US20240324685A1 - Power supply unit for aerosol generating device, aerosol generating device, and film heater - Google Patents

Power supply unit for aerosol generating device, aerosol generating device, and film heater Download PDF

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Publication number
US20240324685A1
US20240324685A1 US18/738,088 US202418738088A US2024324685A1 US 20240324685 A1 US20240324685 A1 US 20240324685A1 US 202418738088 A US202418738088 A US 202418738088A US 2024324685 A1 US2024324685 A1 US 2024324685A1
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United States
Prior art keywords
heater
unit
power supply
conductive track
mounting portion
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Pending
Application number
US18/738,088
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English (en)
Inventor
Keiji MARUBASHI
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Japan Tobacco Inc
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Japan Tobacco Inc
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Assigned to JAPAN TOBACCO INC. reassignment JAPAN TOBACCO INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: MARUBASHI, Keiji
Publication of US20240324685A1 publication Critical patent/US20240324685A1/en
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
    • A24F40/46—Shape or structure of electric heating means
    • A24F40/465—Shape or structure of electric heating means specially adapted for induction heating
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
    • A24F40/46—Shape or structure of electric heating means
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/40—Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts
    • A24F40/42—Cartridges or containers for inhalable precursors
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/50—Control or monitoring
    • A24F40/51—Arrangement of sensors
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/20—Devices using solid inhalable precursors
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A24—TOBACCO; CIGARS; CIGARETTES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES; SMOKERS' REQUISITES
    • A24F—SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES
    • A24F40/00—Electrically operated smoking devices; Component parts thereof; Manufacture thereof; Maintenance or testing thereof; Charging means specially adapted therefor
    • A24F40/30—Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating device, and a film heater.
  • a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device such as a heating-type cigarette
  • a heater for heating a capsule or stick containing a flavor source therein is mounted.
  • WO2011/050964A discloses a film heater for heating an aerosol forming base, and the film heater includes an electrically insulating base and a conductive track disposed on the electrically insulating base.
  • the conductive track of WO2011/050964A has a high resistance temperature coefficient and can function as a heater and a temperature sensor.
  • a temperature detection unit for example, a thermistor
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating device, and a film heater in which a temperature detection unit can be provided in the film heater without separately drawing a lead wire.
  • a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device that includes:
  • an aerosol generating device that includes:
  • a film heater including a pair of electrically insulating bases and a conductive foil disposed between the pair of electrically insulating bases, the film heater includes:
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device 10 .
  • FIG. 2 is another perspective view of an aerosol generating device 10 .
  • FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the aerosol generating device 10 .
  • FIG. 4 is a left side view of an internal unit 2 .
  • FIG. 5 is a right side view of the internal unit 2 .
  • FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a heating unit 60 and a circuit unit 70 of the internal unit 2 .
  • FIG. 7 is a view showing a front surface 201 of a main substrate 20 .
  • FIG. 8 is a view showing a back surface 202 of the main substrate 20 .
  • FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the heating unit 60 and a flow path forming member 19 shown in FIG. 6 .
  • FIG. 10 is a developed view of a heater FPC 24 integrally formed with a sheet heater HTR.
  • FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the heater FPC 24 and the sheet heater HTR.
  • FIG. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a line A-A in FIG. 10 .
  • An aerosol generating device 10 is a device for generating flavored aerosol without combustion and inhaling the generated aerosol.
  • the aerosol generating device 10 preferably has a size that fits in hands, and for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , has a rounded, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.
  • the shape of the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited thereto, and may be a bar shape, an egg shape, or the like.
  • three directions orthogonal to one another in the aerosol generating device 10 are referred to as an upper-lower direction, a front-rear direction, and a left-right direction in descending order of length. In the following description, for convenience, as shown in FIGS.
  • a front side is denoted by Fr
  • a rear side is denoted by Rr
  • a left side is denoted by L
  • a right side is denoted by R
  • an upper side is denoted by U
  • a lower side is denoted by D.
  • the aerosol generating device 10 includes a power supply unit 100 , a first cartridge 110 , and a second cartridge 120 .
  • the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 are attachable to and detachable from the power supply unit 100 .
  • the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 are replaceable.
  • the power supply unit 100 includes an internal unit 2 and a case 3 , and at least a part of the internal unit 2 is accommodated in the case 3 .
  • the case 3 includes a first case 3 A and a second case 3 B that are detachable in the left-right direction (thickness direction), the first case 3 A and the second case 3 B are assembled in the left-right direction (thickness direction), thereby forming a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, and a right surface of the power supply unit 100 .
  • the first case 3 A is supported on a left surface of a chassis 50 to be described later included in the internal unit 2
  • the second case 3 B is supported on a right surface of the chassis 50
  • the internal unit 2 is accommodated in the case 3 .
  • a capsule holder 4 is provided on a front side on the upper surface of the power supply unit 100 .
  • the capsule holder 4 is provided with an opening portion 4 a that is opened upward.
  • the capsule holder 4 is configured such that the second cartridge 120 can be inserted through the opening portion 4 a.
  • a mouth piece 130 is detachably provided.
  • the upper surface of the power supply unit 100 is formed by an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) cover 5 disposed behind the opening portion 4 a, and the lower surface of the power supply unit 100 is formed by a pivotable lower lid 7 and a lower cover 8 provided with a charging terminal 1 .
  • OLED organic light-emitting diode
  • An inclined surface inclined downward toward the rear is provided between the upper surface and the rear surface of the power supply unit 100 .
  • the inclined surface is provided with an operation unit operable by a user.
  • the operation unit of the present embodiment is a button-type switch BT, but may be implemented by a touch panel or the like.
  • the operation unit is used to start/shut off/operate a micro controller unit (MCU) 6 and various sensors, which will be described later, based on a use intention of the user.
  • MCU micro controller unit
  • the charging terminal 1 accessible from the lower cover 8 is configured to be electrically connected to an external power supply (not shown) capable of supplying electric power to the power supply unit 100 to charge a power supply ba provided in a battery pack BP.
  • the charging terminal 1 is, for example, a receptacle into which a mating plug can be inserted.
  • a receptacle into which various USB terminals or the like can be inserted can be used.
  • the charging terminal 1 is a USB Type-C receptacle.
  • the charging terminal 1 may include, for example, a power receiving coil, and may be configured to receive, in a non-contact manner, electric power transmitted from the external power supply.
  • a wireless power transfer method in this case may be an electromagnetic induction type, a magnetic resonance type, or a combination of the electromagnetic induction type and the magnetic resonance type.
  • the charging terminal 1 may be connectable to various USB terminals or the like, and may include the above-described power receiving coil.
  • the internal unit 2 includes the battery pack BP, the chassis 50 , a heating unit 60 , a circuit unit 70 , a notification unit, and various sensors.
  • the chassis 50 includes a cylindrical cartridge holding portion 51 located on a front side, a half-cylindrical battery holding portion 52 located on a rear side and having a left side cut out, a plate-shaped coupling portion 53 coupling the cartridge holding portion 51 and the battery holding portion 52 , a motor holding portion 54 provided below and on a right side of the coupling portion 53 in a manner of straddling the cartridge holding portion 51 and the battery holding portion 52 , and a sensor holding portion 55 provided on a left rear side of the cartridge holding portion 51 .
  • the first cartridge 110 is inserted into the cartridge holding portion 51 from below in a state where the lower lid 7 is opened.
  • the lower lid 7 is closed in a state where the first cartridge 110 is inserted, the first cartridge 110 is accommodated in the cartridge holding portion 51 .
  • the capsule holder 4 is attached to an upper portion of the cartridge holding portion 51 .
  • a vertically long through hole is provided on a front side, and a remaining amount of an aerosol source of the first cartridge 110 and light of a light emitting diode (LED) that is not shown can be visually observed through a remaining amount confirmation window 3 w provided at a joint of the first case 3 A and the second case 3 B.
  • the LED is provided on a puff sensor substrate 21 to be described later.
  • the first cartridge 110 will be described later.
  • the battery pack BP is disposed in the battery holding portion 52 .
  • the battery pack BP includes the power supply ba and a power supply thermistor for detecting a temperature of the power supply ba.
  • the power supply ba is a chargeable secondary battery, an electric double-layer capacitor, or the like, and is preferably a lithium ion secondary battery.
  • An electrolyte of the power supply ba may be constituted by one or a combination of a gel electrolyte, an electrolytic solution, a solid electrolyte, and an ionic liquid.
  • a vibration motor 13 is disposed in the motor holding portion 54 .
  • An inhalation sensor 15 to be described later which provides an output in response to an inhalation operation (puff operation) of the user, is disposed in the sensor holding portion 55 .
  • the heating unit 60 includes a cylindrical heat transfer tube 61 and a sheet heater HTR wound around an outer periphery of the heat transfer tube 61 .
  • the capsule holder 4 is separately provided around the sheet heater HTR.
  • An air layer between the capsule holder 4 and the sheet heater HTR functions as a heat insulator.
  • a lower portion of the second cartridge 120 inserted from the opening portion 4 a of the capsule holder 4 is accommodated in the heat transfer tube 61 , and a lower portion of the second cartridge 120 is heated by the sheet heater HTR. Accordingly, as compared with a case where the heating unit 60 is not provided, a flavor source stored in the second cartridge 120 easily releases a flavor, so that the aerosol is easily flavored.
  • the heat transfer tube 61 corresponds to a “tubular accommodating portion” in the present invention
  • the sheet heater HTR corresponds to a “film heater” in the present invention.
  • the heating unit 60 may be an element capable of heating the second cartridge 120 .
  • the element include a resistance heating element.
  • a resistance heating element for example, a heating element having a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) characteristic in which a resistance value increases with an increase in temperature is preferably used.
  • a heating element having a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) characteristic in which the resistance value decreases with an increase in temperature may be used.
  • the heating unit 60 has a function of defining a flow path of air to be supplied to the second cartridge 120 and a function of heating the second cartridge 120 .
  • the notification unit notifies various kinds of information such as a charging state of the power supply ba, a remaining amount of the first cartridge 110 , and a remaining amount of the second cartridge 120 .
  • the notification unit of the present embodiment includes the LED and the vibration motor 13 .
  • the notification unit may be implemented by a light emitting element such as the LED, a vibration element such as the vibration motor 13 , or a sound output element.
  • the notification unit may be a combination of two or more elements among the light emitting element, the vibration element, and the sound output element.
  • the various sensors include the inhalation sensor 15 that detects the puff operation (inhalation operation) of the user, a heater temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the sheet heater HTR, and the like.
  • the inhalation sensor 15 includes, for example, a capacitor microphone, a pressure sensor, and a flow rate sensor. A plurality of inhalation sensors 15 may be disposed apart from each other, and the puff operation may be detected based on a difference between output values of the inhalation sensors 15 .
  • the heater temperature sensor includes, for example, a first thermistor th 1 and a second thermistor th 2 . The first thermistor th 1 and the second thermistor th 2 are in contact with the sheet heater HTR.
  • the heater temperature sensor includes two thermistors, but may include one thermistor.
  • the first thermistor th 1 and the second thermistor th 2 may be collectively referred to as a thermistor th.
  • the heater temperature sensor is not limited to the thermistor th, and may be any sensor that detects the temperature of the sheet heater HTR.
  • the thermistor th corresponds to a “temperature detection unit” in the present invention.
  • the circuit unit 70 includes four rigid circuit substrates, three flexible printed circuits (FPCs), a plurality of integrated circuits (ICs), and a plurality of elements.
  • the four circuit substrates include a main substrate 20 , the puff sensor substrate 21 , a pogo pin substrate 22 , and an OLED substrate 26 .
  • the three FPCs include a main FPC 23 , a heater FPC 24 , and an OLED FPC 25 .
  • the main substrate 20 is disposed between the battery pack BP and a rear surface of the case 3 (the rear surface of the power supply unit 100 ) such that an element mounting surface faces the front-rear direction.
  • the main substrate 20 is disposed on a side opposite to the heating unit 60 with respect to the power supply ba.
  • the main substrate 20 is configured by laminating a plurality of layers (six layers in the present embodiment) of substrates, and electronic components (elements) such as the MCU 6 and a charging IC 3 are mounted thereon.
  • the main substrate 20 corresponds to a “circuit substrate” in the present invention.
  • the MCU 6 is a control device that is connected to various sensor devices such as the inhalation sensor 15 , the operation unit, the notification unit; and a memory or the like that stores the number of times of puff operations, and an energization time to a load and the sheet heater HTR, and performs various controls of the aerosol generating device 10 .
  • the MCU 6 mainly includes a processor, and further includes a storage medium such as a random access memory (RAM) necessary for an operation of the processor and a read only memory (ROM) storing various kinds of information.
  • the processor in the present description is an electrical circuit in which circuit elements such as semiconductor devices are combined.
  • a part of the elements (for example, the inhalation sensor 15 and the memory) connected to the MCU 6 may be provided inside the MCU 6 as a function of the MCU 6 itself.
  • the MCU 6 corresponds to a “control unit” in the present invention.
  • the charging IC 3 is an IC that performs charging control of the power supply ba by the electric power received via the charging terminal 1 , and supplies the electric power of the power supply ba to the electronic components and the like on the main substrate 20 .
  • FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the front surface 201 of the main substrate 20
  • FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the back surface 202 of the main substrate 20 .
  • the MCU 6 and the charging IC 3 are mounted on the back surface 202 of the main substrate 20 together with the charging terminal 1 .
  • a debug connector 20 E is further mounted on the back surface 202 .
  • the debug connector 20 E is an interface for rewriting a program of the MCU 6 from an external device such as a personal computer, and for example, a connector conforming to a Serial Wire Debug (SWD) standard is used.
  • SWD Serial Wire Debug
  • FIG. 7 an OLED connector 20 C, a heater connector 20 B, a main connector 20 A, and a battery connector 20 D which is connected to the battery pack BP via a lead wire 16 (see FIG. 6 ) are mounted on the front surface 201 of the main substrate 20 .
  • the puff sensor substrate 21 is disposed on the sensor holding portion 55 of the chassis 50 such that an element mounting surface faces a right front side and a left rear side.
  • the inhalation sensor 15 is mounted on the puff sensor substrate 21 .
  • the OLED substrate 26 is disposed between the battery pack BP and the OLED cover 5 such that an element mounting surface faces the upper-lower direction.
  • An OLED panel 17 is mounted on the OLED substrate 26 .
  • the pogo pin substrate 22 is disposed on the lower lid 7 such that an element mounting surface faces the upper-lower direction in a state where the lower lid 7 is closed.
  • the pogo pin substrate 22 is provided with input-side contact points P 1 to P 3 to which electric power is supplied from the main substrate 20 via the main FPC 23 , and pogo pins p 1 to p 3 which are connectors electrically connected to a load provided in the first cartridge 110 .
  • the input-side contact points P 1 to P 3 are electrically connected to the main FPC 23 only in a state where the lower lid 7 is closed.
  • the three pogo pins p 1 to p 3 are provided at equal intervals in a peripheral direction, and at least two pogo pins are electrically connected to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the first cartridge 110 accommodated in the cartridge holding portion 51 .
  • a left side of the battery pack BP held by the battery holding portion 52 is exposed from the battery holding portion 52 due to the half-cylindrical battery holding portion 52 .
  • the main FPC 23 , the heater FPC 24 , and the OLED FPC 25 are disposed to overlap one another in a space between the left side of the battery pack BP and the first case 3 A, which is formed by cutting out the battery holding portion 52 .
  • the main FPC 23 is routed closest to battery pack BP
  • the OLED FPC 25 is routed to partially overlap the main FPC 23
  • the heater FPC 24 is routed to overlap the OLED FPC 25 . That is, the heater FPC 24 to which the largest electric power is supplied among the three FPCs is routed to be farthest from the battery pack BP.
  • the OLED FPC 25 has one end connected to the OLED connector 20 C of the main substrate 20 and the other end connected to the OLED substrate 26 .
  • the main FPC 23 connects the main connector 20 A of the main substrate 20 , the switch BT of the operation unit, a connector 21 B of the puff sensor substrate 21 , and the input-side contact points P 1 to P 3 of the pogo pin substrate 22 .
  • the heater FPC 24 one end is a connector region 24 B connected to the heater connector 20 B of the main substrate 20 , and the other end is integrally formed with the sheet heater HTR.
  • the heater FPC 24 corresponds to a “flexible wiring board” of the present invention. Details of the heater FPC 24 and the sheet heater HTR will be described later.
  • the first cartridge 110 includes, inside a cylindrical cartridge case 111 , a reservoir that stores an aerosol source, an electrical load that atomizes the aerosol source, a wick that draws the aerosol source from the reservoir to the load, and an aerosol flow path through which aerosol generated by atomization of the aerosol source flows toward the second cartridge 120 .
  • the aerosol source contains a liquid such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or water.
  • the load is a heating element that heats, without combustion, the aerosol source by electric power supplied from the power supply ba via the pogo pins p 1 to p 3 of the pogo pin substrate 22 , and is implemented by, for example, a heating wire (coil) wound at a predetermined pitch.
  • the load atomizes the aerosol source by heating the aerosol source.
  • a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, an induction-heating-type heater, and the like may be used as the load.
  • the aerosol flow path is connected to the second cartridge 120 via a flow path forming member 19 (see FIGS. 6 and 9 ) accommodated in the cartridge holding portion 51 of the chassis 50 .
  • the flow path forming member 19 functions as a pedestal with which a bottom of the second cartridge 120 abuts in a state where the second cartridge 120 is accommodated inside the heat transfer tube 61 .
  • the flow path forming member 19 is made of a material having a high heat insulating function, for example, silicone.
  • the second cartridge 120 stores a flavor source.
  • the flavor source is heated.
  • the second cartridge 120 flavors the aerosol when the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source by the load passes through the flavor source.
  • a raw material piece constituting the flavor source it is possible to use a molded product obtained by molding a shredded tobacco or a tobacco raw material into granules.
  • the flavor source may be formed of plants other than tobacco (for example, mint, Chinese medicine, and herb).
  • the flavor source may contain a fragrance such as menthol.
  • the second cartridge 120 corresponds to a “flavor source accommodating portion” in the present invention.
  • the aerosol generating device 10 can generate flavored aerosol using the aerosol source and the flavor source. That is, the aerosol source and the flavor source constitute an aerosol generating source that generates the flavored aerosol.
  • the aerosol generating source in the aerosol generating device 10 is a portion to be replaced and used by the user.
  • one first cartridge 110 and one or a plurality of (for example, five) second cartridges 120 are provided as one set to the user.
  • the battery pack BP can be repeatedly charged and discharged as long as the power supply ba is not significantly deteriorated. Accordingly, in the aerosol generating device 10 , a replacement frequency of the power supply unit 100 or the battery pack BP is lowest, a replacement frequency of the first cartridge 110 is second lowest, and a replacement frequency of the second cartridge 120 is highest.
  • the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 may be integrated into one cartridge. Instead of the flavor source, a chemical agent or the like may be added to the aerosol source.
  • air flowing in from an air intake port (not shown) provided in the case 3 or the internal unit 2 passes near the load of the first cartridge 110 .
  • the load atomizes the aerosol source drawn from the reservoir by the wick.
  • the aerosol generated by atomization flows through the aerosol flow path together with the air flowing in from the intake port, and is supplied to the second cartridge 120 via the flow path forming member 19 .
  • the aerosol supplied to the second cartridge 120 is flavored when passing through the flavor source, and is supplied to an inhalation port 131 of the mouth piece 130 .
  • FIGS. 11 and 12 are schematic cross-sectional views, and may be different from actual dimensions.
  • the heater FPC 24 is a flexible wiring board having flexibility and, as shown in FIG. 11 , includes a pair of film-shaped electrical insulators 31 and a conductive foil 32 disposed therebetween.
  • the electrical insulator 31 is preferably made of a material excellent in heat resistance and electrical insulation, and is, for example, polyimide.
  • the conductive foil 32 is preferably made of one or two or more metal materials such as copper, a nickel alloy, a chromium alloy, stainless steel, and platinum rhodium, and is, for example, a copper foil.
  • the heater FPC 24 includes a winding region 24 A which is wound around and fixed to an outer periphery 61 S of the heat transfer tube 61 formed of a tubular member, the connector region 24 B which is inserted into the heater connector 20 B of the main substrate 20 , and a coupling region 24 C which couples the winding region 24 A and the connector region 24 B.
  • a terminal T 1 , a terminal T 2 , a terminal T 3 , a terminal T 4 , and a terminal T 5 are disposed adjacently in this order.
  • a first conductive track 241 to be described later is connected to the terminal T 1 and the terminal T 5
  • a second conductive track 242 to be described later is connected to the terminal T 2 , the terminal T 3 , and the terminal T 4 .
  • the terminal T 1 is connected, via a sheet heater terminal provided in the heater connector 20 B, to a DC/DC converter 11 that is mounted on the main substrate 20 and converts electric power supplied from the power supply ba into desired electric power.
  • the DC/DC converter 11 corresponds to a “power conversion unit” in the present invention.
  • the terminal T 5 is connected to a ground or a conductive pattern (ground line) connected to the ground (denoted by GND in FIG. 10 ).
  • the terminal T 2 is connected to a first thermistor terminal provided in the heater connector 20 B, and an output corresponding to an electric resistance value (in other words, temperature) of the first thermistor th 1 is input to the MCU 6 .
  • the terminal T 4 is connected to a second thermistor terminal provided in the heater connector 20 B, and an output corresponding to an electric resistance value of the second thermistor th 2 is input to the MCU 6 .
  • the terminal T 3 is connected to a ground or a ground line (denoted by GND in FIG. 10 ).
  • the sheet heater HTR is integrally formed with the other end of the heater FPC 24 and coincides with the winding region 24 A. That is, the sheet heater HTR is the same flexible wiring board as the heater FPC 24 .
  • the sheet heater HTR includes a thermistor mounting portion 240 A and a heater unit 240 B.
  • the heater unit 240 B and the first conductive track 241 formed on the heater FPC 24 and the conductive foil 32 of the sheet heater HTR will be described.
  • the heater unit 240 B is wound around the outer periphery 61 S of the heat transfer tube 61 , and is configured to heat the second cartridge 120 via the heat transfer tube 61 .
  • the electric power to the heater unit 240 B is supplied from the power supply ba and transmitted to the first conductive track 241 .
  • the first conductive track 241 is formed by etching while leaving a necessary portion of the conductive foil 32 .
  • the first conductive track 241 may be formed by coating the necessary conductive foil 32 instead of etching.
  • the first conductive track 241 is provided continuously from the connector region 24 B to the heater unit 240 B. Specifically, the first conductive track 241 is provided to extend from the terminal T 1 to the heater unit 240 B and return from the heater unit 240 B to the terminal T 5 . Accordingly, the first conductive track 241 can transmit the electric power supplied from the power supply ba to the heater unit 240 B.
  • the first conductive track 241 includes, in a region between the main substrate 20 and the heater unit 240 B, a region R 1 in a vicinity of the heater unit 240 B and a region R 2 located between the region R 1 and the main substrate 20 .
  • the region R 1 is located in front of the power supply ba and is separated from the power supply ba.
  • the heater FPC 24 is folded back near a boundary between the region R 1 and the region R 2 , and the region R 2 is located on a left side of the power supply ba and is disposed in a vicinity of the power supply ba.
  • the heater FPC 24 is folded back near a boundary between the region R 2 and the connector region 24 B, and the connector region 24 B is located behind the power supply ba and connected to the heater connector 20 B.
  • the first conductive track 241 in the heater unit 240 B is formed in a meandering pattern including a plurality of straight portions extending in parallel and a plurality of arc portions connecting adjacent straight portions.
  • the first conductive track 241 in the regions R 1 and R 2 connects the main substrate 20 and the heater unit 240 B, and transmits the electric power supplied from the power supply ba to the heater unit 240 B.
  • a width of the first conductive track 241 varies depending on a region where the first conductive track 241 is provided.
  • the width of the first conductive track 241 refers to a length in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which a current flows.
  • the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R 2 is formed to be larger than the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R 1 .
  • the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R 1 is formed to be larger than the width of the first conductive track 241 in the heater unit 240 B.
  • the heater FPC 24 in the region R 2 is larger in width than the heater FPC 24 in the region R 1 such that the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R 2 can be increased.
  • the resistance value of the first conductive track 241 in each region increases in order of the region R 2 , the region R 1 , and the heater unit 240 B. Since a heat generation amount decreases as the resistance value decreases, the heat generation amount of the first conductive track 241 in each region increases in order of the region R 2 , the region R 1 , and the heater unit 240 B. Accordingly, since the resistance value increases and the heat generation amount increases in the heater unit 240 B, the heater unit 240 B can sufficiently generate heat. Meanwhile, in the region R 1 and the region R 2 , the resistance value is small and the heat generation amount is also small, so that a heat loss can be reduced.
  • the heater FPC 24 is closest to the power supply ba in the region R 2 .
  • a shortest distance between the region R 2 and the power supply ba is smaller than a shortest distance between the region R 1 and the power supply ba.
  • the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R 2 closest to the power supply ba is larger than the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R 1 , thereby reducing the heat generation amount in the region R 2 . Accordingly, an influence on the power supply ba caused by the heat generation of the heater FPC 24 can be reduced and safety can be improved.
  • the thermistor mounting portion 240 A of the sheet heater HTR and the second conductive track 242 formed on the heater FPC 24 and the conductive foil 32 of the sheet heater HTR will be described.
  • the thermistor th is mounted on the thermistor mounting portion 240 A.
  • the second conductive track 242 is provided on the thermistor mounting portion 240 A and the heater FPC 24 .
  • the thermistor mounting portion 240 A corresponds to a “mounting portion” in the present invention.
  • the second conductive track 242 is formed by etching, coating, or the like of the conductive foil 32 .
  • the second conductive track 242 is provided continuously from the connector region 24 B to the thermistor mounting portion 240 A. Further, the second conductive track 242 is formed adjacent to the first conductive track 241 in the heater FPC 24 .
  • the second conductive track 242 is provided with, in the thermistor mounting portion 240 A, terminals T 11 to T 14 to which the first thermistor th 1 and the second thermistor th 2 are connected.
  • a positive terminal of the first thermistor th 1 is connected to the terminal T 11
  • a negative terminal of the first thermistor th 1 is connected to the terminal T 12 .
  • a negative terminal of the second thermistor th 2 is connected to the terminal T 13
  • a positive terminal of the second thermistor th 2 is connected to the terminal T 14 .
  • the second conductive track 242 includes a conductive track having one end connected to the terminal T 2 and the other end connected to the terminal T 11 ; a conductive track having one end connected to the terminal T 4 and the other end connected to the terminal T 14 ; and a conductive track having one end connected to the terminal T 3 and the other end connected in parallel to the terminals T 12 and T 13 .
  • the second conductive track 242 is connected to the MCU 6 via the terminal T 2 and the terminal T 4 , and the MCU 6 can control the heater unit 240 B based on the temperature of the heater unit 240 B detected by the thermistor th.
  • a width of the second conductive track 242 is constant and is smaller than the width of the first conductive track 241 . This is because the electric power flowing through the second conductive track 242 is smaller than the electric power for heating flowing through the first conductive track 241 , and the heat generation amount in the second conductive track 242 is small even when the width of the second conductive track 242 is smaller than the width of the first conductive track 241 . Since the width of the second conductive track 242 is formed to be smaller than the width of the first conductive track 241 , the first conductive track 241 can be formed to be wide.
  • the second conductive track 242 for mounting the thermistor is formed on the heater FPC 24 and the conductive foil 32 of the sheet heater HTR, and the thermistor th is connected to the second conductive track 242 on the thermistor mounting portion 240 A. Accordingly, as compared with a case where the thermistor th is provided by separately pulling a lead wire from the main substrate 20 , assembling of the power supply unit 100 can be simplified and the power supply unit 100 can be reduced in cost and size.
  • the thermistor th can be prevented from being affected by a fluctuation of a potential of the first conductive track 241 connected to the heater unit 240 B. Therefore, accuracy of the control using the thermistor th can be improved, and the safety of the power supply unit 100 can be improved.
  • the heater unit 240 B and the thermistor mounting portion 240 A are disposed on opposite sides of the heater FPC 24 in a developed state of the sheet heater HTR as shown in FIG. 10 .
  • the thermistor mounting portion 240 A is disposed to overlap an outer periphery of the heater unit 240 B after the heater unit 240 B is wound around the outer periphery 61 S of the heat transfer tube 61 .
  • a shrink film that is not shown is wound around the outer periphery of the sheet heater HTR, and the sheet heater HTR is fixed to the outer periphery 61 S of the heat transfer tube 61 .
  • the electrical insulator 31 on a front surface side is peeled off and this portion is insulated by being coated with a resist 33 .
  • the first thermistor th 1 is connected to the second conductive track 242 by soldering at both ends (portions connected to the terminals T 11 and T 12 ) in a longitudinal direction.
  • Gold plating 34 is applied to solder portions 36 soldered on the second conductive track 242 .
  • the first thermistor th 1 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof is along an axial direction (upper-lower direction) of the heat transfer tube 61 in a state where the sheet heater HTR is wound around the outer periphery 61 S of the heat transfer tube 61 .
  • the second thermistor th 2 is also connected to the second conductive track 242 by the same configuration.
  • the longitudinal direction of the thermistor th is arranged along a peripheral direction, when the sheet heater HTR is fixed by the shrink film, the thermistor th is affected by a curvature, and there is a risk that a large local stress acts on the solder portions 36 and cause the thermistor th to break.
  • the longitudinal direction of the thermistor th is arranged along the axial direction (upper-lower direction) of the heat transfer tube 61 , the influence of the curvature on the thermistor th can be reduced, and application of a localized large stress to the solder portions 36 due to deflection when the shrink film is mounted can be prevented.
  • the thermistor th is disposed on a front surface of the thermistor mounting portion 240 A.
  • the front surface of the thermistor mounting portion 240 A is configured such that the electrical insulator 31 on the front surface side is peeled off, but may be configured such that the second conductive track 242 and the thermistor th are directly connected.
  • a through hole for connecting the second conductive track 242 and the thermistor th may be provided in the electrical insulator 31 on the front surface side without peeling off the electrical insulator 31 on the front surface side.
  • the thermistor th being directly connected to the front surface of the thermistor mounting portion 240 A means being connected without using a wiring such as a lead wire, and another layer or a film may be laminated on the electrical insulator 31 on the front surface side.
  • the thermistor mounting portion 240 A is provided with a reinforcing plate 35 .
  • the reinforcing plate 35 is made of a material having higher rigidity than the electrical insulator 31 and the conductive foil 32 , and is made of, for example, aluminum or stainless steel.
  • the reinforcing plate 35 is provided on the electrical insulator 31 on a back surface side.
  • the reinforcing plate 35 has a rectangular shape having a long side and a short side, and is disposed such that the long side extends along the axial direction of the heat transfer tube 61 . Accordingly, an influence of the curvature on the reinforcing plate 35 can be reduced, and application of a localized large stress to the solder portions 36 due to the deflection when the shrink film is mounted can be prevented.
  • the shape of the reinforcing plate 35 is freely set, and the reinforcing plate 35 may have a shape having neither a long side nor a short side.
  • the flow path forming member 19 is provided upstream (below) the heater unit 240 B. Further, since the flow path forming member 19 is made of a material having a high heat insulating function, the heat of the heater unit 240 B is easily absorbed by the flow path forming member 19 . Therefore, in order to accurately detect the temperature of the heater unit 240 B, the thermistor th is preferably disposed away from the flow path forming member 19 . Therefore, the thermistor th mounted on the thermistor mounting portion 240 A is disposed downstream (above) a center of the heater unit 240 B in a flow direction (upper-lower direction) of the aerosol from the first cartridge 110 toward the second cartridge 120 .
  • the sheet heater HTR is configured to heat the second cartridge 120 that stores the flavor source, but may be configured to heat the first cartridge 110 that stores the aerosol source.
  • the sheet heater HTR may be configured to heat both the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 .
  • the second conductive track provided on the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection unit is formed in the conductive foil of the film heater, there is no need to separately draw a lead wire for providing the temperature detection unit. Accordingly, as compared with a case where the temperature detection unit is provided by separately drawing a lead wire, assembling of the power supply unit can be simplified.
  • the temperature detection unit since the temperature detection unit is disposed on the front surface of the mounting portion, the temperature detection unit can be directly mounted on the film heater without using a separate lead wire.
  • the power supply unit for an aerosol generating device further including:
  • the mounting portion is disposed in a manner of overlapping the outer periphery of the heater unit, a temperature of the heater unit can be accurately detected.
  • the temperature detection unit is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the axial direction of the tubular accommodating portion, as compared with a case where the temperature detection unit is disposed along a peripheral direction, bending of the temperature detection unit along the peripheral direction is avoided, and a joint portion between the temperature detection unit and the second conductive track can be prevented from being damaged.
  • the reinforcing plate is provided on the mounting portion, rigidity of the mounting portion can be secured, and the joint portion between the temperature detection unit and the second conductive track can be prevented from being damaged. Further, since the reinforcing plate is disposed such that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the axial direction of the tubular accommodating portion, an influence of a curvature on the reinforcing plate can be prevented, and application of a localized large stress to the joint portion due to deflection along the peripheral direction can be prevented.
  • Heat of the heater unit may be absorbed in an aerosol flow path located upstream the heater unit in the flow direction of the aerosol. According to (6), since the temperature detection unit is disposed downstream the center of the heater unit in the flow direction of the aerosol, the temperature of the heater unit can be accurately detected.
  • the film heater is formed integrally with the flexible wiring board, the number of components can be reduced.
  • the power supply unit for an aerosol generating device further including:
  • the first conductive track can appropriately transmit the electric power supplied from the power supply to the heater unit. Further, since the control unit mounted on the circuit substrate is connected to the second conductive track, the temperature of the heater unit can be appropriately controlled based on temperature information obtained from the temperature detection unit.
  • An aerosol generating device including:
  • the second conductive track provided on the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection unit is formed in the conductive foil of the film heater, there is no need to separately draw a lead wire for providing the temperature detection unit. Accordingly, as compared with a case where the temperature detection unit is provided by separately drawing a lead wire, assembling of the power supply unit can be simplified.
  • a film heater including a pair of electrically insulating bases (electrical insulators 31 ) and a conductive foil (conductive foil 32 ) disposed between the pair of electrically insulating bases, the film heater including:
  • the second conductive track provided on the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection unit is formed in the conductive foil of the film heater, there is no need to separately draw a lead wire for providing the temperature detection unit. Accordingly, as compared with a case where the temperature detection unit is provided by separately drawing a lead wire, assembling of the power supply unit can be simplified.
  • the reinforcing plate is provided on the mounting portion, rigidity of the mounting portion can be secured, and the joint portion between the temperature detection unit and the second conductive track can be prevented from being damaged.
  • the mounting portion is disposed in a manner of overlapping an outer periphery of the heater unit when the film heater is wound around a heating target. Accordingly, the temperature detection unit mounted on the mounting portion can accurately detect the temperature of the heater unit.

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  • Resistance Heating (AREA)
  • Control Of Resistance Heating (AREA)
US18/738,088 2021-12-10 2024-06-10 Power supply unit for aerosol generating device, aerosol generating device, and film heater Pending US20240324685A1 (en)

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PCT/JP2021/045622 WO2023105782A1 (ja) 2021-12-10 2021-12-10 エアロゾル生成装置の電源ユニット、エアロゾル生成装置、及びフィルムヒータ

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JPS50143151U (https=) * 1974-05-14 1975-11-26
EP2316286A1 (en) 2009-10-29 2011-05-04 Philip Morris Products S.A. An electrically heated smoking system with improved heater
CN208370942U (zh) * 2018-06-21 2019-01-15 深圳市锦博科技有限公司 低温不燃烧烤烟加热装置及系统
WO2020074604A1 (en) * 2018-10-12 2020-04-16 Jt International S.A. Aerosol generation device and heating chamber therefor
CN210471025U (zh) * 2019-07-24 2020-05-08 深圳葭南科技有限公司 一种烤烟器的电加热装置
KR20220058885A (ko) * 2019-09-06 2022-05-10 제이티 인터내셔널 소시에떼 아노님 박막 히터
CN211910527U (zh) * 2019-11-27 2020-11-13 深圳市合元科技有限公司 加热器以及包括该加热器的烟具

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CN118368997A (zh) 2024-07-19
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EP4445767A1 (en) 2024-10-16
EP4445767A4 (en) 2025-12-24

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