ±10%.

Moreover, not limited to changing the set value of the aerosol amount, the control unit 50 can also control the fragrance electric load 124 (second electric load) in such a manner as to prevent the fragrance source amount from fluctuating along with the instability of the aerosol amount-related value. ).

When the control flow shown in FIG. 8 is controlled in such a way that the amount of change in the fragrance component is moderated, the control unit 50 can reduce the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source to increase the temperature of the fragrance source. Temperature regulator 124 for controlling fragrance. At this time, the lower limit of the set value of the correlation value of the aerosol amount is preferably defined, for example, within a range where the fragrance source is not burned. In addition, the upper limit of the set value of the correlation value of the aerosol amount can be determined in the same manner as described above.

(Control of electrical load 3)

Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the control in the taste component generating device of the embodiment. In this embodiment, the control unit 50 sets the value (t) of the timer to 0 before detecting the user's tasting operation (step S100). In addition, the timing of setting the value (t) of the timer to 0 may be, for example, the timing of exchanging the fragrance unit 130.

Next, the control unit 50 determines whether the user's tasting operation is detected (step S309). As described above, the control unit 50 can determine the user's taste action based on the output signal from the taste sensor 20. Instead, the control unit 50 can determine the user's tasting action by pressing the button.

If the user's tasting action is detected, the control unit 50 estimates or obtains the correlation value of the amount of flavor components generated by the flavor source (step S104). The correlation value of the amount of fragrance component generated by the fragrance source may be the measured value or estimated value of the amount of fragrance component, the temperature of the fragrance source or the temperature regulator 124 for fragrance, the electric power supplied to the electrical load for atomization, and the electrical load for atomization The temperature, or the time to supply electricity to the electrical load for atomization, etc.

In a specific example, the control unit 50 obtains the temperature of the fragrance source or the fragrance electrical load 124R, and the cumulative time of supplying electric power to the atomization electrical load 122R as the correlation value of the amount of fragrance components generated by the fragrance source. The temperature of the fragrance source or fragrance electrical load 124R can be obtained by the temperature sensor 160, for example. Instead, as described above, the temperature of the fragrance electric load 124R can be estimated from the voltage drop of the fragrance electric load 124R. In addition, the cumulative time for supplying electric power to the atomizing electrical load 122R can be measured by measuring the period during which electric power is supplied to the atomizing electrical load 122R with a timer. The cumulative time of supplying electric power to the atomizing electrical load 122R is one of specific examples for estimating the correlation value of the cumulative aerosol amount ventilating the fragrance source.

The amount of fragrance components produced by the fragrance source mainly depends on the amount of aerosol passing through the fragrance source and the temperature of the fragrance source. Even with the same amount of aerosol and the temperature of the flavor source, as the number of tasting times accumulates, the amount of flavor components released by the flavor source will gradually decrease. Therefore, the control unit 50 can estimate the amount of fragrance components produced by the fragrance source based on the temperature of the fragrance source or the fragrance electrical load 124R, and the accumulated time of electric power supplied from the atomization electrical load 122R.

Next, the control unit 50 determines the electric power or the amount of electric power supplied to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization based on the correlation value of the amount of the flavor component generated by the flavor source (step S106). For example, the control unit 50 can determine the electric power or the amount of electric power supplied to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization (second electric load) so that the estimated value of the amount of the flavor component generated by the flavor source becomes fixed.

That is, the control unit 50 can control the amount of fragrance components generated in the aerosol by adjusting the amount of aerosol generated by the atomizing unit 120. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the control unit 50 can also control the atomizing electrical load 122R in such a manner as to suppress the change or instability of the amount of flavor components. That is, it is not necessary to keep the amount of fragrance components in the aerosol constant, but it is also possible to control the amount of change in the fragrance components in a manner that moderates.

Thereafter, the control unit 50 turns on the timer (step S108), and starts supplying power to the atomizing temperature regulator 122 based on the power or the amount of power determined in step S106 (step S110). The timer can measure the cumulative time for supplying power to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization.

The control unit 50 stops supplying electric power to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization when it detects the end of the suction operation (step S311) (step S312). Thereafter, the control unit 50 stops (OFF) the timer (step S116).

In addition, the control unit 50 monitors the user's tasting operation when the value of the timer is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and repeats the steps after step S104 again when the user's tasting operation is detected.

When the value of the timer exceeds a predetermined threshold, the control unit 50 may notify the user through the notification unit that the fragrance unit should be exchanged for a new product.

(Programs and memory media)

The aforementioned flow described with reference to FIGS. 6, 8, and 10 can be executed by the control unit 50. That is, the present invention may include a program that causes the absorption component generating device 100 to execute the aforementioned method, and a memory medium that stores the program. Such a memory medium may be a non-transitory memory medium.

[Other embodiments]

The present invention has been described with the above embodiments, but it should not be construed that the present invention is limited to the discussion and drawings which are part of the disclosure. Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can reveal various alternative embodiments, examples, and operating techniques.

As can be seen from the above-described embodiments, the control unit 50 may be configured to control the power supplied to the fragrance electric load 124R based on the correlation value of the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source. Alternatively, the control unit 50 may be configured to control the power supplied to the atomizing electrical load 122R based on the correlation value of the amount of fragrance generated by the fragrance source.

In addition, in the control 2 of the electrical load described above, the control unit 50 controls such that the amount of flavor components contained in the aerosol is substantially constant. Alternatively, the control unit 50 can also control the temperature regulator for atomization and/or the temperature regulator for fragrance in such a manner that the amount of aerosol is fixed and the amount of fragrance components in the aerosol is variable. At this time, the control unit 50 may use the control of the flow rate adjustment means in combination as necessary. The control unit 50 controls, for example, such that the amount of aerosol is maintained within a target value of preferably within a range of ±20%, and more preferably within a range of ±10%. In this way, the user can enjoy the change in fragrance while the amount of aerosol is almost constant. In addition, the amount of aerosol and the amount of fragrance components are dependent on the control of the temperature regulator for atomization, the temperature regulator for fragrance, and/or the flow rate adjustment means as described above, so the control unit 50 can control these appropriately The amount of aerosol and aroma components to achieve the target.

In addition, the control of electrical loads 1 to 3 does not mention the generation of aerosol by the fragrance source, but the control unit 50 can also control the output of the temperature regulator 124R for the fragrance in such a manner that the aerosol is produced by the fragrance source. In order to generate an aerosol from the fragrance source, the output of the temperature regulator 124R for fragrance can be increased. In this case, the control unit 50 may be configured to control the electrical load 122R for atomization and the electrical load 124R for fragrance based on the relationship between the correlation value of the aerosol amount generated by the aerosol source and the correlation value of the aerosol amount generated by the fragrance source At least one of them. In addition, in accordance with the relationship between the correlation value of the aerosol amount generated by the aerosol source and the correlation value of the aerosol amount generated by the fragrance source, the control unit 50 can control both the atomizing electrical load 122R and the fragrance electrical load 124R. At this time, in order to achieve a predetermined aerosol amount and a predetermined fragrance amount, the control unit 50 is preferably configured to prioritize the atomization temperature regulator 122 (adjustment means) before controlling the fragrance temperature regulator 124 (second electrical load) ). The amount of aerosol atomized by the atomizing unit 120 will greatly affect the amount of fragrance components generated by the fragrance source. Therefore, it is preferable to preferentially control the power supplied to the temperature regulator 122 for atomization in response to the target value of the aerosol amount, and then to control the target value of the amount of fragrance component achieved by the temperature regulator 124 for fragrance .

10‧‧‧Power

20‧‧‧Taste sensor

50‧‧‧Control Department

52‧‧‧Memory

110‧‧‧Power supply unit

120‧‧‧Atomization unit

122‧‧‧Atomizing temperature regulator

124‧‧‧Temperature regulator for fragrance

150‧‧‧Temperature sensor

160‧‧‧Temperature sensor

200‧‧‧Input

210‧‧‧Display

730‧‧‧Flow adjustment method

Claims (27)

A taste component generating device having: a first taste component source for generating a first taste component; a second taste component source for generating a second taste component; a second electrical load Adjusting the amount of the second taste component (second taste component amount) generated by the second taste component source; and the control unit; the control unit is configured to be based on the The associated value of the amount of the first taste component (the amount of the first taste component) controls the power supplied to the second electrical load. The taste component generating device as described in item 1 of the patent application scope has a first electrical load, and the first electrical load can adjust the amount of the first taste component produced by the source of the first taste component; The correlation value of the first taste component amount generated by the first taste component source is the measured value or estimated value of the first taste component amount, the power supplied to the first electrical load, the temperature of the first electrical load, Or the time to supply power to the first electrical load. The taste component generating device as described in item 2 of the patent application range, wherein the first electrical load is a temperature regulator. The taste component generating device as described in item 1 of the patent application scope has a temperature sensor, and the temperature sensor monitors the temperature of the area where the first taste component is generated; generated by the source of the first taste component The correlation value of the aforementioned first taste component amount is a value obtained by the temperature sensor. The absorption component generating device according to any one of items 1 to 4 of the patent application range, wherein the second electrical load is a temperature regulator. The taste component generating device according to any one of the items 1 to 5 of the patent application range, wherein the control unit is configured to suppress the correlation between the amount of the second taste component and the amount of the first taste component The way of changing, controlling the aforementioned second electrical load. The taste component generating device according to any one of the items 1 to 6 of the patent application range, wherein the control unit suppresses the correlation value of the amount of the second taste component with the amount of the first taste component Control the aforementioned second electrical load in an unstable and variable manner. A taste component generating device as described in item 7 of the patent application range, wherein the set value of the correlation value of the amount of the first taste component is constituted in a variable manner; the control unit is configured to change the set value when the set value is changed To control the second electrical load in such a way as to suppress the change in the amount of the second absorption component. The taste component producing device according to any one of the items 1 to 8 of the patent application scope has a flow path, the flow path is to make at least the first taste component produced by the source of the first taste component A part reaches the outlet through the aforementioned second taste component source. A taste component producing device as described in item 9 of the patent application scope, wherein the amount of the second taste component produced by the second taste component source is the first suction produced by the first taste component source When at least a part of the tasting ingredients passes through the aforementioned second tasting ingredient source, the amount of the second tasting ingredient produced by the aforementioned second tasting ingredient source. The tasting component generating device according to item 9 or 10 of the patent application scope, wherein the first tasting component source is an aerosol source; and the second tasting component source is a flavor source that imparts a flavor component to the aerosol. The taste component producing device as described in any one of the items 9 to 11 of the patent application scope, includes: a first flow path, which causes the first taste component to pass through the source of the second taste component and be guided to the suction port; The second flow path is to guide the first taste component to the suction port without passing through the second taste component source; and the flow rate adjustment means to adjust the ratio of the flow amount of the first flow path to the flow rate of the second flow path. The taste component producing device as described in item 12 of the patent application range, wherein the control unit is configured to control the supply to the foregoing based on the target value of the amount of the second taste component generated by the source of the second taste component The power of the second electrical load and the flow rate adjustment means; when the control section determines that the amount of the second absorption component generated by the second absorption component source can reach the target value by controlling the flow adjustment method, The flow adjustment means is controlled without controlling the second electrical load. The taste component producing device according to any one of the items 1 to 8 of the patent application scope has a flow path, the flow path is to make at least the second taste component produced by the second taste component source A portion reaches the outlet through the aforementioned first taste component source. The tasting component generating device according to item 13 or 14 of the patent application range, wherein the second tasting component source is an aerosol source; and the first tasting component source is a flavor source that imparts a flavor component to the aerosol. The taste component generating device as described in item 11 or 15 of the patent application range, wherein the set value of the associated value of the first taste component is constituted in a variable manner; the variable range of the set value is specified in A given amount of the aforementioned flavor component can be given to the value of the aerosol. The absorption component generating device as described in item 11 of the patent application scope, wherein the second electrical load is a temperature regulator; the set value of the aerosol volume-related value is variably constituted; the control unit is based on The smaller the amount of aerosol generated by the aerosol source, the higher the temperature of the flavor source is, and the temperature regulator is controlled; the lower limit of the set value is limited to the range where the flavor source will not be burned. The taste component producing device as described in item 17 of the patent application range, wherein the lower limit is variable according to the relationship value of the amount of fragrance components generated by the fragrance source. An absorption component generating device as described in item 11 or 15 of the patent application range, wherein the set value of the aerosol volume-related value is configured in a variable manner; the upper limit of the set value is specified to be generated along with the aerosol The consumption rate of the aerosol source does not exceed the supply rate to the aerosol source where the aerosol source is atomized. The absorption component generating device as described in any one of the patent application ranges from 1 to 19 has a plurality of modes for the user to select, and the plurality of modes are a plurality of modes corresponding to the amount of generation of the first absorption component The target value is determined by a combination of a plurality of target values of the aforementioned second taste component generation amount. The taste component production device according to any one of items 1 to 5 of the patent application range, wherein the control unit is configured to be related to the amount of the first taste component produced by the source of the first taste component The relationship between the value and the associated value of the amount of the second taste component produced by the source of the second taste component controls the second electrical load. The taste component producing device as described in item 21 of the patent application scope has adjustment means for adjusting the amount of the first taste component produced by the source of the first taste component; the control unit is configured as Both the aforementioned second electrical load and the aforementioned adjustment means are controlled. The taste component generating device as described in item 22 of the patent application scope has a flow path that allows at least a part of the first taste component produced by the source of the first taste component to pass through the second suction Taste the source of ingredients and reach the outlet; the source of the first taste component is an aerosol source; the source of the second taste component is a fragrance source that imparts a fragrance component to the aerosol; the control unit is configured to control the second electrical load Prior to this, priority is given to controlling the aforementioned adjustment means to achieve a predetermined aerosol amount and a predetermined fragrance amount. The absorption component generating device according to any one of the items 21 to 23 of the patent application range, wherein the aforementioned relationship is determined according to a predetermined function or a predetermined reference table, and the predetermined function or predetermined reference table The correlation value of the taste component amount and the correlation value of the aforementioned second taste component amount generated by the aforementioned second taste component amount give a correlation. The absorption component generating device according to any one of items 21 to 24 of the patent application range, wherein the relationship is based on at least one of the type of the first absorption component source and the type of the second extraction component source Different. A method for controlling a taste component production device, the taste component production device having a first taste component source for generating a first taste component, and a second taste component source for generating a second taste component And a second electrical load that regulates the amount of the second taste component produced by the second taste component; the method includes the amount of the first taste component produced by the first taste component Related value to control the step of supplying power to the aforementioned second electrical load. A program that causes the absorption component generating device to perform the method described in item 26 of the patent application scope.

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