WO2022239473A1

WO2022239473A1 - Power supply unit for aerosol generation device

Info

Publication number: WO2022239473A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/012258
Authority: WO
Inventors: 達也青山; 拓嗣川中子; 徹長浜; 貴司藤木; 亮吉田
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-05-10
Filing date: 2022-03-17
Publication date: 2022-11-17

Abstract

Disclosed is a power supply unit for an aerosol generation device which makes it possible to perform appropriate control using the presence/absence of an abnormality detected in the past. The power supply unit comprises a first circuit board on which is mounted a first retention circuit that retains information indicative of whether or not an abnormality was detected. A control circuit which controls feeding of electric power from a power supply to a load refers to, upon activation, the information retained by the first retention circuit. When the information indicates that an abnormality was detected, the control circuit executes an operation for prohibiting use of the power supply unit. In the first circuit board, the first retention circuit is disposed so that the distance d between the first retention circuit and the edge of the first circuit board nearest to the first retention circuit is greater than 0 and, with respect to the distance dc between the edge and the center of the first circuit board, d<(dc-d) is satisfied.

Description

Power supply unit for aerosol generator

The present invention relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol generator.

　Aerosol generating devices such as electronic cigarettes have a configuration for heating the liquid to form the aerosol. Patent Literature 1 discloses an aerosol generator in which, when the controller detects overheating of the heater, the controller limits or turns off power supply from the battery to the heater.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-505002

In Patent Document 1, the controller cannot know the presence or absence of an abnormality detected in the past. Therefore, if the device is reset or restarted after overheating of the heater is detected, the controller cannot limit power supply to the heater until overheating of the heater is detected again.

One of the purposes of the present invention is to provide a power supply unit for an aerosol generator capable of appropriate control using the presence or absence of an abnormality detected in the past.

In view of the above problems, according to the first aspect,
a power supply;
a connector to which a load that consumes the power supplied from the power source and heats the aerosol source is connected;
a control circuit that controls the supply of power from the power source to the load;
A power supply unit for an aerosol generator, comprising: a first circuit board mounted with a first holding circuit holding information indicating whether an abnormality has been detected,
The control circuit refers to the information held by the first holding circuit at startup, and if the information indicates that an abnormality has been detected, performs an operation to prohibit use of the power supply unit,
In the first circuit board, the first holding circuit has a distance d between the first holding circuit and an edge of the first circuit board closest to the first holding circuit, and a distance between the edge and the first circuit board. A power supply unit is provided that is arranged to satisfy 0<d<dc and d<(dc−d), where dc is the distance from the center.
According to the second aspect,
The power supply unit according to the first aspect is provided, wherein the first holding circuit is arranged on the first circuit board such that the ratio d/dc of the distance d to the distance dc is 20% or more.
According to the third aspect,
a power supply;
a connector to which a load that consumes the power supplied from the power source and heats the aerosol source is connected;
a control circuit that controls the supply of power from the power source to the load;
A power supply unit for an aerosol generator, comprising: a first circuit board mounted with a first holding circuit holding information indicating whether an abnormality has been detected,
The control circuit refers to the information held by the first holding circuit at startup, and if the information indicates that an abnormality has been detected, performs an operation to prohibit use of the power supply unit,
In the first circuit board, the first holding circuit is provided between the first holding circuit and the edge of the first circuit board closest to the first holding circuit, other than integrated circuits and circuit elements that perform switching operations. A power supply unit is provided in which at least one circuit element of is implemented.
According to the fourth aspect,
A power supply unit according to a third aspect is provided, wherein the circuit element mounted between the first holding circuit and the edge of the first circuit board closest to the first holding circuit is a passive element. .
According to the fifth aspect,
The maximum voltage supplied to the mounting surface of the first circuit board on which the first holding circuit is mounted is an operating voltage of the first holding circuit, according to any one of the first to fourth aspects. power supply unit is provided.
According to the sixth aspect,
A first aspect, wherein the first circuit board is a double-sided board, the first holding circuit is mounted on a first mounting surface, and the control circuit is mounted on a second mounting surface different from the first mounting surface. A power supply unit according to any one of the fifth to fifth aspects is provided.
According to the seventh aspect,
further comprising a charging circuit for charging the power supply;
The power supply unit according to the sixth aspect is provided, wherein the charging circuit is mounted on the second mounting surface.
According to the eighth aspect,
further comprising a case forming a surface of the power supply unit;
The power supply unit according to the sixth aspect or the seventh aspect is provided, wherein the first circuit board is arranged with respect to the case so that the first mounting surface is located inside the second mounting surface. be.
According to the ninth aspect,
The power supply unit according to any one of sixth to eighth aspects is provided, wherein a connector to which a thermistor that detects the temperature of the load is connected is mounted on the second mounting surface.
According to the tenth aspect,
further comprising a second circuit board connected to the first circuit board and arranged to face the first circuit board;
The power supply unit according to any one of sixth to ninth aspects is provided, wherein the first mounting surface of the first circuit board is a surface facing the second circuit board.
According to the eleventh aspect,
further comprising a second circuit board connected to the first circuit board and arranged to face the first circuit board;
Any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect, wherein the control circuit is mounted on a mounting surface of the second circuit board that does not face a first mounting surface on which the first holding circuit is mounted on the first circuit board. or a power supply unit according to one of the claims.
According to the twelfth aspect,
further has a connector for connecting an external device,
A power supply unit according to the tenth or eleventh aspect is provided, wherein the connector is mounted on the second circuit board.
According to the thirteenth aspect,
According to any one of tenth to twelfth aspects, wherein a connector to which a thermistor that detects the temperature of the load is connected is mounted on a mounting surface of the second circuit board that does not face the first mounting surface. power supply unit is provided.
According to the fourteenth aspect,
The power supply unit according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects is provided, wherein the operation for prohibiting use of the power supply unit includes stopping power supply to the load and the control circuit. .
According to the fifteenth aspect,
further comprising a charging circuit for charging the power supply;
A power supply unit according to a fourteenth aspect is provided, wherein the operation for prohibiting use of the power supply unit further includes stopping power supply based on the voltage of the power supply.

With such a configuration, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power supply unit for an aerosol generator capable of appropriate control using the presence or absence of an abnormality detected in the past.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an appearance example of a power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal configuration example of the power supply unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overall circuit configuration example of a power supply unit according to the embodiment; The figure which extracted a part of FIG. The figure which shows the modification of FIG. 4A. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of battery abnormality conditions in the power supply unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a circuit board and circuit elements of the power supply unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a circuit board and circuit elements of the power supply unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a circuit board and circuit elements of the power supply unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a circuit board and circuit elements of the power supply unit according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of arrangement of a circuit board and circuit elements of the power supply unit according to the embodiment;

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Also, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of a power supply unit 1 of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The power supply unit 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 2 with rounded corners. Case 2 constitutes the surface of power supply unit 1 . Here, for the sake of convenience, the surface indicated by a is the front surface, and the surface indicated by b is the rear surface. In addition, the surface indicated by c is the bottom surface, and the surface indicated by d is the top surface.

The power supply unit 1 has a housing (case) 2 and a front panel 11 that can be attached to and detached from the case 2 . f shows the state where the front panel 11 is removed from the state of a. Also, g indicates the state of the front panel 11 viewed from the inside. The front panel 11 functions as a front cover of the case 2 and allows the user to freely replace it to customize its appearance.

Two pairs of

magnets

14A and 14B and

magnets

15A and 15B are provided at opposing positions on the inner surface of the front panel 11 and the front surface of the case 2, respectively. The

magnets

14A and 15A attract each other, and the

magnets

14B and 15B attract each other, so that the front panel 11 is held in front of the case 2 by magnetic force.

In addition, a pushable switch SW and a light emitting unit NU are provided on the front of the case 2 . A protrusion 16 is provided on the inner surface of the front panel 11 at a position facing the switch SW. By pressing the central portion 12 of the front panel 11 while the front panel 11 is attached, the switch SW can be indirectly pressed through the convex portion 16 . Note that the switch SW can also be pressed directly with the front panel 11 removed. A plurality of light emitting elements (for example, LEDs) are arranged in a row in the light emitting unit NU. The state of the light emitting unit NU can be observed through a window 19 provided on the front panel 11. FIG.

A slider 13 that can be opened and closed is provided on the top surface of the case 2 . When the slider 13 is moved in the direction of the arrow, the heater chamber 17 appears as indicated by e. e, the slider 13 is not shown for convenience. The heater chamber 17 is a cylindrical space having an elliptical (elliptical) horizontal cross section, and heats a stick or cartridge inserted into the heater chamber 17 . The stick is cylindrical and has a horizontal cross-sectional diameter larger than the minor axis of the horizontal cross-section of the heater chamber 17 . As a result, the stick is radially compressed when it is inserted into the heater chamber 17, so that the contact between the outer surface of the stick and the heater chamber 17 is enhanced and the contact area is increased. Therefore, the stick can be efficiently heated. This can improve the amount and flavor of the aerosol generated from the stick.

With the front panel 11 attached to the power supply unit 1, the slider 13 is moved to the position (open position) where the heater chamber 17 is exposed, and the switch SW is continuously pressed for a predetermined time (for example, several seconds). When detected, it is regarded as a heating start instruction and the heating operation is started.

The stick heated by the heater chamber 17 may contain only the aerosol source, or may contain the aerosol source and the flavoring substance. Aerosol sources can include liquids such as, for example, polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin or propylene glycol. As a specific example, the aerosol source may comprise a mixed solution of glycerin and propylene glycol. Alternatively, the aerosol source may include a drug or herbal medicine. Alternatively, the aerosol source may contain a flavoring agent such as menthol. Alternatively, the aerosol source may comprise liquid phase nicotine. The aerosol source can be liquid, solid, or a mixture of liquid and solid. A vapor source such as water may be used instead of or in addition to an aerosol source. The stick may include a carrier for carrying the aerosol source. The carrier itself may be a solid aerosol source. The carrier may include a sheet formed from raw materials derived from tobacco leaves.

A connector USBC is provided on the bottom of the case 2 for connecting an external device. Assume here that the connector USBC is a receptacle conforming to the USB Type-C standard. When charging the power supply unit 1, an external device (USB charger, mobile battery, personal computer, etc.) capable of supplying power according to the USB PD standard is connected to the connector USBC. Note that the connector USBC may conform to standards other than the USB Type-C standard. In place of the connector USBC, or in addition to the connector USBC, the power supply unit 1 may be provided with a power receiving coil for non-contact charging.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a state in which the case is removed from the power supply unit 1. FIG. The same reference numerals are given to the same components as in FIG. A heater unit HT (hereinafter simply referred to as a heater HT) is a load that is provided on the outer circumference of the heater chamber 17 and heats the heater chamber 17 by consuming power supplied from the power supply to heat the aerosol source. Although not shown in FIG. 2, the heater HT is covered with a heat insulating material. A heater thermistor TH attached to the heat insulating material of the heater HT is a temperature sensor that indirectly measures the temperature of the heater HT. Note that the heater HT may be of an induction heating type. In this case, the heater HT includes at least a coil for electromagnetic induction. A susceptor (metal piece) that receives the magnetic field sent from the electromagnetic induction coil may be included in the heater HT or may be built in the stick.

The puff thermistor TP is a suction sensor arranged at the upper end of the heater chamber 17 . When the aerosol is inhaled, the temperature detected by the puff thermistor TP fluctuates, which can be used to detect the inhalation.
The case thermistor TC is provided near the inner surface of the front surface of the case 2 and detects the case temperature.

Battery BT is rechargeable and is, for example, a lithium ion secondary battery. The battery BT is a power supply that supplies basic power for the power supply unit 1 . The battery BT is attached at the time of manufacture, and the power supply unit 1 is shipped in a state (sleep state) in which power is being supplied to most of the constituent elements except for the heater HT and thermistors TH, TC, and TP.
The detector 170 is an open/close sensor for detecting opening/closing of the slider 13, and may be an integrated circuit (Hall IC) using a Hall element.

The circuits of the power supply unit 1 are distributed and arranged on four circuit boards PCB1 to PCB4. As will be described later, in this embodiment, by arranging a holding circuit that holds information indicating whether or not an abnormality has been detected at a position that is less likely to be affected by disturbance noise, the risk of the information held by the holding circuit being rewritten by disturbance noise is reduced. Suppress.

The operation of each component that configures the power supply unit 1 will be described with reference to FIG. A positive terminal of the battery BT is electrically connected to the first power connector BC+, and a negative terminal of the battery BT is electrically connected to the second power connector BC-. The potential of the positive electrode of battery BT can be supplied to the VBAT terminal of protection circuit 90, the VBAT terminal of battery monitoring circuit 100, the VIN terminal of transformer circuit 120, the BAT terminal of charging circuit 20, and the potential input terminal of switch circuit 80. .

The protection circuit 90 measures the current flowing through the path through which the current output from the battery BT flows using the resistor R2, and protects the battery BT according to the current. The protection circuit 90 measures the output voltage of the battery BT using the input to the VBAT terminal, and protects the battery BT according to the measured output voltage. The battery monitoring circuit 100 can measure the state of the battery BT using the resistor R1 arranged in the path through which the current output from the battery BT flows.

The overvoltage protection circuit 110 receives the voltage V _BUS supplied from the connector USBC as a power supply connector and outputs the voltage V _USB to the V _USB line. The overvoltage protection circuit 110 functions as a protection circuit that, even if the voltage V _BUS supplied from the connector USBC exceeds the specified voltage value, drops it to the specified voltage value and supplies it to the output side of the overvoltage protection circuit 110. I can. This specified voltage value may be set based on the voltage value input to the OVLo terminal.

Transformation circuit 120 is a DC/DC converter that transforms power supply voltage V _BAT supplied from battery BT to generate heater voltage V _BOOST for driving heater HT. The transformer circuit 120 may be a boost circuit, a step-up/step-down circuit, or a step-down circuit. A heater HT is arranged to heat the aerosol source. A positive terminal of the heater HT can be electrically connected to the first heater connector HC+ and a negative terminal of the heater HT can be electrically connected to the second heater connector HC-.

The heater HT may be attached to the power supply unit 1 in such a manner that it cannot be removed without being destroyed (for example, by soldering), or may be attached in such a manner that it can be removed without being destroyed. good. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, an electrical connection by a "connector" can be divided into a form in which it cannot be separated from each other without being broken, and a form in which it can be separated from each other without being broken. It will be described as any one.

The MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 130 is a processor-based control circuit equipped with a program-executable processor, memory, interface, etc., and controls the operation of the power supply unit 1 . Programs executed by MCU 130 may reside in internal memory, non-volatile memory 70, or both.

The MCU 130 controls power supply to the heater HT for heating the aerosol source using power supplied from the battery BT. From another point of view, the MCU 130 controls heat generation of the heater HT for heating the aerosol source using power supplied from the battery BT. In still another aspect, the MCU 130 controls power supply to the heater HT and charging operation of the battery BT.

When the heater HT is to generate heat, the MCU 130 turns on the switches SH and SS and turns off the switch SM. This allows the heater voltage V _BOOST to be supplied from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT through the switch SH. When measuring the temperature or resistance of the heater HT, the MCU 130 turns off the switch SH and turns on the switches SM and SS. This allows the heater voltage V _BOOST to be supplied from the transformer circuit 120 through the switch SM to the heater HT.

When measuring the temperature or resistance value of the heater HT, the operational amplifier A1 detects the voltage between the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the heater HT, in other words, the voltage between the first heater connector HC+ and the second heater connector HC-. to the PA7 terminal of the MCU 130. The operational amplifier A1 can also be said to be a measurement circuit that measures the resistance value or temperature of the heater HT.

A shunt resistor RS can be arranged on a path that electrically connects the switch SM and the first heater connector HC+. The resistance value of the shunt resistor RS can be determined so that the switch SR is turned on during the heating period of the heater HT and turned off during the period of measuring the temperature or resistance value of the heater HT.

When the heating start instruction is detected, the MCU 130 controls the temperature of the heater HT according to a predetermined temperature control pattern. The temperature control pattern is also called a heating profile, and defines how the temperature of the heater HT should be controlled during the period from the start to the end of heating. For example, the temperature control pattern may define the length (time) and target temperature for each section. A temperature control pattern is also called a heating profile. The MCU 130 realizes the temperature change specified in the temperature control pattern by repeatedly detecting the temperature of the heater HT and controlling the power supply time to the heater HT based on the detected temperature of the heater HT.

If the temperature control pattern has a section (temperature drop or slow cooling section) in which the temperature of the heater HT is lowered, it is desirable not to supply power to the heater HT in the temperature drop section. This means that the resistance value of the heater HT cannot be measured during the temperature drop period. Therefore, the MCU 130 acquires the temperature of the heater HT using the heater thermistor TH connected to the PA6 terminal, instead of supplying power to the heater HT and measuring the resistance value in the temperature decreasing period.
In this way, the MCU 130 periodically measures the temperature of the heater HT during the period in which the temperature of the heater HT is controlled according to the temperature control pattern. If so, it can be detected.

The MCU 130 stops supplying power to the heater HT when the last section specified in the temperature control pattern ends or when it is detected that the slider 13 has moved to the position (closed position) where the heater chamber 17 is hidden. Then, the temperature control of the heater HT ends.

When the switch SR is composed of an N-channel MOSFET, the drain terminal of the switch SR is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier A1, the gate terminal of the switch SR is connected between the shunt resistor RS and the first heater connector HC+, The source terminal of switch SR is connected to ground (GND). A voltage obtained by dividing the heater voltage V _BOOST mainly by the shunt resistor RS and the heater HT is input to the gate terminal of the switch SR. The resistance value of the shunt resistor RS can be determined so that the divided value is greater than or equal to the threshold voltage of the switch SR. Also, the current flowing through the heater HT when the switch SH is turned off and the switches SM and SS are turned on by the shunt resistor RS is the heater HT when the switch SH and the switch SS are turned on and the switch SM is turned off. is smaller than the current flowing through As a result, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the heater HT from changing due to the current flowing through the heater HT when measuring the temperature or resistance of the heater HT.

The load switch 10 electrically disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal when a low level is input to the ON terminal, and disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal when a high level is input to the ON terminal. are electrically connected to output the voltage _VCC5 from the VOUT terminal to the _VCC5 line. The voltage value of the voltage _VCC5 is, for example, 5.0 [V]. _{The VCC5} line is connected to the VBUS and VAC terminals of the charging circuit 20, which will be described later, and the light emitting unit NU. The ON terminal of the load switch 10 is connected to the collector terminal of an npn bipolar transistor. The emitter terminal of this bipolar transistor is connected to ground and the base terminal is connected to the PC9 terminal of MCU 130 . That is, the MCU 130 can control opening/closing of the load switch through the bipolar transistor by adjusting the potential of the PC9 terminal.

Charging circuit 20 has a charging mode. In the charging mode, the charging circuit 20 electrically connects the SYS terminal and the BAT terminal internally. Thus, the voltage _VCC5 supplied to the VBUS terminal via the _VCC5 line can be used to supply the charging voltage from the BAT terminal to the battery BT via the first conductive path PT1. Charging circuit 20 preferably generates a suitable charging voltage by stepping down voltage _VCC5 . The charging mode can be enabled or activated by supplying a low level to the /CE terminal. The _VCC line is connected to the VIN and EN terminals of transformer circuit 30, which will be described later.

The charging circuit 20 can have a power pass function. When the power path function is enabled, the charging circuit 20 uses the voltage _VCC5 supplied to the VBUS terminal through the _VCC5 line, or the BAT from the battery BT through the first conductive path PT1. A power supply voltage V _BAT applied to a terminal is used to provide the voltage V _CC on the V _CC line. Specifically, when the power pass function is enabled in a state where the voltage _VUSB is available, the charging circuit 20 electrically connects the VBUS terminal and the SW terminal internally, and supplies the _VCC5 line. _VCC5 is used to supply voltage _VCC on the _VCC line. Further, when the power pass function is enabled in a state where the voltage _VUSB cannot be used, the charging circuit 20 electrically connects the VBUS terminal and the SW terminal internally, and the first conductive path from the battery BT. The power supply voltage V _BAT supplied to the BAT terminal through PT1 is used to provide the voltage V _CC on the V _CC line.

The charging circuit 20 has an OTG (On-The-GO) function. When the OTG function is enabled, the charging circuit 20 uses the power supply voltage V _BAT supplied from the battery BT to the BAT terminal through the first conductive path PT1 to apply the voltage V from the VBUS terminal to the V _CC5 line. _{Feed CC5} . When generating the voltage V _CC5 from the power supply voltage V _BAT , the charging circuit 20 is configured so that the voltage supplied to the light emitting unit NU is about the same as when generating the voltage V _CC5 from the voltage V _USB . Preferably, voltage V _BAT is boosted to provide voltage V _CC5 . With such a configuration, the operation of the light emitting unit NU is stabilized. When a high level is supplied to the /CE terminal, the charging circuit 20 operates using either the power pass function or the OTG function set by default or one enabled by the MCU 130 . sell.

The transformer circuit 30 is a DC/DC converter, which may be a boost circuit, a buck-boost circuit, or a buck circuit, and is enabled by applying voltage _VCC to the _VCC line. Specifically, the transformer circuit 30 is enabled by inputting a high-level signal to the EN terminal. Since the VIN and EN terminals are connected to the _VCC line, transformer circuit 30 is enabled by applying voltage _VCC to the _VCC line. Transformer circuit 30 provides voltage V _{CC33_0} from the VOUT terminal to the V _{CC33_0} line. The voltage value of the voltage V _{CC33_0} is, for example, 3.3 [V]. _{The VCC33_0} line is connected to the VIN terminal of the load switch 40, which will be described later, the VIN terminal and RSTB terminal of the reboot controller 50, which will be described later, and the VCC terminal and D terminal of the FF2, which will be described later.

The load switch 40 electrically disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal when a low level is input to the ON terminal, and disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal when a high level is input to the ON terminal. are electrically connected to output the voltage _VCC33 from the VOUT terminal to the _VCC33 line. The voltage value of the voltage _VCC33 is, for example, 3.3 [V]. The _{VCC 33} line is connected to the VIN terminal of the load switch 60 described later, the VCC terminal of the nonvolatile memory 70, the VDD and CE terminals of the battery monitoring circuit 100 described later, the VDD terminal of the MCU 130, the VDD terminal of the detector 140 described later, and the VDD terminal of the detector 140 described later. a VCC_NRF terminal of a communication interface circuit 160 to be described later; a VDD terminal of a detector 170 to be described later; a VCC terminal and a D terminal of FF1 to be described later; a positive power supply terminal of an operational amplifier A1; connected to the positive power supply terminal. The VIN terminal of the load switch 40 is electrically connected to the VOUT terminal of the transformer circuit 30 and supplied with the voltage _{VCC33_0} from the transformer circuit 30 . In order not to complicate the circuit board of the power supply unit 1, it is preferable that the voltage value of the voltage _{VCC33_0} and the voltage value of the voltage _VCC33 are substantially equal.

The reboot controller 50 outputs a low level from the RSTB terminal in response to the low level being supplied to the SW1 terminal and the SW2 terminal for a predetermined period of time. The RSTB terminal is electrically connected to the ON terminal of the load switch 40 . Therefore, in response to the supply of the low level to the SW1 terminal and the SW2 terminal of the reboot controller 50 for a predetermined period of time, the load switch 40 stops outputting the voltage _VCC33 from the VOUT terminal. When the output of the voltage _VCC33 from the VOUT terminal of the load switch 40 stops, the supply of the voltage _VCC33 to the VDD terminal (power supply terminal) of the MCU 130 is cut off, so the MCU 130 stops operating.

Here, when the front panel 11 is removed from the power supply unit 1 , a low level is supplied from the detector 140 to the SW2 terminal of the reboot controller 50 via the Schmidt trigger circuit 150 . Also, when the switch SW is pressed, a low level is supplied to the SW1 terminal of the reboot controller 50 . Therefore, when the switch SW is pressed while the front panel 11 is removed from the power supply unit 1 (state f in FIG. 1), a low level is supplied to the SW1 terminal and SW2 terminal of the reboot controller 50 . The reboot controller 50 recognizes that a command to reset or restart the power supply unit 1 has been input when a low level is continuously supplied to the SW1 terminal and the SW2 terminal for a predetermined time (for example, several seconds). It is preferable that the reboot controller 50 does not output a low level from the RSTB terminal after outputting a low level from the RSTB terminal. When the reboot controller 50 outputs a low level from the RSTB terminal, a low level is input to the ON terminal of the load switch 40, the load switch 40 electrically disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal, and the voltage _VCC33 is applied to the _VCC33 line. is no longer output. This causes the MCU 130 to stop operating. After that, when the reboot controller 50 stops outputting the low level from the RSTB terminal, the high level voltage _{VCC33_0} is input to the ON terminal of the load switch 40, so that the load switch 40 electrically connects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal. to output the voltage _VCC33 again from the VOUT terminal to the _VCC33 line. As a result, the MCU 130 that has stopped operating can be restarted.

The load switch 60 electrically disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal when a low level is input to the ON terminal, and disconnects the VIN terminal and the VOUT terminal when a high level is input to the ON terminal. are electrically connected to output the voltage _{VCC33_SLP} from the VOUT terminal to the _{VCC33_SLP} line. The voltage value of the voltage V _{CC33_SLP} is, for example, 3.3 [V]. _{The VCC33_SLP} line is connected to a puff thermistor TP, which will be described later, a heater thermistor TH, which will be described later, and a case thermistor TC, which will be described later. The ON terminal of the load switch 60 is electrically connected to the PC11 terminal of the MCU 130 . The MCU 130 transitions the logic level of the PC11 terminal from high level to low level when transitioning to the sleep mode, and transitions the logic level of the PC11 terminal from low level to high level when transitioning from the sleep state to the active state. In other words, the voltage _{VCC33_SLP} is not available in the sleep state and becomes available when transitioning from the sleep state to the active state. In order not to complicate the circuit board of the power supply unit 1, it is preferable that the voltage value of the voltage _{VCC33_SLP} and the voltage value of the voltage _VCC33 are substantially equal.

The power supply unit 1 can include a puff thermistor TP (for example, an NTC thermistor or a PTC thermistor) that constitutes a puff sensor for detecting a puff (sucking) action by the user. The puff thermistor TP may be arranged, for example, to detect temperature changes in the airflow path associated with the puff. Note that the puff thermistor TP is only a specific example of the puff sensor. Instead of the puff thermistor TP, a microphone capacitor, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, a flow velocity sensor, or the like may be used as the puff sensor. The power supply unit 1 may include a vibrator M. Vibrator M can be activated, for example, by turning on switch SN. The switch SN may be composed of a transistor, and a control signal may be supplied from the PH0 terminal of the MCU 130 to the base or gate of the transistor. The power supply unit 1 may have a driver for controlling the vibrator M.

The power supply unit 1 can include a heater thermistor TH (for example, an NTC thermistor or a PTC thermistor) for detecting the temperature of the heater HT. The temperature of the heater HT may be detected indirectly by detecting the temperature in the vicinity of the heater HT. The operational amplifier A2 can output a voltage corresponding to the resistance value of the thermistor TH, in other words, a voltage corresponding to the temperature of the heater HT.

The power supply unit 1 may include a case thermistor TC (for example, an NTC thermistor or a PTC thermistor) for detecting the temperature of the housing (case) 2 of the power supply unit. The temperature of case 2 may be detected indirectly by detecting the temperature in the vicinity of case 2 . The operational amplifier A3 outputs a voltage corresponding to the resistance value of the thermistor TC, in other words, a voltage corresponding to the temperature of the case 2.

Detector 140 may be configured to detect that front panel 11 is removed from power supply unit 1 . The output of detector 140 may be supplied to the SW2 terminal of reboot controller 50 and the PD2 terminal of MCU 130 via Schmitt trigger circuit 150 . One end of switch SW may be connected to the V CC 33 line, the SW1 terminal of reboot controller 50 and the _PC10 terminal of MCU 130 . The other end of the switch SW can be connected to ground. As a result, when the switch SW is pressed, a low level is supplied to the SW1 terminal of the reboot controller 50 and the PC10 terminal of the MCU 130, and when the switch SW is not pressed, a high level is supplied to the SW1 terminal of the reboot controller 50 and the PC10 terminal of the MCU 130. can be

The detector 170 can be configured to detect opening and closing of the slider 13 . The output of detector 170 may be provided to the PC13 terminal of MCU 130 .

Detectors

140 and 170 can be configured by integrated circuits (Hall ICs) using Hall elements, for example.

The communication interface circuit 160 provides the MCU 130 with a function of wirelessly communicating with external devices such as smartphones, mobile phones, and personal computers. Communication interface circuit 160 may be, for example, a communication interface circuit compliant with one or more of any wireless communication standards, such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

FIG. 4A is a circuit diagram extracting and describing the configuration related to the operation using FFs (Flip-Flops) 1 and FF2 among the components described using FIG. FF1 and FF2 are holding circuits that hold 1-bit information (0 or 1) indicating whether or not an abnormality has been detected as low level or high level. FF2 outputs the value obtained by inverting the value of the held information from the /Q terminal as the HEATER_Latched signal. In addition, FF1 outputs the value of information it holds as an nALARM_Latched signal from the Q terminal. Since the HEATER_Latched signal and the nALARM_Latched signal are input to the PB14 terminal and PA10 terminal of the MCU 130, respectively, the MCU 130 refers to the information held in FF1 and the information held in FF2 by referring to the levels of these terminals. can.

　FF1 and FF2 have a /CLR terminal, and when the input level of the /CLR terminal changes from high level to low level, the value of the held information is initialized to 0 (low level). A change in the input level of the /CLR pin from low level to high level does not affect the value of the held information.

In this embodiment, power is supplied to FF1 and FF2 through different power supply lines. That is, the voltage _{VCC33_0 is input to the VCC terminal (power supply terminal) of FF1, and the voltage VCC33} _is input to the VCC terminal (power supply terminal) of FF2. The voltage _{VCC33_0} is continuously supplied even while the voltage _VCC33 for driving the MCU 130 is temporarily not supplied in the reset operation. Therefore, the information held by the FF 2 (output from the Q and /Q terminals) is held without disappearing even if the reset operation of the power supply unit 1 is executed. On the other hand, since power is supplied to FF1 from the power supply line that supplies power to MCU 130, the information held by FF1 is erased during the reset operation.

In FF1 and FF2, the input to the VCC terminal is also input to the D terminal. Therefore, while FF1 and FF2 are operating, a high level is always input to the D terminal. FF1 and FF2 have synchronous terminals (not shown), and when the input of the synchronous terminals changes from low level to high level, the input level of the D terminal is held. When the power supply unit 1 is operating normally, FF1 and FF2 are kept high level, the nALARM_Latched signal is high level, and the HEATER_Latched signal is low level.

First, the operation when the battery monitoring circuit 100 detects an abnormality related to the battery BT will be described. Battery monitoring circuit 100 monitors information (current amount, temperature, voltage, etc.) of battery BT. MCU 130, which is a control circuit, periodically requests battery BT information from battery monitoring circuit 100 through I ² C communication, and battery monitoring circuit 100 notifies MCU 130 of battery BT information in response to the request. MCU 130 determines whether there is an abnormality based on the acquired information on battery BT and a plurality of predetermined abnormal conditions. When there is a corresponding abnormal condition, the MCU 130 executes an operation associated with the abnormal condition.

(abnormal condition)
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an abnormal condition regarding battery BT. The determination condition of the MCU 130 is an abnormal condition applied to the battery BT information acquired by the MCU 130 from the battery monitoring circuit 100 through I ² C communication. Also, the output condition of the nGAUGE_INT1 signal and the output condition of the nGAUGE_INT2 signal are abnormal conditions that the battery monitoring circuit 100 itself applies to the information of the battery BT. When any of the output conditions for the nGAUGE_INT1 signal is satisfied, the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs a low-level nGAUGE_INT1 signal from the ALERT terminal. Also, when any of the output conditions for the nGAUGE_INT2 signal is satisfied, the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs the low-level nGAUGE_INT2 signal from the IO5 terminal. In this way, the state of battery BT is independently monitored by MCU 130 and battery monitoring circuit 100 . As a result, even if I ² C communication between the MCU 130 and the battery monitoring circuit 100 cannot be performed normally for some reason, or the MCU 130 does not operate normally for some reason, the battery monitoring circuit 100 detects the abnormality of the battery BT. can be reliably detected and an appropriate response can be taken.

In FIG. 5, the "Timing" column indicates the timing for determining whether or not each abnormal condition is met. It is determined whether or not the abnormal condition described as "charging" in the "Timing" column applies only while the charging circuit 20 is charging the battery BT. The abnormal condition described as "discharging" in the "Timing" column is only while the battery BT is not being charged by the charging circuit 20 (more preferably, while the heater voltage V _BOOST is being applied to the heater HT). only), it is determined whether it applies. It is determined whether or not the abnormal condition described as "constant" in the "Timing" column applies regardless of whether the battery BT is being charged by the charging circuit 20 or not.

In FIG. 5, the presence or absence and type of frame for an abnormal condition indicate the degree of abnormality represented by that abnormal condition. Specifically, abnormal conditions without frames are the mildest abnormalities, abnormal conditions with practice frames are medium abnormalities that require resetting, and abnormal conditions with double-lined frames The condition represents a significant anomaly (permanent failure). MCU 130 and battery monitoring circuit 100 operate according to the degree of the abnormality.

Here, when both the output condition of the nGAUGE_INT1 signal and the output condition of the nGAUGE_INT2 signal are set for the same monitor parameter like the amount of current during charging or discharging of the battery BT, the output condition of the nGAUGE_INT1 signal stricter conditions are set. In other words, the abnormal condition is set such that the nGAUGE_INT2 signal is output earlier than the nGAUGE_INT1 signal for the same monitoring parameter. This is because the nGAUGE_INT2 signal is output to the MCU 130 to deal with the abnormality under the control of the MCU 130, whereas the nGAUGE_INT1 signal deals with the abnormality by hardware without going through the MCU 130. Basically, priority is given to software control by the MCU 130 that operates stably, and hardware control by the nGAUGE_INT1 signal is implemented as means when software control does not work. An example of when software control does not work is when the MCU 130 is frozen.

(Battery abnormality detection by MCU 130)
Next, the detection of an abnormality in the battery BT and the operation according to the degree of the detected abnormality will be described. First, the operation of the MCU 130 based on the information of the battery BT obtained by I ² C communication will be described. The MCU 130 performs I ² C communication with the battery monitoring circuit 100 periodically (for example, at intervals of 1 second) to acquire information on the battery BT, and determines whether any of the abnormal conditions shown in FIG. 5 apply. judge.

(minor abnormality)
When it is determined that the mildest abnormal state (in the example of FIG. 5, when the temperature of the battery BT is 51° C. or more and less than 55° C. during discharge), the MCU 130 reduces the power from the battery BT to the heater HT. Disable supply (application of heater voltage V _BOOST ). Also, the MCU 130 causes the light-emitting unit NU and the vibrator M to notify an error. The MCU 130 also prohibits charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20 . In the sleep state, voltages V _BAT , V _CC33 and V _{CC33_0} are supplied, but voltage V _{CC33_SLP} is not supplied.

(Operation for prohibiting power supply to heater HT)
The MCU 130 turns the Heater_Enable signal output from the PC12 terminal to low level to turn off the switch SS. As a result, the MCU 130 disconnects the negative terminal HC- of the heater HT from the ground. Further, since the Heater Enable signal is also input to the EN terminal of the transformer circuit 120, the transformer circuit 120 also stops operating and power supply to the heater HT is prohibited.

(Battery BT charging prohibition operation)
The MCU 130 sets the nCharger_Enable signal output from the PB3 terminal to high level. As a result, the /CE terminal of the charging circuit 20 becomes high level, so that the charging circuit 20 prohibits charging.

After that, when it is confirmed that the temperature of the battery BT has become 45°C or less, the MCU 130 shifts the power supply unit 1 to the sleep state.

(moderate abnormality)
If it is determined that a moderate abnormal condition (in the example of FIG. 5, the temperature of the battery BT reaches 55° C. or higher during discharge), the power supply unit 1 needs to be reset (restarted). Therefore, the MCU 130 prompts the user to perform the reset operation by means of the light emitting pattern and/or the light emitting color of the light emitting unit NU. When it is determined that the state corresponds to a moderate abnormal state, the MCU 130 prohibits power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20 .

(reset operation)
In the power supply unit 1 of this embodiment,
When it is detected that the front panel 11 is removed and that the switch SW is pressed for a certain period of time longer than the heating start instruction, it is recognized that the reset operation has been performed.

Specifically, the reboot controller 50 detects these conditions. The SW1 terminal of the reboot controller 50 is connected to the switch SW, and the SW2 terminal is connected to the Schmitt trigger circuit 150 that outputs a signal indicating attachment/detachment of the front panel 11 . When the switch SW is pressed while the front panel 11 is removed, both the inputs of the SW1 and SW2 terminals become low level. Thereby, the reboot controller 50 starts a reset operation.

The reboot controller 50 monitors whether the state in which both the SW1 and SW2 terminals are at low level continues until a user-settable reboot delay time (eg, 1 to 20 seconds) has elapsed. During the reboot delay time, the MCU 130 uses the light emitting unit NU and the vibrator M to notify the user of the reset.

The reboot controller 50 changes the output of the RSTB terminal to low level when both the SW1 and SW2 terminals remain at low level for the reboot delay time. As a result, the ON terminal of the load switch 40 becomes low level, and the supply of the voltage _VCC33 from the VOUT terminal of the load switch 40 and the voltage _{VCC33_SLP} from the VOUT terminal of the load switch 60 are stopped. As a result, power supply to the MCU 130 is cut off, and the MCU 130 stops operating. That is, the above-described time required for recognizing the reset instruction, which is longer than the heating start instruction, is substantially equal to the reboot delay time.

The reboot controller 50 does not automatically set the RSTB terminal to low level after a predetermined time (for example, 0.4 seconds) has elapsed since the RSTB terminal was set to low level. As a result, the voltage _{VCC33_0} is input to the ON terminal of the load switch 40 via the _{VCC33_0} line. Supply of the voltage _VCC33 from the load switch 40 is resumed, and the MCU 130 is activated. In other words, the MCU 130 is activated when the state in which power is not supplied is changed to the state in which power is supplied. The power supply unit 1 enters a sleep state or a charging state when the MCU 130 is activated. Voltage _{VCC33_SLP} is not provided at this time. When the MCU 130 is restarted in this way, problems such as freezing occurring in the MCU 130 may be resolved.

Of the moderate abnormal states, the overcurrent during charging is a current value (hereinafter referred to as constant-current) predetermined for CC (constant-current) charging among the CCCV charging performed by the charging circuit 20. , also referred to as a set value) is detected, it is determined to be applicable.

(major anomaly)
When it is determined that a serious abnormal state (in the example of FIG. 5, when it is determined to be deep discharge from the voltage of the battery BT), the MCU 130 determines that a serious abnormality (permanent failure) has occurred. It should be noted that the term "deeply discharged" refers to a state in which the discharge of the battery BT has progressed beyond the state of overdischarge. It should be noted that the over-discharge state refers to a state in which the output voltage of battery BT is lower than the final discharge voltage. Determination of deep discharge can be performed by a predetermined algorithm. There is no limit to the method of determining deep discharge, but for example, when the positive electrode voltage of battery BT is less than that, it can be determined to be deep discharge.

When determining that a permanent failure has occurred, the MCU 130 performs an operation to prohibit the user from using the power supply unit 1 . Specifically, the MCU 130 stops the power pass function of the charging circuit 20 (the function of outputting power input to the BAT terminal from the SYS terminal) through I ² C communication with the charging circuit 20 . As a result, the supply of the voltage V _CC based on the power supply voltage V _BAT from the charging circuit 20 is stopped, and the supply of the voltages V _{CC33_0} , V _CC33 and V _{CC33_SLP} derived from the voltage V _CC is also stopped. Therefore, power is not supplied to most of the circuits including the MCU 130, and the power supply unit 1 substantially stops operating. Since power is not supplied to the reboot controller 50, the reset operation is also not accepted.

Also, by stopping the power pass function of the charging circuit 20, power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20 cannot be executed. In addition, in order to improve the safety of the power supply unit 1 when it is determined that it corresponds to a serious abnormal state, when it is determined that a permanent failure has occurred, the MCU 130 prohibits the use of the power supply unit 1 by the user. As part of the operation, power is supplied from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and the battery BT is charged by the charging circuit 20 by the method using the Heater_Enable signal and the nCharger Enable signal described above before the power pass function of the charging circuit 20 is stopped. may be prohibited.

(Battery abnormality detection by battery monitoring circuit 100)
Next, the abnormality detection operation of the battery BT performed by the battery monitoring circuit 100 independently of the MCU 130 will be described.
The battery monitoring circuit 100 monitors the state of the battery BT and determines whether any of the abnormal conditions shown in FIG. 5 apply. Then, it outputs the nGAUGE_INT1 signal or the nGAUGE_INT2 signal according to the corresponding abnormal condition. The nGAUGE_INT2 signal is input from the IO5 terminal of the battery monitoring circuit 100 to the PB12 terminal of the MCU 130 as an interrupt signal. In other words, the nGAUGE_INT2 signal is output from the IO5 terminal of the battery monitoring circuit 100 without waiting for the periodic I ² C communication cycle with the MCU 130 . On the other hand, the nGAUGE_INT1 signal output from the ALERT terminal of the battery monitoring circuit 100 is not input to the MCU 130, but is input to the /CLR terminal of FF1, which is the holding circuit.

(nGAUGE_INT2 signal)
First, the nGAUGE_INT2 signal will be described. The battery monitoring circuit 100 determines whether or not the information of the battery BT obtained periodically corresponds to any of the abnormal conditions listed as the output conditions of the nGAUGE_INT2 signal. Then, when it is determined that any of the abnormal conditions is met, the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs the nGAUGE_INT2 signal by setting the output of the IO5 terminal to low level, and notifies the occurrence of the abnormality to the MCU 130 through the PB12 terminal. .

When the input to the PB12 terminal changes to low level, the MCU 130 recognizes that the battery monitoring circuit 100 has detected an abnormality in the battery BT. The MCU 130 acquires information on the battery BT from the battery monitoring circuit 100 through I ² C communication through the SCL and SDA terminals.

The MCU 130 applies the same abnormal condition as the nGAUGE_INT2 signal output condition to the obtained battery BT information to determine whether the battery BT is in an abnormal state. Then, if any of the abnormal conditions is met, an operation is executed according to the degree of abnormality indicated by the abnormal condition. In other words, the MCU 130 applies to the acquired information of the battery BT depending on whether the information of the battery BT is acquired through regular I ² C communication or through I ² C communication in response to the notification (interrupt) by the nGAUGE_INT2 signal. different abnormal conditions. When there is a corresponding abnormal condition, the operation performed according to the degree of abnormality indicated by the abnormal condition is the same as when the information of the battery BT is obtained by regular I ² C communication.

It should be noted that the battery monitoring circuit 100 and the MCU 130 have different determination methods for the abnormal condition of the battery temperature (85° C. or higher continues for 2 minutes). The battery monitoring circuit 100 monitors the information of the battery BT that is acquired periodically, and outputs a low-level nGAUGE_INT2 signal when it is determined that the temperature of 85° C. or higher has continued for two minutes.

Upon receiving the low-level nGAUGE_INT2 signal, the MCU 130 acquires battery BT information from the battery monitoring circuit 100 at a predetermined cycle (eg, 1 second). If a temperature of 85° C. or higher is detected continuously a predetermined number of times (for example, five times), it is determined that an abnormal condition has occurred (a permanent failure has occurred).

In the above-described embodiment, the MCU 130 applies the same abnormality condition as the nGAUGE_INT2 signal output condition to the acquired battery BT information to determine whether the battery BT is in an abnormal state and the extent of the abnormality.

(nGAUGE_INT1 signal)
Next, the nGAUGE_INT1 signal will be described. The battery monitoring circuit 100 determines whether or not the information of the battery BT obtained periodically corresponds to any of the abnormal conditions listed as the output conditions of the nGAUGE_INT1 signal. When it is determined that any one of the abnormal conditions is met, the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs the nGAUGE_INT1 signal by setting the output of the ALERT terminal to low level.

The nGAUGE_INT1 signal is input to the /CLR terminal of FF1, which is a holding circuit. Since the /CLR terminal is of negative logic, when nGAUGE_INT1 of low level is input, the output of the Q terminal, which is the output of FF1, is forced to low level.
When the supply of the voltage _VCC33 from the load switch 40 to the FF1 is started, a high level is input to the D terminal, and a clock signal is input to the clock terminal (not shown) from the MCU 130. Therefore, the output of the Q terminal is is usually high level. Here, the input of the clock signal may be to change the input level of the clock terminal from low level to high level. FF1 holds the input level of the D terminal when the input level of the clock terminal changes from low level to high level, and outputs it from the Q terminal.

The Q terminal output (nALARM_Latched signal) of FF1 is input to the switch SS, the transformer circuit 120, the switch SL connected to the /CE terminal of the charging circuit 20, and the MCU 130 (PA10 terminal). When the nALARM_Latched signal output from the Q terminal of FF1 reaches a predetermined level (low level) indicating an abnormality,
・Since the switch SS is turned off, the power supply to the heater HT is cut off.
・Since the EN terminal of the DC/DC 120 becomes low level, voltage application to the heater HT stops.
・By turning on the switch SL, the resistor R9 no longer contributes to the voltage division of the voltage _VCC33 with the resistor R10, and the input to the /CE terminal of the charging circuit 20 becomes the same high level as the voltage _VCC33 , so charging is stopped. be done. Note that the nCharger_Enable signal is not generated at this timing, and the potential of the PB3 terminal is indefinite.
By setting the output of FF1 to a low level in this way, the supply of power from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and the charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20 are prohibited without going through the MCU 130, thereby protecting the circuit. can.

When a low-level nALARM_Latched signal is input to the PA10 terminal, the MCU 130 determines that an abnormality requiring resetting has been detected, and prompts the user to perform a reset operation using the light emitting unit NU or vibrator M. The detection of the reset operation and the reset action in response are described above.

(Abnormality detection by heater thermistor and case thermistor)
Next, the abnormality detection by the heater thermistor TH and the case thermistor TC and the operation in response to the abnormality detection will be described. The heater thermistor TH is arranged at a position close to the heater HT. Alternatively, the heater thermistor TH is arranged at a position in contact with the heater HT. Therefore, by measuring the relationship between the actual temperature of the heater HT and the resistance value of the heater thermistor TH in advance, the resistance value of the heater thermistor TH can be used as the temperature of the heater HT.

A voltage obtained by dividing the voltage _{VCC33_SLP} by the heater thermistor TH and the resistor R1 is input to the inverting input of the operational amplifier A2. A voltage obtained by dividing the voltage _VCC33 by the resistors R4 and R5 is input to the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier A2 as a reference voltage or a threshold voltage. Since the heater thermistor TH preferably comprises an NTC thermistor, the voltage of the non-inverting input is low when the heater HT is not overheated, and the voltage of the non-inverting input is high when the heater HT is overheated. Become. The voltage of the non-inverting input is higher than the voltage of the inverting input when the heater HT is not overheated, and the voltage of the inverting input is higher than the voltage of the non-inverting input when the heater HT is overheated. Also, the values of the voltage dividing resistors R3 to R5 are adjusted. Therefore, the operational amplifier A2 functions as a circuit (first detection circuit) for detecting temperature abnormality, specifically overheating, which is an example of an abnormality related to the heater HT. The values of the voltage dividing resistors R3 to R5 can be adjusted based on the resistance value of the heater thermistor TH when the temperature of the heater HT reaches the overheating threshold.

Therefore, the output of the operational amplifier A2 is high level when the heater HT is not overheated (normal state), and is low level when the heater HT is overheated (abnormal state).
The output of operational amplifier A2 is directly connected to the /CLR terminal of FF2. The output of operational amplifier A2 is also connected to the D terminal and /CLR terminal of FF1 via diode D1. Diode D1 has a cathode connected to the output of operational amplifier A2. If the temperature of the heater HT is normal, the input to the /CLR terminal of FF2 becomes high level. When the input of the /CLR terminal is high level, the output of the Q terminal of FF2 maintains the initial state. A voltage _{VCC33_0} is input to the D terminal of FF2, and FF2 holds the input level of the D terminal in the initial state if there is no abnormality at startup. Therefore, when the temperature of the heater HT is normal, the Q terminal output of FF2 is high level, and the /Q terminal output (HEATER_Latched signal) is low level.

When the heater HT is overheated, the output of the operational amplifier A2 changes to low level. As a result, the input of the /CLR terminal of FF2 changes to low level. When the /CLR terminal becomes low level, FF2 is forcibly initialized, the output of the Q terminal becomes low level, and the output of the /Q terminal becomes high level. Therefore, the HEATER_Latched signal output from the /Q terminal of FF2 is held at a high level.

The HEATER_Latched signal is input to the PB14 terminal of MCU130. When the MCU 130 detects that the HEATER_Latched signal has become high level, it prompts the user to perform a reset operation. This is because overheating of the heater HT is an important abnormality, so the determination is made again in a state in which it is certain that the MCU 130 is operating correctly.

The MCU 130 refers to the HEATER_Latched signal at startup after reset, and determines that a permanent failure has occurred when the HEATER_Latched signal is detected to be at high level. Then, the above-described operation at the time of permanent failure determination is executed. The operation at the time of permanent failure determination is an irreversible operation. Such operations are preferably performed by MCU 130, which is more sophisticated than FF1 and FF2. However, since the temperature of the heater HT is controlled by the MCU 130 so as not to overheat, the fact that the heater HT is overheated means that a high level is input to the PB14 terminal due to noise, or the MCU 130 A malfunction may have occurred. When a high level is input to the PB14 terminal due to noise, the HEATER_Latched signal referred to by the MCU 130 after reset is at a low level, thereby suppressing erroneous execution of the permanent failure determination operation. When the MCU 130 malfunctions, resetting causes the MCU 130 to operate normally, and the operation at the time of permanent failure determination can be performed accurately.

The reset operation and reset operation are as described above. A voltage _{VCC33_0} is supplied to the VCC terminal of FF2. The voltage _{VCC33_0} is continuously supplied even while the voltage _VCC33 for driving the MCU 130 is temporarily not supplied in the reset operation. Therefore, the information held by FF2 (output of Q and /Q terminals) is held without disappearing even if MCU 130 is reset.

After the reset, the operational amplifier A2 and the MCU 130 operate by restarting the supply of the voltage _VCC33 . If the heater HT is no longer overheated at this time, the output of the operational amplifier A2 returns to high level. However, since no clock signal is input from the MCU 130 to the clock terminal (not shown) of FF2, the information held by FF2 does not change from before the reset. Therefore, by referring to the HEATER_Latched signal after the reset, the MCU 130 can confirm that overheating of the heater HT was detected before the reset.

The MCU 130 refers to the HEATER_Latched signal at startup after reset, and determines that a permanent failure has occurred when the HEATER_Latched signal is detected to be at high level. Then, the above-described operation at the time of permanent failure determination is executed.

The case thermistor TC is arranged at a position close to the inner surface of the case 2. Alternatively, the case thermistor TC is arranged at a position in contact with the inner surface of the case 2 . By measuring the relationship between the actual temperature of the case 2 and the resistance value of the case thermistor TC in advance, the resistance value of the case thermistor TC can be used as the temperature of the case 2 .

A voltage obtained by dividing the voltage _{VCC33_SLP} by the case thermistor TC and the resistor R6 is input to the inverting input of the operational amplifier A3. A voltage obtained by dividing the voltage _VCC33 by the resistors R7 and R8 is input to the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier A3 as a reference voltage or a threshold voltage. Since the case thermistor TC is preferably composed of an NTC thermistor, the voltage at the non-inverting input is low when the case 2 is not hot and the voltage at the non-inverting input is high when the case 2 is hot. The voltage of the non-inverting input is higher than the voltage of the inverting input when the case 2 of the power supply unit 1 is not hot, and the voltage of the inverting input is higher than the voltage of the non-inverting input when the case 2 is hot. Also, the values of the voltage dividing resistors R6 to R8 are adjusted. Therefore, the operational amplifier A3 functions as a circuit (second detection circuit) that detects a high temperature as an abnormality related to the temperature of the case 2. FIG. The values of the voltage dividing resistors R6 to R8 can be adjusted based on the resistance value of the case thermistor TC when the temperature of the case 2 reaches a high temperature.

Therefore, the output of the operational amplifier A3 is high level when Case 2 is not at high temperature (normal condition), and is low level when Case 2 is at high temperature (abnormal condition).

The output of operational amplifier A3 is directly connected to the /CLR and D terminals of FF1. The output of operational amplifier A3 is also connected to the anode of diode D1. If the temperature in case 2 is normal, the input to the /CLR terminal of FF1 becomes high level. When the input of the /CLR terminal is high level, the output of the Q terminal of FF1 maintains the initial state. A voltage _VCC33 is input to the D terminal of FF1, and FF1 holds the input level of the D terminal in the initial state if there is no abnormality at startup. Therefore, if the temperature in case 2 is normal, the Q terminal output (nALARM_Latched signal) of FF1 is at high level.

A high-level nALARM_Latched signal is input to the PA10 terminal of MCU 130 and the base of switch SL. The switch SL is turned off.

When Case 2 reaches a high temperature, the output of operational amplifier A3 changes to low level. As a result, the input of the /CLR terminal of FF1 changes to low level. When the /CLR terminal becomes low level, FF1 is forcibly initialized and the output of the Q terminal (nALARM_Latched signal) becomes low level. As a result, similarly to when the battery monitoring circuit 100 outputs the low-level nGAUGE_INT1 signal, power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20 are prohibited without going through the MCU 130. Unit 1 can be protected.

When the heater HT is in an overheated state and the case 2 is in a high temperature state, both the outputs of the operational amplifiers A2 and A3 become high level. Since the outputs of the operational amplifier A2 and operational amplifier A3 are connected, there is a possibility that the outputs of both will collide. The output of the operational amplifier A2 and the output of the operational amplifier A3 do not always have the same voltage value, and conflict between high levels with different voltage values may cause unexpected malfunction. In particular, even if both the outputs of operational amplifier A2 and operational amplifier A3 are at high level, if the output voltage of operational amplifier A3 is lower than the output voltage of operational amplifier A2, the input level of the /CLR pin of FF2 may be affected. be.

Therefore, a diode D1 as a limiting circuit for limiting the direction of current flow is connected to the connection path between the output of the operational amplifier A2 and the output of the operational amplifier A3, the output of the operational amplifier A3 is connected to the anode, and the output of the operational amplifier A2 is connected to the cathode. connected as follows. That is, the output of operational amplifier A3, the anode of diode D1, the cathode of diode D1, and the output of operational amplifier A2 are connected in series. Alternatively, the /CLR terminal of FF1 exists between the output of operational amplifier A3 and the anode of diode D1, and operational amplifier A2 is connected to the cathode of diode D1. As a result, when the output voltage of operational amplifier A3 is lower than the output voltage of operational amplifier A2, the current flowing from operational amplifier A2 to operational amplifier A3 is limited by diode D1, and the output voltage of operational amplifier A1 is input to the /CLR terminal of FF2. Avoid affecting levels. The direction of the diode D1 may be determined according to the output levels of the operational amplifiers A2 and A3 when an abnormality is detected so as to suppress the influence of the output level of the operational amplifier A3 on the output level of the operational amplifier A2 when an abnormality is detected. .

On the other hand, if the heater HT is overheated and the case 2 is normal, charging of the battery BT and power supply to the heater HT should be prohibited to immediately protect the circuit. In this case, the output of the operational amplifier A2 becomes low level, and the output of the operational amplifier A3 becomes high level. When the output voltage of operational amplifier A3 is higher than the output voltage of operational amplifier A2, forward voltage is applied to diode D1. Also, since the current flowing from the operational amplifier A3 to the operational amplifier A2 is grounded, the input to the /CLR terminal of the FF1 is pulled to the ground and becomes low level even if the output of the operational amplifier A3 is high level. Thus, when the information held by FF2 changes to a value indicating that an abnormality has been detected, the information held by FF1 also changes to a value indicating that an abnormality has been detected.

As a result, when the overheating state of the heater HT is detected, the power supply from the transformer circuit 120 to the heater HT and the charging of the battery BT by the charging circuit 20 are prohibited immediately without going through the MCU 130, thereby protecting the circuit. can be done. As shown in FIG. 4B, which is a modification of FIG. 4A, by using a Schottky diode D1′ instead of the diode D1, the forward current is lower than when a normal diode using a PN junction (PN diode) is used. Get up faster. Therefore, the /CLR terminal of FF1 can be brought to a low level more quickly than when a PN diode is used as the diode D1, and the circuit can be quickly protected when the overheating state of the heater HT is detected.

Although the HEATER_Latched signal is output from the /Q terminal of FF2 here, it may be output from the Q terminal. However, by using the /Q terminal output to set the HEATER_Latched signal to high level when an abnormality occurs, it is less susceptible to disturbance noise than when the HEATER_Latched signal becomes low level when an abnormality occurs. can be determined.

(circuit layout)
6A and 6B are perspective views showing examples of implementations of circuit elements that implement the circuit shown in FIG. 4A or 4B. FIG. 6A shows a positional relationship between the first circuit board PCB1 and the second circuit board PCB2, and a mounting example of circuit elements on the upper surface of the first circuit board PCB1. Also, FIG. 6B shows examples of mounting circuit elements on the lower surface (surface hidden in FIG. 6A) of the first circuit board PCB1.

As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, the first circuit board PCB1 is arranged closer to the inner surface of the case 2 than the second circuit board PCB2 with respect to the distance in the direction perpendicular to the mounting surface. Also, the first circuit board PCB1 and the second circuit board PCB2 are electrically connected through a flexible printed board FPC. Both the first circuit board PCB1 and the second circuit board PCB2 are double-sided boards, and the substrates are held substantially parallel by spacers provided between them.

In the first circuit board PCB1, THC+ and THC- are connectors for connecting the heater thermistor TH. TCC+ and TCC- are connectors for connecting the case thermistor TC. Although the lead wire of the heater thermistor TH and the lead wire of the case thermistor TC are not connected to their respective connectors in FIG. 6A, this is merely for convenience of illustration, and they are actually connected to the corresponding connectors. Preferably, the leads of the heater thermistor TH are connected to THC+ and THC- through gaps in the FPC. TPC+ and TPC- are connectors for connecting lead wires of the puff thermistor TP.

The arrangement of circuit elements will be described with further reference to FIGS. 7A and 7B showing examples of arrangement of circuit elements on each mounting surface of the first circuit board PCB1 and the second circuit board PCB2. FIG. 7A shows the arrangement of circuit elements of PCB1 and FIG. 7B shows the arrangement of circuit elements of PCT2. In FIG. 7A, 7a indicates the upper surface and 7b indicates the lower surface. Similarly, in FIG. 7B, 7c indicates the upper surface and 7d indicates the lower surface. In the circuit diagram shown in FIG. 3, the circuits that are particularly noise sources are the charging circuit 20 and the transformer circuit 120 that perform switching operations, and the MCU 130 that generates noise during operation.

On the other hand, if the value held by FF2, which is used to determine permanent failure, is reversed due to the influence of noise, or if the value cannot be held accurately, the effect is extremely large. Therefore, it is necessary to mount the FF 2 at a position that is less susceptible to noise from other circuits in the power supply unit 1 and noise from outside the power supply unit 1 .

Therefore, in this embodiment, the circuit that becomes a noise source is not mounted on the same mounting surface as FF2 or on the mounting surface facing the mounting surface of FF2. Specifically, the charging circuit 20 and the MCU 130 are mounted on the upper surface of the first circuit board PCB1, and the transformer circuit 120 is mounted on the lower surface of the second circuit board PCB2. In other words, the noise source circuit is mounted on the outward mounting surface. Note that this is merely an example, and at least one of the charging circuit 20 and the MCU 130 may be mounted on the bottom surface of the second circuit board PCB2, and the transformer circuit 120 may be mounted on the top surface of the first circuit board PCB1.

On the other hand, the FF2 holding information indicating whether overheating of the heater HT has been detected is mounted on the lower surface of the first circuit board PCB1. By mounting FF2 on a mounting surface that is different from and does not face the mounting surface of the circuit that is the noise source, noise from other circuits in the power supply unit 1 may cause the value held by FF2 to change or the value to be corrected. It is possible to reduce the risk of not being able to hold

In addition, by mounting the FF2 on the inward surface facing the second circuit board PCB2, the substrates and wiring patterns of the first circuit board PCB1 and the second circuit board PCB2 are prevented from entering from the outside of the power supply unit 1. Can be used as a noise shield. In particular, among the base materials of the first circuit board PCB1 and the second circuit board PCB2, the copper foil layer for providing the ground is effective as a shield. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk that the value held by the FF2 is changed or the value cannot be held accurately due to noise that enters the power supply unit 1 from the outside.

Further, the connector USBC exposed on the surface of the case 2 of the power supply unit 1 is mounted on the second circuit board PCB2 different from the first circuit board PCB1 on which the FF2 is mounted. As a result, it is possible to suppress the influence of noise, particularly static electricity, entering from the outside of the power supply unit 1 through the connector USBC on the FF2. These noises are particularly likely to occur when plugging/unplugging the connector USBC.

Furthermore, the heater thermistor TH is arranged close to the heater HT to which a large amount of power is supplied, and detects the temperature of the heater HT exceeding, for example, 250° C., so the resistance value changes greatly. Therefore, the potentials of the connectors THC+ and THC- of the heater thermistor TH also change greatly, which may cause noise. Therefore, the connectors THC+ and THC- of the heater thermistor TH are also mounted on a mounting surface different from and not facing the mounting surface of FF2. Although the connectors THC+ and THC- of the heater thermistor TH are mounted on the upper surface of the first circuit board PCB1 in this embodiment, they may be mounted on the lower surface of the second circuit board.

Also, the maximum voltage supplied to the mounting surface of FF2 is assumed to be the operating voltage of FF2 (here, V _CC33 ). As a result, the possibility of a short-circuit current occurring on the mounting surface of FF2 can be greatly reduced.

In addition to mounting considering the positional relationship between circuit elements as described above, the influence of noise is also considered for the position of FF2 within the mounting surface. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of the bottom surface of the first circuit board PCB1 on which the FF2 is mounted.

　A lot of noise to the circuit elements on the mounting surface penetrates from the direction where there is nothing to block it. The base material of the first circuit board PCB1 and the second circuit board PCB2 exist between the lower surface of the first circuit board PCB1 on which the FF2 is mounted and the case 2 in the direction orthogonal to the lower surface, but the base material of the first circuit board PCB1 and the second circuit board PCB2 exist in parallel to the lower surface. There is no structural element that serves as a shield between the case 2 and the case 2 in the direction. Therefore, noise may enter from the side of the first circuit board PCB1.

Therefore, on the mounting surface of the first circuit board PCB1, by mounting the FF2 closer to the center than the position in contact with the edge, the influence of noise from the sides of the board can be suppressed. On the other hand, if FF2 is mounted too far from the edge, the wiring length to FF2 may increase, or the placement of other circuit elements may be affected. For example, let d be the distance between FF2 and the edge ED closest to FF2 among the edges of the first circuit board PCB1, and let dc be the distance between the center O of the mounting surface of the first circuit board PCB1 and the edge ED. . These distances d and dc are the shortest distances. At this time, the distance d can be determined so that the distance d is larger than 0 and smaller than dc and smaller than the difference between the distances dc and d (0<d<dc and d<dc−d). .

Alternatively, implement FF2 at a position where the ratio of d to dc is greater than or equal to the threshold. That is, the position of FF2 on the mounting surface is determined so that d/dc≧threshold (%). Also in this case, 0<d<dc and d<dc-d are to be satisfied. The threshold is preferably 20% or higher, more preferably 30% or higher, and most preferably 40% or higher. Also, the upper limit of the threshold is less than 50% because d<dc−d is satisfied. In FIG. 8, the distance d is the distance between the side surface of the package of FF2 and the edge ED, but the distance d' between the center of the package of FF2 and the edge ED may be used. Further, the center O of the mounting surface can be the intersection of the diagonal lines when the substrate can be regarded as a rectangle. Alternatively, the center of the mounting surface may be the position of the center of gravity when the substrate is made of the same material having a uniform thickness.

In addition, on the mounting surface of FF2, between FF2 and the edge ED closest to FF2 among the edges of the first circuit board PCB1, there is an integrated circuit (IC) or an element (MOSFET) other than an element (MOSFET) that performs a switching operation. The influence of noise from the side of the substrate can also be reduced by mounting one or more circuit elements such as diodes and passive elements (capacitors, resistors, etc.). In this embodiment, the capacitors C1 and C2 on the bottom surface of PCB1 shown at 7b in FIG. 7A are the circuit elements (and passive elements) that satisfy this condition.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the power supply unit of the aerosol generator is provided with a holding circuit in which the held information is not erased by the reset operation of the power supply unit. Then, the holding circuit holds information indicating whether or not an abnormality has been detected. Therefore, by referring to the information held by the holding circuit after the reset operation, appropriate control using the presence or absence of an abnormality detected in the past can be realized. For example, if information indicating that an important abnormality has been detected is held in the holding circuit, the power supply unit prohibits power supply to the heater HT, prohibits charging of the battery BT, and prohibits charging of the battery BT, and appropriate actions, such as stopping the supply of power to the circuits of the

In addition, a holding circuit in which the held information is erased by the reset operation of the power supply unit is further used so that different response operations can be executed according to the type of detected abnormality. For example, a holding circuit that is not erased by the reset operation of the power supply unit holds information on whether or not an important abnormality has been detected. A holding circuit erased by the reset operation of the power supply unit holds information on whether or not an abnormality that can be recovered by the reset operation is detected. When a serious abnormality is detected, both holding circuits hold information indicating that an abnormality has been detected, thereby restricting some operations before the reset operation and then resetting. Tighter operating limits can be implemented later with reference to the holding circuit.

In addition, the holding circuit, which holds information about whether or not a serious error has been detected, is mounted in a position that is less susceptible to noise from outside the power supply unit or noise generated by other circuits within the power supply unit. It is possible to effectively suppress malfunction due to the influence of

The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the invention.

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-79748 filed on May 10, 2021, and the entire contents thereof are incorporated herein.

Claims

a power supply;
a connector to which a load that consumes the power supplied from the power source and heats the aerosol source is connected;
a control circuit that controls the supply of power from the power source to the load;
A power supply unit for an aerosol generator, comprising: a first circuit board mounted with a first holding circuit holding information indicating whether an abnormality has been detected,
The control circuit refers to the information held by the first holding circuit at startup, and if the information indicates that an abnormality has been detected, performs an operation to prohibit use of the power supply unit,
In the first circuit board, the first holding circuit has a distance d between the first holding circuit and an edge of the first circuit board closest to the first holding circuit, and a distance between the edge and the first circuit board. A power supply unit arranged to satisfy 0<d<dc and d<(dc-d) where dc is the distance from the center.
The power supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the first holding circuit is arranged on the first circuit board so that the ratio d/dc of the distance d to the distance dc is 20% or more.
a power supply;
a connector to which a load that consumes the power supplied from the power source and heats the aerosol source is connected;
a control circuit that controls the supply of power from the power source to the load;
A power supply unit for an aerosol generator, comprising: a first circuit board mounted with a first holding circuit holding information indicating whether an abnormality has been detected,
The control circuit refers to the information held by the first holding circuit at startup, and if the information indicates that an abnormality has been detected, performs an operation to prohibit use of the power supply unit,
In the first circuit board, the first holding circuit is provided between the first holding circuit and the edge of the first circuit board closest to the first holding circuit, other than integrated circuits and circuit elements that perform switching operations. A power supply unit in which at least one circuit element of
4. The power supply unit according to claim 3, wherein said circuit element mounted between said first holding circuit and the edge of said first circuit board closest to said first holding circuit is a passive element.
5. The power supply according to claim 1, wherein a maximum voltage supplied to a mounting surface of said first circuit board on which said first holding circuit is mounted is an operating voltage of said first holding circuit. unit.
2. The first circuit board is a double-sided board, the first holding circuit is mounted on a first mounting surface, and the control circuit is mounted on a second mounting surface different from the first mounting surface. 6. The power supply unit according to any one of 1 to 5.
further comprising a charging circuit for charging the power supply;
7. The power supply unit according to claim 6, wherein said charging circuit is mounted on said second mounting surface.
further comprising a case forming a surface of the power supply unit;
8. The power supply unit according to claim 6, wherein said first circuit board is arranged such that said first mounting surface is located inside said second mounting surface with respect to said case.
The power supply unit according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein a connector to which a thermistor that detects the temperature of said load is connected is mounted on said second mounting surface.
further comprising a second circuit board connected to the first circuit board and arranged to face the first circuit board;
10. The power supply unit according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein said first mounting surface of said first circuit board is a surface facing said second circuit board.
further comprising a second circuit board connected to the first circuit board and arranged to face the first circuit board;
6. Any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control circuit is mounted on a mounting surface of the second circuit board that does not face a first mounting surface on which the first holding circuit is mounted on the first circuit board. Power supply unit as described in section.
further has a connector for connecting an external device,
12. The power supply unit according to claim 10, wherein said connector is mounted on said second circuit board.
13. The power supply according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein a connector to which a thermistor that detects the temperature of said load is connected is mounted on a mounting surface of said second circuit board that does not face said first mounting surface. unit.
The power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the operation for prohibiting use of the power supply unit includes stopping power supply to the load and the control circuit.
further comprising a charging circuit for charging the power supply;
15. The power supply unit according to claim 14, wherein the operation for prohibiting use of the power supply unit further includes stopping power supply based on the voltage of the power supply.