Power unit of an aerosol generating device

Abstract

A power unit of an aerosol generating device capable of being reset by user operation is provided. It includes an MCU (6) configured to control the supply of power from a power source (ba) to a liquid heater, a switch (BT) operable by a user, an output terminal (SYS) connected to the power terminal (terminal (VDD)) of the MCU (6) and converting and outputting the input voltage, and a charging IC (3) including a terminal (QON(￣)). When the switch (BT) is operated, a low-level signal is input to the terminal (QON(￣)), and the charging IC (3) becomes a non-operating state in which it does not output voltage from the output terminal (SYS) when a low-level signal is input to the terminal (QON(￣)).

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power unit of an aerosol generating device. Background Technology

[0002] Patent documents 1 to 3 describe an aerosol generating device capable of being reset by a single device unit. Patent document 4 describes an aerosol generating device that automatically performs a reset by a safety timer. Patent documents 5 to 7 describe an aerosol generating device capable of being reset by an external device. Prior art literature

[0003] Japanese Published Patent No. 2019-187428, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-518250, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-527053, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-527945, Japanese Patent No. 6770579, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-538408, Japanese Patent No. 6752220 The problem to be solved

[0004] The objective of the present invention is to provide a power unit of an aerosol generating device that can be reset by user operation. means of solving the problem

[0005] A power unit of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a power supply capable of supplying power to an atomizer that atomizes an aerosol source, a controller configured to control the supply of power from the power supply to the atomizer, an operating unit operable by a user, an output terminal connected to the power terminal of the controller and also converting and outputting an input voltage, and an IC including a control terminal, wherein when the operating unit is operated, a first level signal is input to the control terminal, and when the first level signal is input to the control terminal, the IC becomes in a non-operating state in which it does not output voltage from the output terminal. Effects of the invention

[0006] According to the present invention, a reset can be performed by user operation. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0007] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device (200). FIG. 2 is another perspective view of an aerosol generating device (200). FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an aerosol generating device (200). FIG. 4 is a left side view of the internal unit (2A). FIG. 5 is a right side view of the internal unit (2A). FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the heating part (60) and the circuit part (70) of the internal unit (2A). FIG. 7 is a figure showing the surface (201) of the main substrate (20). FIG. 8 is a figure showing the back side (202) of the main board (20). FIG. 9 is a plan view taken in a direction perpendicular to the element mounting surface of the puff sensor substrate (21) (in other words, the thickness direction of the puff sensor substrate (21)). FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the puff sensor substrate (21), sensor holding support (55), and suction sensor (15) shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a chassis (50) excluding a sensor holding support (55). FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a circuit provided on a main board (20). Figure 13 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components related to the operation of the heating mode extracted from the circuit shown in Figure 12. FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components related to heating control of the sheet heater (HTR) and liquid heater, driving control of the vibration motor (13), and driving control of the LED (21D), extracted from the circuit shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 15 is a circuit diagram corresponding to FIG. 13 in which FF (9) is omitted. FIG. 16 is a circuit diagram corresponding to FIG. 13 in which the FF (9) and AND gate (10) are omitted. FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the heating unit (60) and the flow path forming body (19) shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 18 is an unfolded view of the heater FPC (24) shown in FIG. 17. FIG. 19 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components related to the restart of the MCU (6) extracted from the circuit shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a modified example of the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 19. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0008] Hereinafter, a power unit of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, an aerosol generating device equipped with the power unit of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

[0009] (Aerosol generating device)

[0010] The aerosol generating device (200) is a device for generating an aerosol with added flavor without involving combustion and for inhaling the generated aerosol. The aerosol generating device (200) is preferably of a size that fits underwater and, for example, has a rounded, approximately rectangular shape as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition, the shape of the aerosol generating device (200) is not limited to this and may be rod-shaped, egg-shaped, etc. In the following description, among the three orthogonal directions of the aerosol generating device (200), the up-down direction, the front-back direction, and the left-right direction are referred to in order of length. Also, in the following description, for convenience, the front, rear, left, right, up, and down directions are defined as described in FIGS. 1 to 8, and the front is denoted as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, the right as R, the up as U, and the down as D.

[0011] Referring to FIG. 3, the aerosol generating device (200) comprises a power unit (100), a first cartridge (110), and a second cartridge (120). The first cartridge (110) and the second cartridge (120) are detachable from the power unit (100). In other words, the first cartridge (110) and the second cartridge (120) are interchangeable.

[0012] (Power unit)

[0013] The power unit (100) comprises an internal unit (2A) and a case (3a), and at least a portion of the internal unit (2A) is accommodated in the case (3a).

[0014] The case (3a) is composed of a first case (3A) and a second case (3B) that are detachable in the left-right direction (thickness direction), and by assembling the first case (3A) and the second case (3B) in the left-right direction (thickness direction), the front, rear, left, and right sides of the power unit (100) are formed. Specifically, the first case (3A) is supported on the left side of the chassis (50) described later, which is included in the internal unit (2A), and the second case (3B) is supported on the right side of the chassis (50), and the internal unit (2A) is accommodated in the case (3). On the upper surface of the power unit (100), a capsule holder (4A) is provided at the front. The capsule holder (4A) is provided with an opening (4a) that opens upward. The capsule holder (4A) is configured so that a second cartridge (120) can be inserted through the opening (4a). A mouthpiece (130) is detachably provided in the second cartridge (120).

[0015] The upper surface of the power unit (100) is formed by an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) cover (5a) positioned behind the opening (4a), and the lower surface of the power unit (100) is formed by a lower cover (8a) having a charging terminal (1) and a rotatable lower lid (7a).

[0016] Between the upper surface and the rear surface of the power unit (100), an inclined surface is provided that slopes downward toward the rear. An operating part that can be operated by a user is provided on the inclined surface. The operating part of this embodiment is a button-type switch (BT), but it may be configured from a touch panel, etc. The operating part is used to activate / deactivate / operate the MCU (Micro Controller Unit) (6) and various sensors described later, reflecting the user's intention to use.

[0017] A charging terminal (1) accessible from the lower cover (8a) is configured to be electrically connected to an external power source (not shown) capable of supplying power to the power unit (100) to charge the power (ba) included in the battery pack (BP). The charging terminal (1) is, for example, a receptacle into which a plug to be the opposite side can be inserted. As the charging terminal (1), a receptacle into which various USB terminals, etc., can be inserted may be used. As an example, in this embodiment, the charging terminal (1) is a USB Type-C shaped receptacle.

[0018] Additionally, the charging terminal (1) may be configured to receive power transmitted from an external power source without contact, for example, by having a receiving coil. In this case, the method of wireless power transfer may be electromagnetic induction type, magnetic resonance type, or a combination of electromagnetic induction type and magnetic resonance type. As another example, the charging terminal (1) may be connected to various USB terminals, etc., and may also include the receiving coil described above.

[0019] The internal unit (2A) is equipped with a battery pack (BP), a chassis (50), a heating unit (60), a circuit unit (70), a notification unit, and various sensors, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the chassis (50) comprises a cylindrical cartridge holding support (51) located at the front, a semi-cylindrical battery holding support (52) located at the rear with a cut-out on the left side, a plate-shaped connecting part (53) connecting the cartridge holding support (51) and the battery holding support (52), a motor holding support (54) provided to overlap the cartridge holding support (51) and the battery holding support (52) on the lower and right sides of the connecting part (53), and a sensor holding support (55) provided on the left rear side of the cartridge holding support (51).

[0021] In the cartridge holding support (51), the first cartridge (110) is inserted from below with the lower lid (7a) open. Additionally, the first cartridge (110) is received in the cartridge holding support (51) by closing the lower lid (7a) while the first cartridge (110) is inserted. A capsule holder (4A) is mounted on the upper part of the cartridge holding support (51). A vertically elongated through hole is provided in the front of the cartridge holding support (51), and through the remaining amount checking window (3w) provided at the joint between the first case (3A) and the second case (3B), the remaining amount of the aerosol source of the first cartridge (110) and the light of the LED (Light Emitting Diode) (21D), which will be described later, can be visually checked. The first cartridge (110) will be described later.

[0022] A battery pack (BP) is disposed in the battery holding support (52). The battery pack (BP) includes a power source (ba) and a power thermistor for detecting the temperature of the power source (ba). The power source (ba) is a rechargeable secondary battery, an electric double layer capacitor, etc., and preferably a lithium-ion secondary battery. The electrolyte of the power source (ba) may be composed of one or a combination of a gel-type electrolyte, an electrolyte solution, a solid electrolyte, and an ionic liquid.

[0023] A vibration motor (13) is disposed in the motor holding support (54). A suction sensor (15), described later, which performs an output according to the user's suction action (puff action), is disposed in the sensor holding support (55).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 6, the heating unit (60) is equipped with a tubular heating tube (61) and a sheet heater (HTR) wound around the outer circumference of the heating tube (61). The aforementioned capsule holder (4A) is spaced apart from the sheet heater (HTR). The air layer between the capsule holder (4A) and the sheet heater (HTR) functions as an insulating material. The lower portion of the second cartridge (120), which is inserted through the opening (4a) of the capsule holder (4A), is received in the heating tube (61), and the lower portion of the second cartridge (120) is heated by the sheet heater (HTR). As a result, compared to the case without the heating unit (60), the flavor source stored in the second cartridge (120) becomes easier to release flavor, making it easier to add flavor to the aerosol.

[0025] Additionally, the heating unit (60) may be any element capable of heating the second cartridge (120). Examples of elements include a resistance heating element, a ceramic heater, and an induction heating type heater. As for the resistance heating element, for instance, it is preferable to use one having a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristic in which the resistance value increases with increasing temperature. Alternatively, one having an NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) characteristic in which the resistance value decreases with increasing temperature may be used. The heating unit (60) has the function of defining the air flow path supplied to the second cartridge (120) and the function of heating the second cartridge (120).

[0026] The notification unit notifies various information such as the charging status of the power supply (ba), the remaining amount of the first cartridge (110), and the remaining amount of the second cartridge (120). The notification unit of the present embodiment includes an LED (21D) and a vibration motor (13). The notification unit may be composed of a light-emitting element such as the LED (21D), 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.

[0027] Various sensors include a suction sensor (15) that detects the user's puffing motion (suction motion), a heater temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the seat heater (HTR), etc.

[0028] The suction sensor (15) is configured, for example, from a condenser microphone, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, etc. A plurality of suction sensors (15) may be spaced apart and the puff operation may be detected from the difference between their output values. The heater temperature sensor includes a first thermistor (th1) and a second thermistor (th2). It is preferable that the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) be in contact with or close to the sheet heater (HTR). If the sheet heater (HTR) has PTC characteristics or NTC characteristics, the sheet heater (HTR) itself may be used as the heater temperature sensor. The heater temperature sensor is configured to be composed of two thermistors, but it may be composed of a single thermistor.

[0029] The circuit section (70) comprises four rigid circuit boards, three Flexible Printed Circuits (FPCs), a plurality of Integrated Circuits (ICs), and a plurality of components. The four circuit boards are composed of a main board (20), a puff sensor board (21), a pogo pin board (22), and an OLED board (26). The three FPCs are composed of a main FPC (23), a heater FPC (24), and an OLED FPC (25).

[0030] The main board (20) is positioned between the battery pack (BP) and the rear of the case (3a) (the rear of the power unit (100)) so that the component mounting surface faces the front and rear directions. The main board (20) is configured by stacking multiple layers (6 layers in this embodiment) of boards, and electronic components (components) such as an MCU (6) and a charging IC (3) are mounted thereon.

[0031] Although details will be described later using FIG. 12, etc., the MCU (6) is a control device that performs various controls of the aerosol generating device (200) by being connected to various sensor devices such as the suction sensor (15), an operating unit, a notification unit, and a memory that stores the number of puff operations, load, and the time of energization to the seat heater (HTR). Specifically, the MCU (6) is composed mainly of a processor and additionally includes a storage medium such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various information necessary for the operation of the processor. In this specification, a processor is an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor devices. In addition, some of the elements connected to the MCU (6) (e.g., the suction sensor (15) or memory) may be provided within the MCU (6) as a function of the MCU (6) itself.

[0032] The charging IC (3) is an IC that controls the charging of the power source (ba) by power input from the charging terminal (1) or supplies the power of the power source (ba) to electronic components of the main board (20).

[0033] The main board (20) will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and FIGS. 8. Hereinafter, for convenience, the surface facing the rear of the main board (20) will be referred to as the surface (201), and for convenience, the surface facing the front of the main board (20) will be referred to as the back side (202). FIG. 7 is a drawing showing the surface (201) of the main board (20), and FIG. 8 is a drawing showing the back side (202) of the main board (20). The main board (20) is in the shape of a plate extending vertically, and FIGS. 7 and FIGS. 8 show an upper side (20SU) and a lower side (20SD) as sides perpendicular to the long direction of the main board (20). Additionally, a left side (20SL) and a right side (20SR) are shown as sides perpendicular to the short direction of the main board (20).

[0034] As shown in FIG. 8, the MCU (6) and the charging IC (3) are mounted on the back side (202) of the main board (20) together with the charging terminal (1). On the back side (202), a debug connector (20E) is also mounted. The debug connector (20E) is an interface for rewriting the program of the MCU (6) from an external device such as a personal computer, and, for example, one conforming to the specifications of SWD (Serial Wire Debug) is used. Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 7, on the surface (201) of the main board (20), an OLED connector (20C), a heater connector (20B), a main connector (20A), and a battery connector (20D) connected to the battery pack (BP) via a lead wire (16) (see FIG. 6) are mounted.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the puff sensor substrate (21) is placed on the sensor holding support (55) of the chassis (50) such that the element mounting surface faces the right front and left rear. A suction sensor (15) is mounted on the puff sensor substrate (21).

[0036] As shown in FIG. 6, the OLED substrate (26) is positioned between the battery pack (BP) and the OLED cover (5a) such that the device mounting surface faces upward and downward. An OLED panel (17) is mounted on the OLED substrate (26).

[0037] As shown in FIG. 6, the pogo pin substrate (22) is positioned on the lower lead (7a) such that the component mounting surface faces upward and downward when the lower lead (7a) is closed. The pogo pin substrate (22) is provided with input side contacts (P1 to P3) through which power is supplied from the main board (20) via the main FPC (23), and pogo pins (p1 to P3) which are connectors electrically connected to a load provided in the first cartridge (110). The input side contacts (P1 to P3) are electrically connected to the main FPC (23) only when the lower lead (7a) is closed. Three pogo pins (p1 to P3) are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and at least two pogo pins are configured to be electrically connected to the + terminal and the - terminal of the first cartridge (110) which is received in the cartridge holding support (51).

[0038] A battery pack (BP) held and supported by a battery holding support (52) has its left side exposed from the battery holding support (52) by the semi-cylindrical battery holding support (52). In the space between the left side of the battery pack (BP) and the first case (3A), which is formed by the cutout of the battery holding support (52), a main FPC (23), a heater FPC (24), and an OLED FPC (25) are arranged to overlap each other, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6.

[0039] Among the three FPCs, the main FPC (23) is routed closest to the battery pack (BP), the OLED FPC (25) is routed so that a portion overlaps the main FPC (23), and the heater FPC (24) is routed so that it overlaps the OLED FPC (25). That is, the heater FPC (24), which receives the largest amount of power among the three FPCs, is routed furthest from the battery pack (BP). The main FPC (23) has an unfolded shape that is approximately cross-shaped, and is folded backward at the point where it overlaps with the heater FPC (24). That is, the main FPC (23) is a folded, inserted wiring. The folded part of the main FPC (23) is prone to floating up in the left and right directions, but this floating is prevented by the heater FPC (24) and the OLED FPC (25) overlapping this part. The switch (BT) is mounted directly on the main FPC (23) without passing through a rigid board or the like.

[0040] One end of the OLED FPC (25) is connected to the OLED connector (20C) of the main board (20), and the other end is connected to the OLED board (26).

[0041] The main FPC (23) connects the main connector (20A) of the main board (20), the switch (BT) of the operating part, the connector (21B) of the puff sensor board (21), and the input side contacts (P1 to P3) of the pogo pin board (22).

[0042] One end of the heater FPC (24) is connected to the heater connector (20B) of the main board (20), and the other end has a sheet heater (HTR) integrally formed thereon.

[0043] (1st cartridge)

[0044] The first cartridge (110) is provided with, inside a cylindrical cartridge case (111), a reservoir for storing an aerosol source, an electrical load for atomizing the aerosol source, a wick for drawing the aerosol source from the reservoir to the load, and an aerosol path through which the aerosol generated by the atomization of the aerosol source flows toward the second cartridge (120). The aerosol source includes a liquid such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or water.

[0045] The load is a heating element that heats an aerosol source without combustion by means of power supplied from a power source (ba) through the pogo pins (p1 to p3) of the pogo pin substrate (22), and is composed, for example, of a heating wire (coil) wound at a predetermined pitch. The load atomizes the aerosol source by heating it. As the load, a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, an induction heating type heater, etc., may be used. Hereinafter, the load provided in the first cartridge (110) is also described as a liquid heater.

[0046] The aerosol flow path is connected to the second cartridge (120) through a flow path forming body (19) (see FIG. 6) received in the cartridge holding support (51) of the chassis (50).

[0047] (2nd cartridge)

[0048] The second cartridge (120) stores a flavor source. The flavor source is heated by the second cartridge (120) being heated by a sheet heater (HTR). The second cartridge (120) adds flavor to the aerosol by passing the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source by a liquid heater through the flavor source. As for the raw material pieces constituting the flavor source, tobacco or a molded body formed by molding tobacco raw materials into granules may be used. The flavor source may be composed of plants other than tobacco (e.g., mint, herbal medicine, herbs, etc.). The flavor source may be imparted with flavorings such as menthol.

[0049] The aerosol generating device (200) can generate an aerosol with added flavor by means of an aerosol source and a flavor source. That is, the aerosol source and the flavor source constitute an aerosol generating source that generates an aerosol with added flavor.

[0050] The aerosol generating source in the aerosol generating device (200) is a part that the user exchanges. This part is provided to the user as a set, for example, one first cartridge (110) and one or more (e.g., five) second cartridges (120). Additionally, the battery pack (BP) can be repeatedly charged and discharged as long as the power supply (ba) does not deteriorate significantly. Therefore, in the aerosol generating device (200), the frequency of exchange of the power unit (100) or the battery pack (BP) is the lowest, the frequency of exchange of the first cartridge (110) is the next lowest, and the frequency of exchange of the second cartridge (120) is the highest. Additionally, the first cartridge (110) and the second cartridge (120) may be integrated to form a single cartridge. Instead of a flavor source, a pharmaceutical agent or the like may be added to the aerosol source.

[0051] In the aerosol generating device (200) configured in this manner, air introduced from an unillustrated air intake port provided in the case (3a) or internal unit (2A) passes near the load of the first cartridge (110). The load atomizes an aerosol source drawn from the reservoir by a wick. The aerosol generated by atomization flows through an aerosol path together with the air introduced from the intake port and is supplied to the second cartridge (120) through a path forming body (19). The aerosol supplied to the second cartridge (120) has flavor added by passing through a flavor source and is supplied to the intake port (131) of the mouthpiece (130).

[0052] Below, details of the connector mounted on the main board (20) supported by the chassis (50) will be described.

[0053] In the main connector (20A), heater connector (20B), OLED connector (20C), and battery connector (20D) mounted on the surface (201) of the main board (20) shown in FIG. 7, the connector of the main FPC (23), the connector of the heater FPC (24), the connector of the OLED FPC (25), and the lead wire (16) are inserted in the right direction, respectively. Insertion in the right direction means insertion in the direction from left to right. The connector of the main FPC (23), the connector of the heater FPC (24), the connector of the OLED FPC (25), and the lead wire (16) are each routed from the position of the inserted connector across the left side (20SL) of the main board (20) to the battery pack (BP) side. In the debug connector (20E) mounted on the back side (202) of the main board (20) shown in FIG. 8, the connector of a connection cable (not shown) is inserted in the left direction. Insertion in the left direction means insertion in the direction from the right to the left. A connector of a USB cable (not shown) is inserted in the upward direction into the charging terminal (1) mounted on the back side (202) of the main board (20). Insertion in the upward direction means insertion in the direction from the bottom to the top.

[0054] In this way, the main board (20) has four connectors (OLED connector (20C), heater connector (20B), main connector (20A), and battery connector (20D)) to which wiring (FPC or lead wire) is always connected, and a debug connector (20E) and a charging terminal (1) to which wiring (connection cable or USB cable) is connected only when necessary, mounted on different component mounting surfaces. Accordingly, routing of wiring connected to the four connectors is made easier. In particular, as described above, by making the insertion direction of the wiring for the four connectors the same, routing of wiring becomes even easier, and designing such as reducing excess space becomes easier, thereby enabling the miniaturization of the power unit (100).

[0055] Additionally, the insertion direction of the wiring for the four connectors mounted on the surface (201) is common to the right direction. Meanwhile, the insertion direction of the wiring for the debug connector (20E) mounted on the back surface (202) is different from that of the four connectors (specifically, the reverse direction). As a result, when a connection cable is inserted into the debug connector (20E), it is possible to prevent the connection cable from interfering with the wiring inserted into the four connectors. Additionally, the insertion direction of the wiring for the charging terminal (1) is different from that of the insertion direction of the wiring for the debug connector (20E) (specifically, a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction). As a result, even when a connection cable is inserted into the debug connector (20E) and a USB cable is connected to the charging terminal (1), it is possible to prevent the two cables from interfering.

[0056] Additionally, the debug connector (20E) can be inserted and removed by removing only the second case (3B) of the case (3a) from the chassis (50). In other words, the debug connector (20E) can be inserted and removed even while the first case (3A) of the case (3a) is mounted. Also, in the state where only the second case (3B) of the case (3a) is removed from the chassis (50) (in the state where the first case (3A) is mounted), the four connectors and the wiring connected to them are not exposed. As a result, when inserting and removing the connection cable for the debug connector (20E), it is possible to prevent a person from touching the four connectors on the surface (201) or the wiring connected to them.

[0057] Additionally, as shown in FIG. 3, the surface (201) of the main board (20) faces the opposite side to the battery pack (BP). In other words, the distance between the surface (201) of the main board (20) and the rear side of the case (3a) is smaller than the distance between the rear side (202) of the main board (20) and the front side of the case (3a). Furthermore, there are no other components constituting the internal unit (2A) between the surface (201) of the main board (20) and the inner wall (rear side of the case (3a)) of the case (3a) facing the surface (201). As a result, the distance between the surface (201) and the case (3a) is minimized, thereby further miniaturization of the power unit (100).

[0058] Next, details of the holding support mechanism for the suction sensor (15) within the case (3a) will be described.

[0059] FIGS. 9 and FIGS. 10 are drawings showing the detailed configuration of a puff sensor substrate (21) and a sensor holding support (55). FIG. 9 is a plan view taken in a direction perpendicular to the element mounting surface of the puff sensor substrate (21) (in other words, the thickness direction of the puff sensor substrate (21)). FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the puff sensor substrate (21), the sensor holding support (55), and the suction sensor (15) shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the chassis (50) excluding the sensor holding support (55).

[0060] As shown in FIG. 10, the suction sensor (15) has an outer shape that is approximately cylindrical and is provided with a fixed electrode (151) disposed at one end in the axial direction, a movable electrode (152) disposed at the other end in the axial direction and movable in the axial direction relative to the fixed electrode (151), and a ring-shaped side (153). On the side of the suction sensor (15) on the fixed electrode (151), a terminal group (15A) consisting of an output terminal, a ground terminal, and a power terminal of the suction sensor (15) is provided protrudingly.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the puff sensor substrate (21) is in the shape of a plate extending in the vertical direction. Hereinafter, for convenience, the side opposite to the sensor holding support (55) side of the puff sensor substrate (21) is referred to as the surface (214), and for convenience, the side of the sensor holding support (55) side of the puff sensor substrate (21) is referred to as the back side (215). Additionally, the length in the shorter direction of the puff sensor substrate (21) is described as the width.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 9, the puff sensor substrate (21) comprises a first portion (211) which is narrowest and is positioned at one end (bottom) of the long direction, a third portion (213) which is widest and is positioned above the first portion (211), and a second portion (212) connecting the first portion (211) and the third portion (213). The width of the second portion (212) widens from the first portion (211) toward the third portion (213), is wider than the width of the first portion (211), and is narrower than the width of the third portion (213). In the puff sensor substrate (21), because the width changes smoothly due to the second portion (212), the conductive pattern passing near the edge of the puff sensor substrate (21) does not have an acute angle curve in the portion where the width changes. As a result, the parasitic resistance or parasitic inductance of the conduction pattern is reduced, and heat or noise that may occur on the puff sensor substrate (21) is reduced. More specifically, in the planar view of FIG. 9, the angle θ1 of the vertex formed by the third part (213) and the second part (212) is 90 degrees or more, and the angle θ2 of the vertex formed by the second part (212) and the first part (211) is 90 degrees or more, so that it is easy to provide a conduction pattern according to these angles, and thus the conduction pattern can be prevented from becoming an acute angle.

[0063] The suction sensor (15) is mounted on the back surface (215) of the first part (211). Three through holes (15B) are formed in the first part (211) that penetrate in the thickness direction. A terminal group (15A) of the suction sensor (15) is inserted into these through holes (15B) from the back surface (215). A connector (21A) for the puff sensor, which will be described later, is provided on the puff sensor substrate (21) and is electrically connected to a connector (21B). The terminal group (15A) of the suction sensor (15) inserted into the through holes (15B) is electrically connected to this connector (21A). The output signal of the suction sensor (15) is configured to be input to the MCU (6) via the puff sensor connector (21A), the connector (21B), and the main FPC (23) connected to the connector (21B). As shown in FIG. 9, the width of the first part (211) is reduced to a size that allows the suction sensor (15) to extend outward. That is, the suction sensor (15) includes a portion that extends outward from the puff sensor substrate (21). Additionally, the width of the suction sensor (15) is equal to the width of the third part (213). Furthermore, the width of the suction sensor (15) may be smaller than the width of the third part (213). In this way, by making the width of the third part (213) greater than the width of the suction sensor (15), more electronic components can be mounted on the puff sensor substrate (21).

[0064] As shown in FIG. 11, a cartridge holding support (51) that defines a roughly cylindrical cavity for receiving a first cartridge (110) has an opening (51H) formed on the left rear side. The periphery (51E) of the opening (51H) is slightly concave, and a sensor holding support (55) is fixed to this periphery (51E) with an adhesive or the like, so that the opening (51H) is closed by the sensor holding support (55).

[0065] The sensor holding support (55) has a curved shape corresponding to the curved shape of the outer surface of the cartridge holding support (51), which is approximately cylindrical. That is, when viewed from the top, the sensor holding support (55) has a shape that follows the circumferential direction of the cartridge holding support (51). By making the sensor holding support (55) have such a curved shape, the area inside the case (3a) can be effectively utilized, and the power unit (100) can be made smaller.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 10, the sensor holding support (55) includes a protrusion (550) that protrudes to the left rear and also extends in the vertical direction. The protrusion (550) has an upper portion (551) that includes a flat surface (551A) in which a concave portion (551B) is formed, and a lower portion (552) that is roughly annular in shape and is positioned below the upper portion (551). The inner diameter of the through hole (552A) formed in the lower portion (552) is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the suction sensor (15).

[0067] A suction sensor (15) mounted on a puff sensor substrate (21) is pressed into a through hole (552A), so that the inner surface of the lower part (552) and the side (153) of the suction sensor (15) come into contact, and the suction sensor (15) and the puff sensor substrate (21) are supported by a sensor holding support (55) as shown in FIG. 9. In the state shown in FIG. 9, since the movable electrode (152) faces the cartridge holding support (51), the suction sensor (15) can detect pressure fluctuations in the internal space of the cartridge holding support (51). When a user performs suction, pressure fluctuations occur in this internal space, so the suction sensor (15) can detect the user's suction. Additionally, in the state shown in FIG. 9, an LED (21D) mounted on the back surface (215) of the puff sensor substrate (21) faces the recess (551B) of the sensor holding support (55). The sensor holding support (55) or the recess (551B) is made of a light-transmitting material, and light from the LED (21D) illuminates the aerosol source of the first cartridge (110) housed in the cartridge holding support (51) through the opening (51H) of the cartridge holding support (51). As a result, the user can easily visually check the remaining amount of the aerosol source of the first cartridge (110) through the remaining amount checking window (3w).

[0068] As described above, the side (153) of the suction sensor (15) includes a portion extending outward from the puff sensor substrate (21). Therefore, after mounting the suction sensor (15) on the puff sensor substrate (21), the side (153) can be grasped to easily press the suction sensor (15) into the through hole (552A). As a result, during the manufacturing of the power unit (100), the risk of touching sensitive parts such as the movable electrode (152) or fixed electrode (151) of the suction sensor (15) with fingers is reduced, thereby preventing failure of the suction sensor (15).

[0069] Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, a cutout (553) is provided in a portion of the peripheral part of the lower part (552) of the sensor holding support (55). Because of this cutout (553), it becomes easier to maintain the gripping state of the side (153) of the suction sensor (15) during the process of the suction sensor (15) being pressed into the through hole (552A). Therefore, the suction sensor (15) can be pressed more easily into the sensor holding support (55).

[0070] Additionally, the cutout (533) of the sensor holding support (55) is exposed to the outside when the first case (3A) of the case (3a) is removed from the chassis (50), as shown in FIG. 4. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the cutout (533) is not exposed to the outside when the case (3a) is removed from the chassis (50), maintenance of the suction sensor (15) or mounting work on the sensor holding support (55) can be facilitated.

[0071] The sensor holding support member (55) is positioned such that the diameter direction of the through hole (552A) (a direction following a plane perpendicular to the direction in which the through hole (552A) extends) intersects with two of the following directions (in the example of the illustration, the short direction and the thickness direction) of the power unit (100): the long direction (up and down direction), the short direction (front and back direction), and the thickness direction (left and right direction). For example, if the sensor holding support member (55) is attached to the rear of the cartridge holding support member (51) such that the short direction coincides with the left and right direction and the long direction coincides with the up and down direction, the front and back direction intersects with the diameter direction of the through hole (552A), but the up and down direction and the thickness direction are both parallel to the diameter direction of the through hole (552A). In such a configuration, the thickness (length in the left and right direction) and width (length in the front and back direction) of the internal unit (2A) increase. In this regard, according to the configuration of the present type in which the sensor holding support (55) is fixed to the diagonal left rear side of the cartridge holding support (51), the thickness and width of the internal unit (2A) can be reduced, and thereby the miniaturization of the power unit (100) can be realized.

[0072] Additionally, for example, the shape of the aerosol generating device (200) is assumed to be an elongated tube shape as a whole, and the capsule holder (4A), cartridge holding support (51), and battery pack (BP) are arranged in a straight line shape. In this case, for example, if a sensor holding support (55) is attached to the left surface of the cartridge holding support (51) such that the short direction aligns with the front-back direction and the long direction aligns with the up-down direction, the thickness direction intersects the diameter direction of the through hole (552A), but both the up-down direction and the front-back direction are parallel to the diameter direction of the through hole (552A). In such a configuration, the thickness and width of the internal unit (2A) increase. In contrast, according to the present configuration in which the sensor holding support (55) is attached to the diagonal left rear surface of the cartridge holding support (51), the thickness and width of the internal unit (2A) can be reduced, thereby enabling the miniaturization of the power unit (100).

[0073] On the surface (214) of the puff sensor board (21), a connector (21B) electrically connected to a connector (21A) for the puff sensor and a connector (21C) for the vibration motor described later, a varistor (V) as a protective component that protects other electrical components or an MCU (6) mounted on the puff sensor board (21) from a signal output from the output terminal of the suction sensor (15), and a capacitor (C2) as a protective component that protects the suction sensor (15) from power input to the power terminal of the suction sensor (15) are mounted. In addition, no IC other than the suction sensor (15) is mounted on the puff sensor board (21). In this way, since no IC that could be a source of noise exists on the puff sensor board (21) other than the suction sensor (15), the suction sensor (15) can be operated stably.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 9, the capacitor (C2) is mounted in the first part (211). Additionally, the varistor (V) is mounted across the first part (211) and the second part (212). In this way, the capacitor (C2) and the varistor (V) are mounted at a position close to the terminal group (15A) of the suction sensor (15) when viewed in the thickness direction of the puff sensor substrate (21), so that noise input to the suction sensor (15) or output from the suction sensor (15) can be quickly processed by the protective component.

[0075] As described above, the suction sensor (15) supported on the chassis (50) within the case (3a) is not exposed to the outside when the first case (3A) is not removed from the chassis (50). In other words, the suction sensor (15) is exposed to the outside only when the first case (3A) is removed from the chassis (50). For example, if only the second case (3B) is removed from the chassis (50) and the debug connector (20E) is used, the suction sensor (15) is not exposed to the outside, so the advantage of making it difficult for the suction sensor (15) to malfunction can be obtained.

[0076] (Circuit configuration)

[0077] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of a circuit provided on a main board (20). FIG. 12 shows, in addition to the circuit of the main board (20), a main FPC (23) connected to the main connector (20A) of the main board (20), a puff sensor board (21) connected to the main FPC (23), a pogo pin board (22) connected to the main FPC (23), and a battery pack (BP) connected to the battery connector (20D).

[0078] The wiring shown as a thick solid line in FIG. 12 is a wiring that has the same potential as the reference potential of the power unit (100) (ground potential, hereinafter referred to as 0V as an example) (a wiring connected to the ground provided in the power unit (100)), and this wiring is referred to as a ground line below.

[0079] On the main board (20), a protection IC (2), a charging IC (3), a Low Dropout (LDO) regulator (hereinafter referred to as LDO) (4), a boost circuit (5) composed of a DC / DC converter, an MCU (6), a load switch (hereinafter referred to as LSW) (7) composed of a combination of a capacitor, a resistor, and a transistor, a multiplexer (8), a flip-flop (hereinafter referred to as FF) (9), an AND gate (simply referred to as "AND" in FIG. 12) (10), a boost circuit (11) composed of a DC / DC converter, an operational amplifier (OP1), and an operational amplifier (OP2) are provided.

[0080] On the main board (20), switches (Q1 to Q9) configured by MOSFETs (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors), resistors (R1 to R12, RA, RB) having fixed electrical resistance values, a capacitor (C1), a capacitor (C2), a varistor (V), a reactor (L3) connected to a charging IC (3), a reactor (L5) connected to a boost circuit (5), and a reactor (L11) connected to a boost circuit (11) are also provided. Switches (Q3), (Q4), (Q7), (Q8), and (Q9) are each configured by N-channel type MOSFETs. Switches (Q1), (Q2), (Q5), and (Q6) are each configured by P-channel type MOSFETs. Each of the switches (Q1 to Q8) switches between an ON state and an OFF state by controlling the potential of the gate terminal by the MCU (6).

[0081] In FIG. 12, the symbols of various terminals are indicated on each IC, excluding the operational amplifier. Terminals (VCC) and (VDD) mounted on the chip each represent the high-potential side power terminals. Terminals (VSS) and (GND) mounted on the chip each represent the low-potential side (reference potential side) power terminals. For the chipized electronic component, the difference between the potential of the high-potential side power terminal and the potential of the low-potential side power terminal becomes the power supply voltage (operating voltage). The chipized electronic component uses this power supply voltage to perform various functions.

[0082] In FIG. 12, the terminal (GND) and terminal (VSS) of each IC excluding the operational amplifier are each connected to a ground line. Additionally, the terminal (GND) of the charging terminal (1), the negative power terminal of the operational amplifier (OP1), and the negative power terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2) are each connected to a ground line.

[0083] A battery connector (20D) provided on the main board (20) (see the area near the left center in FIG. 12) is provided with a terminal (BAT) connected to the detection terminal (SNS) of the charging IC (3) and the charging terminal (BAT) of the charging IC (3), respectively, a terminal (GND) connected to the ground line of the main board (20), and a terminal (TH3) connected to the terminal (P25) of the MCU (6). The terminal (BAT) of the battery connector (20D) is connected to the positive terminal of the power source (ba) included in the battery pack (BP) by a lead wire (16). The terminal (TH3) of the battery connector (20D) is connected to the positive terminal of the power thermistor (th3) included in the battery pack (BP) by a lead wire (16). The terminal (GND) of the battery connector (20D) is connected to the negative terminal of the power source (ba) and the negative terminal of the power thermistor (th3) by a lead wire (16).

[0084] The OLED connector (20C) provided on the main board (20) (see the lower left side of FIG. 12) is equipped with a terminal (VCC_R) connected to the output terminal (VOUT) of the boost circuit (5), a terminal (VDD) connected to the output terminal (OUT) of the LDO (4), a terminal (RSTB) connected to the terminal (P24) of the MCU (6), a communication terminal (T3) connected to the communication terminal (P28) of the MCU (6) by a signal line (SL), and a terminal (VSS) connected to the ground line of the main board (20).

[0085] The terminal (VCC_R) of the OLED connector (20C) is connected to the driving voltage supply terminal of the OLED panel (17) by the OLED FPC (25). The terminal (VDD) of the OLED connector (20C) is connected to the power terminal of the control IC that controls the OLED panel (17) by the OLED FPC (25). The voltage to be supplied to the driving voltage supply terminal of the OLED panel (17) is, for example, about 15V, and is greater than the voltage to be supplied to the power terminal of the control IC of the OLED panel (17). The terminal (VSS) of the OLED connector (20C) is connected to the respective ground terminals of the OLED panel (17) and the control IC of the OLED panel (17) by the OLED FPC (25). The terminal (RSTB) of the OLED connector (20C) is connected to the terminal for restarting the control IC of the OLED panel (17) by the OLED FPC (25).

[0086] The signal line (SL) connected to the communication terminal (T3) of the OLED connector (20C) is also connected to the communication terminal (T3) of the charging IC (3). Through this signal line (SL), the MCU (6) is able to communicate with the charging IC (3) and with the control IC of the OLED panel (17). This signal line (SL) is intended for serial communication, but in reality, multiple signal lines are required, such as a data line for data transmission and a clock line for synchronization. Note that in FIG. 12, the signal line (SL) is shown as a single signal line for simplification. Additionally, communication between the MCU (6), the charging IC (3), and the control IC of the OLED panel (17) may be performed via parallel communication rather than serial communication.

[0087] A debug connector (20E) provided on the main board (20) (see the lower left side of FIG. 12) is equipped with a terminal (VMCU) connected to the output terminal (OUT) of the LDO (4), a terminal (T1) connected to the communication terminal (P23) of the MCU (6) (shown as one in the figure, but actually two terminals), a terminal (T2) connected to the communication terminal (P22) of the MCU (6) (shown as one in the figure, but actually two terminals), a terminal (NRST) connected to the terminal (P27) of the MCU (6), and a terminal (GND) connected to the ground line of the main board (20). The gate terminal of the terminal (NRST) is connected to the drain terminal of the switch (Q7), and the source terminal is also connected to the drain terminal of the switch (Q9), which is connected to the ground line. The debug connector (20E) is not used in the normal usage state of the aerosol generating device (200), but is connected to a computer prepared by the manufacturer or seller only when maintenance, such as rewriting information (including a program) stored in the MCU (6), becomes necessary.

[0088] A main connector (20A) provided on the main board (20) (see near the right center in FIG. 12) comprises a terminal (PUFF) connected to the terminal (P19) of the MCU (6), a terminal (LED) connected to the drain terminal of a switch (Q8) whose gate terminal is connected to the terminal (P20) of the MCU (6) and whose source terminal is connected to the ground line, a terminal (VIB) connected to the output terminal (OUT) of the LSW (7), a terminal (VOTG) connected to the boost output terminal (RN) of the charging IC (3), a terminal (VMCU) connected to the output terminal (OUT) of the LDO (4) through a resistor (R5), a terminal (GND) connected to the ground line, a terminal (KEY) connected to the output terminal (OUT) of the LDO (4) through a voltage divider circuit including a resistor (R4) and a resistor (R3) connected in series thereto, and a terminal whose gate terminal is connected to the terminal (P12) of the MCU (6). A terminal (HT1(P1)) connected to the drain terminal of a switch (Q1) whose source terminal is connected to the output terminal (VOUT) of the boost circuit (11), a drain terminal of a switch (Q2) whose gate terminal is connected to the terminal (P13) of the MCU (6) and whose source terminal is connected to the output terminal (VOUT) of the boost circuit (11), a terminal (HT1(P2)) connected to the drain terminal of a switch (Q4) whose gate terminal is connected to the terminal (P17) of the MCU (6) and whose source terminal is connected to the ground line, and a terminal (HT1(P3)) connected to the drain terminal of a switch (Q3) whose gate terminal is connected to the terminal (P18) of the MCU (6) and whose source terminal is connected to the ground line are provided.

[0089] The terminal (HT1(P1)) of the main connector (20A) is connected to the input side contact (P1) connected to the pogo pin (p1) by the main FPC (23). The terminal (HT1(P2)) of the main connector (20A) is connected to the input side contact (P2) connected to the pogo pin (p2) by the main FPC (23). The terminal (HT1(P3)) of the main connector (20A) is connected to the input side contact (P3) connected to the pogo pin (p3) by the main FPC (23). The terminal (KEY) of the main connector (20A) is connected to one end of a switch (BT) mounted on the main FPC (23) by the wiring of the main FPC (23). The other end of this switch (BT) is connected to the ground line of the main FPC (23).

[0090] A heater connector (20B) provided on the main board (20) (see upper right side of FIG. 12) comprises a first thermistor terminal (TH1) connected to the positive side terminal of a first thermistor (th1) mounted on the heater FPC (24) through the wiring of the heater FPC (24), a second thermistor terminal (TH2) connected to the positive side terminal of a second thermistor (th2) mounted on the heater FPC (24) through the wiring of the heater FPC (24), a sheet heater terminal (HT2) connected to the positive side terminal of a sheet heater (HTR) formed by the conductive pattern of the heater FPC (24) through the wiring of the heater FPC (24), and a terminal (GND) connected to the ground line of the main board (20). In the heater FPC (24), wiring is formed that is connected to the negative terminal of the first thermistor (th1), the negative terminal of the second thermistor (th2), and the negative terminal of the sheet heater (HTR), and this wiring is connected to the terminal (GND) of the heater connector (20B). The sheet heater terminal (HT2) is connected to the drain terminal of a switch (Q5), the gate terminal of which is connected to the terminal (P11) of the MCU (6) and the source terminal of which is connected to the output terminal (VOUT) of the boost circuit (11).

[0091] On the puff sensor board (21) (see the lower center area in FIG. 12), a puff sensor connector (21A) connected to the terminal group (15A) of the suction sensor (15), a connector (21B) connected to the main FPC (23), a vibration motor connector (21C) connected to the vibration motor (13), an LED (21D), a varistor (V), and a capacitor (C2) are mounted.

[0092] The connector (21B) of the puff sensor board (21) is provided with terminals (PUFF, LED, VIB, VOTG, VMCU, and GND) connected to each of the terminals (PUFF, LED, VIB, VOTG, VMCU, and GND) of the main connector (20A) by wiring formed on the main FPC (23). As described above, the main FPC (23) is provided with a switch (BT) connected between the terminal (KEY) of the main connector (20A) and the ground line. When the switch (BT) is pressed, the terminal (KEY) and the ground line of the main FPC (23) are connected, and the potential of the terminal (KEY) becomes the ground potential. Meanwhile, when the switch (BT) is not pressed, the terminal (KEY) is not connected to the ground line of the main FPC (23), and the potential of the terminal (KEY) is not defined.

[0093] The puff sensor connector (21A) of the puff sensor board (21) is equipped with a terminal (GATE) connected to the output terminal of the suction sensor (15), a terminal (GND) connected to the ground terminal of the suction sensor (15), and a terminal (VDD) connected to the power terminal of the suction sensor (15). The terminal (GATE) of the puff sensor connector (21A) is connected to the terminal (PUFF) of the connector (21B). The terminal (VDD) of the puff sensor connector (21A) is connected to the terminal (VMCU) of the connector (21B). The terminal (GND) of the puff sensor connector (21A) is connected to the terminal (GND) of the connector (21B). One end of a varistor (V) is connected to the connection line between the terminal (GATE) of the puff sensor connector (21A) and the terminal (PUFF) of the connector (21B), and the other end of the varistor (V) is connected to the ground line. By the varistor (V), even if a large voltage is input from the suction sensor (15) side to the terminal (GATE), it is possible to prevent that voltage from being input to other parts of the puff sensor board (21) or the MCU (6). One end of a capacitor (C2) is connected to the connection line between the terminal (VDD) of the puff sensor connector (21A) and the terminal (VMCU) of the connector (21B), and the other end of the capacitor (C2) is connected to the ground line. Even when an unstable voltage is input to the terminal (VDD) of the connector (21A) for the puff sensor from the main board (20) side by the capacitor (C2), a voltage smoothed by the capacitor (C2) can be input to the suction sensor (15).

[0094] The vibration motor connector (21C) of the puff sensor board (21) has a positive terminal connected to the terminal (VIB) of the connector (21B) and a negative terminal connected to the ground line. A vibration motor (13) is connected to the positive terminal and the negative terminal.

[0095] The LED (21D) of the puff sensor board (21) has its anode connected to the terminal (VOTG) of the connector (21B) and its cathode connected to the terminal (LED) of the connector (21B).

[0096] The charging terminal (1) at the top left of FIG. 12 is equipped with four terminals (GND) and four power input terminals (BUS). Each power input terminal (BUS) of the charging terminal (1) is connected in parallel to the input terminal (VIN) of the protection IC (2). When a USB plug is connected to the charging terminal (1) and a USB cable including the USB plug is connected to an external power source, i.e., when a USB connection is established, the USB voltage (V) is applied to the input terminal (VIN) of the protection IC (2) through the power input terminal (BUS) of the charging terminal (1). USB ) is entered.

[0097] The protection IC (2) is a USB voltage (V) input to the input terminal (VIN). USB Adjust the ) and the bus voltage (V) of the predetermined value (hereinafter referred to as 5.0V as an example). BUS) is output from the output terminal (OUT). At the output terminal (OUT) of the protection IC (2), a voltage divider circuit including a series circuit of a resistor (R1) and a resistor (R2) and a switch (Q7) are connected in parallel. Specifically, the output terminal (OUT) of the protection IC (2) is connected to one end of the resistor (R2) constituting the voltage divider circuit, the input terminal (VBUS) of the charging IC (3), and the drain terminal of the switch (Q7), the gate terminal of which is connected to the terminal (P21) of the MCU (6) and the source terminal of which is connected to the ground line. One end of the resistor (R1) is connected to the other end of the resistor (R2), and the other end of the resistor (R1) is connected to the ground line. The node connecting the resistor (R1) and the resistor (R2) is connected to the terminal (P2) of the MCU (6). When a low-level signal from the MCU (6) is input to the negative logic enable terminal (CE(￣)) of the protection IC (2), the bus voltage (V) from the output terminal (OUT) BUS When the output of ) is performed and a high-level signal from the MCU (6) is input to the enable terminal (CE(￣)), the bus voltage (V) from the output terminal (OUT) BUS Stops the output of ).

[0098] The charging IC (3) is a bus voltage (V) input to the input terminal (VBUS). BUS )to Based on this, it is equipped with a charging function that charges the power (ba). The charging IC (3) acquires the charging current or charging voltage of the power (ba) through the detection terminal (SNS) and, based on these, performs charging control of the power (ba) (control of power supply from the charging terminal (BAT) to the power (ba). In addition, the charging IC (3) acquires temperature information of the power (ba) obtained by the MCU (6) from the power thermistor (th3) through the terminal (P25) via serial communication using the signal line (SL) and uses it for charging control.

[0099] The charging IC (3) is a voltage of power (ba) input to the charging terminal (BAT) (hereinafter, power voltage (V BAT From the system power voltage (V) indicated as ) SYS A first function that generates ) and outputs from the output terminal (SYS), and a bus voltage (V) input to the input terminal (VBUS). BUS System power voltage (V) from ) SYS A second function that generates ) and outputs from the output terminal (SYS), and a power voltage (V) input to the charging terminal (BAT). BAT OTG voltage (V) obtained by boosting ) OTG It has a third function that outputs )(for example, a voltage of 5V) from the boost output terminal (RN). The second function is enabled only when a USB connection is established. In this way, the system power voltage (V SYS ) and OTG voltage (V OTG ) is in a normal state where power supply (ba) to the charging IC (3) is possible, and if the charging IC (3) is operating normally, output is always possible from the charging IC (3).

[0100] One end of the reactor (L3) is connected to the switching terminal (SW) of the charging IC (3). The other end of the reactor (L3) is connected to the output terminal (SYS) of the charging IC (3). The charging IC (3) includes a negative logic enable terminal (CE(￣)), and this enable terminal (CE(￣)) is connected to the terminal (P1) of the MCU (6). When a high-level signal is input to the terminal (P2) by making a USB connection, the MCU (6) controls the potential of the terminal (P1) to a low level, thereby allowing the charging control of the power supply (ba) by the charging IC (3) and also enabling the second function.

[0101] The charging IC (3) additionally has a negative logic terminal (QON(￣)). The terminal (QON(￣)) is connected to a node (N2) that connects resistors (R3) and (R4), and this node (N2) is connected to a terminal (P21) of the MCU (6). When a low-level signal is input to the terminal (QON(￣)), the charging IC (3) stops the voltage output from the output terminal (SYS).

[0102] At the output terminal (SYS) of the charging IC (3), the LDO (4), the boost circuit (5), and the boost circuit (11) are connected in parallel. Specifically, the output terminal (SYS) of the charging IC (3) is connected to the control terminal (CTL) and input terminal (IN) of the LDO (4), the input terminal (VIN) of the boost circuit (5), and the input terminal (VIN) of the boost circuit (11). The OTG voltage (V) output from the boost output terminal (RN) of the charging IC (3). OTG The OTG voltage (V) is supplied to the anode of the LED (21D) via the terminal (VOTG) of the main connector (20A) and the terminal (VOTG) of the connector (21B). The cathode of the LED (21D) is connected to ground through the terminal (LED) of the connector (21B), the terminal (LED) of the main connector (20A), and the switch (Q8). Accordingly, by the MCU (6) controlling the on / off state of the switch (Q8), the OTG voltage (V) OTG It is possible to control the lighting of the LED (21D) using ).

[0103] The boost circuit (5) is equipped with a switching terminal (SW), a positive logic enable terminal (EN) connected to a terminal (P26) of the MCU (6), an output terminal (VOUT), and a terminal (GND). One end of a reactor (L5) is connected to the switching terminal (SW) of the boost circuit (5). The other end of the reactor (L5) is connected to the input terminal (VIN) of the boost circuit (5). The boost circuit (5) boosts the voltage input to the switching terminal (SW) through the reactor (L5) by controlling the on / off of the built-in transistor connected to the switching terminal (SW), and outputs it from the output terminal (VOUT). The OLED voltage (V) output from the output terminal (VOUT) of the boost circuit (5) OLED ) is a sufficiently large voltage suitable for driving the OLED panel (17), and as an example, is a voltage of 15V. The input terminal (VIN) of the boost circuit (5) constitutes the power terminal on the high potential side of the boost circuit (5). When the signal input from the terminal (P26) of the MCU (6) to the enable terminal (EN) is at a high level, the boost circuit (5) [indicates] the OLED voltage (V OLED When the output of ) is performed and the signal input from terminal (P26) of the MCU (6) to the enable terminal (EN) is at a low level, the OLED voltage (V OLED Stops the output of ). In this way, the OLED panel (17) is driven and controlled by the MCU (6).

[0104] The boost circuit (11) is equipped with an input terminal (VIN), a switching terminal (SW), an output terminal (VOUT), a positive logic enable terminal (EN), and a terminal (GND). One end of a reactor (L11) is connected to the switching terminal (SW) of the boost circuit (11). The other end of the reactor (L11) is connected to the input terminal (VIN) of the boost circuit (11). The boost circuit (11) boosts the voltage input to the switching terminal (SW) through the reactor (L11) by controlling the on / off state of the built-in transistor connected to the switching terminal (SW), and outputs it from the output terminal (VOUT). The heating voltage (V) output from the output terminal (VOUT) of the boost circuit (11) HEAT ) is, for example, a voltage of 4V. The input terminal (VIN) of the boost circuit (11) constitutes the power terminal on the high potential side of the boost circuit (11). The boost circuit (11) provides a heating voltage (V) when the signal input from the output terminal (Y) of the AND gate (10) described later to the enable terminal (EN) is at a high level. HEAT It outputs ), and when the signal input to this enable terminal (EN) is at a low level, the heating voltage (V HEAT Stops the output of ).

[0105] At the output terminal (VOUT) of the boost circuit (11), a voltage divider circuit including a series circuit of a capacitor (C1), a resistor (R7), and a resistor (R6), a multiplexer (8), a switch (Q1), a switch (Q2), and a switch (Q5) are connected in parallel. Specifically, the output terminal (VOUT) of the boost circuit (11) is connected to the other end of the capacitor (C1), one end of which is connected to a ground line, the input terminal of the voltage divider circuit including a resistor (R6) connected to a ground line and a resistor (R7) connected in series with the resistor (R6) (the terminal opposite to the resistor (R6) side of the resistor (R7)), the terminal (VCC) of the multiplexer (8), the source terminal of the switch (Q1), the source terminal of the switch (Q2), and the source terminal of the switch (Q5).

[0106] A resistor (RA) having an electrical resistance value (Ra) is connected in parallel to the switch (Q1). A resistor (RB) having an electrical resistance value (Rb) is connected in parallel to the switch (Q2).

[0107] The multiplexer (8) includes an input terminal (B0), an input terminal (B1), an output terminal (A), and a select terminal (SE). The multiplexer (8) switches between a state in which the input terminal (B0) and the output terminal (A) are connected and a state in which the input terminal (B1) and the output terminal (A) are connected by a control signal input to the select terminal (SE) from the terminal (P15) of the MCU (6).

[0108] The input terminal (B0) of the multiplexer (8) is connected to the line connecting the switch (Q1) and the terminal (HT1(P1)). The input terminal (B1) of the multiplexer (8) is connected to the line connecting the switch (Q2) and the terminal (HT1(P2)). The output terminal (A) of the multiplexer (8) is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier (OP1). The inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier (OP1) is connected to the node connecting the resistor (R7) and the resistor (R6). The output terminal of the operational amplifier (OP1) is connected to the terminal (P14) of the MCU (6).

[0109] LDO (4) is in a state where the signal input to the control terminal (CTL) is at a high level (in other words, the system power supply voltage (V SYS In the state where ) is output from the output terminal (SYS) of the charging IC (3), the voltage input to the input terminal (VIN) (i.e., the system power voltage (V) SYS The voltage obtained by converting )) is the system power supply voltage (V MCU It outputs from the output terminal (OUT) as ). System power voltage (V SYS ) is, for example, a value in the range of 3.5V to 4.2V, and the system power supply voltage (V MCU ) is 3.1V as an example.

[0110] At the output terminal (OUT) of the LDO (4), a control IC of the OLED panel (17), an MCU (6), an LSW (7), a suction sensor (15), a series circuit including a resistor (R3), a resistor (R4), and a switch (BT), and a debug connector (20E) are connected in parallel. Specifically, the output terminal (OUT) of the LDO (4) is connected to the terminal (VDD) of the OLED connector (20C), the power terminal (VDD) of the MCU (6), the input terminal (VIN) of the LSW (7), the other end of a resistor (R5) (node ​​(N1) in the figure) which has one end connected to the terminal (VMCU) of the main connector (20A), the input terminal (node ​​(N1) in the figure) of a voltage divider circuit including resistors (R4) and resistors (R3), and the terminal (VMCU) of the debug connector (20E).

[0111] Additionally, the source terminal of a switch (Q6), whose gate terminal is connected to the terminal (P4) of the MCU (6), is connected to the output terminal (OUT) of the LDO (4). The drain terminal of the switch (Q6) is connected in parallel to the terminal (VCC) of the AND gate (10), the terminal (VCC) of the FF (9), one end of the resistor (R11), one end of the resistor (R12), the positive power terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2), one end of the resistor (R8), one end of the resistor (R9), and the positive power terminal of the operational amplifier (OP1).

[0112] The other end of the resistor (R12) is connected to the second thermistor terminal (TH2), and the series circuit between the resistor (R12) and the second thermistor (TH2) connected to the second thermistor terminal (TH2) is the system power supply voltage (V MCUA voltage divider circuit is configured to which the second thermistor (th2) is applied. The output of this voltage divider circuit is based on the electrical resistance value (in other words, temperature) of the second thermistor (th2) and is input to the terminal (P8) of the MCU (6). As a result, the MCU (6) is able to obtain the temperature of the second thermistor (th2). In this form, the second thermistor (th2) is used to have NTC characteristics in which the resistance value decreases as the temperature increases, but it may also be used to have PTC characteristics in which the resistance value increases as the temperature increases.

[0113] One end of resistor (R10) is connected to the other end of resistor (R9), and the other end of resistor (R10) is connected to the ground line. The series circuit between resistor (R9) and resistor (R10) is the system power supply voltage (V MCU A voltage divider circuit is configured to which the voltage is applied. The output of this voltage divider circuit is connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2), and a fixed voltage value is input to this inverting input terminal. The other end of the resistor (R8) is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2).

[0114] Additionally, the other end of the resistor (R8) is further connected to the first thermistor terminal (TH1) and the terminal (P9) of the MCU (6). The series circuit between the resistor (R8) and the first thermistor (th1) connected to the first thermistor terminal (TH1) is the system power supply voltage (V MCUA voltage divider circuit is configured to which the voltage divider is applied. The output of this voltage divider circuit is determined by the electrical resistance value (in other words, temperature) of the first thermistor (th1) and is input to the terminal (P9) of the MCU (6). As a result, the MCU (6) is able to obtain the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) (in other words, the temperature of the sheet heater (HTR)). Additionally, the output of this voltage divider circuit is also input to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2). In this configuration, the first thermistor (th1) is used to have NTC characteristics in which the resistance value decreases as the temperature increases. Therefore, the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) becomes a low level when the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) (the temperature of the sheet heater (HTR)) increases and the temperature exceeds the threshold value (THD1). In other words, as long as the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) (the temperature of the sheet heater (HTR)) is within the normal range, the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) becomes high level.

[0115] In addition, when using a first thermistor (th1) having a PTC characteristic in which the resistance value increases with increasing temperature, the output of a voltage divider circuit including the first thermistor (th1) and resistor (R8) is connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2), and the output of a voltage divider circuit including resistor (R9) and resistor (R10) is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2). In this case as well, the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) becomes a low level when the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) (the temperature of the sheet heater (HTR)) increases and the temperature becomes above the threshold value (THD1).

[0116] The output terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2) is connected to the input terminal (D) of the FF (9). At the node connecting the input terminal (D) of the FF (9) and the output terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2), the other end of the resistor (R11) and the negative logic clear terminal (CLR(￣)) provided in the FF (9) are connected. That is, the input terminal (D) of the FF (9), the clear terminal (CLR(￣)) of the FF (9), and the output terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2) are each connected to the system power supply voltage (V MCU The supply line of ) is pulled up by a resistor (R11).

[0117] FF (9) includes a clock terminal (CLK), and the clock terminal (CLK) is connected to terminal (P7) of the MCU (6). FF (9) includes an output terminal (Q), and the output terminal (Q) is connected to one of the input terminals (B) of the AND gate (10). When a clock signal is input to the clock terminal (CLK) from the MCU (6) and a high-level signal is input to the clear terminal (CLR(￣)), FF (9) retains data (high or low data) according to the level of the signal input to the input terminal (D), and outputs the retained data from the output terminal (Q). FF (9) performs a reset process that outputs a low-level signal from the output terminal (Q) regardless of the data being maintained when a clock signal is input to the clock terminal (CLK) from the MCU (6) and a low-level signal is input to the clear terminal (CLR(￣)). This reset process is released when a clock signal is re-input to the clock terminal (CLK) while a high-level signal is input to the clear terminal (CLR(￣)). That is, when a high-level signal is input to the clear terminal (CLR(￣)), the supply of the clock signal to the clock terminal (CLK) is stopped, and then the supply of the clock signal is resumed, thereby releasing the reset process.

[0118] The other input terminal (A) of the AND gate (10) is connected to terminal (P6) of the MCU (6). The output terminal (Y) of the AND gate (10) is connected to the positive logic enable terminal (EN) of the boost circuit (11). The AND gate (10) outputs a high-level signal from the output terminal (Y) only when both the signal input to the input terminal (A) and the signal input to the input terminal (B) are at a high level.

[0119] LSW (7) is the system power voltage (V) input to the input terminal (VIN) when a control signal is input from terminal (P10) of the MCU (6) to the control terminal (CTL). MCU ) is output from the output terminal (OUT). The output terminal (OUT) of the LSW (7) is connected to the vibration motor (13) via the terminal (VIB) of the main board (20) and the terminal (VIB) of the puff sensor board (21). Accordingly, by the MCU (6) inputting a control signal to the LSW (7), the system power voltage (V MCU The vibration motor (13) can be operated using ).

[0120] (Transition from standby mode to heating mode)

[0121] The power unit (100) is provided with, as an operating mode, a sleep mode that aims to reduce power consumption, a standby mode that can be transitioned from the sleep mode, and a heating mode that can be transitioned from the standby mode (a mode that generates aerosol by heating a liquid heater or a sheet heater (HTR)). When the MCU (6) detects a specific operation (e.g., a long press operation) on the switch (BT) in the sleep mode, it switches the operating mode to the standby mode. When the MCU (6) detects a specific operation (e.g., a short press operation) on the switch (BT) in the standby mode, it switches the operating mode to the heating mode.

[0122] (Operation of heating mode)

[0123] FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components related to the operation of the heating mode extracted from the circuit shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 additionally shows a capacitor (C3) that was not shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components related to the heating control of the sheet heater (HTR) and liquid heater, the driving control of the vibration motor (13), and the driving control of the LED (21D), extracted from the circuit shown in FIG. 12. Hereinafter, the operation of the heating mode will be explained with reference to FIG. 13 and FIG. 14.

[0124] When the MCU (6) transitions to a heating mode, it controls the switch (Q6) shown in FIG. 13 to be in the ON state. As a result, the system power voltage (V) to each of the AND gate (10), FF (9), resistor (R11), operational amplifier (OP2), voltage divider circuit including resistor (R11), resistor (R9) and resistor (R10), voltage divider circuit including resistor (R8) and first thermistor (th1), voltage divider circuit including resistor (R12) and second thermistor (th2), and operational amplifier (OP1) MCU ) is supplied. In addition, when the MCU (6) transitions to the heating mode, it controls the signal input from terminal (P6) to the input terminal (A) of the AND gate (10) to a high level. In addition, the MCU (6) starts inputting a clock signal to the clock terminal (CLK) of the FF (9). In this state, if the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) (temperature of the sheet heater (HTR)) is within the normal range (less than the threshold value (THD1)), the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) becomes high level, and as a result, the output of the FF (9) becomes high level, and as a result, the output of the AND gate (10) becomes high level. Accordingly, the heating voltage (V) from the boost circuit (11) HEAT The output of ) is initiated, and the sheet heater (HTR) and liquid heater become capable of heating.

[0125] (Determination of the liquid heater connection point)

[0126] Heating voltage (V) from boost circuit (11) HEAT When the output of ) is initiated, as shown in FIG. 14, power can be supplied to the sheet heater (HTR) connected to the sheet heater terminal (HT2) and to the liquid heater connected to any two of terminals (HT1(P1)) to terminal (HT1(P3)) (in FIG. 14, the liquid heater (htr) connected to terminals (HT1(P1)) and terminal (HT1(P2))). In this state, first, the MCU (6) determines which pair of pogo pins (p1), pogo pin (p2), and pogo pin (p3) the liquid heater is connected to by the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) shown in FIG. 12. This determination process includes the following first process, second process, and third process.

[0127] (Process 1)

[0128] The MCU (6) controls only switch (Q4) among switches (Q1-Q4) to be ON, and performs control to connect the input terminal (B0) and output terminal (A) of the multiplexer (8). In this state, if the electrical resistance value between terminal (HT1(P1)) and terminal (HT1(P2)) is Rx, then the voltage divider value = V HEAT *{Rx / (Ra+Rx)} is input to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier (OP1). In the operational amplifier (OP1), the voltage input to the non-inverting input terminal is compared with the value of the voltage divider when a liquid heater is connected between terminal (HT1(P1)) and terminal (HT1(P2)), and if the difference is small, the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) becomes low level. Therefore, when the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) becomes low level, the MCU (6) determines that a liquid heater is connected between terminal (HT1(P1)) and terminal (HT1(P2)).

[0129] (Process 2)

[0130] When the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) in the first process becomes high level, the MCU (6) controls only switch (Q3) among switches (Q1-Q4) to turn on and performs control to connect the input terminal (B0) and the output terminal (A) of the multiplexer (8). In this state, if a liquid heater is connected between terminal (HT1(P1)) and terminal (HT1(P3)), the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) becomes low level. Therefore, when the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) becomes low level, the MCU (6) determines that a liquid heater is connected between terminal (HT1(P1)) and terminal (HT1(P3)).

[0131] (Process 3)

[0132] When the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) in the second process becomes high level, the MCU (6) controls only switch (Q3) among switches (Q1-Q4) to turn on and performs control to connect the input terminal (B1) and the output terminal (A) of the multiplexer (8). In this state, if a liquid heater is connected between terminal (HT1(P2)) and terminal (HT1(P3)), the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) becomes low level. Therefore, when the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) becomes low level, the MCU (6) determines that a liquid heater is connected between terminal (HT1(P2)) and terminal (HT1(P3)).

[0133] The MCU (6) performs an error notification if the output of the operational amplifier (OP1) does not become low level in any of the first to third processes.

[0134] (Initiation of heating control)

[0135] When the MCU (6) has completed the above determination process, if the output level of the suction sensor (15) changes to a value corresponding to when suction is performed by a user, the MCU (6) starts heating control of the sheet heater (HTR) and the liquid heater. Specifically, the MCU (6) controls the heating of the sheet heater (HTR) by controlling the switch (Q5) shown in FIG. 14 on and off (e.g., PWM control or PFM control). Also, at this time, the MCU (6) controls the heating of the sheet heater (HTR) so that the temperature of the sheet heater (HTR) converges to a target temperature based on the temperature of the second thermistor (th2) obtained from the signal input to the terminal (P8) (in other words, the temperature of the sheet heater (HTR)). For example, PID (Proportional-Integral-Differential) control is used for this heating control.

[0136] In addition, when a liquid heater is connected between terminal (HT1(P1)) and terminal (HT1(P2)), the MCU (6) controls switch (Q4) among the switches (Q1 to Q4) shown in FIG. 14 to be in the ON state, controls switch (Q2) and switch (Q3) to be in the OFF state, and controls switch (Q1) to be ON / OFF (e.g., PWM control or PFM control) to control the heating of the liquid heater. When a liquid heater is connected between terminal (HT1(P1)) and terminal (HT1(P3)), the MCU (6) controls switch (Q3) among the switches (Q1 to Q4) to be in the ON state, controls switch (Q2) and switch (Q4) to be in the OFF state, and controls switch (Q1) to be ON / OFF to control the heating of the liquid heater. When a liquid heater is connected between terminal (HT1(P2)) and terminal (HT1(P3)), the MCU (6) controls switch (Q3) among switches (Q1 to Q4) to the ON state, controls switches (Q1) and (Q4) to the OFF state, and controls switch (Q2) to the ON / OFF state to control heating of the liquid heater.

[0137] As shown in FIG. 13, the system power voltage (V) output from the LDO (4) MCU ) is constantly supplied to the suction sensor (15) connected to the puff sensor connector (21A). Meanwhile, for electronic components that require operation only in heating mode, the system power voltage (V MCU ) is supplied through the switch (Q6). With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of the electronic component in modes other than the heating mode. System power voltage (V) to the suction sensor (15) MCU Immediately after the insertion of ), there is a concern that the operation of the suction sensor (15) may become unstable. Therefore, the suction sensor (15) has a system power voltage (V MCU Since ) is constantly supplied, even if suction is performed immediately after transitioning to the heating mode, the suction operation can be detected with high precision by the suction sensor (15).

[0138] In addition, in this configuration, the puff sensor board (21) on which the suction sensor (15) is mounted and the main board (20) on which the MCU (6), which is prone to becoming a noise source, is mounted are physically separated. As a result, the suction sensor (15), which operates continuously, can be operated more stably. Furthermore, the switch (BT), which is prone to becoming an entry point for noise such as static electricity, is not mounted on the puff sensor board (21), and the switch (BT) is mounted directly on the main FPC (23). As a result, the suction sensor (15), which operates continuously, can be operated more stably. In addition, by mounting the switch (BT) on the flexible main FPC (23), it is possible to easily maintain a distance between the switch (BT) and the suction sensor (15).

[0139] FIG. 14 shows a connector (main connector (20A) and heater connector (20B)) electrically connected to a power source (ba), an LED (21D) and a vibration motor (13) connected to the main connector (20A) via a cable such as an FPC or lead wire, a switch (Q8) electrically connected to the low potential side of the main connector (20A) and capable of opening and closing the electrical connection between the power source (ba) and the LED (21D), and an LSW (7) electrically connected to the high potential side of the main connector (20A) and capable of opening and closing the electrical connection between the power source (ba) and the vibration motor (13).

[0140] Here, attention is focused on the LED (21D) and the vibration motor (13), which are loads receiving power supply from the power source (ba). The vibration motor (13) can generate back EMF (reverse current flowing from the low potential side to the high potential side) by vibrating. In this configuration, the switch used for power supply control to the vibration motor (13) is not a simple switch, but a high-performance LSW (7) with a reverse current prevention function. As a result, the back EMF or reverse current generated by the vibration motor (13) can be prevented from being input to the MCU (6), thereby improving the durability of the MCU (6).

[0141] Meanwhile, the LED (21D) does not have a concern regarding back EMF, but the operating voltage of the vibration motor (13) (specifically, the system power supply voltage (V) MCU An operating voltage greater than )) (specifically, the OTG voltage (V OTG It is driven by )). This is because, in order to increase the brightness of the LED (21D), it is necessary to increase the operating voltage. In this configuration, a switch (Q8) for controlling power supply to the LED (21D) is connected to the low-potential side of the main connector (20A). As a result, even if the switch (Q8) is short-circuited, the system power voltage (V) from the switch (Q8) to the MCU (6) MCU OTG voltage (V) higher than ) OTG) can be prevented from being input. In this way, by providing the switch (Q8) on the low potential side, the OTG voltage (V OTG ) is, system power voltage (V MCU It is not limited by ) and can be set to a high value, so the brightness of the LED (21D) can be effectively increased.

[0142] FIG. 14 also shows a sheet heater (HTR) connected to a heater connector (20B) via a cable such as an FPC, a liquid heater (in the figure, the liquid heater (htr) is described as an example), a switch (Q5) electrically connected to the high potential side of the heater connector (20B) and capable of opening and closing the electrical connection between the power source (ba) and the sheet heater (HTR), switches (Q1) and (Q2) electrically connected to the high potential side of the main connector (20A) and capable of opening and closing the electrical connection between the power source (ba) and the liquid heater, and switches (Q3) and (Q4) electrically connected to the low potential side of the main connector (20A) and capable of opening and closing the electrical connection between the power source (ba) and the liquid heater.

[0143] Here, we focus on the sheet heater (HTR) and the liquid heater, which are loads receiving power from the power source (ba). Since the liquid heater needs to atomize the aerosol source, it requires a large amount of power per unit time. On the other hand, the sheet heater (HTR) only needs to be supplied with enough power to enhance the amount of flavor emitted from the flavor source, so the power required per unit time is not as much as that of the liquid heater. Therefore, the switches (Q1 to Q4) for controlling power supply to the liquid heater have a higher probability of short circuit than the switch (Q5) for controlling power supply to the sheet heater (HTR).

[0144] In this configuration, regarding the liquid heater, switches (Q1) and (Q2) are connected to the high potential side (in other words, between it and the power source (ba)), and switches (Q3) and (Q4) are connected to the low potential side (in other words, between it and the ground). As a result, even if either the switch (Q1) or switch (Q2) connected to the liquid heater or the switch (Q3) or switch (Q4) connected to the liquid heater is short-circuited, the other switch can be controlled to the off state, thereby suppressing the short-circuit current of one switch from being continuously supplied to the liquid heater. This improves the safety of the power unit (100). Additionally, the electrical resistance value (Ra) of the resistor (RA) connected in parallel to the switch (Q1) and the electrical resistance value (Rb) of the resistor (RB) connected in parallel to the switch (Q2) are sufficiently high values. In other words, it should be noted that short-circuit current passing through resistors (RA) and (RB) is not supplied to the liquid heater.

[0145] In addition, in this configuration, only a switch (Q5) is connected to the high potential side (in other words, between it and the power source (ba)) for the sheet heater (HTR). As previously mentioned, since the switch (Q5) has a low probability of short-circuiting, safety can be ensured without providing another switch between the sheet heater (HTR) and ground. Furthermore, regarding the sheet heater (HTR), the temperature is controlled so that it does not rise excessively by the protection circuit described later. Therefore, even if the switch (Q5) is short-circuited, the function of the protection circuit prevents the sheet heater (HTR) from continuing to heat up. From this perspective as well, safety can be ensured without providing another switch between the sheet heater (HTR) and ground. In this way, by making the switch connected to the sheet heater (HTR) only one, the number of parts of the power unit (100) is reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the power unit (100) can be reduced.

[0146] (Heater overheating protection)

[0147] In the power unit (100), the respective electrical resistance values ​​of resistors (R8), (R9), and (R10) are determined such that in heating mode, when the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) exceeds the threshold value (THD1), the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) becomes low level. When the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) exceeds the threshold value (THD1) and the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) becomes low level, a low level is input to the clear terminal (CLR(￣)) of the FF (9). As a result, the data maintained by the FF (9) is canceled, and the output of the FF (9) is forcibly made low level, so the output of the AND gate (10) also becomes low level, and the boost circuit (11) [uses] the heating voltage (V HEAT Stops the output of ). That is, the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) becoming low level means that the signal input to the enable terminal (EN) of the boost circuit (11) becomes low level.

[0148] If the power supply control from the MCU (6) to the sheet heater (HTR) is functioning normally, in principle, the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) does not exceed the threshold value (THD1). That is, if the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) exceeds the threshold value (THD1), it means that there is a high possibility that a problem has occurred in the circuit supplying power to the sheet heater (HTR) (specifically the switch (Q5)) or the MCU (6).

[0149] In this form, the MCU (6) or switch (Q5) is not controlled by a low-level signal output from the operational amplifier (OP2), but rather the heating voltage (V HEAT )of By controlling the boost circuit (11) that performs the output, the heating of the sheet heater (HTR) is stopped. In this way, the output signal of the operational amplifier (OP2) is input to the boost circuit (11), which can reliably stop the power supply to the sheet heater (HTR), thereby increasing safety when the sheet heater (HTR) becomes high temperature. For example, if the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) becomes above the threshold value (THD1) due to freezing of the MCU (6) or short-circuiting of the switch (Q5), the MCU (6) or the switch (Q5) cannot be controlled. Even in such a case, the power supply to the sheet heater (HTR) can be reliably stopped by inputting a low-level signal from the operational amplifier (OP2) to the enable terminal (EN) of the boost circuit (11).

[0150] In addition, the heating voltage (V) from the boost circuit (11) HEAT As a method to stop the output of ), the system power voltage (V) input to the boost circuit (11) is used. SYS A method of inputting a high-level signal to the enable terminal (CE(￣)) of the charging IC that generates the signal can also be considered. In this method, according to a configuration in which the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) can be input to the enable terminal (EN) of the boost circuit (11), there is an advantage of simplifying the circuit configuration and reducing manufacturing costs.

[0151] In addition, in order to return the output of FF (9) to a high level, it is necessary to re-input a clock signal to the clock terminal (CLK) of FF (9) by the MCU (6) (in other words, restart FF (9)). That is, even if the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) returns below the threshold value (THD1) after the output from the boost circuit (11) has stopped, the output from the boost circuit (11) will not resume unless the MCU (6) performs the restart process of FF (9).

[0152] It is assumed that the cause of the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) exceeding the threshold value (THD1) is freezing of the MCU (6). In this case, a high-level signal is continuously input to the input terminal (A) of the AND gate (10), and a clock signal is continuously input to the FF (9). The aerosol generating device (200) is provided with a restart circuit (RBT) (see FIG. 19) which allows the MCU (6) to be restarted (reset) by the operation of a switch (BT) by a user, although details will be described later. If the cause of the protection circuit's failure is freezing of the MCU (6), the MCU (6) is restarted by the user. As the MCU (6) restarts, the FF (9) is restarted. Additionally, as the MCU (6) restarts, the signal input to the input terminal (A) of the AND gate (10) becomes low level. Additionally, at the timing when the MCU (6) restarts, the switch (Q6) is in the off state, so the potential of the signal at the input terminal (B) of the AND gate (10) is not defined. Therefore, the output from the boost circuit (11) is not resumed merely by restarting the MCU (6). After restarting the MCU (6), the operation mode is switched to the heating mode by user operation, and the signal input to the input terminal (A) of the AND gate (10) becomes high level. Also, as the switch (Q6) is turned on, the signal input to the input terminal (B) of the AND gate (10) becomes high level. As a result, the output from the boost circuit (11) is resumed.

[0153] In this way, the resumption of output from the boost circuit (11) is controlled by the MCU (6) (control to resume output after reflecting the user's intent), thereby preventing the heating of the seat heater (HTR) from resuming against the user's intent, and thus increasing safety and convenience.

[0154] As described above, the AND gate (10), FF (9), and operational amplifier (OP2) form a protection circuit that stops power supply to the sheet heater (HTR) when the sheet heater (HTR) reaches a high temperature to provide protection. This protection circuit does not receive a command from the MCU (6) to disable the boost circuit (11). In other words, even if a high-level signal is input to the input terminal (A) of the AND gate (10) and a clock signal is input to the clock terminal (CLK) of the FF (9), the output from the boost circuit (11) can be stopped autonomously according to the temperature of the first thermistor (th1). As a result, even if a malfunction such as freezing occurs in the MCU (6), an emergency stop of heating by the sheet heater (HTR) or liquid heater can be performed, thereby improving the safety of the aerosol generating device (200).

[0155] Additionally, if the MCU (6) determines that the temperature of the second thermistor (th2), acquired based on the signal input to terminal (P8), is greater than or equal to the threshold value (THD2) (this value is smaller than the threshold value (THD1)), the signal input to the input terminal (A) of the AND gate (10) is set to a low level. As a result, the output of the AND gate (10) becomes low level, and the boost circuit (11) sets the heating voltage (V HEATThe output of ) is stopped. In this way, when the MCU (6) is operating normally, the output from the boost circuit (11) can be stopped by a command from the MCU (6). As a result, even if, for example, the first thermistor (th1) is not operating normally, the output from the boost circuit (11) can be stopped by a command from the MCU (6) to increase safety. In addition, the threshold value (THD2) is smaller than the threshold value (THD1). Therefore, when the MCU (6) is operating normally, if the temperature of the seat heater (HTR) rises, the MCU (6) can stop the output from the boost circuit (11) before the protection circuit, thereby further increasing safety.

[0156] In this configuration, the MCU (6) can obtain the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) from the signal input to the terminal (P9). Accordingly, the MCU (6) determines whether the temperature of the second thermistor (th2) can be obtained normally, and if the temperature of the second thermistor (th2) cannot be obtained normally, it is preferable to perform heating control of the sheet heater (HTR) based on the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) so that the temperature of the sheet heater (HTR) converges to a target temperature. As a result, even if there is an abnormality in the second thermistor (th2), heating control of the sheet heater (HTR) can be performed by the first thermistor (th1). The determination of whether the temperature of the second thermistor (th2) can be obtained normally can be made by determining whether the signal input to the terminal (P8) indicates an abnormal value or not, or whether the signal can be obtained or not.

[0157] However, basically, the MCU (6) performs heating control of the sheet heater (HTR) based on the temperature of the second thermistor (th2). Therefore, it is desirable for the second thermistor (th2) to be placed in a position that can more accurately reflect the temperature of the sheet heater (HTR). Meanwhile, the first thermistor (th1) is mainly used to stop the output from the boost circuit (11) by the protection circuit when the sheet heater (HTR) becomes high temperature. Therefore, it is desirable for the first thermistor (th1) to be placed in a position where the sheet heater (HTR) is more likely to become high temperature so that the high temperature state of the sheet heater (HTR) can be reliably detected. The detailed configuration of the heater FPC (24) on which the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) are mounted will be described later.

[0158] In addition, in the protection circuit described above, FF (9) is not mandatory and can be omitted. FIG. 15 is a circuit diagram corresponding to FIG. 13 in the case where FF (9) is omitted. When FF (9) is omitted, the configuration can be such that the output terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2) is connected to the input terminal (B) of the AND gate (10), as shown in FIG. 15. In the configuration shown in FIG. 15, when the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) exceeds the threshold value (THD1) and the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) becomes low level, the output of the AND gate (10) becomes low level. As a result, when the sheet heater (HTR) becomes high temperature, the output from the boost circuit (11) can be stopped. According to the configuration shown in FIG. 15, as much as FF (9) can be removed, the power unit (100) can be miniaturized, lightweight, and reduced power consumption.

[0159] In addition, in the protection circuit described above, it is also possible to omit both the FF (9) and the AND gate (10). FIG. 16 is a circuit diagram corresponding to FIG. 13 in the case where the FF (9) and the AND gate (10) are omitted. When the FF (9) and the AND gate (10) are omitted, as shown in FIG. 16, the output terminal of the operational amplifier (OP2) and the terminal (P6) of the MCU (6) are each connected to the enable terminal (EN) of the boost circuit (11). In the configuration shown in FIG. 16, when the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) becomes greater than or equal to the threshold value (THD1) and the output of the operational amplifier (OP2) becomes low level, the enable terminal (EN) of the boost circuit (11) becomes low level even if a high-level signal is output from the terminal (P6) of the MCU (6). As a result, when the sheet heater (HTR) becomes hot, the output from the boost circuit (11) can be stopped. According to the configuration shown in FIG. 16, the FF (9) and AND gate (10) can be eliminated, thereby enabling the miniaturization, weight reduction, and power saving of the power unit (100).

[0160] (Configuration of heater FPC (24))

[0161] FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of the heating unit (60) and the flow path forming body (19) shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 18 is an exploded view of the heater FPC (24) shown in FIG. 17. The heat transfer tube (61) and the flow path forming body (19) are fixed in such a state that the upper end of the flow path forming body (19) is inserted into the lower end of the heat transfer tube (61). As a result, the flow path forming body (19) functions as a support that the bottom of the second cartridge (120) contacts when the second cartridge (120) is accommodated inside the heat transfer tube (61). It is preferable that the flow path forming body (19) be composed of a material with high thermal insulation properties, such as silicone. If the flow path forming body (19) is composed of a material with high thermal insulation properties, the heat of the sheet heater (HTR) is transferred not only to the second cartridge (120) but also to the flow path forming body (19) from the lower end of the heat transfer tube (61).

[0162] The heater FPC (24) is composed of a coiled area (24A) that is wound and fixed to the outer surface (61S) of a heating tube (61) formed of a tubular body, a connector area (24B) that is inserted into a heater connector (20B) of a main board (20), and a connection area (24C) that connects the coiled area (24A) and the connector area (24B).

[0163] The power section area (24A) is composed of a thermistor mounting area (240A) in which a first thermistor (th1) and a second thermistor (th2) are mounted, a heater area (240B) in which a conductive pattern (Ph) constituting a sheet heater (HTR) is formed, and an intermediate area (240C) between the thermistor mounting area (240A) and the heater area (240B). In this way, since the sheet heater (HTR) and the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) are mounted on the same FPC, a simpler structure can be achieved compared to the case where the sheet heater (HTR) and the thermistor are provided on different substrates, and the cost or size of the power unit (100) can be reduced.

[0164] As shown in FIG. 17, the winding area (24A) is wound around the outer surface (61S) of the heating tube (61) such that, when viewed in the diameter direction of the heating tube (61), the thermistor mounting area (240A) overlaps with the heating tube (61) on the opposite side. With this configuration, the sheet heater (HTR), the first thermistor (th1), and the second thermistor (th2) can be positioned as close as possible, thereby improving the accuracy of heating control of the sheet heater (HTR) and protection control by the protection circuit.

[0165] As shown in FIG. 18, in the thermistor mounting area (240A), terminals (T11), (T12), (T13), and (T14) are arranged in parallel along the axial direction of the heat transfer tube (61). The positive terminal of the first thermistor (th1) is connected to terminal (T11), and the negative terminal of the first thermistor (th1) is connected to terminal (T12). The negative terminal of the second thermistor (th2) is connected to terminal (T13), and the positive terminal of the second thermistor (th2) is connected to terminal (T14). As shown in the enlarged view of the upper left of FIG. 18, the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) are each mounted side by side in the axial direction of the heat transfer tube (61) in the thermistor mounting area (240A), with their long directions aligned with the axial direction of the heat transfer tube (61).

[0166] In this way, the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) are arranged in the axial direction of the heating tube (61), so that the axial width of the thermistor mounting area (240A) can be increased compared to a configuration in which the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) are arranged in the circumferential direction of the heating tube (61). Additionally, since the long direction of each of the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) coincides with the axial direction of the heating tube (61), the axial width of the thermistor mounting area (240A) can be increased compared to a configuration in which the long direction of each of the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) is orthogonal to the axial direction of the heating tube (61). As a result, the durability of the heater FPC (24) can be improved.

[0167] In addition, if the long direction of each of the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) is non-orthogonal to the axial direction of the heat transfer tube (61), the effect of increasing the axial width of the thermistor mounting area (240A) can be obtained.

[0168] The second thermistor (th2) is positioned closer to the center of the sheet heater (HTR) in the axial direction of the heating tube (61) (same as the short direction of the sheet heater (HTR) and the up-down direction of the power unit (100)) than the first thermistor (th1). That is, the shortest distance between the center of the sheet heater (HTR) in the axial direction of the heating tube (61) (up-down direction in FIG. 18) and the second thermistor (th2) is shorter than the shortest distance between the center of the sheet heater (HTR) in the corresponding axial direction and the first thermistor (th1). According to this configuration, the second thermistor (th2), which is positioned closer to the axial center of the sheet heater (HTR), is less susceptible to the effect of air cooling than the first thermistor (t1). Therefore, the accurate temperature of the sheet heater (HTR) can be reflected. By using such a second thermistor (th2) to control the heating of the heater, the degree of heating control of the sheet heater (HTR) can be improved.

[0169] Additionally, the second thermistor (th2) is positioned closer to the flow path forming body (19) than the first thermistor (th1) in the vertical direction of the power unit (100). That is, the shortest distance between the second thermistor (th2) and the flow path forming body (19) is shorter than the shortest distance between the first thermistor (th1) and the flow path forming body (19). When a material with high thermal insulation properties, such as silicon, is used as the flow path forming body (19), the temperature of the second thermistor (th2), which is closer to the flow path forming body (19), is lower than the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) by the amount of heat lost to the flow path forming body (19). In this configuration, since heating control of the sheet heater (HTR) is performed using the second thermistor (th2) which exhibits such a relatively low temperature, the effect of making it difficult for the sheet heater (HTR) to reach a high temperature can be obtained. Meanwhile, the temperature of the first thermistor (th1) is higher than the temperature of the second thermistor (th2) as it is further away from the flow path forming body (19). That is, when the sheet heater (HTR) is excessively heated, the first thermistor (th1) becomes a high temperature state reflecting that temperature more quickly. Therefore, when the sheet heater (HTR) becomes high temperature, the protection circuit can be activated quickly, thereby increasing safety.

[0170] As shown in the enlarged view of the center bottom of FIG. 18, terminals (T1), (T2), (T3), (T4), and (T5) are arranged side by side in the vertical direction in this order within the connector area (24B). In FIG. 18, the terminal name of the heater connector (20B), which is the connection point for each of terminals (T1) to (T5), is indicated in parentheses. Although FIG. 12 shows only one terminal (GND) included in the heater connector (20B), in reality, as shown in FIG. 18, the heater connector (20B) includes two terminals (GND).

[0171] One end of a conductive pattern (242) composed of one wire is connected to terminal (T1). The other end of the conductive pattern (242) is connected to one end of a conductive pattern (Ph) composed of one wire. One end of a conductive pattern (241) composed of one wire is connected to the other end of the conductive pattern (Ph). The other end of the conductive pattern (241) is connected to terminal (T5).

[0172] One end of a conductive pattern (243) composed of one wire is connected to terminal (T2). The other end of the conductive pattern (243) is connected to terminal (T11). One end of a conductive pattern (245) composed of one wire is connected to terminal (T4). The other end of the conductive pattern (245) is connected to terminal (T14). One end of a conductive pattern (244) composed of one wire is connected to terminal (T3). Terminal (T12) and terminal (T13) are connected in parallel to the other end of the conductive pattern (244). Each conductive pattern in the heater FPC (24) is insulated from one another. In FIG. 18, the terminal name of the heater connector (20B), which is the electrical connection point, is indicated in parentheses on each of terminals (T11) to (T14).

[0173] In the heater FPC (24), the conductive pattern (244) for connecting to ground is common to the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2). As a result, the wiring of the heater FPC (24) can be simplified compared to the case where a conductive pattern for connecting to ground is provided for each of the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2), thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the power unit (100). In addition, the width of the conductive pattern (241) and the conductive pattern (242) connected to the conductive pattern (Ph) can be made as thick as possible in the limited heater FPC (24). As a result, the parasitic resistance of the conductive pattern (241) and the conductive pattern (242) can be reduced, so power can be supplied to the sheet heater (HTR) with higher efficiency.

[0174] Additionally, in the heater FPC (24), a conductive pattern (244) for connecting the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) to ground and a conductive pattern (241) for connecting the conductive pattern (Ph) to ground are provided separately. As a result, fluctuations in the potential of the conductive pattern (241) connected to the conductive pattern (Ph) can be avoided from affecting the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2). Therefore, the degree of control using the first thermistor (th1) and the second thermistor (th2) can be improved, thereby improving the safety of the power unit (100). Additionally, a conductive pattern for connecting the first thermistor (th1) to ground and a conductive pattern for connecting the second thermistor (th2) to ground are provided separately in the heater FPC (24), and either of these two conductive patterns may be connected to the terminal (T5). In this configuration as well, the degree of control using either the first thermistor (th1) or the second thermistor (th2) can be improved.

[0175] (Configuration and Operation of the Restart Circuit (RBT))

[0176] FIG. 19 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components related to the restart of the MCU (6) extracted from the circuit shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 19 shows a restart circuit (RBT). The restart circuit (RBT) is configured to include a voltage divider circuit including resistors (R3) and (R4), a switch (BT), terminals (KEY) and (GND) of the main connector (20A), a switch (Q7), a switch (Q9), a charging IC (3), an LDO (4), and terminals (NRST) of the debug connector (20E). In this form, the restart of the MCU (6) is made possible by the operation of the switch (BT) (for example, a long press operation) and a command from an external device connected to the debug connector (20E) by the restart circuit (RBT). The MCU (6) is configured to restart when the signal input to the terminal (P27) remains at a low level for a predetermined period of time. Additionally, the charging IC (3) is configured to restart when the signal input to the terminal (QON(￣)) remains at a low level for a predetermined period of time.

[0177] (Reset of MCU (6) using switch (BT))

[0178] First, the operation of restarting the MCU (6) without using the debug connector (20E) is explained.

[0179] Resistors (R3) and (R4) have resistance values ​​such that when the switch (BT) is not pressed, the output of the voltage divider circuit of resistors (R3) and (R4) becomes a high level. Since this high-level signal is input to the terminal (QON(￣)) of the charging IC (3), the charging IC (3) is not reset in this state, and the system power voltage (V) from the output terminal (SYS) SYS Continues the output of ). System power voltage (V SYS As the output of ) continues, the system power voltage (V) from the output terminal (OUT) of the LDO (4) is VMCU The output of ) also continues. Therefore, the MCU (6) continues to operate without stopping. In addition, this high-level signal is input to the gate terminal of the switch (Q7). Therefore, when USB is connected (bus voltage (V BUS When ) is output from the charging IC (3), the switch (Q7) is turned on, and as a result, the potential of the gate terminal of the switch (Q9) becomes low level (ground level) and the switch (Q9) is turned off. When the switch (Q9) is off, the potential of the terminal (P27) of the MCU (6) is not defined, so restart by the MCU (6) is not performed.

[0180] Resistors (R3) and (R4) have resistance values ​​such that when the switch (BT) is in a low state, the output of the voltage divider circuit of resistors (R3) and (R4) becomes a low level. In other words, resistors (R3) and (R4) have a system power supply voltage (V MCU It has a resistance value such that the voltage divided by ) becomes a low level. Since this low level signal is input to the terminal (QON(￣)) of the charging IC (3), if this state continues for a predetermined time, the charging IC (3) [inputs] the system power voltage (V) from the output terminal (SYS). SYS Stops the output of ). System power voltage (V SYS When the output of ) is stopped, the voltage output from LDO (4) is stopped, and the system power voltage (V) to the terminal (VDD) of MCU (6) is stopped. MCU ) is not input, and the MCU (6) stops.

[0181] In addition, this low-level signal is input to the gate terminal of the switch (Q7). Therefore, when USB is connected (bus voltage (V BUS When ) is output from the charging IC (3), the switch (Q7) is turned off, and as a result, the potential of the gate terminal of the switch (Q9) becomes high level (bus voltage (V BUS...and the switch (Q9) becomes ON. When the switch (Q9) is ON, the potential of the terminal (P27) of the MCU (6) becomes a low level (ground level). If the switch (BT) is continuously lowered for a predetermined time, a low level signal is input to the terminal (P27) of the MCU (6) for a predetermined time, so the MCU (6) performs a restart process. When the lowering of the switch (BT) ends, the charging IC (3) [sets] the system power voltage (V SYS Because the output of ) is resumed, the system power voltage (V) at terminal (VDD) of the stopped MCU (6) is applied. MCU )this Input is received, and the MCU (6) starts.

[0182] (Reset of MCU (6) using the debug connector (20E))

[0183] When restarting the MCU (6) using the debug connector (20E), a USB connection is made, and an external device is also connected to the debug connector (20E). In this state, if the switch (BT) is not pressed, the switch (Q9) is in the off state, so the potential of the terminal (P27) of the MCU (6) depends on the input from the external device. Therefore, by the operator performing an operation to input a low-level restart signal to the terminal (NRST) from the external device, the restart signal is continuously input to the terminal (P27) for a predetermined time. By receiving this restart signal input, the MCU (6) performs a restart process.

[0184] According to the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 19, the low-level signal generated by the depressurization of the switch (BT) is input not only to the terminal (QON(￣)) of the charging IC (3) but also to the terminal (P27) of the MCU (6). Therefore, even if the MCU (6) is frozen, the MCU (6) can be restarted by stopping the output from the charging IC (3). In addition, even if the charging IC (3) is not reset due to any factor, if the MCU (6) is not frozen, the MCU (6) can be restarted by inputting the low-level signal to the terminal (P27). In this way, by enabling restart in two ways, the MCU (6) can be reliably restarted by a simple operation of only depressing the switch (BT).

[0185] In addition, according to the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 19, the MCU (6) can be restarted from an external device using a debug connector (20E). Even when a low-level signal is input to the terminal (P27) of the MCU (6) from an external device, the presence of the switch (Q9) prevents this signal from being transmitted to the terminal (QON(￣)) of the charging IC. In this way, since the signal input to the debug connector (20E) and the signal generated by the operation of the switch (BT) can be separated, the operation of the restart circuit (RBT) can be stabilized. In addition, in FIG. 19, a configuration in which the terminal (NRST) and the terminal (QON(￣)) of the charging IC (3) are connected is also envisioned, but such a configuration is not adopted in FIG. 19. As a result, compared to the case where the debug connector (20E) is connected to the terminal (QON(￣)), the restart circuit (RBT) can be simplified, so the manufacturing cost of the power unit (100) can be reduced.

[0186] In addition, in the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 19, restarting the MCU (6) using the switch (BT) is possible only when a USB connection is established. By making it possible to restart the MCU (6) only when the power supply (ba) is in a state where charging is possible, it is possible to reliably restart the MCU (6) by an external power supply even if the remaining amount of power supply (ba) is depleted when restarting the MCU (6).

[0187] (A variation of the Restart Circuit (RBT))

[0188] FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a modified example of the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 19. The restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 20 has the same configuration as FIG. 19, except that the connection point of the drain terminal of the switch (Q9) is changed from terminal (P27) to the control terminal (CTL) of the LDO (4), and the connection between the voltage divider circuit of resistors (R3) and (R4) and the terminal (QON(￣)) of the charging IC (3) is removed. In the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 20, when restarting the MCU (6) without using the debug connector (20E), it is necessary to make a USB connection.

[0189] In the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 20, when the USB is connected and the switch (BT) is not in a low state, the output of the voltage divider circuit of resistors (R3) and (R4) becomes high level. This high level signal is input to the gate terminal of switch (Q7). Consequently, switch (Q7) is turned on, and as a result, the potential of the gate terminal of switch (Q9) becomes low level (ground level), and switch (Q9) is turned off. When switch (Q9) is in the off state, there is no low level signal input to the control terminal (CTL) of LDO (4). Therefore, the MCU (6) continues to operate.

[0190] In the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 20, when the USB is connected and the switch (BT) is in a down state, the output of the voltage divider circuit of resistors (R3) and (R4) becomes a low level. This low-level signal is input to the gate terminal of the switch (Q7). Consequently, the switch (Q7) is turned off, and as a result, the potential at the gate terminal of the switch (Q9) becomes a high level (bus voltage (V BUS ...and so the switch (Q9) becomes ON. When the switch (Q9) is ON, the control terminal (CTL) of the LDO (4) is connected to ground, so the signal input to this control terminal (CTL) becomes low level. If a low-level signal is continuously input to the control terminal (CTL) for a predetermined time, the LDO (4) stops the voltage output from the output terminal (OUT). Therefore, as the switch (BT) is continuously lowered for a predetermined time, the system power voltage (V) to the MCU (6) MCU The supply of ) is stopped, and the MCU (6) stops. When the lowering of the switch (BT) is finished, the switch (Q9) becomes off, so the signal input to the control terminal (CTL) is at a high level (system power voltage (V SYS )) returns to )). As a result, the LDO (4) returns to the system power voltage (V MCU Because the output of ) is resumed, the system power voltage (V) at terminal (VDD) of the stopped MCU (6) is applied. MCU ) is input, and the MCU (6) starts.

[0191] In the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 20, when restarting the MCU (6) using the debug connector (20E), an external device is connected to the debug connector (20E). In this state, the operator performs an operation so that the external device inputs a low-level restart signal to the terminal (NRST), thereby continuously inputting the restart signal to the terminal (P27) for a predetermined time. Upon receiving this restart signal input, the MCU (6) performs a restart process.

[0192] In the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 20, even if the switch (BT) is pressed for a long time, a low-level signal is not input to the terminal (P27) of the MCU (6). Therefore, compared to the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 19, the circuit can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost of the power unit (100) can be reduced.

[0193] Additionally, in the restart circuit (RBT) shown in FIG. 20, wiring (PU) indicated by the dashed line in the figure may be added. Wiring (PU) is the potential of terminal (P27) of the MCU (6) to the bus voltage (V BUS It is provided to pull up to a high level by means of ). By adding this wiring (PU), the potential of terminal (P27) is determined even when a low-level signal is not input to terminal (P27), so the operation of the power unit (100) can be stabilized.

[0194] In addition, in the circuit shown in FIG. 12, the switch (Q5) may be configured to be connected between the terminal (GND) of the heater connector (20B), which is connected to the negative side terminal of the seat heater (HTR), and the ground provided on the main board (20). In this configuration, it is preferable that the switch (Q5) be an N-channel type.

[0195] At least the following details are described in this specification. Additionally, the parentheses indicate components corresponding to the embodiments described above, but are not limited thereto.

[0196] (1)

[0197] A power source ((power source (ba)) capable of supplying power to an atomizer (liquid heater) that atomizes an aerosol source, and

[0198] A controller (MCU (6)) configured to control the supply of power from the above power source to the atomizer, and

[0199] A user-operable control unit (switch (BT)), and

[0200] The IC (charging IC (3) or LDO (4)) is provided with an output terminal (output terminal (SYS) or output terminal (OUT)) that is connected to the power terminal (terminal (VDD)) of the above controller and converts and outputs the input voltage, and a control terminal (terminal (QON(￣)) or control terminal (CTL)).

[0201] When the above operating unit is operated, a first level (low level) signal is input to the control terminal, and

[0202] The above IC becomes a non-operating state in which it does not output voltage from the output terminal when the first level signal is input to the control terminal.

[0203] Power unit of an aerosol generating device (power unit (100)).

[0204] According to (1), since the voltage input to the power terminal of the controller can be stopped and resumed by operating the control unit, the controller can be restarted (reset) and the freezing that occurred in the controller can be resolved.

[0205] (2)

[0206] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (1),

[0207] The above controller includes a restart terminal (terminal (P27)), and

[0208] The above controller is configured to restart when a restart signal is input to the restart terminal, and

[0209] The above controller is equipped with a rewrite connector (debug connector (20E)) for rewriting information stored in the controller, and

[0210] A restart signal capable of being input from the above-mentioned rewrite connector to the restart terminal of the controller,

[0211] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0212] According to (2), the controller can be restarted after the information is rewritten by the rewrite connector, so the behavior of the controller after the information is rewritten is stabilized.

[0213] (3)

[0214] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (1) or (2),

[0215] Power is supplied to the power terminal of the above controller from the first system power supply (LDO (4)), and

[0216] When the above operating unit is operated, the first level signal is input to the control terminal of the IC based on power from the first system power supply.

[0217] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0218] According to (3), the power supply for the operation of the controller and the power supply for generating the first level signal can be shared. Therefore, the circuit can be simplified and the manufacturing cost of the power unit can be reduced.

[0219] (4)

[0220] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (1),

[0221] The above controller includes a restart terminal (terminal (P27)), and

[0222] The above controller is configured to restart when the first level signal is input to the restart terminal, and

[0223] When the above operating unit is operated, the first level signal is input to the above restart terminal,

[0224] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0225] According to (4), the first level signal generated by the operation of the control unit is input not only to the control terminal of the IC but also to the restart terminal of the controller, so the controller can be restarted more reliably.

[0226] (5)

[0227] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (4),

[0228] The above controller is equipped with a rewrite connector (debug connector (20E)) for rewriting information stored in the controller, and

[0229] A signal of the first level capable of being input from the above-mentioned rewrite connector to the restart terminal of the above-mentioned controller,

[0230] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0231] According to (5), since the controller with the information rewritten can be restarted by the rewrite connector, the behavior of the controller after the information is rewritten is stable, and the controller can be restarted more reliably by the operation of the control unit by the user.

[0232] (6)

[0233] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (5),

[0234] The above rewrite connector is not connected to the control terminal of the IC,

[0235] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0236] According to (6), the manufacturing cost of the power unit can be reduced because the circuit can be simplified compared to when the rewrite connector is connected to the control terminal of the IC.

[0237] (7)

[0238] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (6),

[0239] The above first level is a low level, and

[0240] A first N-channel MOSFET (switch (Q9)) comprising a drain terminal connected to the above-mentioned rewrite connector and the above-mentioned restart terminal, and a source terminal connected to ground, and

[0241] A second N-channel MOSFET (switch (Q7)) comprising a gate terminal of the first N-channel MOSFET, a drain terminal connected to a second system power supply (charging IC (3)), a source terminal connected to ground, and a gate terminal to which a signal of the first level is input when the operating unit is operated.

[0242] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0243] According to (7), the potential of the rewrite connector or the low-level signal input to the rewrite connector is not transmitted to the control terminal of the IC by the drain terminal of the first N-channel MOSFET. Therefore, the potential of the rewrite connector or the low-level signal input to the rewrite connector is input only to the restart terminal of the controller. In addition, the low-level signal generated by the operation of the control unit is input to both the restart terminal of the controller and the control terminal of the IC. In this way, since the potential of the rewrite connector or the signal input to the rewrite connector and the signal generated by the operation of the control unit can be separated, the circuit can be simplified and the operation of the circuit can be stabilized.

[0244] (8)

[0245] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (7),

[0246] A charging connector (charging terminal (1)) for charging the above power is provided,

[0247] The second system power supply supplies power to the gate terminal of the first N-channel MOSFET only when an external power supply is connected to the charging connector.

[0248] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0249] According to (8), since the controller can be restarted only when the power is charged, the controller can be reliably restarted by an external power source even if the remaining power is depleted during restart.

[0250] (9)

[0251] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (1),

[0252] The above controller includes a restart terminal (terminal (P27)), and

[0253] The above controller is configured to restart when the first level signal is input to the restart terminal, and

[0254] Even if the above operating unit is operated, the first level signal is not input to the restart terminal of the controller,

[0255] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0256] According to (9), the circuit can be simplified compared to the case where the signal generated by the operation of the control unit is input to the restart terminal, so the manufacturing cost of the power unit can be reduced.

[0257] (10)

[0258] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (9),

[0259] The above controller is equipped with a rewrite connector (debug connector (20E)) for rewriting information stored in the controller, and

[0260] A signal of the first level capable of being input to the restart terminal from the above rewrite connector,

[0261] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0262] According to (10), since the controller with the rewritten information can be restarted by the rewrite connector, the behavior of the controller after the information is rewritten is stabilized.

[0263] (11)

[0264] As a power unit of the aerosol generating device described in (10),

[0265] The above first level is a low level, and

[0266] The above restart terminal is a pull-up,

[0267] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0268] According to (11), even when the first level signal is not input to the restart terminal, the potential of the restart terminal is determined, so the operation of the power unit is stabilized.

[0269] (12)

[0270] As a power unit of an aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (11),

[0271] The above IC is a charging IC (charging IC (3)) capable of controlling the charging of the above power supply.

[0272] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0273] According to (12), the power supply to many electrical components can be cut off by stopping the output of the charging IC located upstream of the power transmission path when the controller is restarted. Therefore, power consumption during the controller restart can be reduced.

[0274] (13)

[0275] As a power unit of an aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (11),

[0276] A charging IC (charging IC (3)) capable of controlling the charging of the above power supply, and

[0277] It is equipped with a voltage conversion IC (LDO(4)), and

[0278] The above IC is the above voltage conversion IC, and

[0279] The input terminal (charging terminal (BAT)) of the above charging IC is connected to the power source, and

[0280] The output terminal (output terminal (SYS)) of the above charging IC is connected to the input terminal (input terminal (IN)) of the above voltage conversion IC.

[0281] Power unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0282] According to (13), by stopping the output of the voltage conversion IC located downstream of the power transmission path when the controller restarts, the power supply to many electrical components is not cut off. As a result, the operation of the power unit is stabilized immediately after the controller restarts. Explanation of the symbols

[0283] 100: Power unit 3: Charging IC 6: MCU BT: Switch ba: Power

Claims

Claim 1 A power unit of an aerosol generating device, comprising: a power supply capable of supplying power to an atomizer that atomizes an aerosol source; a controller configured to control the supply of power from the power supply to the atomizer; an operating part operable by a user; an output terminal connected to the power terminal of the controller and outputting a converted input voltage; and an IC including a control terminal; wherein the controller includes a restart terminal; when the operating part is operated, a first level signal generated by a restart circuit to which the operating part is connected is input to the control terminal, and the IC becomes in a non-operating state in which it does not output voltage from the output terminal; and a level signal generated by the restart circuit that executes the restart processing of the controller is input to the restart terminal, and the controller restarts. Claim 2 A power unit of an aerosol generating device according to claim 1, comprising a rewrite connector for rewriting information stored in the controller, capable of inputting a signal of a level for executing the restart process from the rewrite connector to a restart terminal of the controller, and the controller restarts when the signal is input. Claim 3 A power unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein, in claim 1 or 2, power is supplied from a first system power source to the power terminal of the controller, and when the operating unit is operated, a first level signal is input to the control terminal of the IC based on the power from the first system power source. Claim 4 In paragraph 2, the above-mentioned rewrite connector is a power unit of an aerosol generating device that is not connected to the above-mentioned control terminal of the IC. Claim 5 A power unit of an aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein the first level is a low level, and comprises a first N-channel MOSFET having a drain terminal connected to the rewrite connector and the restart terminal and a source terminal connected to ground, and a second N-channel MOSFET having a drain terminal connected to the gate terminal of the first N-channel MOSFET and a second system power supply, a source terminal connected to ground, and a gate terminal to which a signal of the first level is input when the operating unit is operated. Claim 6 A power unit of an aerosol generating device according to claim 5, comprising a charging connector for charging the power supply, wherein the second system power supply supplies power to the gate terminal of the first N-channel type MOSFET only when an external power supply is connected to the charging connector. Claim 7 A power unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein, in any one of claims 1, 2, 4 to 6, the IC is a charging IC capable of controlling the charging of the power supply. Claim 8 A power unit of an aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4 to 6, comprising a charging IC capable of controlling the charging of the power source and a voltage conversion IC, wherein the IC is the voltage conversion IC, the input terminal of the charging IC is connected to the power source, and the output terminal of the charging IC is connected to the input terminal of the voltage conversion IC. Claim 9 delete Claim 10 delete Claim 11 delete Claim 12 delete Claim 13 delete

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