Aerosol-generating device

Abstract

An aerosol generating device includes a housing including an accommodation space to receive an aerosol generating article, a heater configured to heat the aerosol generating article inserted into the accommodation space to generate an aerosol, a sensor configured to generate a sensing signal corresponding to a change in capacitance of the accommodation space, and a processor electrically connected to the heater and the sensor, wherein the sensor includes a printed circuit board disposed to surround at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the accommodation space, an electrode disposed on one region of the printed circuit board and configured to generate the sensing signal corresponding to the change in capacitance of the accommodation space, and a ground disposed in another region of the printed circuit board positioned in an opposite direction to the one region, and the electrode is electrically connected to the ground to shield noise.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments relate to an aerosol generating apparatus, and more specifically, to an aerosol generating apparatus capable of improving the measurement accuracy of a sensor by shielding noise introduced into the sensor. Background Technology

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the drawbacks of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is a growing need for a system that generates aerosols by heating cigarettes or aerosol-generating substances using an aerosol-generating device, rather than by burning cigarettes.

[0003] Recently, an aerosol generating apparatus has been proposed that generates aerosols by heating the aerosol generating article, replacing the method of providing aerosols by burning cigarettes. However, in the case of such an aerosol generating apparatus, the heater may unnecessarily waste electricity because it operates even when the aerosol generating article is not inserted into the apparatus, or the temperature of the aerosol generating article may take a long time to reach the target temperature because the heater does not operate even when the aerosol generating article is inserted into the apparatus.

[0004] In other words, when an aerosol generating device that heats the aerosol generating product does not detect whether the aerosol generating product is inserted into or contained in the aerosol generating device, unnecessary power loss or delay in smoke generation may occur. Therefore, a method is needed that can accurately detect whether the aerosol generating product is inserted into the aerosol generating device.

[0005] Technical issues

[0006] An aerosol generating apparatus has been proposed that can detect whether an aerosol generating article is inserted into or contained within the aerosol generating device by using a sensor. However, in the case of the aforementioned aerosol generating apparatus, it is difficult to accurately detect whether an aerosol generating article is inserted due to noise generated inside and outside the aerosol generating device during operation.

[0007] For example, in conventional aerosol generating devices, noise generated by the movement of users outside the aerosol generating device and / or noise generated during the operation of components of the aerosol generating device is introduced into the sensors. Due to the deterioration of the sensor's measurement accuracy, it is difficult to accurately determine whether the aerosol generating article has been inserted.

[0008] Therefore, this disclosure provides an aerosol generating apparatus that can shield noise introduced into the sensor, thereby improving the detection accuracy of whether an aerosol generating article is inserted.

[0009] The technical problems addressed in this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand other technical problems from the embodiments described below. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Solution

[0011] According to an aspect of this disclosure, an aerosol generating apparatus includes: a housing including a receiving space for receiving an aerosol generating article; a heater configured to heat an aerosol generating article inserted into the receiving space to generate an aerosol; a sensor configured to generate a sensing signal corresponding to a capacitance change in the receiving space; and a processor electrically connected to the heater and the sensor, wherein the sensor includes: a printed circuit board disposed around at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the receiving space; an electrode disposed on a region of the printed circuit board and configured to generate a sensing signal corresponding to a capacitance change in the receiving space; and a ground portion disposed on another region of the printed circuit board located in a direction opposite to the first region, the electrode being electrically connected to the ground portion to shield against noise.

[0012] Beneficial effects

[0013] The aerosol generating apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure can shield noise introduced into the sensor from inside and / or outside the aerosol generating apparatus.

[0014] Therefore, the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can accurately detect whether an aerosol generating article is inserted.

[0015] The effects of this disclosure are not limited to those described above, and any effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art based on this specification and the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the components of an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the components of a sensor according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a perspective view illustrating a portion of an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 4A It is according to the implementation method along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device taken in the direction A-A'.

[0020] Figure 4B It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device taken in the direction B-B'.

[0021] Figure 5 This is an illustration of the first surface of the printed circuit board of the sensor according to an embodiment in the unfolded state of the printed circuit board.

[0022] Figure 6 This is an illustration of the second surface of the printed circuit board of the sensor according to an embodiment in the unfolded state of the printed circuit board.

[0023] Figure 7A This is a graph illustrating the change in the sensing signal generated by the sensor according to an embodiment.

[0024] Figure 7B This is a graph illustrating the change in the sensing signal generated by the sensor according to another embodiment.

[0025] Figure 8A According to another embodiment Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device taken along direction A-A'.

[0026] Figure 8B This is an example Figure 8A An enlarged view of the cross-section of the sensor of the aerosol generating device.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for detecting the insertion of an aerosol-generated article performed by an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0028] Figure 10 This is an example of a graph illustrating the change of a sensing signal obtained from a sensor of an aerosol generating apparatus over time according to an embodiment.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for detecting a user's suction operation performed by an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

[0030] Figure 12 This is an example of a graph illustrating the change of a sensing signal obtained from a sensor of an aerosol generating apparatus over time according to another embodiment.

[0031] Figure 13 This is a block diagram illustrating the components of an aerosol generating apparatus according to another embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Regarding the terminology used in the various embodiments, generally used terms are selected in consideration of the functions of the structural elements in the various embodiments of this disclosure. However, the meanings of these terms may change depending on intent, judicial precedent, the emergence of new technologies, etc. Furthermore, in some cases, the terminology may be arbitrarily chosen by the applicant under specific circumstances. In such cases, the meaning of the term will be described in detail in the corresponding section of the description of this disclosure. Therefore, the terminology used in the various embodiments of this disclosure should be defined based on the meaning of the terminology and the description provided herein.

[0033] Furthermore, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, the word "comprising" and its variations such as "including" or "including" will be understood to mean that the stated element is included, but does not exclude any other element. Additionally, the terms "device," "component," and "module" described in this specification refer to a unit for performing at least one function and operation, and may be implemented by hardware components or software components and combinations thereof.

[0034] As used herein, when a phrase such as “at least any one” precedes an arranged element, the phrase modifies all elements rather than each arranged element. For example, the phrase “at least any one of a, b, and c” should be understood to include: a, b, and c; a and b; a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0035] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device can be an apparatus that generates aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette contained in the internal space of the aerosol generating device.

[0036] The aerosol generating apparatus may include a heater. In one embodiment, the heater may be a resistance heater. For example, the heater may include an electrically conductive trace, and the heater may be heated when current flows through the electrically conductive trace.

[0037] The heater may include tubular heating elements, plate heating elements, needle heating elements, or rod heating elements, and may heat the inside or outside of the cigarette depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0038] Cigarettes may include a tobacco stick and a filter stick. The tobacco stick can be formed from sheet-like pieces, bundles, and tiny fragments cut from tobacco sheets. Additionally, the tobacco stick may be surrounded by a heat-conducting material. For example, the heat-conducting material may be, but is not limited to, metal foil such as aluminum foil.

[0039] The filter rod may include a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may include at least one section. For example, the filter rod may include a first section configured to cool the aerosol and a second section configured to filter specific components in the aerosol.

[0040] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be an apparatus that generates aerosols by using a cartridge containing an aerosol generating substance.

[0041] The aerosol generating device may include a cartridge containing an aerosol generating substance and a body supporting the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably attached to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be integrally formed or assembled with the body, or it may be fixed to the body so that it cannot be removed by the user. The cartridge may be mounted on the body while containing the aerosol generating substance. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto. The aerosol generating substance may also be injected into the cartridge when it is attached to the body.

[0042] The cartridge may contain an aerosol-generating substance, which may be in any of the following states: liquid, solid, gaseous, or gel. The aerosol-generating substance may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid comprising tobacco-containing materials having volatile tobacco flavor components, or a liquid comprising non-tobacco materials.

[0043] The cartridge can be operated via electrical or wireless signals transmitted from the main body to perform the function of generating aerosols by converting the phase of the aerosol-generating substances inside the cartridge into the gas phase. An aerosol can refer to a gas in which vaporized particles generated by the aerosol-generating substances mix with air.

[0044] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device can generate an aerosol by heating a liquid composition, and the generated aerosol can be delivered to a user via a cigarette. That is, the aerosol generated from the liquid composition can move along an airflow channel of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow channel can be configured to allow the aerosol to be delivered to the user by passing through a cigarette.

[0045] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating apparatus may be an apparatus that generates aerosols from aerosol generating substances by using ultrasonic vibration. In this case, ultrasonic vibration can refer to a method of generating aerosols by converting aerosol generating substances into aerosols through ultrasonic vibrations generated by a vibrator.

[0046] The aerosol generating device may include a vibrator, which generates short-period vibrations to convert aerosol-generating substances into aerosols. The vibrations generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations may be in the range of about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0047] The aerosol generating apparatus may also include a core for absorbing aerosol-generating substances. For example, the core may be arranged to surround at least one region of the vibrator, or the core may be arranged to contact at least one region of the vibrator.

[0048] When a voltage (e.g., AC voltage) is applied to the vibrator, thermal and / or ultrasonic vibrations can be generated by the vibrator, and these thermal and / or ultrasonic vibrations can be transmitted to aerosol-generating substances absorbed in the core. The aerosol-generating substances absorbed in the core can be converted into a gaseous state by the thermal and / or ultrasonic vibrations transmitted from the vibrator, and thus can generate aerosols.

[0049] For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating material absorbed in the core can be reduced by the heat generated by the vibrator, and aerosols can be generated when the aerosol-generating material with reduced viscosity is granulated by ultrasonic vibration generated by the vibrator, but not limited to these.

[0050] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating apparatus is an apparatus that generates aerosols by heating an aerosol generating article disposed in the aerosol generating apparatus using an induction heating method.

[0051] An aerosol generating apparatus may include a base and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil can apply a magnetic field to the base. When power is supplied from the aerosol generating apparatus to the coil, a magnetic field can be formed inside the coil. In another embodiment, the base may be a magnetic body that generates heat through an external magnetic field. When the base is positioned inside the coil and a magnetic field is applied to the base, the base generates heat to heat the aerosol generating article. Alternatively, the base may be positioned inside the aerosol generating article.

[0052] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating apparatus may also include a bracket.

[0053] The aerosol generating device can be configured as a system together with a separate bracket. For example, the bracket can charge the battery of the aerosol generating device. Alternatively, when the bracket and the aerosol generating device are connected to each other, a heater can be heated.

[0054] Hereinafter, this disclosure will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to readily implement the disclosure. This disclosure may be implemented in forms that can be carried out in the various aerosol generating apparatuses described above, or in various other forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0055] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0056] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the components of an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0057] Reference Figure 1The aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to the embodiments may include a sensor 200, a battery 300, a processor 400, and a heater 500. The components of the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to the embodiments are not limited to the above embodiments, and at least one component may be added or omitted depending on the embodiments.

[0058] The sensor 200 can detect information about the aerosol generating device 100 and / or information about the operation of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0059] According to an embodiment, for example, sensor 200 may include a capacitive sensor for detecting changes in capacitance. For instance, sensor 200 may detect changes in capacitance in the accommodating space into which the aerosol generating article is inserted, and generate a sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change in the accommodating space. In this regard, the sensing signal generated by sensor 200 may be transmitted to processor 400, and processor 400 may control the operation of aerosol generating apparatus 100 based on the sensing signal from sensor 200.

[0060] In this disclosure, "capacitance change of the accommodating space" can refer to the capacitance change between the sensor 200 and the accommodating space. Furthermore, in this disclosure, "aerosol-generating article (or cigarette)" includes at least one of aerosol-generating substances and tobacco materials, and can refer to a configuration that generates or produces aerosols through heating.

[0061] Furthermore, in this disclosure, "sensing signal" can refer to at least one of a voltage change signal, a frequency change signal, a charging time change signal, or a discharging time change signal, which corresponds to a capacitance change in the accommodating space into which the aerosol generating article is inserted. The corresponding expressions can be used with the same meaning hereinafter, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted below.

[0062] The battery 300 can be used to supply the power required for the operation of the aerosol generating device 100. In one example, the battery 300 can be electrically connected to the sensor 200 and the processor 400 to supply the power required for the operation of the sensor 200 and the processor 400. In another example, the battery 300 can be electrically connected to the heater 500 to supply the power for heating the heater 500 to a predetermined temperature.

[0063] The processor 400 can be electrically or operatively connected to components of the aerosol generating apparatus 100 to control the overall operation of the aerosol generating apparatus 100.

[0064] According to an embodiment, the processor 400 may be electrically or operatively connected to the sensor 200, the battery 300, and / or the heater 500 to receive sensing signals from the sensor 200 and control the power supplied from the battery 300 to the heater 500 based on the received sensing signals. For example, the processor 400 may detect whether an aerosol has been inserted, whether a user has performed a suction operation, and whether an aerosol-generated article has been removed based on the sensing signals generated by the sensor 200, and control the power supplied to the heater 500 based on the detection results. However, this will be described in detail below.

[0065] The heater 500 can heat at least a portion of the aerosol generating article inserted into the accommodating space. For example, the heater 500 can heat at least a portion of the aerosol generating article when electricity is supplied from the battery 300, and accordingly, the phase of the aerosol generating substance included in the aerosol generating article is switched, thereby generating an aerosol.

[0066] In one embodiment, the heater 500 is not limited to an induction heating type heater that heats the aerosol generating article by means of an alternating magnetic field. In another embodiment, the heater 500 may be at least one of, but is not limited to, an internal heating type heater that is inserted into the interior of the aerosol generating article to heat the aerosol generating article; and an external heating type heater that is disposed around at least a portion of the aerosol generating article to heat the aerosol generating article.

[0067] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the components of a sensor according to an embodiment.

[0068] at this time, Figure 2 It can be Figure 1 The embodiment of the sensor 200 of the aerosol generating device 100 is described below, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0069] Reference Figure 2 According to the embodiments, the sensor 200 may include an electrode 210, a printed circuit board 220, and a grounding portion 230.

[0070] Electrode 210 can detect changes in capacitance of the accommodating space into which the aerosol generating article is inserted, and generate a sensing signal corresponding to the changes in capacitance of the accommodating space. For example, electrode 210 can be formed of a metal thin film (e.g., copper foil) to detect changes in capacitance of the accommodating space, but is not limited thereto.

[0071] Electrode 210 can be disposed in a region adjacent to the accommodating space to sense changes in capacitance of the accommodating space. For example, electrode 210 can be disposed around at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space, but the arrangement of electrode 210 is not limited thereto.

[0072] According to the embodiment, electrode 210 can detect the capacitance change of the accommodating space caused by the insertion of the aerosol generating article and generate a sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change of the accommodating space. For example, when the aerosol generating article is inserted into the accommodating space, the amount of charge on electrode 210 can be reduced by the aerosol generating article, thereby reducing the capacitance of the accommodating space. Therefore, electrode 210 can generate a sensing signal corresponding to the amount of reduction in capacitance of the accommodating space based on the insertion of the aerosol generating article.

[0073] According to another embodiment, electrode 210 can detect the capacitance change of the accommodating space caused by the user's suction operation and generate a sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change of the accommodating space.

[0074] For example, when aerosol-generating articles are heated (e.g., Figure 1 When the heater 500 heats the aerosol, it can generate an aerosol containing moisture. At this time, the amount of charge on the electrode 210 may decrease due to the generation of the aerosol, and therefore the electrode 210 can generate a sensing signal corresponding to the amount of decrease in the capacitance of the accommodating space based on the generation of the aerosol.

[0075] As another example, when the generated aerosol is expelled from the containment space due to the user's suction operation, the amount of charge on electrode 210 may increase due to the expulsion of the aerosol, and thus the capacitance of the containment space may increase. In this respect, electrode 210 can generate a sensing signal corresponding to the amount of increase in the capacitance of the containment space based on the expulsion of the aerosol.

[0076] According to another embodiment, electrode 210 can detect changes in capacitance of the accommodating space caused by the removal of the aerosol-generating article and generate a sensing signal corresponding to the change in capacitance of the accommodating space. For example, when the aerosol-generating article is removed from the accommodating space, the amount of charge on electrode 210 can increase, thereby increasing the capacitance of the accommodating space. In this respect, electrode 210 can generate a sensing signal corresponding to the amount by which the capacitance of the accommodating space increases due to the removal of the aerosol-generating article.

[0077] The sensing signal generated by electrode 210 can be transmitted to a processor electrically or operatively connected to sensor 200. The processor can use the generated sensing signal to detect whether an aerosol generating article is inserted, whether an aerosol generating article is removed, and the user's suction operation. Furthermore, the processor can control the amount of power supplied to the heater based on the above detection results, which will be described in detail below.

[0078] The printed circuit board 220 may include a first surface on which electrodes 210 are disposed (or "mounted") and a second surface positioned in the opposite direction to the first surface and on which a ground portion 230 is disposed. According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board 220 may include a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and may be configured to surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space.

[0079] Electrodes 210 disposed on the first surface of the printed circuit board 220 by the above-described arrangement structure of the printed circuit board 220 can surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol generating article when the aerosol generating article is inserted, as will be described in detail below.

[0080] The grounding portion 230 can be electrically connected to the electrode 210 to shield against noise introduced into the electrode 210. For example, noise may be generated inside or outside the aerosol generating device during operation, and the generated noise may not be introduced into the electrode 210 to increase the accuracy of the sensing signal generated from the electrode 210.

[0081] According to the embodiment, electrode 210 can be connected to ground portion 230 through an electrical connection between electrode 210 and ground portion 230, and therefore, ground portion 230 can be used to shield noise introduced into electrode 210. For example, electrode 210 and ground portion 230 can be electrically connected through electrical connection devices (e.g., signal lines and conductive parts), but are not limited thereto.

[0082] Figure 3 This is a perspective view illustrating a portion of an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0083] Reference Figure 3 The aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment may include a housing 110 and a sensor 200, into which the aerosol generating article 10 can be inserted. At least one component of the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment can be coupled with... Figure 1 At least one component of the aerosol generating device 100 is the same as or similar to that of the aerosol generating device 100, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted below.

[0084] The housing 110 may include a receiving space 110i and may form the overall appearance of the aerosol generating apparatus 100, into which the aerosol generating article 10 may be inserted. At least a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 may be inserted into the interior of the housing 110 through the receiving space 110i or may be housed within the housing.

[0085] The aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the accommodating space 110i can be heated by a heater (e.g., inside the housing 110) Figure 1The heater 500 heats the aerosol generating article 10, and the vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol generating article 10 can be mixed with the air introduced into the housing 110 through the containment space 110i, thereby generating an aerosol.

[0086] The generated aerosol can pass through the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the accommodating space 110i, or it can be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100 through the gap between the aerosol generating article 10 and the accommodating space 110i, and the user can inhale the discharged aerosol by suction operation.

[0087] In the accompanying drawings, only one embodiment of the housing 110 being formed in a cylindrical shape with an elliptical cross-section is illustrated, but the shape of the housing 110 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. According to the embodiment (not shown), the housing 110 may be formed in a polygonal prism (e.g., a triangular prism and a quadrangular prism) or a cylindrical shape.

[0088] According to an embodiment, the housing 110 may include an internal space in which components of the aerosol generating apparatus 100 may be disposed. For example, a sensor 200 for detecting capacitance changes in the accommodating space 110i, a heater for heating at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the accommodating space 110i, and a processor (e.g., ...) for controlling the operation of the aerosol generating apparatus 100. Figure 1 The processor 400 can be disposed within the internal space of the housing 110. However, the components disposed within the internal space of the housing 110 are not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0089] The sensor 200 can be configured to be adjacent to the accommodating space 110i inside the housing 110 to detect changes in the capacitance of the accommodating space 110i and generate a sensing signal corresponding to the change in capacitance of the accommodating space 110i. In this case, the sensing signal may include at least one of a voltage change signal, a frequency change signal, and a charge / discharge time change signal corresponding to the change in capacitance of the accommodating space 110i, but the type of sensing signal is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0090] For example, the capacitance of the accommodating space 110i may change due to the insertion of the aerosol generating article 10, the removal of the aerosol generating article 10, and / or a user's suction operation. The sensor 200 can generate a sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change of the accommodating space 110i and transmit the generated sensing signal to a processor (e.g., Figure 1 The processor 400).

[0091] The processor can detect whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted, whether the aerosol generating article 10 is removed, and / or whether a user's suction operation is performed, based on the sensing signal generated by the sensor 200, and control the power supplied to the heater based on the detection results. However, this will be described in detail below.

[0092] According to an embodiment, the sensor 200 may be configured to surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space 110i within the interior space of the housing 110. For example, when viewed along the Z-axis, the sensor 200 may be formed in a generally "U" shape to surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space 110i, but the shape and / or arrangement of the sensor 200 are not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0093] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 4A and Figure 4B Describe in detail the arrangement structure of sensor 200.

[0094] Figure 4A According to the implementation method Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device taken along the A-A' direction, and Figure 4B It is along Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device taken along the B-B' direction.

[0095] Reference Figure 4A and Figure 4B The aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment may include a housing 110, a sensor 200, a processor 400, and a heater 500. At least one component of the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to an embodiment may be connected to... Figure 1 and / or Figure 3 At least one component of the aerosol generating device 100 is the same as or similar to the components therein, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted below.

[0096] The sensor 200 can be located in the internal space of the housing 110 to detect the capacitance change of the accommodating space 110i and generate a sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change of the accommodating space 110i.

[0097] In an embodiment, the sensor 200 may be configured to be spaced apart from the accommodating space 110i within the interior space of the housing 110. For example, the sensor 200 may be configured to be positioned in a direction intersecting the accommodating space 110i with the longitudinal direction of the housing 110 (e.g., Figure 4A The x-direction is spaced apart by a predetermined distance d.

[0098] In this disclosure, "predetermined distance" can refer to the distance at which the electrode 210 of the sensor 200 can detect the capacitance change of the accommodating space 110i, and the predetermined distance can be changed according to the size, shape and usage environment of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0099] When the sensor 200 is disposed inside the accommodating space 110i, noise may be included in the sensing signal generated by the sensor 200 due to contact between the sensor 200 and the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the accommodating space 110i or the introduction of external foreign objects (such as dust).

[0100] According to the embodiment, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 can reduce noise caused by contact between the sensor 200 disposed inside the housing 110 and the aerosol generating article 10 or by the introduction of external foreign objects through the sensor 200.

[0101] According to an embodiment, the sensor 200 may include an electrode 210, a printed circuit board 220, and a grounding portion 230. At least one component of the sensor 200 may be connected to... Figure 2 At least one component of the sensor 200 is the same or similar, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted below.

[0102] The printed circuit board 220 may include an FPCB, and the sensor 200 may be configured via the printed circuit board 220 to surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space 110i in the interior space of the housing 110.

[0103] According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board 220 can be fixed or supported in the internal space of the housing 110 by a fixing member 120. For example, the fixing member 120 can be located in the internal space of the housing 110 to fix or support the printed circuit board 220, and thus the printed circuit board 220 can maintain an arrangement structure surrounding at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space 110i. For example, when viewed in the xy plane or z-axis, the printed circuit board 220 can be arranged in a generally "U" shape to surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space 110i, and the "U"-shaped arrangement structure of the printed circuit board 220 can be held by the fixing member 120.

[0104] According to an embodiment, the printed circuit board 220 may include a first surface 220a facing the accommodating space 110i and a second surface 220b positioned in the opposite direction to the first surface 220a and facing the outer peripheral surface of the housing 110. In this case, electrodes 210 may be disposed on the first surface 220a of the printed circuit board 220 facing the accommodating space 110i, and grounding portion 230 may be disposed on the second surface 220b positioned in the opposite direction to the first surface 220a.

[0105] When the grounding portion 230 is disposed on the first surface 220a of the printed circuit board 220 and the electrode 210 is disposed on the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220, the grounding portion 230, as a conductor, is located between the electrode 210 and the accommodating space 110i. Therefore, the grounding portion 230 can affect the change in the amount of charge on the electrode 210. Thus, in the above arrangement, the sensor 200 may not be able to accurately detect changes in the capacitance of the accommodating space 110i.

[0106] On the other hand, in the aerosol generating apparatus 100 according to the embodiment, the electrode 210 is provided on the first surface 220a of the printed circuit board 220, and the ground portion 230 is provided on the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220. Therefore, the influence of the ground portion 230 on the amount of charge of the electrode 210 can be reduced, thereby maintaining the measurement accuracy of the sensor 200.

[0107] According to the embodiment, since the printed circuit board 220 is configured to surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space 110i, the electrode 210 disposed on the first surface 220a of the printed circuit board 220 can also surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space 110i. Furthermore, when the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the accommodating space 110i via the above-described arrangement, the electrode 210 can surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the accommodating space 110i. For example, as... Figure 4B As shown, the electrode 210 can be configured to surround half of the outer periphery of the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the receiving space 110i, but the arrangement of the electrode 210 is not limited to this.

[0108] In an embodiment, electrode 210 may include a first electrode 211 and a second electrode 212 for detecting capacitance changes in the accommodating space 110i. For example, the first electrode 211 may be spaced apart from the second electrode 212 in the longitudinal direction (e.g., the Z direction) of the housing 110, and each of the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 may generate a sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change in the accommodating space 110i.

[0109] According to the embodiment, the first electrode 211 can generate a first sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change of the accommodating space 110i, and the second electrode 212 can generate a second sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change of the accommodating space 110i. The first sensing signal and the second sensing signal generated from the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212, respectively, can be transmitted to the processor 400.

[0110] The accompanying drawings illustrate only one embodiment of the sensor 200 including a first electrode 211 and a second electrode 212, but the number of electrodes 210 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. According to an embodiment (not shown), the sensor 200 may include one electrode or three or more electrodes.

[0111] The grounding portion 230 can be positioned on the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220 in the opposite direction to the electrode 210, and can be used to shield noise introduced into the electrode 210. For example, the electrode 210 can be electrically connected to the grounding portion 230 to ground, and the grounding portion 230 can shield noise introduced into the electrode 210 from the inside and / or outside of the aerosol generating apparatus 100 through the above-described electrical connection relationship. For example, the electrode 210 and the grounding portion 230 can be electrically connected to each other through electrical connection devices (e.g., signal lines and conductive parts), but are not limited thereto.

[0112] During operation of the aerosol generating device 100, external noise caused by user movement (e.g., hand movement) may be introduced into the electrode 210, or internal noise generated during operation of components of the aerosol generating device 100 (e.g., processor 400) may be introduced into the electrode 210, which may result in a decrease in the accuracy of the sensing signal.

[0113] According to the embodiment, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 can shield external noise and / or internal noise introduced into the electrode 210 by being electrically connected to the grounding portion 230 of the electrode 210, and thus can improve the measurement accuracy of the sensor 200.

[0114] According to the embodiment, the grounding part 230 may include a mesh grounding part, and the shape of the grounding part 230 will be described in detail below.

[0115] The processor 400 can be electrically or operatively connected to the electrode 210 of the sensor 200, and can obtain a sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change of the accommodating space 110i through the electrode 210. For example, the processor 400 can obtain a first sensing signal through the first electrode 211 and a second sensing signal through the second electrode 212.

[0116] According to an embodiment, the processor 400 can detect whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted based on a sensing signal obtained through the electrode 210, and when the insertion of the aerosol generating article 10 is detected, the processor 400 can activate the battery (e.g., Figure 1 The battery 300 supplies power to the heater 500 to preheat the heater 500.

[0117] According to another embodiment, the processor 400 can detect the user's suction operation based on the sensing signal obtained through the electrode 210, and when the user's suction operation is detected, the processor 400 supplies power to the heater 500 through the battery to heat the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the accommodating space 110i.

[0118] According to another embodiment, the processor 400 can detect whether the aerosol generating article 10 has been removed based on the sensing signal obtained through the electrode 210, and when the aerosol generating article 10 is detected to be removed, the processor 400 can clean the foreign matter in the accommodating space 110i by means of supplying power to the heater 500 through the battery.

[0119] The heater 500 can generate aerosols by heating at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the accommodating space 110i.

[0120] According to an embodiment, heater 500 may include an induction heating type heater. For example, heater 500 may include: coil 510 (or "conductive coil") that generates an alternating magnetic field when powered; and base 520 that generates heat through the alternating magnetic field generated by coil 510.

[0121] For example, when inserting the aerosol generating article 10, the base 520 may be configured to be inserted into the interior of the aerosol generating article 10 to heat the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the receiving space 110i. As another example, the base 520 may be configured to surround the outer peripheral surface of the receiving space 110i to heat the inserted aerosol generating article 10.

[0122] At this time, the sensor 200 can be located between the accommodating space 110i and the coil 510 to reduce the noise generated by the magnetic field generated by the coil 510, but the arrangement of the sensor 200 is not limited to this.

[0123] exist Figure 4A The example shown is only an embodiment of an induction heating type heater, but the heater 500 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0124] According to another embodiment, heater 500 may include a resistance heater. For example, heater 500 may include a film heater configured to surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the receiving space 110i. The film heater may include an electrical conduction trace, and when current flows through the electrical conduction trace, the film heater may generate heat to heat the inserted aerosol generating article 10.

[0125] According to another embodiment, the heater 500 may include at least one of a needle heater, a rod heater, and a tubular heater, which is capable of heating the interior of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the receiving space 110i. For example, the heater described above may be inserted into the interior of the aerosol generating article 10 to heat the interior of the aerosol generating article 10.

[0126] In the following text, reference will be made to Figure 5 and Figure 6 Describe the structure of sensor 200 in detail.

[0127] Figure 5 This is an illustration showing the first surface of the printed circuit board of the sensor according to an embodiment in an unfolded state of the printed circuit board, and Figure 6 This is an illustration of the second surface of the printed circuit board of the sensor according to an embodiment in the unfolded state of the printed circuit board.

[0128] in addition, Figure 7A It is a graph illustrating the change of the sensing signal generated by the sensor according to an embodiment, and Figure 7B This is a graph illustrating the change in the sensing signal generated by the sensor according to another embodiment.

[0129] at this time, Figure 7A This demonstrates that when the area of ​​the ground portion 230 is less than 5% of the area of ​​the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220, the sensing signal changes according to the insertion of the aerosol-generating article. Furthermore, Figure 7B This demonstrates that when the area of ​​the ground portion 230 exceeds 50% of the area of ​​the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220, the sensing signal changes according to the insertion of the aerosol-generating article.

[0130] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 The sensor 200 according to the embodiment may include an electrode 210, a printed circuit board 220, and a grounding portion 230. The sensor 200 according to the embodiment may be... Figure 4A and / or Figure 4B The following describes an embodiment of the sensor 200 of the aerosol generating device 100, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted below.

[0131] Electrode 210 may be disposed on or mounted on the first surface 220a of printed circuit board 220. The first surface 220a of printed circuit board 220 may be arranged to face the housing (e.g., Figure 4A The accommodating space (e.g., the internal space of the shell 110) Figure 4A The aerosol-generated article is inserted into the accommodating space 110i.

[0132] According to an embodiment, electrode 210 may include a first electrode 211 and a second electrode 212 spaced apart from the first electrode 211. When the printed circuit board 220 is configured to accommodate space within the internal space of the housing, the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 can sense or detect changes in capacitance of the accommodating space and generate a sensing signal corresponding to the capacitance change.

[0133] The accompanying drawings illustrate only an embodiment in which the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 are formed of a rectangular metal thin film, but the shapes of the first electrode 211 and the second electrode 212 are not limited to the illustrated embodiment. According to the embodiment, the first electrode 211 and / or the second electrode 212 may be formed in at least one of a trapezoidal shape, a polygonal shape, or an elliptical shape.

[0134] The ground portion 230 may be disposed on or mounted on the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220. The ground portion 230 may be electrically connected to the electrode 210 disposed on the first surface 220a of the printed circuit board 220, and may be used to shield noise introduced into the electrode 210. For example, the electrode 210 and the ground portion 230 may be electrically connected to each other by an electrical connection device (not shown), and thus a circuit may be formed between the electrode 210 and the ground portion 230.

[0135] According to an embodiment, the area of ​​the ground portion 230 can be about 5% to 50% of the area of ​​the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220. For example, the area of ​​the ground portion 230 can be about 25% of the area of ​​the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220, but is not limited thereto.

[0136] Reference Figure 7A When the area of ​​the ground portion 230 is less than 5% of the area of ​​the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220, the noise shielding effect of the ground portion 230 may be insignificant because the area of ​​the ground portion 230 is smaller compared to the area of ​​the second surface 220b. Therefore, when the area of ​​the ground portion 230 is less than 5% of the area of ​​the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220, the noise N can be included in the sensing signal generated by the electrode 210.

[0137] On the other hand, when the area of ​​the ground portion 230 exceeds 50% of the area of ​​the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220, the circuit formed between the electrode 210 and the ground portion 230 may short-circuit because the corresponding area between the electrode 210 and the ground portion 230 is large.

[0138] For example, since the printed circuit board 220 is formed to have a relatively thin thickness, the electrode 210 disposed on the first surface 220a can be adjacent to the ground portion 230 disposed on the second surface 220b. When the overlap area between the electrode 210 and the ground portion 230 increases when the electrode 210 and the ground portion 230 are adjacent to each other, an electrical effect similar to the electrode 210 and the ground portion 230 being connected to each other occurs, and therefore, a short circuit may occur in the circuit between the electrode 210 and the ground portion 230.

[0139] Reference Figure 7B When a short circuit occurs between electrode 210 and grounding portion 230, electrode 210 will not generate a sensing signal, even if the capacitance of the accommodating space changes due to the insertion of the aerosol generating article.

[0140] In other words, in the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment, since the area of ​​the ground portion 230 is formed to be about 5% to 50% of the area of ​​the second surface 200b of the printed circuit board 220, noise introduced into the electrode 210 can be effectively shielded, while preventing short circuits between the electrode 210 and the ground portion 230.

[0141] According to an embodiment, the grounding portion 230 may include a mesh grounding portion. The aerosol generating apparatus can minimize the corresponding area between the electrode 210 and the grounding portion 230 using the mesh grounding portion, and therefore, can prevent short circuits between the electrode 210 and the grounding portion 230. For example, the grounding portion 230 may include a grid grounding portion disposed at a predetermined distance, but is not limited thereto.

[0142] Figure 8A According to another embodiment Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device taken along the A-A' direction, and Figure 8B This is an example Figure 8A An enlarged view of the cross-section of the sensor in the aerosol generation device.

[0143] Reference Figure 8A and Figure 8B According to another embodiment, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 may include a housing 110, a sensor 200, a processor 400, and a heater 500. According to another embodiment, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 may be an aerosol generating apparatus in which a first conductive section 240 and / or a second conductive section 250 are added to... Figure 4A and / or Figure 4B The aerosol generating apparatus 100 is described below, and redundant descriptions of the aerosol generating apparatus 100 are omitted below.

[0144] According to an embodiment, the sensor 200 may include an electrode 210, a printed circuit board 220, a grounding portion 230, and a first conductive portion 240.

[0145] The first conductive portion 240 can be used to shield noise (e.g., external noise) introduced into the electrode 210 of the sensor 200. For example, the printed circuit board 220 may include a first through-hole h1 penetrating between the first surface 220a and the second surface 220b, and the first conductive portion 240 may be disposed in the first through-hole h1 to shield noise introduced into the electrode 210.

[0146] The first via h1 and the first conductive portion 240 can be disposed in the region of the printed circuit board 220 adjacent to the entrance of the accommodating space 110i. For example, the first via h1 and the first conductive portion 240 can be disposed in the upper region of the printed circuit board 220 (e.g., the region in the Z direction).

[0147] In one embodiment, the first conductive portion 240 may extend in a direction from the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220 toward the first surface 220a. In this respect, at least a portion of the first conductive portion 240 may protrude from the first surface 220a in a direction toward the accommodating space 110i. For example, one end of the first conductive portion 240 may contact and be electrically connected to the ground portion 230 disposed on the second surface 220b. As another example, the other end of the first conductive portion 240 may protrude from the first surface 220a in a direction toward the accommodating space 110i. Therefore, when the aerosol generating apparatus 100 is viewed on the Z-axis, the electrode 210 may be covered by the first conductive portion 240.

[0148] The first conductive portion 240 is located in the upper region of the printed circuit board 220 and is formed to have at least a portion protruding from the first surface 220a in the direction toward the accommodating space 110i, thereby shielding external noise introduced into the electrode 210 through the accommodating space 110i. For example, external noise may be generated by the user's body movements (e.g., the movement of the user's hand) during operation of the aerosol generating device 100, and the first conductive portion 240 can shield external noise so that external noise is not introduced into the electrode 210.

[0149] In this disclosure, "external noise" refers to noise generated from outside the aerosol generating device 100, and external noise can be generated by the movement of the user's body or the introduction of foreign substances.

[0150] According to another embodiment, the sensor 200 may further include a second conductive portion 250 spaced apart from the first conductive portion 240.

[0151] The second conductive portion 250 can be used to shield noise (e.g., internal noise) introduced into the electrode 210 of the sensor 200. For example, the printed circuit board 220 may include a second via h2 penetrating between the first surface 220a and the second surface 220b, and the second conductive portion 250 may be disposed in the second via h2 to shield noise introduced into the electrode 210.

[0152] The second via h2 and the second conductive portion 250 can be disposed on one of the following regions of the printed circuit board 220: this region is spaced apart from the first via h1 or the first conductive portion 240 in the longitudinal direction (e.g., the z-direction) of the housing 110. For example, the second via h2 and the second conductive portion 250 can be disposed in the lower region (e.g., the region in the z-direction) of the printed circuit board 220.

[0153] In one embodiment, the second conductive portion 250 may extend in a direction from the second surface 220b of the printed circuit board 220 toward the first surface 220a. In this case, at least a portion of the second conductive portion 250 may protrude from the first surface 220a in a direction toward the accommodating space 110i. For example, one end of the second conductive portion 250 may contact and be electrically connected to the ground portion 230 disposed on the second surface 220b. As another example, the other end of the second conductive portion 250 may protrude from the first surface 220a in a direction toward the accommodating space 110i. Accordingly, when the aerosol generating apparatus 100 is viewed on the Z-axis, the electrode 210 may be covered by the second conductive portion 250.

[0154] The second conductive portion 250 is located in the lower region of the printed circuit board 220 and is formed having at least a portion protruding from the first surface 220a in a direction toward the accommodating space 110i, thereby shielding internal noise introduced into the electrode 210 from the interior of the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the second conductive portion 250 may be configured to communicate with the processor 400 and / or battery (e.g., disposed inside the housing 110) Figure 1 The battery 300 is adjacent to the processor 400, thereby shielding the internal noise generated during the operation of the processor 400 and / or the battery, so that the internal noise is not introduced into the electrode 210.

[0155] In this disclosure, "internal noise" may refer to noise generated during the operation of components of the aerosol generating apparatus 100, and the corresponding term may be used in the following text with the same meaning.

[0156] According to another embodiment, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 can shield noise generated inside and / or outside the aerosol generating apparatus 100 through the grounding portion 230, the first conductive portion 240, and the second conductive portion 250, preventing noise from being introduced into the electrode 210. Therefore, the measurement accuracy of the sensor 200 is improved, enabling the aerosol generating apparatus 100 to more accurately detect whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted or removed and / or whether the user has performed a suction operation.

[0157] According to one embodiment, the first conductive portion 240 and / or the second conductive portion 250 can be formed by plating the first through hole h1 and / or the second through hole h2 and then filling it with a dielectric material (e.g., photoimageable solder resist (PSR)), but is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the first conductive portion 240 and / or the second conductive portion 250 can be formed without plating by filling the first through hole h1 and / or the second through hole h2 with a conductive material.

[0158] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for detecting the insertion of an aerosol-generated article performed by an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment, and... Figure 10 This is an example of a graph illustrating the change of a sensing signal obtained from a sensor of an aerosol generating apparatus over time according to an embodiment.

[0159] In the following text, refer to Figure 10 The curve shown describes Figure 9 A method for detecting the insertion of aerosol-generated articles.

[0160] Reference Figure 9 and Figure 10 In operation 901, the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment (e.g., Figure 1 The processor of the aerosol generating device 100 (e.g., Figure 1 The processor 400 can obtain data from sensors (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 2 The sensor 200) obtains information about the accommodating space (e.g., Figure 3 The sensing signal 1010 corresponds to the capacitance change of the accommodating space 110i.

[0161] In this respect, the sensing signal 1010 may include at least one of the following signals corresponding to the capacitance change of the accommodating space: voltage change signal, frequency change signal, or charging / discharging time change signal, but is not limited thereto.

[0162] In operation 902, the processor can determine or detect whether the amplitude of the sensing signal 1010 obtained by the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment in operation 901 is equal to or greater than a first threshold. For example, the processor can compare the sensing signal 1010 with first threshold data stored in memory, but is not limited thereto.

[0163] In this disclosure, "first threshold" may refer to a threshold for the amplitude of a sensing signal used to detect whether an aerosol generating article is inserted, and when the aerosol generating article is inserted, the amplitude of the sensing signal 1010 may be equal to or greater than the first threshold.

[0164] In operation 903, when it is determined or detected that the amplitude of the sensing signal 1010 is equal to or greater than the first threshold in operation 902, the processor of the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment can detect the insertion of the aerosol generating article. For example, when the amplitude of the sensing signal 1010 is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the processor can determine that the aerosol generating article has been inserted into the receiving space.

[0165] On the other hand, when the amplitude of the sensing signal 1010 is less than the first threshold in operation 902, the processor of the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment can determine that the aerosol generating article has not been inserted, and perform operations 901 to 902 again.

[0166] In operation 904, when the insertion of the aerosol generating article is detected, the processor of the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment can be activated by means of a battery (e.g., Figure 1 The battery 300 supplies the first power to the heater to preheat the heater.

[0167] In this disclosure, "first power" may refer to the amount of power supplied to the heater to preheat the heater to a predetermined temperature, and when the first power is supplied to the heater, the heater can be heated to the predetermined temperature.

[0168] Although not shown in the accompanying drawings, the processor of the aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment can detect whether the aerosol generating article has been removed based on a sensing signal obtained from a sensor after detecting the insertion of the aerosol generating article. For example, the processor can compare the sensing signal obtained from the sensor with a threshold to determine whether the aerosol generating article has been removed from the receiving space, and when the aerosol generating article is removed, power is supplied to the heater and the remaining foreign matter in the receiving space is removed.

[0169] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for detecting a user's suction operation performed by an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment, and Figure 12This is an example of a graph illustrating the change of a sensing signal obtained from a sensor of an aerosol generating apparatus over time according to another embodiment.

[0170] In the following text, refer to Figure 12 The curve shown describes Figure 11 A method for detecting the user's suction operation.

[0171] refer to Figure 11 and Figure 12 In operation 1101, the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment (e.g., Figure 1 The processor of the aerosol generating device 100 (e.g., Figure 1 The processor 400 can obtain data from sensors (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 2 The sensor 200) and the accommodating space (e.g., Figure 3 The sensing signal corresponds to the capacitance change of the accommodating space 110i. Operation 1101 can be used with Figure 9 The operation 901 is largely the same as or similar to the operation 1101, so the redundant description of the operation 1101 is omitted.

[0172] In operation 1102, the processor of the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment can determine or detect whether the amplitude of the sensing signal 1210 obtained in operation 1101 is equal to or greater than a second threshold. For example, the processor can compare the sensing signal 1210 with second threshold data stored in memory, but is not limited thereto.

[0173] In this disclosure, the "second threshold" may refer to a threshold for the amplitude of a sensing signal used to detect a user's suction operation, and when the user's suction operation is performed, the amplitude of the sensing signal 1210 may be equal to or greater than the second threshold.

[0174] In operation 1103, when it is determined or detected that the amplitude of the sensing signal 1210 is equal to or greater than the second threshold in operation 1102, the processor of the aerosol generating apparatus according to the embodiment can detect the user's suction operation. For example, when the amplitude of the sensing signal 1210 is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the processor can determine that the user's suction operation has been performed.

[0175] On the other hand, when the amplitude of the sensing signal 1210 is less than the second threshold in operation 1102, the processor of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment can determine that the user's suction operation has not been performed, and perform operation 1101 to operation 1102 again.

[0176] In operation 1104, when a user's suction operation is detected, the processor of the aerosol generating device according to the embodiment can be activated by a battery (e.g., Figure 1 The battery 300 supplies a second power to the heater and heats the heater so that the temperature of the heater corresponds to a specified temperature curve, and thus aerosols can be generated from the aerosol generator.

[0177] In this disclosure, "second power" can refer to the amount of power used to control the temperature of the heater to correspond to a specified temperature profile, and when the second power is supplied to the heater, the aerosol generating article can be heated to generate aerosol.

[0178] Figure 13 This is a block diagram of an aerosol generating apparatus 1300 according to another embodiment.

[0179] The aerosol generating device 1300 may include a processor 1310, a sensing unit 1320, an output unit 1330, a battery 1340, a heater 1350, a user input unit 1360, a memory 1370, and a communication unit 1380. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1300 is not limited to... Figure 13 The structure illustrated herein. That is, based on the design of the aerosol generating apparatus 1300, those skilled in the art will understand that the following can be omitted. Figure 13 Some of the components shown may be additional components that can be added.

[0180] The sensing unit 1320 can sense the state of the aerosol generating device 1300 and the state around the aerosol generating device 1300, and transmit the sensed information to the processor 1310. Based on the sensed information, the processor 1310 can control the aerosol generating device 1300 to perform various functions, such as controlling the operation of the heater 1350, restricting smoking, determining whether aerosol generating products (such as cigarettes, cartridges, etc.) have been inserted, and displaying notifications.

[0181] The sensing unit 1320 may include, but is not limited to, at least one of a temperature sensor 1322, an insertion detection sensor, and a suction sensor 1326.

[0182] Temperature sensor 1322 can sense the temperature to which heater 1350 (or aerosol generating material) is heated. Aerosol generating device 1300 may include a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of heater 1350, or heater 1350 may be used as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, temperature sensor 1322 may also be arranged around battery 1340 to monitor the temperature of battery 1340.

[0183] Insertion detection sensor 1324 can sense the insertion and / or removal of aerosol-generating articles. For example, insertion detection sensor 1324 may include at least one of a membrane sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and can sense signal changes based on the insertion and / or removal of aerosol-generating articles.

[0184] The suction sensor 1326 can sense a user's suction based on various physical changes in the airflow channel or airflow path. For example, the suction sensor 1326 can sense a user's suction based on any of the following: temperature change, flow rate change, voltage change, and pressure change.

[0185] In addition to the temperature sensor 1322, insertion detection sensor 1324, and suction sensor 1326 described above, the sensing unit 1320 may also include at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., Global Positioning System (GPS)), a proximity sensor, and a red-green-blue (RGB) sensor (illuminance sensor). Since the function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred by those skilled in the art from its name, a detailed description thereof can be omitted.

[0186] The output unit 1330 can output information about the status of the aerosol generating device 1300 and provide that information to the user. The output unit 1330 may include, but is not limited to, at least one of the display unit 1332, the haptic unit 1334, and the sound output unit 1336. When the display unit 1332 and the touch pad form a layered structure to form a touchscreen, the display unit 1332 can function as an input device in addition to its output function.

[0187] Display unit 1332 can visually provide the user with information about aerosol generating apparatus 1300. For example, the information about aerosol generating apparatus 1300 can refer to various information, such as the charging / discharging status of battery 1340, the preheating status of heater 1350, the insertion / removal status of aerosol generating articles, or the status of restricted use of aerosol generating apparatus 1300 (e.g., sensing an abnormal object), and display unit 1332 can output this information externally. Display unit 1332 can be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, etc. Furthermore, display unit 1332 can be in the form of a light-emitting diode (LED) light-emitting device.

[0188] The tactile unit 1334 can provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 1300 in a tactile manner by converting electrical signals into mechanical or electrical stimulation. For example, the tactile unit 1334 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0189] The sound output unit 1336 can provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 1300 in an audible manner. For example, the sound output unit 1336 can convert an electrical signal into a sound signal and output the sound signal to the outside.

[0190] Battery 1340 provides power for operating the aerosol generating device 1300. Battery 1340 provides power so that heater 1350 can be heated. Furthermore, battery 1340 provides power for the operation of other components in the aerosol generating device 1300, such as sensing unit 1320, output unit 1330, user input unit 1360, memory 1370, and communication unit 1380. Battery 1340 can be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, battery 1340 can be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited to this.

[0191] Heater 1350 can receive power from battery 1340 to heat the aerosol-generating material. Although in Figure 13 Not illustrated, but the aerosol generating apparatus 1300 may also include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a direct current (DC) / DC converter) that converts the power from the battery 1340 and supplies that power to the heater 1350. Furthermore, when the aerosol generating apparatus 1300 generates aerosols in an induction heating method, the aerosol generating apparatus 1300 may also include a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power from the battery 1340 into AC power.

[0192] The processor 1310, sensing unit 1320, output unit 1330, user input unit 1360, memory 1370, and communication unit 1380 can each receive power from battery 1340 to perform their functions. Although in Figure 13 Although not illustrated, the aerosol generating apparatus 1300 may also include a power conversion circuit that converts the power from the battery 1340 to supply power to the corresponding components. This power conversion circuit may be, for example, a low-dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit.

[0193] In this embodiment, the heater 1350 can be formed of any suitable resistive material. For example, suitable resistive materials can be metals or metal alloys including, but are not limited to: titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nickel-chromium, etc. Furthermore, the heater 1350 can be implemented using metal wires, metal plates with electrically conductive traces, ceramic heating elements, etc., but is not limited to these.

[0194] In another embodiment, heater 1350 may be an induction heating type heater. For example, heater 1350 may include a base that heats the aerosol-generating material by means of heat generated by a magnetic field applied by a coil.

[0195] The user input unit 1360 can receive information input by the user or output information to the user. For example, the user input unit 1360 may include a keyboard, a dome switch, a touch pad (using methods such as contact capacitance, pressure-resistant film, infrared sensing, surface ultrasonic conduction, overall tension measurement, and piezoelectric effect), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc., but is not limited to these. Furthermore, although in Figure 13 Not illustrated, but the aerosol generating device 1300 may also include a connection interface, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, and may be connected to other external devices via the connection interface, such as the USB interface, to transmit and receive information or to charge the battery 1340.

[0196] Memory 1370 is a hardware component used to store various types of data processed in aerosol generating apparatus 1300, and can store data processed by processor 1310 and data to be processed. Memory 1370 may include at least one of the following storage media types: flash memory, hard disk, multimedia card micro-type memory, card type memory (e.g., Secure Digital (SD) or Extreme Digital (XD) memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic storage, magnetic disk, and optical disk. Memory 1370 can store the operating time of aerosol generating apparatus 1300, maximum number of puffs, current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, data about the user's smoking pattern, etc.

[0197] The communication unit 1380 may include at least one component for communicating with another electronic device. For example, the communication unit 1380 may include a short-range wireless communication unit 1382 and a wireless communication unit 1384.

[0198] The short-range wireless communication unit 1382 may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication unit, a near-field communication unit, a wireless LAN (WLAN) (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) communication unit, a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, etc.

[0199] The wireless communication unit 1384 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)) communication unit. The wireless communication unit 1384 may also identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 1300 in the communication network using user information (e.g., the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).

[0200] Processor 1310 can control the overall operation of aerosol generating apparatus 1300. In embodiments, processor 1310 may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and memory, in which a program executable by the microprocessor is stored. Those skilled in the art will understand that the processor may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

[0201] The processor 1310 can control the temperature of the heater 1350 by controlling the power supply from the battery 1340 to the heater 1350. For example, the processor 1310 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of the switching element between the battery 1340 and the heater 1350. In another example, the direct heating circuit can also control the power supply to the heater 1350 according to the control commands of the processor 1310.

[0202] The processor 1310 can analyze the results sensed by the sensing unit 1320 and control subsequent processes to be executed. For example, the processor 1310 can control the power supplied to the heater 1350 to start or stop the operation of the heater 1350 based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 1320. As another example, the processor 1310 can control the amount of power supplied to the heater 1350 and the duration of power supply based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 1320, so that the heater 1350 can be heated to a certain temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature.

[0203] In one implementation, the processor 1310 can obtain a sensing signal from the sensing unit 1320 corresponding to the capacitance change, and control the power supplied to the heater 1350 based on the sensing signal.

[0204] For example, when the sensing signal from the sensing unit 1320 is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the processor 1310 may supply first power to the heater 1350 to execute a preheating mode. "First power" may refer to the amount of power supplied to the heater to preheat the heater to a predetermined temperature.

[0205] As another example, when a user's suction operation is detected, and the sensing signal from sensing unit 1320 is equal to or greater than a second threshold, processor 1310 may supply second power to heater 1350 to execute a heating mode. "Second power" may refer to the amount of power used to control the temperature of the heater to correspond to a specified temperature curve.

[0206] As another example, when the sensing signal from sensing unit 1320 is equal to or greater than a third threshold, processor 1310 may supply third power to heater 1350 to execute a cleaning mode. "Third power" may refer to the amount of power used to control the temperature of the heater to remove impurities attached to heater 1350.

[0207] The processor 1310 can control the output unit 1330 based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 1320. For example, when the number of suctions counted by the suction sensor 1326 reaches a preset number, the processor 1310 can notify the user that the aerosol generating device 1300 will be terminated through at least one of the display unit 1332, the tactile unit 1334, and the sound output unit 1336.

[0208] One implementation can also be in the form of a computer-readable recording medium, which includes computer-executable instructions, such as computer-executable program modules. The computer-readable recording medium can be any available medium accessible to a computer, and includes volatile and non-volatile media, as well as removable and non-removable media. Furthermore, the computer-readable recording medium can include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes all volatile and non-volatile media, as well as removable and non-removable media, implemented by any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically include computer-readable instructions, data structures, other data in modulated data signals such as program modules, or other transmission mechanisms, and includes any information transmission medium.

[0209] The description of the above embodiments is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and equivalent substitutions can be made therein. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should be defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to that described in the claims will be interpreted as being included within the protection scope defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device, wherein, The aerosol generating device includes: A housing, the housing including a receiving space for receiving an aerosol-generated article; A heater configured to heat the aerosol-generating article inserted into the receiving space to generate an aerosol; A sensor configured to generate a sensing signal corresponding to a change in capacitance of the accommodating space; and The processor is electrically connected to the heater and the sensor. The sensor includes: A printed circuit board, the printed circuit board being configured to surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space; An electrode, the electrode being disposed on a region of the printed circuit board, and the electrode being configured to generate the sensing signal corresponding to a change in capacitance of the accommodating space; and A grounding portion is provided in another region of the printed circuit board located in a direction opposite to the first region. The electrode is electrically connected to the grounding portion to shield against noise. The printed circuit board includes a first surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the accommodating space and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The electrode is disposed on the first surface, and the grounding portion is disposed on the second surface. The sensor further includes a first through hole and a first conductive part. The first through hole passes through the first surface and the second surface, and the first conductive part is disposed in the first through hole and electrically connected to the grounding part.

2. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first conductive portion protrudes from the first surface in a direction toward the accommodating space and is spaced apart from the electrode in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and the first conductive portion is located outside the electrode in the longitudinal direction of the housing.

3. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The printed circuit board includes a flexible printed circuit board.

4. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The grounding part includes a mesh grounding part.

5. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The area of ​​the grounding portion is 5% to 50% of the area of ​​the second surface of the printed circuit board.

6. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The heater includes: A coil configured to generate an alternating magnetic field; and A base heated by the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil to heat the aerosol-generating article inserted into the accommodating space, wherein the sensor is disposed between the accommodating space and the coil.

7. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, When viewed in the longitudinal direction of the housing, the electrode is covered by the first conductive portion.

8. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The first via and the first conductive portion are disposed in a region of the printed circuit board adjacent to the entrance of the accommodating space.

9. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, The first conductive part shields the electrode from noise introduced from outside the aerosol generating device.

10. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, At least a portion of the first conductive portion protrudes from the first surface in a direction toward the accommodating space.

11. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The sensor also includes: A second through-hole, the second through-hole passing through the first surface and the second surface and spaced apart from the first through-hole; and The second conductive part is disposed in the second conductive hole and electrically connected to the grounding part.

12. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein, The second through hole is spaced apart from the first through hole in the longitudinal direction of the housing.

13. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, The second conductive passage is spaced apart from the electrode in the longitudinal direction of the housing and is disposed on the side of the electrode away from the entrance of the accommodating space, so as to shield noise introduced into the electrode from the inside of the housing.

14. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, At least a portion of the second conductive portion protrudes from the first surface toward the accommodating space.

15. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The processor is configured to: detect whether the amplitude of the sensing signal generated by the sensor is greater than or equal to a specified threshold, and when the amplitude of the sensing signal is detected to be greater than or equal to the specified threshold, provide specific power to the heater.

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