Smoke cartridges and aerosol generating devices

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a cigarette cartridge and an aerosol generating device. The cigarette cartridge may include: a housing; a reservoir located in the housing and storing an aerosol generating substance; an atomizer located in the housing and configured to generate vibrations to atomize the aerosol generating substance into an aerosol; a liquid transport element configured to absorb the aerosol generating substance stored in the reservoir and transmit the absorbed aerosol generating substance to the atomizer; and a resistor located in the housing and configured to eliminate noise in a signal applied to the atomizer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] One or more embodiments relate to a cartridge and an aerosol generating device including the cartridge, and more particularly to a cartridge including a printed circuit board and an aerosol generating device including the cartridge, wherein a resistor for filtering noise occurring during application of voltage to a vibrator is arranged in the printed circuit board. Background Art

[0002] Recently, there is an increasing demand for a technology that replaces the method of supplying aerosol by burning a general cigarette with another method. For example, research has been conducted to supply an aerosol having a flavor by generating an aerosol from a liquid or solid aerosol generating substance, or generating vapor from a liquid aerosol generating substance and then passing the generated vapor through a solid flavor medium. Summary of the invention

[0003] Technical issues

[0004] Generally, an aerosol generating device uses a heater to heat a liquid or solid aerosol generating substance to generate an aerosol. In order to provide an aerosol with excellent taste to a user, it is important to heat the aerosol generating substance to a suitable temperature. However, in an aerosol generating device using a heater, the aerosol generating substance is sometimes unintentionally heated to a high temperature, resulting in a situation where the user feels a burnt taste during smoking.

[0005] In order to solve the problems of the aerosol generating device using a heater, an aerosol generating device capable of generating aerosol by using ultrasonic vibration is proposed. The aerosol generating device using ultrasonic vibration can reduce the viscosity of a liquid aerosol generating substance by means of heat generated when an alternating voltage is applied to a vibrator, and can generate an aerosol by turning the aerosol generating substance into fine particles by means of ultrasonic vibration generated by the vibrator.

[0006] An advantage of an aerosol generating device using ultrasonic vibration is that aerosol can be generated while keeping the aerosol generating substance at a lower temperature (e.g., about 100°C to about 160°C) than a heater, but the vibrator may be damaged due to noise generated during application of an alternating voltage to the vibrator.

[0007] For example, in the case where a voltage higher than a desired voltage is applied to the vibrator due to noise included in a voltage signal applied to the vibrator, the temperature of the vibrator may rise above the Curie temperature, and thus, the vibrator may be damaged and generation of aerosol may not proceed smoothly.

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present disclosure provides a cartridge including a printed circuit board on which a resistor is mounted to filter noise occurring during application of voltage to a vibrator, and an aerosol generating device including the cartridge.

[0009] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the above description, and other technical problems can be derived from the embodiments to be described hereinafter.

[0010] Technical solutions to technical problems

[0011] According to an embodiment, the cigarette cartridge includes: a shell; a reservoir, which is located in the shell and stores an aerosol generating substance; an atomizer, which is located in the shell and is configured to generate vibrations to atomize the aerosol generating substance into an aerosol; a liquid transport element, which is configured to absorb the aerosol generating substance stored in the reservoir and transport the absorbed aerosol generating substance to the atomizer; and a resistor, which is located in the shell and is configured to eliminate noise in a signal applied to the atomizer.

[0012] According to an embodiment, the aerosol generating device may include: a cartridge; a main body connected to the cartridge; a battery arranged in the main body and configured to supply power to an atomizer of the cartridge; and a processor arranged in the main body and configured to control the power supplied to the cartridge by the battery.

[0013] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0014] According to one or more embodiments, the cartridge and the aerosol generating device including the cartridge can generate an aerosol at a relatively lower temperature than when using a heater by using a vibrator that generates ultrasonic vibrations to convert the aerosol generating substance into fine particles, thereby improving the user's smoking experience.

[0015] Furthermore, the cartridge and the aerosol generating device including the same according to one or more embodiments can prevent damage to the vibrator by removing noise occurring during application of voltage to the vibrator, and thus enable the cartridge and the aerosol generating device to operate stably.

[0016] Effects according to one or more embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment;

[0018] Figure 2 It is schematically shown Figure 1 A view of an aerosol generating device as shown in;

[0019] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cigarette cartridge according to an embodiment;

[0020] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of a cigarette cartridge according to an embodiment;

[0021] Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the cigarette cartridge shown in the figure along the AA' direction;

[0022] Figure 6 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the cigarette cartridge shown in the figure along the BB' direction;

[0023] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view showing the electrical connection between the vibrator of the cigarette cartridge and the printed circuit board;

[0024] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the electrical connection between the vibrator of the cigarette cartridge and the printed circuit board shown in ;

[0025] Fig. 9 It shows Figure 7 A circuit diagram of electrical connections between a vibrator of a cigarette cartridge and a resistor mounted on a printed circuit board as shown in ; and

[0026] Fig.10 is a graph showing changes in voltage applied to a vibrator of a cartridge according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] With regard to the terms used to describe various embodiments, the functions of the structural elements in the various embodiments of the present disclosure are considered to select the currently widely used general terms. However, the meaning of these terms can be changed according to intention, judicial precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in some cases, terms that are not commonly used can be selected. In this case, the meaning of the terms will be described in detail at the corresponding parts in the description of the present disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in the various embodiments of the present disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of these terms and the description provided herein.

[0028] In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the term "include" and variations such as "include" and "comprising" will be understood to mean including the stated elements but not excluding any other elements. In addition, the terms "-part", "-device" and "module" described in this application document refer to units for processing at least one function and / or operation, and can be implemented by hardware components or software components and combinations thereof.

[0029] As used herein, expressions such as "at least one of..." when following a list of elements modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements in the list. For example, the expression "at least one of a, b, and c" should be understood to mean: only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, or all of a, b, and c.

[0030] The term "aerosol" described in the present application document refers to a gas in a state where vaporized particles generated from an aerosol generating substance are mixed with air.

[0031] In addition, the term "aerosol generating device" described in the present application document refers to a device that generates an aerosol by using an aerosol generating substance so that the aerosol can be directly inhaled into the lungs of a user through the mouth of the user.

[0032] The term "inhalation" described in the present application document means inhalation by a user, and inhalation refers to a situation in which an aerosol is inhaled into the mouth, nasal cavity or lungs of a user through the mouth or nose of the user.

[0033] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown so that those having ordinary skill in the art can easily practice the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 , the aerosol generating device 1000 may include an atomizer 400, a battery 510, a sensor 520, a user interface 530, a memory 540, and a processor 550. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1000 is not limited to Figure 1 According to the design of the aerosol generating device 1000, a person skilled in the art will understand that the Figure 1 Some of the components shown in , or new components may be added.

[0036] In an embodiment, the aerosol generating device 1000 may include only a main body, in which case the components included in the aerosol generating device 1000 are located in the main body.

[0037] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device 1000 may include a body and a cartridge, in which case the components included in the aerosol generating device 1000 are separately located in the body and the cartridge. Alternatively, at least some of the components included in the aerosol generating device 1000 may be located in the body and the cartridge, respectively.

[0038] Hereinafter, the operation of each of the components will be described without limitation to the position in a specific space in the aerosol generating device 1000 .

[0039] The atomizer 400 receives power from the battery 510 under the control of the processor 550. The atomizer 400 receives power from the battery 510 under the control of the processor 550. The atomizer 400 may receive power from the battery 510 and atomize the aerosol generating substance stored in the aerosol generating device 1000.

[0040] The atomizer 400 may be located in the body of the aerosol generating device 1000. Alternatively, when the aerosol generating device 1000 includes a body and a cartridge, the atomizer 400 may be located in the cartridge. When the atomizer 400 is located in the cartridge, the atomizer 400 may receive power from a battery 510 located in at least one of the body and the cartridge. In addition, when the atomizer 400 is separately located in the body and the cartridge, components in the atomizer 400 that require power supply may receive power from a battery 510 located in at least one of the body and the cartridge.

[0041] The atomizer 400 generates an aerosol from an aerosol-generating substance located inside the cigarette cartridge. Aerosol may refer to a gas in which vaporized particles generated by an aerosol-generating substance are mixed with air. Therefore, the aerosol generated by the atomizer 400 refers to a gas in which vaporized particles generated by an aerosol-generating substance are mixed with air. For example, the atomizer 400 performs a function of generating an aerosol by converting the phase of an aerosol-generating substance located inside the cigarette cartridge 20 into a gas phase. In addition, the atomizer 400 generates an aerosol by discharging an aerosol-generating substance in a liquid phase and / or a solid phase into fine particles.

[0042] For example, the nebulizer 400 generates aerosol from an aerosol generating substance by using an ultrasonic vibration method. The ultrasonic vibration method refers to a method of generating aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating substance using ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

[0043] Although not in Figure 1 Although not shown in FIG. 4 , the atomizer 400 may optionally include a heater capable of heating the aerosol-generating substance by generating heat. The aerosol-generating substance may be heated by the heater so that an aerosol may be generated.

[0044] The heater may be formed of any suitable resistive material. For example, a suitable resistive material may be a metal or metal alloy, including, but not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, or nickel-chromium alloy. In addition, the heater may be implemented by a metal wire, a metal plate arranged with an electrically conductive trace, or a ceramic heating element, but not limited to this.

[0045] In an embodiment, the heater may be a component included in the cartridge. The cartridge may include a heater 130, a liquid delivery element, and a liquid storage portion. The aerosol-generating substance contained in the liquid storage portion may move to the liquid delivery element, and the heater may heat the aerosol-generating substance absorbed by the liquid delivery element, thereby generating an aerosol. For example, the heater may include a material such as nickel-chromium, and the heater may be wrapped around the liquid delivery element or may be arranged adjacent to the liquid delivery element.

[0046] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device 1000 may include a housing space for housing an aerosol generating product. The heater 130 may heat the aerosol generating product inserted into the housing space of the aerosol generating device 1000. When the aerosol generating product is housed in the housing space of the aerosol generating device 1000, the heater may be located inside and / or outside the aerosol generating product. Therefore, the heater may generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol generating substance in the aerosol generating product.

[0047] Meanwhile, the heater may comprise an induction heater. The heater may comprise an electrically conductive coil for heating the aerosol-generating article by induction heating, and the aerosol-generating article or the cartridge may comprise a base which may be heated by the induction heater.

[0048] The battery 510 supplies power for operating the aerosol generating device 1000. In other words, the battery 510 can supply power so that the heater can be heated. In addition, the battery 510 can supply power required for the operation of other components included in the aerosol generating device 1000, namely, the sensor 520, the user interface 530, the memory 540, and the processor 550. The battery 510 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery.

[0049] For example, the battery 510 is a lithium-ion battery, a nickel-based battery (e.g., a nickel metal hydride battery, a nickel cadmium battery), or a lithium-based battery (e.g., a cobalt lithium battery, a lithium phosphate battery, a lithium titanate battery, or a lithium polymer battery). However, the type of battery 510 that can be used in the aerosol generating device 1000 is not limited by the above description. The battery 510 may include an alkaline battery or a manganese battery as needed.

[0050] The aerosol generating device 1000 may include at least one sensor 520. The result sensed by the at least one sensor 520 is transmitted to the processor 550, and the processor 550 may control the aerosol generating device 1000 so that the aerosol generating device 1000 performs various functions, such as controlling the operation of the heater, restricting smoking, determining whether the aerosol generating article (or cartridge) is inserted, and displaying a notification.

[0051] For example, at least one sensor 520 may include a suction sensor. The suction sensor may detect the user's suction based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change. The suction sensor may detect the start time and the end time of the user's suction, and the processor 550 may determine the suction period and the non-suction period according to the detected start time and the end time of the suction.

[0052] In addition, at least one sensor 520 may include a user input sensor. The user input sensor may be a sensor capable of receiving a user's input, such as a switch, a physical button, or a touch sensor. For example, the touch sensor may be a capacitive sensor capable of detecting a user's input by detecting a capacitance change when a user touches a predetermined area formed by a metal material. The processor 550 may determine whether the user's input has occurred by comparing the values ​​before and after the capacitance change received from the capacitive sensor. When the values ​​before and after the capacitance change exceed a preset threshold, the processor 550 may determine that the user's input has occurred.

[0053] In addition, at least one sensor 520 may include a motion sensor. Through the motion sensor, motion information about the aerosol generating device 1000, such as the inclination, moving speed, and acceleration of the aerosol generating device 1000, may be obtained. For example, the motion sensor may determine whether the aerosol generating device 1000 is moving; whether the aerosol generating device 1000 is tilted at an angle within a predetermined range for puffing; and whether the aerosol generating device 1000 is tilted at an angle different from the angle during the puffing action between the puffing actions. The motion sensor may measure the motion information of the aerosol generating device 1000 using various methods known in the art. For example, the motion sensor may include an acceleration sensor for measuring acceleration in three directions, namely, the x-axis direction, the y-axis direction, and the z-axis direction, and a gyroscope sensor for measuring angular velocity in three directions.

[0054] In addition, the at least one sensor 520 may include a proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may detect whether the user is close to the aerosol generating device 1000 by detecting an approaching object or an object existing nearby, or a distance to the object, without mechanical contact, using electromagnetic force, infrared rays, etc.

[0055] In addition, at least one sensor 520 may include an image sensor. The image sensor may include, for example, a camera for acquiring an image of the object. The image sensor may recognize the object based on the image acquired by the camera. The processor 550 may analyze the image acquired by the image sensor to determine whether the user is about to use the aerosol generating device 1000. For example, when the user brings the aerosol generating device 1000 close to the lips to use the aerosol generating device 1000, the image sensor may acquire an image of the lips. In this case, the processor 550 may analyze the object and determine that the user is about to use the aerosol generating device 1000. Therefore, the aerosol generating device 1000 may cause the atomizer 400 to work in advance or preheat the heater.

[0056] In addition, at least one sensor 520 may include a consumable disassembly sensor that can detect the installation or removal of consumables (e.g., cigarette cartridges, cigarettes, etc.) for the aerosol generating device 1000. For example, the consumable disassembly sensor can detect whether the consumable is in contact with the aerosol generating device 1000, or can determine whether the consumable is disassembled based on an image obtained by an image sensor. In addition, the consumable disassembly sensor can also be an inductive sensor or a capacitive sensor, the inductive sensor detects changes in the inductance value of a coil that can interact with a mark of the consumable, and the capacitive sensor detects changes in the capacitance value of a capacitor that can interact with a mark of the consumable.

[0057] In addition, at least one sensor 520 may include a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may detect the temperature at which the heater (or aerosol generating substance) of the atomizer 400 is heated. The aerosol generating device 1000 may include a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heater, or the heater itself may be used as a temperature sensor without separately including a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the heater may be used as a temperature sensor, and at the same time, the aerosol generating device 1000 may also include a separate temperature sensor. In addition, the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of internal components of the aerosol generating device 1000 other than the heater, such as a printed circuit board and a battery.

[0058] In addition, the at least one sensor 520 may include various sensors for measuring information of the surrounding environment of the aerosol generating device 1000. For example, the at least one sensor 520 may include a temperature sensor capable of measuring the temperature of the surrounding environment, a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the surrounding environment, and an atmospheric pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the surrounding environment.

[0059] The sensor 520 that can be provided in the aerosol generating device 1000 is not limited to the above-mentioned types, and may also include various sensors. For example, the aerosol generating device 1000 may include: a fingerprint sensor for acquiring fingerprint information from a user's finger for user authentication and security; an iris recognition sensor for analyzing an iris pattern of a pupil; a vein recognition sensor for detecting the amount of infrared absorption by reduced hemoglobin in a vein based on an image of a palm; a facial recognition sensor for recognizing feature points such as eyes, nose, mouth, and facial contours in a 2D or 3D method, and a radio frequency identification sensor (RFID).

[0060] The aerosol generating device 1000 may selectively include only some of the various sensors 520 exemplified above. In other words, the aerosol generating device 1000 may combine and utilize information sensed by at least one of the above sensors.

[0061] The user interface 530 may provide the user with information about the status of the aerosol generating device 1000. The user interface 530 may include various interface devices, such as a display or light emitter for outputting visual information, a motor for outputting tactile information, a speaker for outputting sound information, an input / output (I / O) interface device (e.g., a button or a touch screen) for receiving information input from the user or outputting information to the user, a terminal for performing data communication or receiving charging power, and a communication interface module for wireless communication with an external device (e.g., Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), etc.).

[0062] However, the aerosol generating device 1000 may be implemented by selecting only some of the above-described examples of the various user interfaces 530 .

[0063] The memory 540, which is a hardware component configured to store various data segments processed in the aerosol generating device 1000, can store data processed or to be processed by the processor 550. The memory 540 can include various types of memories: random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM), etc.; read-only memory (ROM); electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), etc.

[0064] The memory 540 may store the operating time of the aerosol generating device 1000 , the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature curve, data on the smoking pattern of the user, and the like.

[0065] The processor 550 can generally control the operation of the aerosol generating device 1000. The processor 550 can be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates or can be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed in the microprocessor. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the processor 550 can be implemented in other forms of hardware.

[0066] The processor 550 analyzes the result sensed by the at least one sensor 520 and controls a process to be subsequently performed.

[0067] The processor 550 may control the power supplied to the atomizer 400 based on the result sensed by the at least one sensor 520 so that the operation of the atomizer 400 starts or stops. In addition, based on the result sensed by the at least one sensor 520, the processor 550 may control the amount of power supplied to the atomizer 400 and the time of power supply so that the atomizer 400 is heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at a suitable temperature. For example, the processor 550 may control the current or voltage supplied to the vibrator so that the vibrator of the atomizer 400 may vibrate at a certain frequency.

[0068] In an embodiment, the processor 550 may start the operation of the atomizer 400 after receiving the user's input to the aerosol generating device 1000. In addition, the processor 550 may start the operation of the atomizer after detecting the user's puff by using the puff sensor. In addition, the processor 550 may stop supplying power to the atomizer 400 when the number of puffs reaches a preset number after counting the number of puffs by using the puff sensor.

[0069] The processor 550 may control the user interface 530 based on the result sensed by the at least one sensor 520. For example, when the number of puffs reaches a preset number after counting the number of puffs by using the puff sensor, the processor 550 may notify the user that the aerosol generating device 1000 is about to terminate by using at least one of a light emitter, a motor, or a speaker.

[0070] Although not in Figure 1 , but the aerosol generating device 1000 may form an aerosol generating system together with another cradle. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 510 of the aerosol generating device 1000. For example, when the aerosol generating device 1000 is accommodated in the accommodation space of the cradle, the aerosol generating device 1000 may receive power from the battery of the cradle so that the battery 510 of the aerosol generating device 1000 may be charged.

[0071] Figure 2 is a diagram schematically showing an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0072] Figure 2 At least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 1000 shown in FIG. 1 may be connected to Figure 1 At least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 1000 shown in FIG. 1 is the same or similar, and thus a redundant description will be omitted.

[0073] Reference Figure 2 The aerosol generating device 1000 includes a cartridge 10 for storing aerosol generating substances and a main body 20 for supporting the cartridge 10 .

[0074] The cartridge 10 may be coupled to the body 20 in a state where the aerosol generating substance is contained in the cartridge 10. For example, the cartridge 10 may be coupled to the body 20 by inserting at least a portion of the cartridge 10 into the body 20. As another example, the cartridge 10 may be coupled to the body 20 by inserting at least a portion of the body 20 into the cartridge 10.

[0075] The cartridge 10 and the body 20 may be coupled to each other by at least one of a snap-fit ​​method, a threaded connection method, a magnetic coupling method, and an interference fit method, but the coupling method of the cartridge 10 and the body 20 is not limited to the above examples.

[0076] According to an embodiment, the cartridge 10 may include a housing 100 , a mouthpiece 160 , a reservoir 200 , a liquid delivery element 300 , an atomizer 400 , and a printed circuit board 500 .

[0077] The housing 100 may form the overall outer shape of the cartridge 10 together with the mouthpiece 160, and components for operating the cartridge 10 may be arranged in the housing 100. In an embodiment, the housing 100 may be formed in a rectangular shape, but the shape of the housing 100 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. According to an embodiment, the housing 100 may be formed in a polygonal column (e.g., a triangular column, a pentagonal column) shape or a cylindrical shape.

[0078] The mouthpiece 160 is arranged at the housing 100 and may include an outlet 160e for discharging the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating substance to the outside. In one embodiment, the mouthpiece 160 may be provided at a portion of the cartridge 10, and the opposite portion of the cartridge 10 may be coupled to the body 20. The user may be provided with the aerosol from the cartridge 10 by bringing the mouth into contact with the mouthpiece 160 and inhaling.

[0079] Through the user's inhalation or suction action, a pressure difference may be generated between the outside of the cartridge 10 and the inside of the cartridge 10. Therefore, the aerosol generated from the inside of the cartridge 10 may be discharged to the outside of the cartridge 10 via the outlet 160e. In this way, the user may be provided with the aerosol discharged to the outside of the cartridge 10 by bringing the mouth into contact with the mouthpiece 160 and inhaling.

[0080] The reservoir 200 may be located in the internal space of the housing 100 and may contain an aerosol-generating substance. In the present disclosure, the expression "the reservoir contains an aerosol-generating substance" means that the reservoir 200 may be used only as a container for directly storing an aerosol-generating substance, or may include an element impregnated with (containing) an aerosol-generating substance, such as a sponge, cotton, fabric, or a porous ceramic structure.

[0081] The reservoir 200 may contain an aerosol-generating substance in any state, such as liquid, solid, gas, gel, or the like.

[0082] In an embodiment, the aerosol-generating substance may include a liquid composition. The liquid composition may be a liquid including a tobacco-containing substance having a volatile tobacco aroma component, or the liquid composition may be a liquid including a non-tobacco substance.

[0083] The liquid composition may include any component such as water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract, flavor, flavoring agent and vitamin mixture, or may include a mixture of these components. The flavor may include menthol, mint, spearmint oil, various fruity ingredients, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0084] The flavoring agent may include ingredients that can provide various flavors or tastes to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the liquid composition may include an aerosol former, such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

[0085] For example, the liquid composition may have a solution of glycerol and propylene glycol in any weight ratio with added nicotine salts. The liquid composition may include two or more nicotine salts. Nicotine salts may be generated by adding a suitable acid including an organic acid or an inorganic acid to nicotine. Nicotine may be naturally occurring nicotine or synthetic nicotine and may have any suitable weight concentration relative to the total solution weight of the liquid composition.

[0086] The acid used to form the nicotine salt may be appropriately selected in consideration of the rate of absorption of nicotine in the blood, the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device 1000, the aroma or flavor, the solubility, etc. For example, the acid used to form the nicotine salt may be a single acid selected from the group consisting of benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, sucrose acid, malonic acid, or malic acid, but is not limited thereto.

[0087] The atomizer 400 may be located inside the housing 100 and may transform the phase of the aerosol generating substance stored in the cartridge 10 to generate an aerosol.

[0088] For example, the aerosol generating substance stored or contained in the reservoir 200 may be supplied from the reservoir 200 to the atomizer 400 via the liquid transport element 300, and the atomizer 400 may generate an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol generating substance received from the liquid transport element 300. At this time, the liquid transport element 300 may be a core including at least one of cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, and porous ceramic, but the liquid transport element 300 is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the atomizer 400 of the aerosol generating device 1000 may transform the phase of the aerosol generating substance by using an ultrasonic vibration method of atomizing the aerosol generating substance using ultrasonic vibration.

[0090] For example, the atomizer 400 may include a vibrator that generates vibrations with a short period. For example, the vibrations generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibrations. The frequency of the ultrasonic vibrations may be about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0091] The aerosol generating substance supplied from the reservoir 200 to the nebulizer 400 may be vaporized and / or turned into particles and atomized into an aerosol by short-period vibration generated by the vibrator.

[0092] The vibrator may include, for example, piezoelectric ceramics, and the piezoelectric ceramics may be used as a functional material capable of converting electricity into mechanical force and mechanical force into electricity by generating electricity (voltage) from a physical force (pressure) and generating vibration (mechanical force) when electricity is applied to the piezoelectric ceramics. That is, when electricity is applied to the vibrator, a short-period vibration (physical force) may be generated, and the generated vibration may split the aerosol-generating substance into small particles, thereby atomizing the aerosol-generating substance into an aerosol.

[0093] The vibrator may be electrically connected to other components of the aerosol generating device 1000 via electrical connection members.

[0094] According to an embodiment, the vibrator can be connected to the battery 510 (eg, Figure 1 A battery 510), a processor 550 (e.g., Figure 1 For example, the vibrator may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 500 located inside the cigarette cartridge 10 through a first electrical connection member, and the printed circuit board 500 may be electrically connected to the battery 510, the processor 550 and / or other driving circuits of the main body 20 through a second electrical connection member. That is, the vibrator may be electrically connected to the components of the main body 20 via the printed circuit board 500.

[0095] According to another embodiment (not shown), the vibrator may be directly connected to at least one of the battery 510 and the processor 550 of the body 20 and the driving circuit of the aerosol generating device 1000 without the printed circuit board 500 as a medium for connection.

[0096] The vibrator may generate ultrasonic vibration by receiving current or voltage from the battery 510 of the body 20 via the electrical connection member. In addition, the vibrator may be electrically connected to the processor 550 of the body 20 through the electrical connection member, and the processor 550 may control the operation of the vibrator.

[0097] The electrical connection member may include, for example, a pogo pin, a wire, a cable, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or a C-clip, but the electrical connection member is not limited to the above examples.

[0098] In another embodiment (not shown), the atomizer 400 can be implemented by a mesh-shaped or plate-shaped receiving portion that absorbs the aerosol-generating substance without a separate liquid transport element 300, maintains the aerosol-generating substance in an optimal state for conversion to an aerosol, and transmits vibrations to the aerosol-generating substance to generate an aerosol.

[0099] The aerosol generated by the atomizer 400 may be discharged to the outside of the cartridge 10 through the discharge channel 150 and supplied to the user.

[0100] According to an embodiment, the discharge channel 150 may be located inside the cartridge 10 and may be connected or communicated with the atomizer 400 and the outlet 160e of the mouthpiece 160. Therefore, the aerosol generated in the atomizer 400 may flow along the discharge channel 150 and may be discharged to the outside of the cartridge 10 or the outside of the aerosol generating device 1000 via the outlet 160e. The user may be supplied with the aerosol by bringing the mouth into contact with the mouthpiece 160 and inhaling the aerosol discharged from the discharge outlet 160e.

[0101] For example, the discharge channel 150 may be arranged such that the discharge channel 150 is surrounded by the reservoir 200 inside the housing 100. However, the arrangement structure of the discharge channel 150 is not limited to the above example.

[0102] Although not shown in the drawings, the cartridge 10 may include at least one air inlet channel for allowing air outside the cartridge 10 or the aerosol generating device 1000 (hereinafter, referred to as external air) to flow into the housing 100 .

[0103] External air may flow into the space where aerosol is generated by the exhaust channel 150 or the atomizer 400 inside the cartridge 10 via at least one air inlet channel. The introduced external air may be mixed with vaporized particles generated by the aerosol generating substance, and thus, aerosol may be generated.

[0104] According to an embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the cartridge 10 and / or the body 20 of the aerosol generating device 1000 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction may be circular, elliptical, square, rectangular or other various polygonal shapes. However, the cross-sectional shape of the cartridge 10 and / or the body 20 is not limited to the above shapes, and the aerosol generating device 1000 may not extend in a straight line in the longitudinal direction.

[0105] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device 1000 may be bent into a streamline shape to facilitate the user to comfortably hold the aerosol generating device 1000, or the aerosol generating device 1000 may have a portion bent at a predetermined angle. The cross-sectional shape of the aerosol generating device 1000 may change along the longitudinal direction.

[0106] Figure 3 is a perspective view of a cigarette cartridge according to an embodiment, and Figure 4 It is an exploded perspective view of a cigarette cartridge according to an embodiment. Figure 5 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 1 along the AA' direction, and Figure 6 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the cartridge shown in FIG. 1 along the BB' direction.

[0107] according to Figures 3 to 6 The cigarette cartridge 10 of the embodiment shown in FIG. Figure 2 The cartridge 10 of the aerosol generating device 1000 is shown in the figure, and therefore redundant description will be omitted.

[0108] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The cartridge 10 according to the embodiment may include a housing 100, a discharge channel 150, a mouthpiece 160, a reservoir 200, a liquid transport element 300, an atomizer 400, and a printed circuit board 500. The components of the cartridge 10 according to the embodiment are not limited to the above examples, and any one configuration may be added, or any one configuration (e.g., the mouthpiece 160) may be omitted, according to the embodiment.

[0109] The housing 100 may form the overall outer shape of the cartridge 10 and form an internal space in which the components of the cartridge 10 may be arranged. Although the overall shape of the housing 100 of the cartridge 10 is a square column in the drawings, the shape of the housing 100 is not limited thereto. In another embodiment (not shown), in addition to being formed in a square column shape, the housing 100 may also be formed as a whole in a cylindrical shape or a polygonal column (e.g., a triangular column, a pentagonal column) shape.

[0110] According to one embodiment, the housing 100 may include a first housing 110 and a second housing 120 connected to a portion of the first housing 110. The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 may protect components of the cartridge 10 disposed in an internal space formed by coupling the first housing 110 and the second housing 120.

[0111] For example, the first shell 110 (or "upper shell") is connected to the upper end (e.g., z direction) of the second shell 120 (or "lower shell"), thereby forming an internal space between the first shell 110 and the second shell 120 in which the components of the cigarette cartridge 10 can be arranged, but the embodiment is not limited to this.

[0112] In this disclosure, the "upper end" may refer to Figures 3 to 6 The end portion in the "+z" direction of Figures 3 to 6 The term “-z” refers to an end portion in the “-z” direction of the semiconductor device, and these expressions will be used with the same meanings hereinafter.

[0113] A mouthpiece 160 that can be inserted into a user's mouth can be connected to the housing 100. For example, the mouthpiece 160 can be connected to a portion (eg, an upper end portion) of the first housing 110, and the opposite portion of the first housing 110 can be connected to the second housing 120.

[0114] In an embodiment, the mouthpiece 160 may be detachably coupled to the housing 100 , but according to an embodiment, the mouthpiece 160 may be integrally formed with the housing 100 .

[0115] The mouthpiece 160 may include at least one outlet 160e for discharging aerosol generated from the inside of the cartridge 10 to the outside of the cartridge 10. The user may contact the mouthpiece 160 with the mouth and be provided with aerosol discharged to the outside via the outlet 160e of the mouthpiece 160.

[0116] The reservoir 200 may be disposed in the inner space of the first housing 110, and the aerosol generating substance may be stored in the reservoir 200. For example, a liquid aerosol generating substance may be stored in the reservoir 200, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0117] The liquid transport element 300 may be located between the reservoir 200 and the atomizer 400 , and the aerosol generating substance stored in the reservoir 200 may be supplied to the atomizer 400 via the liquid transport element 300 .

[0118] According to an embodiment, the liquid transport element 300 may receive the aerosol generating substance from the reservoir 200, and may transmit the received aerosol generating substance to the atomizer 400. For example, the liquid transport element 300 may absorb the aerosol generating substance moving in a direction from the reservoir 200 to the liquid transport element 300, and the absorbed aerosol generating substance may move along the liquid transport element 300 and be supplied to the atomizer 400.

[0119] According to an embodiment, the liquid transport element 300 may include a plurality of liquid transport elements. For example, the liquid transport element 300 may include a first liquid transport element 310 and a second liquid transport element 320.

[0120] The first liquid transport element 310 may be disposed adjacent to the reservoir 200 to receive liquid aerosol generating material from the reservoir 200. For example, the first liquid transport element 310 may receive the aerosol generating material from the reservoir 200 by absorbing at least some of the aerosol generating material discharged from the reservoir 200.

[0121] For example, the aerosol generating substance stored in the reservoir 200 may be discharged to the outside of the reservoir 200 via a liquid supply hole (not shown) formed in a region of the reservoir 200 facing the first liquid transport element 310 , but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0122] The second liquid transport element 320 may be located between the first liquid transport element 310 and the atomizer 400, and transport the aerosol supplied from the first liquid transport element 310 to the atomizer 400. For example, the second liquid transport element 320 may be located in the lower end portion (i.e., the end portion in the -z direction) of the first liquid transport element 310, and the aerosol generating substance absorbed by the first liquid transport element 310 may be supplied to the atomizer 400.

[0123] In an embodiment, a portion of the second liquid transport element 320 may contact the lower end portion of the first liquid transport element 310 , and an opposite portion of the second liquid transport element 320 may contact the upper end portion of the atomizer 400 .

[0124] That is, the atomizer 400, the second liquid transport element 320, and the first liquid transport element 310 may be sequentially arranged along the longitudinal direction (i.e., +z direction) of the cartridge 10 or the housing 100. In other words, the second liquid transport element 320 and the first liquid transport element 310 may be sequentially stacked on the atomizer 400.

[0125] At least some of the aerosol generating substance supplied from the reservoir 200 to the first liquid transport element 310 may move to the second liquid transport element 320 in contact with the first liquid transport element 310. In addition, the aerosol generating substance moved to the second liquid transport element 320 may move along the second liquid transport element 320 and reach the atomizer 400 in contact with the second liquid transport element 320.

[0126] Although the liquid transport element 300 includes two liquid transport elements in the drawings, the liquid transport element 300 may include one liquid transport element, or three or more liquid transport elements according to embodiments.

[0127] The atomizer 400 may atomize the liquid aerosol generating substance supplied from the liquid transport element 300 to generate an aerosol.

[0128] For example, the atomizer 400 may include a vibrator that generates ultrasonic vibrations. The frequency of the ultrasonic vibrations generated in the vibrator may be about 100kHz to about 10MHz, for example, about 100kHz to about 3.5MHz. When the vibrator generates ultrasonic vibrations within the above-mentioned frequency band, the vibrator may vibrate along the longitudinal direction of the cigarette cartridge 10 or the housing 100 (e.g., +z direction and -z direction). However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and the direction along which the vibrator vibrates may be changed to various directions (e.g., +z direction and -z direction, +x direction and -x direction, +y direction and -y direction).

[0129] By using the ultrasonic vibration method, the atomizer 400 can generate an aerosol at a relatively low temperature compared to a heating method in which the aerosol generating substance is atomized by heating. For example, in the case of heating the aerosol generating substance by using a heater, the aerosol generating substance may be heated to a temperature of 200° C. or higher, causing the user to feel a burnt smell in the aerosol.

[0130] The cartridge 10 according to the embodiment can generate an aerosol at a temperature of about 100° C. to about 160° C. by atomizing the aerosol generating material by means of an ultrasonic vibration method, and the temperature of about 100° C. to about 160° C. is a lower temperature than when the aerosol generating material is heated by a heater. Therefore, the cartridge 10 can minimize the burnt smell in the aerosol, thereby improving the user's smoking experience.

[0131] In the present disclosure, 'smoking experience' may refer to a sensation felt by a user during smoking.

[0132] The atomizer 400 may be electrically connected to an external power source (eg, located at Figure 2 The atomizer 400 may be electrically connected to a printed circuit board 500 located inside the cartridge 10, and the printed circuit board 500 may be electrically connected to a power source located outside the cartridge 10, thereby enabling the atomizer 400 to receive power from the external power source.

[0133] According to an embodiment, the atomizer 400 may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 500 through the first conductor 410 and the second conductor 420 .

[0134] In an implementation, the first conductor 410 may include a material having electrical conductivity (eg, metal), and may be located at an upper end portion of the atomizer 400 , thereby electrically connecting the atomizer 400 to the printed circuit board 500 .

[0135] For example, a portion (e.g., an upper portion) of the first conductor 410 may be arranged to surround at least one area of ​​the outer peripheral surface of the atomizer 400 and contact the atomizer 400, and the other portion (e.g., a lower portion) of the first conductor 410 may contact the printed circuit board 500. Therefore, the atomizer 400 and the printed circuit board 500 may be electrically connected to each other.

[0136] For example, an opening 410h may be formed in the first conductor 410 so that at least a portion of the atomizer 400 is exposed to the outside of the first conductor 410. The portion of the atomizer 400 exposed to the outside of the first conductor 410 through the opening 410h of the first conductor 410 may contact the second liquid transport element 320, thereby receiving the aerosol generating substance from the second liquid transport element 320.

[0137] In an embodiment, the second conductor 420 may include a material having electrical conductivity, and may be located at the lower end of the atomizer 400 or between the atomizer 400 and the printed circuit board 500, thereby electrically connecting the atomizer 400 to the printed circuit board 500. For example, one end of the second conductor 420 may contact the lower end of the atomizer 400, and the other end of the second conductor 420 may contact the area of ​​the printed circuit board 500 facing the atomizer 400, thereby electrically connecting the atomizer 400 to the printed circuit board 500.

[0138] According to an embodiment, the second conductor 420 may include a conductive material having elasticity to elastically support the atomizer 400 in addition to electrically connecting the atomizer 400 to the printed circuit board 500. For example, the second conductor 420 may include a conductive spring, but the second conductor 420 is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0139] The cartridge 10 according to the embodiment may further include an elastic support 430 located between the atomizer 400 and the printed circuit board 500 to support the second conductor 420. The elastic support 430 may include, for example, a material having a flexible property, and may be arranged to wrap the outer peripheral surface of the second conductor 420 to elastically support the second conductor 420. However, the embodiment of the cartridge 10 is not limited thereto, and according to the embodiment, the elastic support 430 may be omitted.

[0140] According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board 500 may be located inside the second housing 120, and the printed circuit board 500 may be electrically connected to the atomizer 400 through the first conductor 410 and the second conductor 420, and may also be electrically connected to an external power source (e.g., Figure 2 battery 510).

[0141] The electrical connection member may include, for example, a spring pin, a wire, a cable, an FPCB, or a C-clip, but the electrical connection member is not limited to the above examples.

[0142] In an embodiment, the second housing 120 may include a plurality of through holes 121, 122, and 123 (hereinafter, also referred to as first through holes 121, second through holes 122, and third through holes 123), which provide fluid communication between the interior of the second housing 120 and the exterior of the cartridge 10. Electrical connection members may be arranged in the plurality of through holes 121, 122, and 123, thereby electrically connecting the printed circuit board 500 located inside the cartridge 10 to a power source located outside the cartridge 10.

[0143] That is, the printed circuit board 500 can be electrically connected to the atomizer 400 through the first conductor 410, and also electrically connected to the power source located outside the cartridge 10 through the electrical connection member. Therefore, the atomizer 400 can receive power from the external power source via the printed circuit board 500.

[0144] The printed circuit board 500 may include a resistor R for removing noise (or "noise signal") occurring during operation of the cartridge 10. Therefore, the resistor R can prevent the atomizer 400 from being damaged by removing the noise. The operation of removing the noise by the resistor R will be described in detail below.

[0145] The aerosol atomized by the ultrasonic vibration generated in the atomizer 400 can be discharged to the outside of the cartridge 10 via the discharge channel 150 and provided to the user. For example, the discharge channel 150 can enable the internal space of the housing 100 to communicate with the outlet 160e of the mouthpiece 160. Therefore, the aerosol generated by the atomizer 400 can flow along the discharge channel 150 and be discharged to the outside of the cartridge 10 via the outlet 160e.

[0146] According to an embodiment, the exhaust passage 150 may be located in the inner space of the housing 100 , and at least a portion of the exhaust passage 150 may be surrounded by the reservoir 200 , but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0147] The cartridge 10 according to the embodiment may further include a sealing element 130 for preventing leakage from the reservoir 200 from flowing into the discharge channel 150 .

[0148] When the reservoir 200 is arranged to surround the discharge channel 150, leakage from the reservoir 200 may flow into the discharge channel 150, thereby causing a deterioration in the smoking experience of the user.

[0149] In this regard, the cigarette cartridge 10 according to the embodiment can prevent leakage from the reservoir 200 from flowing into the discharge channel 150 through the sealing element 130, thereby preventing the user's smoking experience from being deteriorated.

[0150] In an embodiment, the sealing member 130 may be located inside the discharge channel 150 to prevent leakage from flowing into the discharge channel 150. For example, the sealing member 130 may be in close contact with the inner wall of the discharge channel 150 by being fitted to the discharge channel 150, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0151] Furthermore, the sealing member 130 may be formed in a hollow shape so as to prevent leakage from the reservoir 200 from flowing into the discharge passage 150 while not interfering with the movement of the aerosol generated by the atomizer 400 .

[0152] In another embodiment, the sealing element 130 can absorb the ultrasonic vibration generated from the atomizer 400 by including an elastic material (e.g., rubber), and thus minimize the ultrasonic vibration generated in the atomizer 400 and transmitted to the user via the housing 100 of the cartridge 10.

[0153] In another embodiment, the sealing element 130 may be located at the upper end of the liquid transport element 300, and the contact between the liquid transport element 300 and the atomizer 400 may be maintained by applying pressure to the liquid transport element 300 in a direction toward the atomizer 400. For example, the sealing element 130 may apply pressure to the first liquid transport element 310 and / or the second liquid transport element 320 in the -z direction, and thus the contact between the second liquid transport element 320 and the atomizer 400 may be maintained.

[0154] The cigarette cartridge 10 according to the embodiment may further include a structure 140 and a first supporting element 141 . The structure 140 is used to prevent the droplets rebounding from the atomizer 400 from being provided to the user, and the first supporting element 141 is used to fix or support the structure 140 .

[0155] In the process of atomizing the aerosol generating material by the ultrasonic vibration generated in the atomizer 400, some of the aerosol generating material may not be atomized, resulting in the generation of droplets. The generated droplets may rebound due to the ultrasonic vibration generated in the atomizer 400 and be discharged to the outside of the cartridge 10 through the outlet 160e.

[0156] The structure 140 may be disposed at a position adjacent to the exhaust channel 150 and restrict the movement or flow of the rebounded droplets in a direction toward the outlet 160 e of the mouthpiece 160 .

[0157] For example, the structure 140 may include a material (eg, a felt material) capable of absorbing droplets rebounding from the atomizer 400 so that movement or flow of the droplets toward the outlet 160 e is restricted, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0158] When the droplets rebounded from the atomizer 400 are discharged to the outside of the cartridge 10 through the outlet 160e and transmitted to the user, the user may feel uncomfortable and the overall smoking experience may be deteriorated.

[0159] In this regard, the cigarette cartridge 10 according to the embodiment may include a structure 140 to prevent droplets that have not yet been atomized from bouncing from the atomizer 400 toward the outlet 160e, thereby minimizing the degree of deterioration of the user's smoking experience due to the splashing of droplets. In the present disclosure, "splashing of droplets" may refer to droplets that have not yet been atomized in the atomizer 400 being bounced.

[0160] The first supporting element 141 may accommodate at least a portion of the structure 140, and maintain or fix the position of the accommodated portion of the structure 140 relative to the first housing 110. For example, the first supporting element 141 may maintain or fix the structure 140 in a portion (e.g., an upper region) of the first housing 110 adjacent to the mouthpiece 160, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0161] In an embodiment, the first support element 141 may be arranged to surround at least a portion of the structure 140 to accommodate the structure 140. Since the first support element 141 accommodating the structure 140 is coupled to the first housing 110, the structure 140 may be fixed to the first housing 110 as well.

[0162] The first support element 141 accommodating the structure 140 may be coupled to the first housing 110 by interference fit, but the method of coupling the first housing 110 to the first support element 141 is not limited thereto. In another example, the first housing 110 and the first support element 141 may be coupled by at least one of a snap fit method, a threaded connection method, or a magnetic coupling method.

[0163] The first support element 141 may include a material having certain rigidity and water resistance (e.g., rubber). Therefore, the first support element 141 may not only fix the structure 140 to the first housing 110, but also prevent the aerosol generating substance from leaking from the reservoir 200. For example, the first support element 141 may prevent the leakage of the aerosol generating substance by blocking the portion of the reservoir 200 facing the mouthpiece 160.

[0164] The cartridge 10 according to the embodiment may further include a second supporting element 330 for holding the liquid transport element 300 and / or the atomizer 400 inside the first housing 110 .

[0165] The second supporting element 330 may be disposed to surround at least a portion of the first liquid transport element 310 , the second liquid transport element 320 , and / or the atomizer 400 , thereby accommodating the first liquid transport unit 310 , the second liquid transport unit 320 , and / or the atomizer 400 .

[0166] In an embodiment, the second supporting element 330 may be coupled to a lower portion (eg, an end portion in the -z direction) of the first housing 110. Thus, the first liquid transport element 310, the second liquid transport element 320, and / or the atomizer 400 may be held or fixed to the lower portion of the first housing 110.

[0167] The second support element 330 may be coupled to the first housing 110 by interference fitting, but the method of coupling the first housing 110 to the second support element 330 is not limited thereto. In another example, the first housing 110 and the second support element 330 may be coupled by at least one of a snap-fit ​​method, a threaded connection method, or a magnetic coupling method.

[0168] According to an embodiment, the second support element 330 may include a material having certain rigidity and waterproofness (e.g., rubber). Therefore, the second support element 330 may not only fix the liquid transport element 300 and the atomizer 400 to the first housing 110, but also prevent the aerosol generating substance from leaking from the reservoir 200. For example, the second support element 330 may prevent the leakage of the aerosol generating substance by blocking a portion of the reservoir 200 adjacent to the liquid transport element 300 or the atomizer 400.

[0169] In the following, reference is made to Figures 7 to 9 , the electrical connection structure between the atomizer 400 and the printed circuit board 500 and the electrical connection between the resistor R mounted on the printed circuit board 500 and the atomizer 400 will be described in detail.

[0170] Figure 7is an exploded perspective view showing the electrical connection between the vibrator of the cigarette cartridge and the printed circuit board, Figure 8 It shows Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the electrical connection between the vibrator of the cigarette cartridge and the printed circuit board shown in FIG. Fig. 9 It shows Figure 7 A circuit diagram of the electrical connection between the vibrator of the cigarette cartridge shown in and the resistor mounted on the printed circuit board.

[0171] For the convenience of description, Figure 7 and Figure 8 Shows Figures 3 to 6 Some components of the cartridge 10 (eg, the atomizer 400, the first conductor 410, the second conductor 420, and the printed circuit board 500) are shown in FIG. 1 , but the components of the cartridge 10 are not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0172] Reference Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , according to the cigarette cartridge of the embodiment (for example, Figures 3 to 6 The cigarette cartridge 10) may include an atomizer 400, a printed circuit board 500, a first conductor 410 and a second conductor 420. The first conductor 410 and the second conductor 420 electrically connect the atomizer 400 to the printed circuit board 500.

[0173] The printed circuit board 500 may include a first surface facing the atomizer 400 and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A plurality of electrical contacts may be arranged on the first surface and the second surface of the printed circuit board 500 to electrically connect the printed circuit board 500 to the atomizer 400 and / or an external power source (e.g., Figure 2 battery 510).

[0174] According to an embodiment, a first electrical contact 501 and a second electrical contact 502 arranged to be spaced apart from the first electrical contact 501 may be arranged on a first surface of the printed circuit board 500 .

[0175] A portion (e.g., an upper portion) of the first conductor 410 may be arranged to surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the atomizer 400 and to contact the atomizer 400, and another portion (e.g., a "lower portion") of the first conductor 410 may contact the first electrical contact 501 of the printed circuit board 500. The atomizer 400 and the first electrical contact 501 may be electrically connected by the arrangement and structure of the first conductor 410 described above.

[0176] The second conductor 420 may be located between the atomizer 400 and the printed circuit board 500. For example, one end portion (e.g., an end portion in the +z direction) of the second conductor 420 may contact a region of the atomizer 400 facing the printed circuit board 500, and the opposite end portion (e.g., an end portion in the -z direction) of the second conductor 420 may contact the second electrical contact 502 of the printed circuit board 500. The atomizer 400 and the second electrical contact 502 may be electrically connected by the arrangement and structure of the second conductor 420 described above.

[0177] According to an embodiment, the atomizer 400 may include a first electrode 401 (or "upper electrode") and a second electrode 402 (or "lower electrode"), wherein the first electrode 401 (or "upper electrode") is arranged at a portion of the atomizer 400 in a direction opposite to the printed circuit board 500, and the second electrode 402 (or "lower electrode") is arranged at a portion of the atomizer 400 facing the printed circuit board 500.

[0178] The first electrode 401 and / or the second electrode 402 may include a material having high electrical conductivity, and may electrically connect the atomizer 400 to the first conductor 410 and / or the second conductor 420. The first electrode 401 and / or the second electrode 402 may include, for example, any one of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), tungsten (W), iron (Fe), platinum (Pt), or lead (Pb), but is not limited thereto.

[0179] In the figure, the first electrode 401 is arranged along the edge of the atomizer 400, and the second electrode 402 is arranged in the central portion of the atomizer 400 facing the printed circuit board 500. However, the arrangement and structure of the first electrode 401 / or the second electrode 402 are not limited to the embodiment shown. In another embodiment, the first electrode 401 may be arranged only at a portion of the edge of the atomizer 400, or the second electrode 402 may be arranged at the side of the atomizer 400 instead of the central portion.

[0180] In an embodiment, a portion of the first conductor 410 may be arranged to surround and contact the outer peripheral surface of the atomizer 400 on which the first electrode 401 is arranged. In another example, the first electrode 401 may be arranged on the top surface of the atomizer 400, and the inner wall protruding inwardly of the upper end portion of the first conductor 410 may contact the first electrode 401. On the other hand, another portion of the first conductor 410 may contact the first electrical contact portion 501 of the printed circuit board 500. Therefore, the atomizer 400 may be electrically connected to the first electrical contact portion 501.

[0181] Furthermore, one end of the second conductor 420 may contact the second electrode 402 of the atomizer 400 , and the other end of the second conductor 420 may contact the second electrical contact 502 of the printed circuit board 500 , thereby electrically connecting the atomizer 400 to the second electrical contact 502 .

[0182] That is, the cartridge 10 according to the embodiment can electrically connect the atomizer 400 to the printed circuit board 500 through the first conductor 410 contacting the first electrode 401 of the atomizer 400 and the first electrical contact portion 501 of the printed circuit board 500 and the second electrode 420 contacting the second electrode 402 of the atomizer 400 and the second electrical contact portion 502 of the printed circuit board 500.

[0183] According to an embodiment, a third electrical contact 501 - 1 and a fourth electrical contact 502 - 1 may be arranged on a second surface of the printed circuit board 500 opposite to the first surface.

[0184] In an implementation, the third electrical contact 501 - 1 may be positioned at a position corresponding to the first electrical contact 501 disposed on the first surface of the printed circuit board 500 , and may be electrically connected to the first electrical contact 501 through the first conductive via V1 .

[0185] For example, the third electrical contact 501-1 may be disposed at a position overlapping the first electrical contact 501 when viewed from the first surface of the printed circuit board 500, and the first conductive via V1 may be located between the first electrical contact 501 and the third electrical contact 501-1, thereby connecting the first electrical contact 501 to the third electrical contact 501-1.

[0186] The first conductive via V1 may be arranged to pass through the first and second surfaces of the printed circuit board 500 to electrically connect the first electrical contact 501 to the third electrical contact 501 - 1 .

[0187] In an implementation, the fourth electrical contact 502 - 1 may be positioned at a position corresponding to the second electrical contact 502 disposed on the first surface of the printed circuit board 500 , and may be electrically connected to the second electrical contact 502 through a second conductive via V2 .

[0188] For example, the fourth electrical contact 502-1 may be disposed at a position overlapping the second electrical contact 502 when viewed from the first surface of the printed circuit board 500, and the second conductive via V2 may be located between the second electrical contact 502 and the fourth electrical contact 502-1, thereby connecting the second electrical contact 502 to the fourth electrical contact 502-1.

[0189] The second conductive via V2 may be arranged to pass through the first surface and the second surface of the printed circuit board 500 to electrically connect the second electrical contact 502 to the fourth electrical contact 502 - 1 .

[0190] The third electrical contact 501-1 may be disposed adjacent to the second housing (eg, Figure 5 The first through hole (eg, Figure 5 The third electrical contact portion 501-1 is located at a position corresponding to the first through hole 121 of the embodiment of the present invention, and can be electrically connected to an external power source through an electrical connection member arranged in the first through hole. For example, the third electrical contact portion 501-1 can be electrically connected to the main body (for example, Figure 2 The main body 20) of the battery (for example, Figure 2 battery 510).

[0191] In addition, the fourth electrical contact portion 502-1 may be disposed adjacent to the second through hole (eg, Figure 5 The fourth electrical contact portion 502-1 is located at a position corresponding to the second through hole 122 of the main body, and can be electrically connected to an external power source through an electrical connection member arranged in the second through hole. For example, the fourth electrical contact portion 502-1 can be electrically connected to a battery of the main body through an electrical connection member arranged in the second through hole.

[0192] The printed circuit board 500 of the cigarette cartridge 10 according to an embodiment can work as a medium for electrically connecting the atomizer 400 to an external power source (e.g., a battery of the main body) by having the following structure: in this structure, the first electrical contact portion 501 and the second electrical contact portion 502 are arranged on the first surface, and the third electrical contact portion 501-1 and the fourth electrical contact portion 502-1 electrically connected to the first electrical contact portion 501 and the second electrical contact portion 502, respectively, are arranged on the second surface.

[0193] Since the first and second electrical contacts 501 and 502 of the printed circuit board 500 are electrically connected to the atomizer 400 and the third and fourth electrical contacts 501-1 and 502-1 of the printed circuit board 500 are electrically connected to the battery of the body, a circuit can be formed between the atomizer 400 and an external power source.

[0194] Through the circuit formed between the atomizer 400 and the external power source, the atomizer 400 can receive power from the external power source to atomize the aerosol-generating substance into an aerosol. For example, the power supplied from the external power source can be transmitted to the atomizer 400 through the printed circuit board 500 arranged inside the cigarette cartridge, and the atomizer 400 can generate an aerosol by generating ultrasonic vibrations with the help of the received power.

[0195] According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board 500 may further include a fifth electrical contact 503 disposed on the first surface and a sixth electrical contact 503 - 1 disposed on a region of the second surface corresponding to the fifth electrical contact 503 .

[0196] The fifth electrical contact 503 may be disposed at a position corresponding to or overlapping the sixth electrical contact 503-1 when viewed from the first surface of the printed circuit board 500, and the third conductive via V3 may be located between the fifth electrical contact 503 and the sixth electrical contact 503-1, thereby electrically connecting the fifth electrical contact 503 to the sixth electrical contact 503-1.

[0197] In an example, since the fifth electrical contact 503 may be electrically connected to the first conductor 410 , the atomizer 400 may be electrically connected to the fifth electrical contact 503 .

[0198] The sixth electrical contact portion 503-1 may be disposed adjacent to the third through hole (eg, Figure 5 The main body is located at a position corresponding to the third through hole 123 of the main body, and can be electrically connected to an external power source (for example, a battery of the main body) through an electrical connection member arranged in the third through hole.

[0199] In the cigarette cartridge according to the embodiment, since the two electrical contacts (the first electrical contact 501 and the fifth electrical contact 503) arranged on the first surface of the printed circuit board 500 are electrically connected to the first conductor 410, the atomizer 400 can be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 500 when the first conductor 410 is in contact with either of the two electrical contacts.

[0200] Since the atomizer 400 can be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 500 as long as the first conductor 410 contacts any one of the first electrical contact 501 and the fifth electrical contact 503 , the electrical connection between the atomizer 400 and the printed circuit board 500 can be maintained regardless of the arrangement direction of the printed circuit board 500 .

[0201] The first to sixth electrical contacts 501 to 503 - 1 may be, for example, conductive pads or solder pads mounted on the printed circuit board 500 , but are not limited thereto.

[0202] The resistor R may be disposed in the printed circuit board 500. The resistor R may remove or filter noise occurring when power is supplied from an external power source to the atomizer 400 or noise occurring in a circuit of the printed circuit board 500.

[0203] According to an embodiment, the resistor R may be mounted on an area of ​​the printed circuit board 500 to eliminate noise occurring when the aerosol generating device operates (or when power is turned on) so as to stabilize the voltage supplied to the atomizer 400 .

[0204] When power starts to be supplied to the atomizer 400, or during the process of supplying power to the atomizer 400, noise may occur in the circuit between the atomizer 400 and the external power source. For example, due to noise in the voltage signal provided to the atomizer 400, a voltage higher than a specified value may be applied to the atomizer 400. As a result, the temperature of the atomizer 400 may rise sharply (e.g., rise to above the Curie temperature), thereby damaging the atomizer 400.

[0205] In this regard, the cartridge according to the embodiment can eliminate or filter noise occurring in a circuit formed between the atomizer 400 and an external power source by using the resistor R mounted on the printed circuit board 500. Therefore, the cartridge or the aerosol generating device can operate stably.

[0206] According to the implementation mode, Fig. 9 As shown in , the resistor R may remove or filter noise included in the voltage signal applied to the atomizer 400 by forming a feedback circuit electrically connected in parallel with the atomizer 400 .

[0207] In an embodiment, the resistor R may be electrically connected to the first electrical contact 501 (or the fifth electrical contact 503) and the second electrical contact 502 to be connected in parallel with the atomizer 400. For example, the resistor R may be electrically connected to the first conductive via V1 (or the third conductive via V3) and the second conductive via V2 in the printed circuit board 500, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0208] The resistor R can remove noise included in the voltage signal applied to the atomizer 400 by forming a feedback circuit, thereby allowing a stable voltage to be applied to the atomizer 400. Therefore, the atomizer 400 can be prevented from being damaged by noise, so that the cartridge or aerosol generating device can operate stably.

[0209] According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board 500 may be arranged inside the cartridge adjacent to the atomizer 400, and the resistor R may be arranged or mounted on a first surface of the printed circuit board 500 facing the atomizer 400. Otherwise, if the resistor R is arranged on the second surface of the printed circuit board 500, or on the main body (e.g., Figure 2If the feedback circuit is connected to the body 20 of the atomizer 400 instead of the cartridge 10, the electrical length of the feedback circuit may increase. When the electrical length of the feedback circuit increases, noise may additionally appear during the feedback process of the voltage signal applied to the atomizer 400, and thus the voltage signal applied to the atomizer 400 may be affected by the noise despite the presence of the feedback circuit.

[0210] In this regard, in the cigarette cartridge according to the embodiment, the printed circuit board 500 is arranged within a specified distance from the atomizer 400, and the resistor R forming the feedback circuit is arranged on the first surface of the printed circuit board 500 adjacent to the atomizer 400, so that the electrical length of the feedback circuit is not too long. Therefore, it is possible to prevent additional noise from occurring during the feedback process of the voltage signal applied to the atomizer 400, and thus a stable voltage signal can be provided to the atomizer 400.

[0211] In the present disclosure, the 'designated distance' between the printed circuit board 500 and the atomizer 400 may refer to a distance that prevents noise from occurring during a feedback process of a voltage signal.

[0212] In the cartridge according to the embodiment, the printed circuit board 500 mounted with the resistor R can be arranged inside the cartridge instead of the body, so that a stable voltage can be provided to the atomizer 400. Therefore, damage to the atomizer 400 can be prevented, and the cartridge and the aerosol generating device can operate stably.

[0213] The resistor R may be mounted in various ways on the first surface of the printed circuit board 500. For example, the resistor R may be electrically connected to the printed circuit board 500 by a surface mounting method in which the resistor R protrudes from the first surface of the printed circuit board 500, or a method in which at least a portion of the resistor R is embedded in the first surface of the printed circuit board 500.

[0214] According to an embodiment, the resistor R may have a resistance value of about 0.8 MΩ to about 1.2 MΩ to remove noise included in a voltage signal applied to the atomizer 400. However, the resistance value of the resistor R may be changed according to an embodiment.

[0215] Fig.10 is a graph showing changes in voltage applied to a vibrator of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

[0216] Fig.10 Shown according to Figure 7 and Figure 8 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a change in a voltage signal applied to the atomizer 400 over time when the resistor R is mounted on the printed circuit board 500 in the cigarette cartridge according to the embodiment shown in FIG.

[0217] Reference Fig.10In the cartridge according to the embodiment, noise included in the voltage signal applied to the atomizer can be eliminated or filtered because the printed circuit board is arranged inside the cartridge and connected to the atomizer (e.g., Figure 7 and Figure 8 atomizer 400) is connected in parallel with a resistor (e.g., Figure 7 and Figure 8 The resistor R) is mounted on the printed circuit board.

[0218] Since the resistor cancels noise occurring during a process of applying a voltage to the atomizer, only a component corresponding to the resonance frequency may remain in the voltage signal applied to the atomizer, and thus a stable voltage may be provided to the atomizer.

[0219] That is, the cartridge and the aerosol generating device including the cartridge can prevent excessive voltage from being applied to the vibrator by a resistor, which is mounted on a printed circuit board placed adjacent to the atomizer and removes noise that occurs during the operation of the cartridge or the aerosol generating device. Therefore, the cartridge and the aerosol generating device including the cartridge according to the above embodiment can prevent damage to the atomizer and thus operate stably.

[0220] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the scope of the above features. The disclosed method should be considered as being in a descriptive sense only, not for the purpose of limitation. The scope of the present disclosure should be defined by the appended claims, and all differences falling within the scope equivalent to the scope described in the claims should be interpreted as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A cigarette cartridge, wherein: The cigarette cartridge comprises: case; a reservoir, the reservoir being located in the housing and configured to store an aerosol-generating substance; an atomizer, the atomizer being located in the housing and the atomizer being configured to generate vibrations to atomize the aerosol-generating substance into an aerosol; a liquid transport element configured to absorb the aerosol generating substance stored in the reservoir and to transport the absorbed aerosol generating substance to the atomizer; a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board being located in the housing and being electrically connected to the atomizer; and a resistor disposed in the printed circuit board and configured to eliminate noise in a voltage signal applied to the atomizer, Wherein, the resistor is connected in parallel with the atomizer, so that the resistor forms a feedback circuit.

2. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: The printed circuit board is arranged within a specified distance from the atomizer.

3. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: The resistor is arranged at a region of the printed circuit board facing the atomizer.

4. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: The cigarette cartridge also includes: a first electrical contact, the first electrical contact being arranged on a first surface of the printed circuit board facing the atomizer; and A second electrical contact is disposed on the first surface of the printed circuit board in a manner spaced apart from the first electrical contact.

5. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 4, wherein: The resistor forms a feedback circuit by being electrically connected to the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.

6. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 4, wherein: The cigarette cartridge also includes: a first conductor electrically connecting the atomizer to the first electrical contact; and A second conductor electrically connects the atomizer to the second electrical contact.

7. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 6, wherein: The first portion of the first conductor is arranged to surround at least a portion of the atomizer, and The second portion of the first conductor extends from the first portion toward the first surface of the printed circuit board to contact the first electrical contact.

8. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 6, wherein: The second conductor is located between the atomizer and the printed circuit board, and one end of the second conductor contacts a region of the atomizer facing the printed circuit board, and the other end of the second conductor contacts the second electrical contact.

9. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 8, wherein: The second conductor is a conductive spring.

10. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 4, wherein: The cigarette cartridge also includes: a third electrical contact disposed on a second surface of the printed circuit board opposite the first surface and configured to receive power from an external power source; and A fourth electrical contact is disposed on the second surface of the printed circuit board in a manner spaced apart from the third electrical contact and configured to receive power from the external power source.

11. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 10, wherein: The first electrical contact is electrically connected to the third electrical contact through a first conductive via, and The second electrical contact is electrically connected to the fourth electrical contact through a second conductive via.

12. The cigarette cartridge according to claim 1, wherein: The cigarette cartridge also includes: a mouthpiece, the mouthpiece comprising an outlet for discharging the aerosol; and A discharge channel connects the nebulizer with the outlet so that the aerosol atomized by the nebulizer moves toward the outlet along the discharge channel.

13. An aerosol generating device, wherein: The aerosol generating device comprises: The cigarette cartridge according to claim 1; A main body, the main body being connected to the cigarette cartridge; a battery disposed in the body and configured to supply power to the atomizer of the cartridge; and A processor is disposed in the body and configured to control the power supplied from the battery to the cartridge.

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