Aerosol-generating device

Abstract

An aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment includes: a processor that controls an operation of the aerosol-generating device; the oscillation part is used for receiving the alternating current and generating microwaves in a preset frequency range; a resonance unit including an accommodation space in which an aerosol-generating article is accommodated, the resonance unit heating the aerosol-generating article inserted into the accommodation space by resonating the incident microwaves output from the oscillation unit; and a power monitoring unit that monitors the reflected microwaves reflected by the resonance unit, and the processor determines whether or not the aerosol-generating article is inserted on the basis of the reflected microwaves monitored by the power monitoring unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device for heating an aerosol generating article by dielectric heating. Background Art

[0002] Recently, there is an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing demand for systems that generate aerosol by heating cigarettes (or "aerosol generating articles") using an aerosol generating device rather than burning the cigarette. Summary of the invention

[0003] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0004] Recently, research is actively conducted on methods for automatically starting heating the device upon sensing that an aerosol-generating article is inserted into the aerosol-generating device. In addition, research is also actively conducted on methods for automatically stopping heating the device upon sensing that the aerosol-generating substance contained in the aerosol-generating article is depleted.

[0005] At this time, in order to sense the insertion of the aerosol generating article, the aerosol generating device may be equipped with an additional sensor (for example, a pressure sensor, a film sensor, an optical sensor, or an infrared sensor).

[0006] With the realization of a method for sensing the insertion of an aerosol generating article and starting heating without user input, the convenience of the user in using the aerosol generating device can be increased. However, if the aerosol generating device includes an additional sensor for sensing the insertion of an aerosol generating article or for sensing whether the aerosol generating substance is exhausted, the complexity of the hardware and the manufacturing cost will increase. In addition, if a space for mounting an additional sensor is provided in the aerosol generating device, which is a relatively small electronic device, there may be restrictions on the design changes of the aerosol generating device.

[0007] The technical problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the problems described above, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand unmentioned problems from the present disclosure and the accompanying drawings.

[0008] Means used to solve problems

[0009] According to the embodiment, the aerosol generating device includes: a processor for controlling the operation of the aerosol generating device; an oscillating part for receiving alternating current and generating microwaves within a preset frequency range; a resonating part including a containing space for containing aerosol generating articles, the resonating part heats the aerosol generating articles inserted into the containing space by resonating incident microwaves output from the oscillating part; and a power monitoring part for monitoring reflected microwaves reflected by the resonating part, the processor determines whether the aerosol generating article is inserted based on the reflected microwaves monitored by the power monitoring part.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the aerosol generating device of the present disclosure, since the dielectric material is heated by utilizing microwave resonance, there is an advantage that the power transmission efficiency can be significantly improved.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the aerosol generating device, by monitoring the reflected microwaves of the resonator into which the aerosol generating article is inserted, it is possible to determine whether the aerosol generating article is inserted and whether the aerosol generating material is exhausted (burned out).

[0013] Effects according to the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and unmentioned effects will be clearly understood from the present specification and the accompanying drawings by those of ordinary skill in the art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Internal block diagram of the dielectric heating section.

[0017] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a heater assembly.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a perspective view schematically showing a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0021] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a method for controlling an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] According to one embodiment, an aerosol generating device includes: a processor for controlling the operation of the aerosol generating device; an oscillating portion for receiving alternating current and generating microwaves within a preset frequency range; a resonating portion including a accommodating space for accommodating an aerosol generating article, the resonating portion heats the aerosol generating article inserted into the accommodating space by causing incident microwaves output by the oscillating portion to resonate; and a power monitoring portion for monitoring reflected microwaves reflected by the resonating portion, the processor determining whether the aerosol generating article has been inserted based on the reflected microwaves monitored by the power monitoring portion.

[0023] When the reflected microwave is less than a first critical value, the processor determines that the aerosol generating article has been inserted.

[0024] When the phase difference between the incident microwave and the reflected microwave is greater than a second critical value, the processor determines that the aerosol generating article has been inserted.

[0025] The processor is controlled to supply a first power to the oscillating part to determine whether the aerosol generating article is inserted. If it is determined that the aerosol generating article has been inserted, the processor is controlled to supply a second power different in magnitude from the first power to the oscillating part to heat the aerosol generating article.

[0026] The first power is less than the second power.

[0027] The processor monitors the amplitude ratio of the reflected microwave to the incident microwave, and when the ratio of the amplitude ratio at the heating start time point to the current amplitude ratio is less than a third critical value, the processor controls to supply the first power.

[0028] The processor sweeps the output frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillation part within a preset reference frequency band, and calculates the resonant frequency when the size of the reflected microwave is minimized. When the difference between the resonant frequency and the resonant frequency at the start time of heating is greater than a fourth critical value, the processor controls to supply the first power.

[0029] The aerosol generating device further includes an output unit configured to output information related to a state of the aerosol generating device, and the control unit controls the output unit to provide the information to the user by at least any one of visual, tactile, and auditory means.

[0030] The processor sweeps the output frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillation portion within the reference frequency band range between 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz.

[0031] The resonator includes a first inner conductor formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and surrounding a first region; a second inner conductor formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and surrounding a second region different from the first region, the second inner conductor being arranged at a predetermined distance from the first inner conductor, and the microwave is resonated through the first inner conductor and the second inner conductor.

[0032] The resonating portion includes a first plate surrounding a third region and a second plate spaced apart from the first plate in a circumferential direction of the third region and surrounding a fourth region different from the third region, and the microwaves are resonated through the first plate and the second plate.

[0033] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Regardless of the figure numbers, the same or similar components are given the same figure numbers, and repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0034] The suffixes "module" and "unit" of the constituent elements used in the following description are only given or used interchangeably in consideration of the convenience of completing the description, and they themselves do not have different meanings or functions from each other.

[0035] In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that the specific description of the related known technology makes the subject matter of the embodiments disclosed in this specification unclear, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the drawings, and it should be understood that all changes, equivalents and substitutes within the ideas and technical scope of this disclosure are included.

[0036] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited to the terms. The terms are only used to distinguish one component from other components.

[0037] When a certain component is “connected” or “joined” to another component, it should be understood that it can be directly connected or joined to the other component, and other components may exist between the two. On the contrary, when a certain component is “directly connected” or “directly joined” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components between the two.

[0038] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, an expression in the singular includes an expression in the plural form.

[0039] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0040] Reference Figure 1 According to an embodiment, an aerosol generating device 100 may include: a housing 110 capable of accommodating an aerosol generating article 10 ; and a heater assembly 200 for heating the aerosol generating article 10 accommodated in the housing 110 .

[0041] The housing 110 may form the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 100, and the components of the aerosol generating device 100 may be arranged in the internal space (or "installation space") of the housing 110. For example, the internal space of the housing 110 may be equipped with a heater assembly 200, a battery, a processor and / or a sensor, but the components arranged in the internal space are not limited thereto.

[0042] An insertion hole 110h may be formed in a region of the housing 110, and at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 may be inserted into the interior of the housing 110 through the insertion hole 110h. For example, the insertion hole 110h may be formed in a region of the upper end surface (e.g., the surface facing the z direction) of the housing 110, but the formation position of the insertion hole 110h is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the insertion hole 110h may also be formed in a region of the side surface (e.g., the surface facing the x direction) of the housing 110.

[0043] The heater assembly 200 may be disposed in the inner space of the housing 110 and heat the aerosol generating article 10 inserted through the insertion hole 110h or accommodated inside the housing 110. For example, the heater assembly 200 may be configured to surround at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted or accommodated inside the housing 110 to heat the aerosol generating article 10.

[0044] According to one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by dielectric heating. The "dielectric heating method" in the present disclosure refers to a method of heating a dielectric as a heat receiving body by using microwaves and / or the resonance of the electric field (or magnetic field) of microwaves. Microwaves, as an energy source for heating the heat receiving body, are generated by high-frequency power, and therefore, microwaves and microwave power can be used interchangeably hereinafter.

[0045] Inside the heater assembly 200, the charges or ions of the dielectric included in the aerosol generating article 10 may vibrate or rotate due to microwave resonance, and the heat generated in the dielectric due to the frictional heat generated by the charges or ions during the vibration or rotation process may heat the aerosol generating article 10.

[0046] As the aerosol-generating article 10 is heated by the heater assembly 200, an aerosol may be generated from the aerosol-generating article 10. In the present disclosure, "aerosol" may refer to gas particles generated by mixing air and steam generated when the aerosol-generating article 10 is heated.

[0047] The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10 may be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100 through the aerosol generating article 10 or through an empty space between the aerosol generating article 10 and the insertion hole 110h. The user contacts an area of ​​the aerosol generating article 10 exposed to the outside of the housing 110 with the oral cavity, and may smoke by inhaling the aerosol discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0048] According to an embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include: a cover 111, which is movably configured on the housing 110 to open or close the insertion hole 110h. For example, the cover 111 may be slidably coupled to the upper end surface of the housing 110, so that the insertion hole 110h is exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100, or the insertion hole 110h is covered so that the insertion hole 110h cannot be exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0049] In one example, the cover 111 may expose the insertion hole 110h to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100 in the first position (or "open position"). If the aerosol generating device 100 is exposed to the outside, the aerosol generating article 10 may be inserted into the housing 110 through the insertion hole 110h.

[0050] In another example, the cover 111 may cover the insertion hole 110h at the second position (or "closed position") so that the insertion hole 110h cannot be exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100. At this time, when the aerosol generating device 100 is not in use, the cover 111 may prevent external foreign matter from flowing into the interior of the heater assembly 200 through the insertion hole 110h.

[0051] Figure 1 2 and 3 , only the aerosol generating device 100 for heating the aerosol generating article 10 in a solid state is shown, but the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0052] The aerosol generating device according to another embodiment may also generate aerosol by heating the aerosol generating substance in a liquid or gel state of the aerosol generating article 10 in a non-solid state through the heater assembly 200 .

[0053] According to another embodiment, the aerosol generating device includes a heater assembly 200 for heating the aerosol generating article 10 and an aerosol generating substance in a liquid or gel state, and may also include a cartridge (or "vaporizer") for heating the aerosol generating substance. The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating substance may move to the aerosol generating article 10 through an airflow channel connecting the cartridge and the aerosol generating article 10, and after mixing with the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating article 10, pass through the aerosol generating article 10 and pass to the user.

[0054] Figure 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0055] Reference Figure 2 The aerosol generating device 100 may include an input unit 102, an output unit 103, a sensor unit 104, a communication unit 105, a memory 106, a battery 107, an interface unit 108, a power conversion unit 109, and a dielectric heating unit 200. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to Figure 2 According to the design of the aerosol generating device 100, the Figure 2 Part of the shown composition, or further adding new composition.

[0056] The input unit 102 may receive user input. For example, the input unit 102 may be configured as a single pressure-type button. As another example, the input unit 102 may be a touch panel including at least one touch sensor. The input unit 102 may transmit an input signal to the processor 101. The processor 101 may supply power to the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the user input, or may output a user notification by controlling the output unit 103.

[0057] The output unit 103 may output information about the state of the aerosol generating device 100. The output unit 103 may output the charge / discharge state of the battery 107, the heating state of the dielectric heating unit 200, the insertion state of the aerosol generating article 10, and error information of the aerosol generating device 100. To this end, the output unit 103 may include a display, a haptic motor, and an audio output unit.

[0058] The sensor unit 104 can sense the state of the aerosol generating device 100 or the surrounding state of the aerosol generating device 100 and send the sensed information to the processor 101. The processor 101 can control the aerosol generating device 100 based on the sensed information to perform various functions such as heating control of the dielectric heating unit 200, smoking restriction, insertion judgment of the aerosol generating article 10, notification display, etc.

[0059] The sensor part 104 may include a temperature sensor, a suction sensor, and an insertion sensing sensor.

[0060] The temperature sensor may sense the temperature inside the dielectric heating portion 200 in a non-contact manner, or may directly acquire the temperature of the resonator by contacting the dielectric heating portion 200. According to an embodiment, the temperature sensor may also sense the temperature of the aerosol generating article 10. In addition, the temperature sensor may be arranged adjacent to the battery 107 to acquire the temperature of the battery 107. The processor 101 may control the power supply to the dielectric heating portion 200 based on the temperature information of the temperature sensor.

[0061] The suction sensor can sense the user's suction. The suction sensor can sense the user's suction based on at least one change in temperature change, flow change, power change, and pressure change. The processor 101 can control the power supply to the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the suction information of the suction sensor. For example, the processor 101 counts the number of puffs, and when the number of puffs reaches a preset maximum number of puffs, the power supply to the dielectric heating unit 200 can be blocked. As another example, when no puff is sensed to last for more than a preset time, the processor 101 can block the power supply to the dielectric heating unit 200.

[0062] The insertion sensing sensor can be arranged in the receiving space ( Figure 4 The insertion sensing sensor may be configured inside the insertion hole 110h or adjacent to the accommodation space 220h to be able to sense the insertion and removal of the aerosol generating article 10 accommodated in the insertion hole 110h. For example, the insertion sensing sensor may include an inductive sensor and / or a capacitive sensor. When the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the insertion hole 110h, the processor 101 may supply power to the dielectric heating portion 200.

[0063] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 may be configured to omit the insertion sensing sensor. The aerosol generating device 100 may determine whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted based on the incident wave and / or reflected wave of the microwave used in the dielectric heating portion 200 .

[0064] According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 104 may further include a reuse sensing sensor, a motion sensing sensor, a humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, a cover removal sensing sensor, a position sensor (GPS), and a proximity sensor, etc. The functions of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from their names, so a specific description will be omitted.

[0065] The communication unit 105 may include at least one communication module for communicating with an external electronic device. The processor 101 may send information of the aerosol generating device 100 to the external electronic device by controlling the communication unit 105. Alternatively, the processor 101 may receive information from the external electronic device through the communication unit 105 to control the components included in the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the transmission information between the communication unit 105 and the external electronic device may include user authentication information, firmware update information, user smoking pattern information, etc.

[0066] The memory 106 is hardware for storing various data processed in the aerosol generating device 100, and can store data processed in the processor 101 and data to be processed. For example, the memory 106 can store data such as the working time of the aerosol generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature distribution, and the smoking pattern of the user.

[0067] The battery 107 can supply power to the dielectric heating unit 200 to heat the aerosol generating article 10. In addition, the battery 107 can supply power required for the operation of other components provided in the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 107 can be a rechargeable battery or a detachable battery.

[0068] The interface unit 108 may include a connection terminal that can be physically connected to an external electronic device. The connection terminal may include at least one of an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector), or a combination thereof. The interface unit 108 may send / receive information or charge with an external electronic device through the connection terminal.

[0069] The power conversion section 109 may convert the DC power received from the battery 107 into AC power. In addition, the power conversion section 109 may provide the converted AC power to the dielectric heating section 200. The power conversion section 109 may be an inverter including at least one switching element, and the processor 101 may convert the DC power into AC power by controlling the ON / OFF of the switching element included in the power conversion section 109. The power conversion section 109 may be configured as a full-bridge or a half-bridge.

[0070] The dielectric heating unit 200 can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by dielectric heating. Figure 1 The heater assembly 200 has a corresponding structure.

[0071] The dielectric heating unit 200 can heat the aerosol generating article 10 using microwaves and / or microwave electric fields (hereinafter referred to as microwaves or microwave power if no distinction is necessary). The dielectric heating unit 200 can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by generating microwaves in a resonant structure, rather than by radiating microwaves using an antenna. The resonant structure will refer to Figure 4 This will be described later.

[0072] The dielectric heating unit 200 can output high-frequency microwaves to the resonance unit ( Figure 3 The microwave may be a power of an industrial, scientific and medical equipment (ISM) frequency band that is allowed to be used for heating, but is not limited thereto. The resonating portion 220 may be designed by considering the wavelength of the microwave so that the microwave can resonate in the resonating portion 220.

[0073] The aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the resonance part 220, and the dielectric in the aerosol generating article 10 can be heated by the resonance part 220. For example, the aerosol generating article 10 may include a polar material, and the molecules in the polar material may be polarized inside the resonance part 220. The molecules may vibrate or rotate by the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be heated by friction heat or the like generated in the process. Figure 3 , the dielectric heating unit 200 is described in more detail.

[0074] The processor 101 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100. The processor 101 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 programs executable by the microprocessor. In addition, it can also be implemented by other forms of hardware.

[0075] The processor 101 can control the direct current supplied by the battery 107 to the power conversion unit 109 and / or the alternating current supplied by the power conversion unit 109 to the dielectric heating unit 200 according to the required power of the dielectric heating unit 200. In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 may include a converter that steps up or steps down the direct current, and the processor 101 can adjust the magnitude of the direct current by controlling the converter. In addition, the processor 101 can control the alternating current supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 by adjusting the switching frequency and duty cycle of the switching element included in the power conversion unit 109.

[0076] The processor 10 can control the heating temperature of the aerosol generating article 10 by controlling the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit 200 and the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200. Figure 3 The oscillating unit 210 , the isolating unit 240 , the power monitoring unit 250 and the matching unit 260 may also be part of the processor 101 .

[0077] The processor 101 may control the microwave power of the dielectric heating part 200 based on the temperature distribution information stored in the memory 106. In other words, the temperature distribution includes information of the target temperature of the dielectric heating part 200 according to time, and the processor 101 may control the microwave power of the dielectric heating part 200 according to time.

[0078] The processor 101 can adjust the frequency of the microwave so that it is consistent with the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200. The processor 101 can track the change of the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200 according to the heating of the heated object in real time, and can control the dielectric heating unit 200 to output the microwave frequency according to the changed resonant frequency. In other words, the processor 101 can change the microwave frequency in real time regardless of the temperature distribution stored in advance.

[0079] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Internal block diagram of the dielectric heating section.

[0080] Reference Figure 3 The dielectric heating unit 200 may include an oscillating unit 210, an isolating unit 240, a power monitoring unit 250, a matching unit 260, a microwave output unit 230, and a resonating unit 220. However, the internal structure of the dielectric heating unit 200 is not limited to Figure 3 According to the design of the dielectric heating unit 200, the Figure 3 Part of the shown composition, or further adding new composition.

[0081] The oscillating part 210 may receive alternating current from the power converting part 109 to generate high frequency microwave power. According to an embodiment, the power converting part 109 may be a configuration included in the oscillating part 210. The microwave power may be selected from 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and 5.8 GHz frequency bands included in the ISM frequency band.

[0082] The oscillating part 210 includes a solid-state RF generating device, and microwave power can be generated by the device. The solid-state RF generating device can be implemented by a semiconductor. If the oscillating part 210 is implemented by a semiconductor, there is an advantage that the dielectric heating part 200 can be miniaturized and the device life is increased.

[0083] The oscillating part 210 can output microwave power to the resonating part 220. The oscillating part 210 includes a power amplifier (power amp) that increases or decreases the microwave power, and the power amplifier can adjust the size of the microwave power under the control of the processor 101. For example, the power amplifier can reduce or increase the amplitude of the microwave. As the amplitude of the microwave is adjusted, the microwave power can also be adjusted.

[0084] The processor 101 can adjust the size of the microwave power output by the oscillating part 210 based on the working mode of the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the aerosol generating device 100 can work in a standby mode and a heating mode. The standby mode refers to a state in which the power of the aerosol generating device 100 is turned on, but the heater assembly 200 or the dielectric heating part 200 does not perform a heating action. The heating mode is a step in which the heater assembly 200 or the dielectric heating part 200 performs a heating action, which can be divided into a preheating interval and a smoking interval. The oscillating part 210 can supply microwave power at a first power in the standby mode, and can supply microwave power at a second power greater than the first power in the heating interval. The processor 101 can determine whether the aerosol generating article is inserted in the standby mode, and when it is determined that the aerosol generating article has been inserted, the aerosol generating device 100 can be controlled to work in the heating mode. In addition, the processor 101 monitors the exhaustion of the aerosol generating material contained in the aerosol generating article in the heating mode. If the aerosol generating material does not reach a critical value, it is determined that the aerosol generating material is exhausted, thereby terminating the heating mode operation.

[0085] The processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating portion 210 based on the temperature profile stored in advance. For example, the temperature profile includes target temperature information according to the preheating interval and the smoking interval, and the oscillating portion 210 may supply microwave power at a 2-1st power in the preheating interval, and may supply microwave power at a 2-2nd power smaller than the 2-1st power in the smoking interval.

[0086] The isolation part 240 can block the microwave power input from the resonance part 220 to the oscillation part 210. A part of the microwave power output from the oscillation part 210 can be reflected by the heated body and re-transmitted in the direction of the oscillation part 210. When the microwave power reflected from the resonance part 220 is input to the oscillation part 210, not only will the oscillation part 210 fail, but also the desired output performance cannot be exerted. The isolation part 240 does not return the microwave power reflected from the resonance part 220 to the oscillation part 210, but guides it in a predetermined direction and absorbs it. To this end, the isolation part 240 may include a circulator and a dummy load.

[0087] The power monitoring unit 250 can monitor the reflected microwave power reflected by the resonance unit 220. In addition, the power monitoring unit 250 can monitor the input microwave power output from the oscillation unit 210 and input (incident) to the resonance unit 220. The power monitoring unit 250 can send information on the microwave power and the reflected microwave power to the matching unit 260.

[0088] The reflection characteristics of microwaves in the resonance section 220 may be different depending on the dielectric constant in the resonance section 220. Dielectric constant (Permittivity) refers to an important characteristic value that represents the electrical properties of a dielectric (Dielectric Material), that is, an insulator (non-conductor). The dielectric constant does not represent the electrical properties of a direct current, but has a direct relationship with the properties of an alternating current, especially an alternating electromagnetic wave. Specifically, the size of the reflected microwave reflected in the resonance section 220 may be different according to the multiple dielectric constants in the resonance section 220. In the resonance section 220, the microwave absorbance can be expressed as a loss tangent, which is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex dielectric constant. In addition, the phase of the reflected microwave reflected in the resonance section 220 may be different depending on the dielectric constant in the resonance section 220. When an aerosol-generating article containing a dielectric substance is inserted into the storage space of the resonance section 220, the dielectric constant of the resonance section 220 will become different. Therefore, by analyzing the reflected microwaves reflected by the resonance portion 220 , it is possible to determine whether the aerosol-generating article has been inserted into the storage space of the resonance portion 220 .

[0089] The matching part 260 may match the impedance from the oscillation part 210 to the resonance part 220 with the impedance from the resonance part 220 to the oscillation part 210 to minimize the reflected microwave power. Impedance matching may have the same meaning as "making the frequency of the oscillation part 210 consistent with the resonant frequency of the resonance part 220". Therefore, the matching part 260 may change the frequency of the oscillation part 210 in order to match the impedance. In other words, the matching part 260 may adjust the frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillation part 210 to minimize the reflected microwave power. The impedance matching of the matching part 260 may be performed in real time regardless of the temperature distribution.

[0090] In addition, the oscillating unit 210, the isolating unit 240, the power monitoring unit 250 and the matching unit 260 described above can be implemented as a microwave source in the form of a chip as separate components distinguished from the microwave output unit 230 and the resonating unit 220 described later. In addition, according to an embodiment, the oscillating unit 210, the isolating unit 240, the power monitoring unit 250 and the matching unit 260 described above can also be implemented as a partial component of the processor 101.

[0091] The microwave output unit 230 is used to input microwave power to the resonance unit 220, and may be Figure 3 The microwave output unit 230 may be implemented in the form of SMA, SMB, MCX, or MMCX connectors. The microwave output unit 230 transmits the microwave power generated in the microwave source to the resonator 220 by connecting the microwave source in the form of a chip to the resonator 220.

[0092] The resonant part 220 can heat the heated object by forming microwaves in the resonant structure. The resonant part 220 includes a storage space for accommodating the aerosol generating article 10, and the aerosol generating article 10 can be exposed to microwaves for dielectric heating. For example, the aerosol generating article 10 can include a polar material, and the molecules in the polar material can be polarized by microwaves inside the resonant part 220. The molecules can vibrate or rotate through the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol generating article 10 can be heated by friction heat or the like generated in the process.

[0093] The resonance part 220 includes at least one internal conductor to enable microwaves to be resonated, and the microwaves may be resonated inside the resonance part 220 according to the configuration, thickness, length, etc. of the internal conductor.

[0094] The resonator 220 can be designed by considering the wavelength of the microwave so that the microwave can be resonated in the resonator 220. In order for the microwave to be resonated inside the resonator 220, an end (short end) with a closed end face and an open end (open end) with at least one region of the end face open in the opposite direction of the closed end are required. In addition, the length between the closed end and the open end should be set to an integer multiple of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength. The resonator 220 of the present disclosure selects a length of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength to achieve miniaturization of the device. In other words, the length between the closed end and the open end of the resonator 220 can be set to a wavelength length of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength.

[0095] The resonating part 220 may include a dielectric storage space. The dielectric storage space is a structure different from the storage space of the aerosol generating article 10, in which a material that can change the overall resonant frequency of the resonating part 220 and miniaturize the resonating part 220 is configured. In one embodiment, the dielectric storage space can accommodate a dielectric (dielectric material) with low microwave absorptivity. This is to prevent the energy that should be transferred to the heated body from being transferred to the dielectric and causing the dielectric itself to heat up. Microwave absorptivity can be expressed as a loss tangent, which is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex dielectric constant. In one embodiment, a dielectric having a loss tangent below a preset size can be accommodated in the dielectric storage space 227, and the preset size can be 1 / 100. For example, the dielectric can be at least any one of quartz, polytetrafluoroethylene and alumina or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment.

[0096] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment.

[0097] Reference Figure 4 The heater assembly 200 according to an embodiment may include an oscillation part 210 and a resonance part 220 . Figure 4 It may be an embodiment of the heater assembly 200 and the dielectric heating unit 200 described above, and repeated descriptions will be omitted below.

[0098] The oscillating part 210 can generate microwaves of a specified frequency band by receiving power. The microwaves generated by the oscillating part 210 can be transmitted to the resonating part 220 through a coupler (not shown). In one embodiment, the oscillating part 210 is supported by a bracket 220b protruding from a region of the resonating part 220 along the x-direction, so that it can be fixed on the resonating part 220.

[0099] The resonance part 220 may include a storage space 220h for storing at least one area of ​​the aerosol generating article 10, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be heated by dielectric heating by resonating the microwaves generated in the oscillation part 210. For example, the electric charge of glycerin included in the aerosol generating article 10 may be vibrated or rotated by the resonance of the microwaves, and heat may be generated in the glycerin by frictional heat generated when the electric charge is vibrated or rotated, thereby heating the aerosol generating article 10.

[0100] According to an embodiment, the resonating part 220 may be made of a material having a low microwave absorptivity to prevent the microwaves generated in the oscillating part 210 from being absorbed by the resonating part 220 .

[0101] Below, refer to Figure 5 , the specific structure of the resonance part 220 of the heater assembly 200 is described.

[0102] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a heater assembly. Figure 5 It is shown along Figure 4 The heater assembly 200 is cut along a direction AA′.

[0103] Reference Figure 5 According to an embodiment, the heater assembly 200 may include an oscillating portion 210, a resonating portion 220, and a coupler 230. The components of the heater assembly 200 may be Figure 4 At least one of the constituent elements of the heater assembly 200 is the same or similar, and repeated description will be omitted below.

[0104] With the application of the AC voltage, the oscillation part 210 may generate microwaves in a specified frequency band, and the microwaves generated in the oscillation part 210 may be transferred to the resonance part 220 through the coupler 230 .

[0105] According to one embodiment, the oscillating part 210 may be fixed to the resonating part 220 to prevent the oscillating part 210 from being separated from the resonating part 220 during use of the aerosol generating device. In one embodiment, the oscillating part 210 is supported by a bracket 220b protruding from one region of the resonating part 220 along the x-direction, so that the oscillating part 210 may be fixed to the resonating part 220. In another embodiment, the oscillating part 210 may be fixed to the resonating part 220 by being attached to one region of the resonating part 220 without the bracket 220b.

[0106] In the drawings, although only an embodiment is shown in which the oscillating part 210 is fixed to one region of the resonating part 220 in the x direction, the position of the oscillating part 210 is not limited to the embodiment shown. As another embodiment, the oscillating part 210 may also be fixed to another region of the resonating part 220 in the -z direction.

[0107] The resonating portion 220 may be configured to surround at least one region of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the aerosol generating device, and may heat the aerosol generating article 10 by the microwaves generated in the oscillating portion 210. For example, a dielectric material contained in the aerosol generating article 10 may generate heat by an electric field generated by the microwaves inside the resonating portion 220, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be heated by the heat generated in the dielectric material.

[0108] According to an embodiment, the aerosol generating article 10 may include a tobacco rod 11 and a filter rod 12 .

[0109] The tobacco rod 11 includes an aerosol-generating substance, which may be made of a sheet or strand material, or may be made of shredded tobacco obtained by cutting tobacco sheets into fine pieces. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may include at least one of glycerol, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the tobacco rod 11 may contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. In addition, a flavoring liquid such as menthol or a humectant may be added to the tobacco rod 11 by spraying it onto the tobacco rod 11.

[0110] The filter rod 12 may be a cellulose acetate filter. In addition, the shape of the filter rod 12 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 12 may be a cylindrical type rod, or a tubular type rod having a hollow interior. In addition, the filter rod 12 may also be an embedded type rod. If the filter rod 12 is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be made into a different shape.

[0111] At least a portion of the aerosol generating substance (eg, glycerin) contained in the aerosol generating article 10 may be a dielectric having polarity in an electric field. Such at least a portion of the aerosol generating substance may generate heat by dielectric heating, thereby heating the aerosol generating article 10 .

[0112] According to an embodiment, the resonance part 220 may include an outer conductor 221 , a first inner conductor 223 , and a second inner conductor 225 .

[0113] The outer conductor 221 may form the overall appearance of the resonance part 220, and the inside thereof may be formed into a hollow shape, so that the components of the resonance part 220 may be arranged inside the outer conductor 221. The outer conductor 221 may include a storage space 220h capable of storing the aerosol generating article 10, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be inserted into the inner part of the outer conductor 221 through the storage space 220h.

[0114] According to an embodiment, the outer conductor 221 may include: a first surface 221a; a second surface 221b, which is arranged to face the first surface 221a; and a side surface 221c, which surrounds the empty space between the first surface 221a and the second surface 221b. At least a portion of the components of the resonance part 220 (for example, the first inner conductor 223, the second inner conductor 225) may be arranged in the internal space of the resonance part 220 formed by the first surface 221a, the second surface 221b and the side surface 221c.

[0115] The first inner conductor 223 may be formed in a hollow cylinder shape extending from the first surface 221 a of the outer conductor 221 toward the inner space of the outer conductor 221 .

[0116] According to one embodiment, a region of the first inner conductor 223 may be in contact with the coupler 230 connected to the oscillating part 210, and the microwaves generated in the oscillating part 210 may be transferred to the first inner conductor 223 via the coupler 230. For example, the coupler 230 may be configured to pass through the outer conductor 221, and one end of the coupler 230 may be in contact with the oscillating part 210, and the other end may be in contact with a region of the first inner conductor 223, and the microwaves generated in the oscillating part 210 may be transferred to the first inner conductor 223 via the coupler 230.

[0117] At this time, in order to transmit microwaves, the coupler 230 can be configured not to contact the outer conductor 221 but to pass through the outer conductor 221. However, as long as the microwaves generated in the oscillation part 210 can be transmitted to the first inner conductor 223, the configuration structure of the coupler 230 is not limited thereto.

[0118] The first region formed between the outer conductor 221 and the first inner conductor 223 can operate as a "first resonator" that generates an electric field by resonance of microwaves. The first region can be referred to as a space formed by the first surface 221a, the side surface 221c and the first inner conductor 223 of the outer conductor 221, and microwaves transmitted via the coupler 230 are resonated inside the first region to generate an electric field.

[0119] The second inner conductor 225 may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending from the second surface 221b of the outer conductor 221 toward the inner space of the outer conductor 221. The second inner conductor 225 may be arranged in the inner space of the outer conductor 221 at a predetermined distance from the first inner conductor 223, and a gap 226 may be formed between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225.

[0120] The second region formed between the outer conductor 221 and the second inner conductor 225 can operate as a "second resonator" that generates an electric field through the resonance of microwaves. The second inner conductor 225 can be coupled with the first inner conductor 223 (e.g., capacitive coupling). According to the above-mentioned coupling relationship, when an electric field is generated inside the first region, an induced electric field can also be generated inside the second region. In the present disclosure, "capacitive coupling" can refer to a coupling relationship in which energy can be transferred through the electrostatic capacity (capacitance) between two conductors.

[0121] For example, as the microwave generated from the oscillation unit 210 is transmitted to the first inner conductor 223, an electric field can be generated by resonance inside the first region, and an induced electric field can be generated inside the second region formed by the outer conductor 221 and the second inner conductor 225 coupled to the first inner conductor 223.

[0122] According to an embodiment, the first region and the second region of the resonance unit 220 can operate as a resonator having a length of 1 / 4 wavelength (λ) of the microwave.

[0123] In one example, as the end face of the first region is closed by the first face 221a of the outer conductor 221, one end of the first region (for example, the end in the -z direction) can be formed as a closed end (short end), and as the end face of the first region is opened due to the absence of the first face 221a, the other end of the first region (for example, the end in the z direction) can be formed as an open end. In another example, as the end face is opened, one end of the second region (for example, the end in the -z direction) can be formed as an open end, and as the end face of the second region is closed by the second face 221b of the outer conductor 221, the other end of the second region (for example, the end in the z direction) can be formed as a closed end.

[0124] That is, when observed in the xz plane, the first region and the second region can include a closed end and an open end and are integrally formed in a "匚" shape. With the above structure, the first region and the second region can operate as a resonator having a length of 1 / 4 wavelength of the microwave.

[0125] According to an embodiment, the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 can be formed to have the same length with respect to the z-axis, whereby the first region and the second region are configured to be symmetric with each other, but it is not limited thereto.

[0126] The aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the inner space of the outer conductor 221 via the accommodation space 220h is surrounded by the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225, and thus can be heated by dielectric heating.

[0127] In the first region and / or the second region, at least a part of the electric field generated by the resonance of the microwave can propagate into the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 through the gap 226 between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225, and the aerosol generating article 10 surrounded by the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 can be heated by the propagated electric field. For example, the dielectric contained in the aerosol generating article 10 can generate heat through the electric field propagated through the gap 226, and the aerosol generating article 10 can be heated by the heat generated by the dielectric.

[0128] According to the heater assembly 200 of an embodiment, by making the diameters of the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 smaller than a specified value, it is possible to prevent the electric field propagating inside the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 200 or the resonance part 220. In the present disclosure, the "specified value" may refer to a diameter value when the electric field begins to leak outside the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225. For example, when the diameter of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 is greater than the specified value, a part of the electric field flowing into the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 may leak to the outside of the resonance part 220. On the contrary, according to the heater assembly 200 of an embodiment, the electric field can be prevented from propagating to the outside of the resonance part 220 by a structure in which the diameters of the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 are smaller than the specified value, and as a result, the electric field can be prevented from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 200 or the resonance part 220 without an additional shielding member.

[0129] According to one embodiment, when the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the resonance part 220 through the accommodation space 220h, the tobacco rod 11 of the aerosol generating article 10 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the gap 226 between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 .

[0130] As the electric field generated in the first region and the electric field generated in the second region flow into the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 via the gap 226, the strongest electric field can be generated in the peripheral area of ​​the gap 226 in the inner area of ​​the resonance part 220. In the heater assembly 200 according to an embodiment, the heating efficiency (or "dielectric heating effect") of the heater assembly 200 can be improved by configuring the tobacco rod 11 containing a dielectric that generates heat through an electric field at a position corresponding to the gap 226 having the strongest electric field.

[0131] According to an embodiment, the resonating part 220 may further include a shielding part 224, which is located inside the first inner conductor 223 and limits the flow direction of the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10 by shielding the end surface of the first inner conductor 223. For example, the shielding part 224 may block the flow of the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10 in the -z direction by shielding the end surface of the first inner conductor 223.

[0132] When the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10 or the droplets generated by the liquefaction of the aerosol flows in the -z direction and flows into the aerosol generating device (for example: Figure 1In contrast, according to the heater assembly 200 of one embodiment, the shielding portion 224 limits the flow direction of the aerosol, thereby preventing the components of the aerosol generating device from malfunctioning or being damaged due to aerosol or droplets.

[0133] According to an embodiment, the resonator 220 may further include a dielectric containing space 227 for containing a dielectric. The dielectric containing space 227 may refer to an empty space between the outer conductor 221 and the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225, and a dielectric with low microwave absorption may be contained in the dielectric containing space 227. For example, the dielectric may be at least any one of quartz, polytetrafluoroethylene, and alumina, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0134] According to the heater assembly 200 of one embodiment, by disposing a dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 227, it is possible to generate the same electric field as the resonating portion 220 without the dielectric while reducing the overall size of the resonating portion 220. That is, according to the heater assembly 200 of one embodiment, the size of the resonating portion 220 can be reduced by disposing a dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 227, so that the installation space of the resonating portion 220 in the aerosol generating device can be reduced, and as a result, the aerosol generating device can be miniaturized.

[0135] Figure 6 This is a perspective view schematically showing a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0136] according to Figure 6 The heater assembly 300 of the illustrated embodiment may include a resonance portion 320 generating microwave resonance and a coupler 311 supplying microwaves to the resonance portion 320 .

[0137] The resonating part 320 may include: a housing 321 ; a plurality of plates 323 a , 323 b ; and a connecting part 322 connecting the plurality of plates 323 a , 323 b and the housing 321 .

[0138] The coupler 311 may supply microwaves to at least one of the plurality of plates 323 a , 323 b to generate microwave resonance in the resonance portion 320 .

[0139] The resonating portion 320 may surround at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the aerosol generating device. The coupler 311 may supply microwaves generated in the oscillating portion (not shown) to the resonating portion 320. When microwaves are supplied to the resonating portion 320, microwave resonance is generated in the resonating portion 320, so that the resonating portion 320 may heat the aerosol generating article 10. For example, a dielectric included in the aerosol generating article 10 may generate heat due to an electric field generated inside the resonating portion 220 by the microwaves, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be heated due to the heat generated in the dielectric.

[0140] The housing 321 of the resonance part 320 functions as an “external conductor.” Since the housing 321 is formed to have a hollow shape with an empty interior, the components of the resonance part 320 can be arranged inside the housing 321 .

[0141] The housing 321 may include: a storage space 320h that can store the aerosol generating article 10; and an opening 321a for inserting the aerosol generating article 10. The opening 321a is connected to the storage space 320h. Since the opening 321a is open to the outside of the housing 321, the storage space 320h is connected to the outside through the opening 321a. Therefore, the aerosol generating article 10 can be inserted into the storage space 320h of the housing 321 through the opening 321a of the housing 321.

[0142] Although the housing 321 shown in the drawings has a square cross-sectional shape, the shape of the housing 321 can be deformed into various shapes. For example, the housing 321 can be deformed into various cross-sectional shapes such as a rectangle, an ellipse or a circle. The housing 321 can extend longer in one direction.

[0143] A plurality of plates 323 a and 323 b that can function as “inner conductors” of the resonance unit 320 may be disposed inside the housing 321 .

[0144] The plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the aerosol generating article 10 accommodated in the accommodation space 320h. The plurality of plates 323a, 323b may include: a first plate 323a arranged to surround an area of ​​the aerosol generating article 10; and a second plate 323b arranged to surround another area of ​​the aerosol generating article 10.

[0145] The plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be connected to the housing 321 through the connection portion 322. In addition, one end of the first plate 323a and one end of the second plate 323b among the plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be connected to each other through the connection portion 322. Therefore, an end portion closed by the connection portion 322 may be formed at one end of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

[0146] The other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b are separated from each other so as to be open. Since the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b are separated from each other, an open end can be formed at the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b.

[0147] The resonator assembly may be formed by connecting the plurality of plates 323a, 323b to each other through the connection portion 322. The shape of a cross section cut along the length direction of the resonator assembly may include a "horseshoe-shape".

[0148] The plurality of plates 323a, 323b extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 10. At least a portion of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be bent so as to protrude outward from the center of the aerosol-generating article 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0149] For example, when the aerosol generating article 10 is manufactured into a cylindrical shape, the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be formed to be curved in the circumferential direction along the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol generating article 10. The radius of curvature of the cross section of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be the same as the radius of curvature of the aerosol generating article 10. The radius of curvature of the cross section of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be variously deformed. For example, the radius of curvature of the cross section of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be greater than or less than the radius of curvature of the aerosol generating article 10.

[0150] According to the structure in which the plurality of plates 323 a and 323 b are bent in the circumferential direction along the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol-generating article 10 , a more uniform electric field can be formed in the resonance portion 320 , and thus the heater assembly 300 can uniformly heat the aerosol-generating article 10 .

[0151] The open ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be disposed toward the opening 321a of the housing 321. The opening 321a of the housing 321 may be disposed spaced apart from the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b in a direction away from the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b.

[0152] The opened ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be aligned with the opening 321a of the housing 321. Therefore, when the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted through the opening 321a of the housing 321 to be located in the accommodation space 320h, a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 located in the accommodation space 320h may be surrounded by the plurality of plates 323a, 323b.

[0153] Two of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be arranged at opposite positions relative to the lengthwise center of the aerosol generating article 10. The embodiment is not limited by the number of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b, for example, the number of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be three or more than four.

[0154] The plurality of plates 323 a and 323 b may be arranged symmetrically to each other based on a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 10 (ie, the direction in which the aerosol-generating article 10 extends).

[0155] At least one of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be in contact with the coupler 311 connected to the oscillating portion (not shown). Specifically, at least a portion of the first plate 323a may be in contact with the coupler 311. When the microwave is transmitted to the first plate 323a through the coupler 311, the resonance of the microwave is formed between the plurality of plates 323a, 323b. In addition, the resonance of the microwave is also formed between the first plate 323a and the upper side plate of the housing 321 and between the second plate 323b and the lower side plate of the housing 321. Therefore, electric fields can be generated between the plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connecting portion 322, between the first plate 323a and the upper side plate of the housing 321, and between the second plate 323b and the lower side plate of the housing 321.

[0156] The coupler 311 penetrates the housing 321, so that one end of the coupler 311 can contact the oscillating part (not shown), and the other end of the coupler 311 can contact an area of ​​the first plate 323a. As the microwave generated in the oscillating part (not shown) is transmitted to the plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connecting part 322 through the coupler 311, an electric field can be generated inside the assembly of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connecting part 322.

[0157] In addition, according to the structure of the resonating part 320 of the heater assembly 300, a triple resonance mode can be formed in the resonating part 320. A resonance of a transverse electromagnetic mode (TEM mode) of microwaves is formed between the plurality of plates 323a and 323b. In addition, a resonance of a TEM mode different from the resonance formed between the plurality of plates 323a and 323b is formed between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the shell 321 and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the shell 321. Figure 6 The resonant section 320 can realize the resonance of the TEM mode based on the plurality of plates 323a, 323b, and therefore, it is different from the resonant section 320 which can only realize the transverse electric mode (TE) and the transverse magnetic mode (TM). Figure 5Compared with the resonant part 220, it can be manufactured in a smaller size.

[0158] When triple resonance is generated in the resonance portion 320 of the heater assembly 300 , the aerosol-generating article 10 can be heated more efficiently and uniformly.

[0159] The resonating part 320 related to the above embodiment may include: a closed end (short end) with a closed end surface; and an open end (open end) located in the opposite direction of the closed end and at least one area of ​​the end surface is opened, so as to have a length (λ / 4) of 1 / 4 of the wavelength (λ) of the microwave.

[0160] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment, the region at one end of the resonance part 320 corresponding to the left region is connected to the housing 321 through one end of the plurality of plates 323a and 323b and the connection part 322 to form a closed end. Figure 6 In the embodiment, the region at the other end of the resonance part 320 corresponding to the right region is opened to the outside through the opening 321a of the housing 321 to form an open end. With the structure of the resonance part 320 as described above, the resonance part 320 can operate as a resonator having a length of 1 / 4 wavelength of microwaves.

[0161] According to the resonance structure of the resonance part 320, the electric field may not propagate in the outer region of the resonance part 320. Therefore, the heater assembly 300 may prevent the electric field from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 300 even without an additional shielding member for shielding the electric field.

[0162] The aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the storage space 320h of the housing 321 is surrounded by the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b, and can be heated by dielectric heating. For example, a portion of the aerosol generating article 10 including a dielectric inserted into the storage space 320h of the housing 321 can be arranged in the space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b. The dielectric included in the aerosol generating article 10 generates heat due to the electric field generated in the space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b, so that the aerosol generating article 10 can be heated.

[0163] In addition, secondary heating of the aerosol generating article 10 can be achieved according to the effect of the electric field generated by the resonance modes formed between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the shell 321 and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the shell 321.

[0164] When the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the interior of the resonance portion 320 through the accommodation space 320h, the tobacco rod 11 of the aerosol generating article 10 may be located between the plurality of plates 323a, 323b.

[0165] The length L4 of the tobacco rod 11 can be formed to be longer than the length L1 of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b. Therefore, the front end 11f of the tobacco rod 11 connected to the filter rod 12 is located at a position protruding more than the other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b in the direction toward the opening 321a of the housing 321.

[0166] A resonance peak is formed at the other end of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b that work as resonators, and a stronger electric field can be generated than in other areas. When the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the heater assembly 300, the tobacco rod 11 including a dielectric capable of generating heat due to the electric field is arranged in a manner corresponding to the area with the strongest electric field, thereby improving the heating efficiency (or "dielectric heating efficiency") of the heater assembly 300.

[0167] Reference Figure 6 , the length L1 of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be set to be smaller than the length (L1+L2) of the internal space of the housing 321. Therefore, the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be located further inside the housing 321 than the opening 321a. That is, the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be spaced apart and disposed at a distance L2 from the rear end of the opening 321a.

[0168] The length of the opening 321a from the rear end of the opening 321a connected to the housing 321 to the front end of the opening 321a where the opening 321a is open may be L3. The overall length of the housing 321 along the length direction of the housing 321 may be L. The overall length L of the housing 321 may be determined based on the sum of the length L1 of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b, the length L2 between the plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the rear end of the opening 321a, and the length L3 of the opening 321a protruding from the housing 321.

[0169] In order to prevent leakage of microwaves, the front end of the opening 321a where the opening 321a is opened is set to protrude from the shell 321 by a length of L3. Since the opening 321a of the shell 321 protrudes from the shell 321, the opening 321a can perform a function of preventing microwaves inside the shell 321 of the resonance part 320 from leaking to the outside of the shell 321.

[0170] The resonance part 320 may further include a dielectric accommodation space 327 for accommodating a dielectric. The dielectric accommodation space 327 may be formed in an empty space between the housing 321 and the plurality of plates 323a, 323b. A dielectric having low microwave absorption may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space 327.

[0171] The heater assembly 300 can generate an electric field at the same level as the electric field generated in the resonance part without the dielectric while reducing the overall size of the resonance part 320 by disposing the dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 327. That is, by reducing the size of the resonance part 320 by disposing the dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 327, the installation space of the resonance part 320 in the aerosol generating device can be reduced, and as a result, the aerosol generating device can be miniaturized.

[0172] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0173] exist Figure 7 In the figure, only the aerosol generating device 100 is shown. Figures 2 to 4 The output of the oscillating unit 210 may refer to the magnitude and frequency of the microwave power. Therefore, the following will be omitted. Figures 2 to 4 Repeat instructions.

[0174] Reference Figure 7 The aerosol generating device 100 may include an oscillating section 210 , a power monitoring section 250 , a resonating section 220 and a processor 101 .

[0175] The oscillating unit 210 may output microwaves having a frequency within a preset range and a power of a preset magnitude under the control of the processor 101 .

[0176] The oscillating unit 210 includes at least one switching element, and the processor 101 can change the output frequency of the microwave by adjusting the on / off of the switching element. For example, the processor 101 controls the oscillating unit 210, thereby outputting microwaves having any one output frequency selected from the range of 2.4Ghz to 2.5Ghz or the range of 5.7Ghz to 5.9Ghz.

[0177] In addition, the oscillating unit 210 includes a power amplifier, which increases or decreases the amplitude of the microwaves under the control of the processor 101, thereby adjusting the power of the output microwaves. For example, the processor 101 can output microwaves with any power selected from the range of 3W to 20W by controlling the oscillating unit 210.

[0178] The microwaves outputted from the oscillation part 210 may be outputted to the resonance part 220 .

[0179] The resonating part 220 accommodates the aerosol generating article 10 and can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by resonating the microwaves received from the oscillating part 210. The internal structure of the resonating part 220 is as follows: Figures 4 to 6 shown.

[0180] The power monitoring unit 250 can measure the reflected microwave W2 reflected by the resonance unit 220 and input to the oscillation unit 210. In addition, the power monitoring unit 250 can measure not only the reflected microwave W2 reflected by the resonance unit 220 and input to the oscillation unit 210, but also the incident microwave W1 output from the oscillation unit 210. In one embodiment, the magnitude of the incident microwave W1 can correspond to the magnitude of the first power output from the oscillation unit 210 and input to the resonance unit 220, and the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 can correspond to the magnitude of the second power reflected by the resonance unit 220 and input to the oscillation unit 210.

[0181] The aerosol generating article 10 includes a dielectric. The dielectric constant of the resonance part 220 also becomes different depending on whether the aerosol generating article is inserted into the storage space 220h of the resonance part 220. That is, the impedance of the resonance part 220 also changes depending on whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted. Even if the incident microwave W1 input to the resonance part 220 is the same, when the impedance of the resonance part 220 changes, the degree of reflection becomes different, and thus the size of the reflected microwave W2 becomes different.

[0182] In addition, the dielectric constant of the resonance part 220 also changes when the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted. For example, when the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted, and the heating is performed and the user smokes, the dielectric constant of the resonance part 220 changes as the aerosol generating substance is consumed. That is, as the user smokes, the impedance of the resonance part 220 changes.

[0183] The processor 101 may receive the measured values ​​of the incident microwave W1 and the reflected microwave W2 from the power monitoring unit 250. On the other hand, the incident microwave W1 may be determined according to the output of the oscillating unit 210 set by the processor 101. Therefore, the processor 101 does not necessarily receive the measured value of the incident microwave W1 from the power monitoring unit 250, but the processor 101 may receive only the measured value of the reflected microwave W2 from the power monitoring unit 250.

[0184] First, the control operation of the processor 101 in the standby mode of the aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment is described. In the standby mode, the processor 101 can determine whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted based on reflected microwaves.

[0185] In one embodiment, when the size of the reflected microwave W2 is less than the first critical value, the processor 101 may determine that the aerosol generating article 10 has been inserted into the accommodating space 220h of the resonant part 220. The first critical value may be determined according to the dielectric constant of the dielectric contained in the aerosol generating article 10 and the amount of the dielectric. For example, when the dielectric constant of the aerosol generating article 10 is large, most of the incident microwave W1 will be absorbed, so the first critical value may be inversely proportional to the dielectric constant of the aerosol generating article 10. The first critical value may be calculated by experiment. The first critical value may be stored in the memory 106 in advance.

[0186] In one embodiment, when the phase difference between the incident microwave W1 and the reflected microwave W2 is greater than the second critical value, it can be determined that the aerosol generating article 10 has been inserted into the accommodation space 220h of the resonance part 220. When the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the accommodation space 220h of the resonance part 220, the dielectric constant of the resonance part 220 will change, so a phase difference between the incident microwave W1 and the reflected microwave W2 will be generated. The second critical value can be determined according to the dielectric constant of the dielectric contained in the aerosol generating article 10 and the amount of the dielectric. The second critical value can be calculated by experiment and stored in the memory 106 in advance.

[0187] Next, the control action of the processor 101 in the heating mode of the aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment is described. In the heating mode, the processor 101 can terminate the action in the heating mode by determining whether the aerosol generating material is exhausted. In one embodiment, the processor 101 can control the action in the heating mode to terminate and make the aerosol generating device 100 operate in the standby mode again.

[0188] In one embodiment, the processor 101 determines whether the aerosol generating substance is exhausted (burned out) based on the amplitude ratio (W2 / W1) of the reflected microwave W2 to the incident microwave W1. Specifically, the processor 101 compares the amplitude ratio (W2 / W1) at the start time of heating and the current amplitude ratio (W2 / W1) with each other. When the ratio is less than the third critical value, it can be determined that the aerosol generating substance has been exhausted. At the start time of heating, the resonance part 220 has a relatively high dielectric constant due to the aerosol generating substance contained in the aerosol generating article 10, and the amplitude ratio (W2 / W1) of the reflected microwave W2 to the incident microwave W1 will have a relatively small value. As the user smokes, the aerosol generating substance will be exhausted, and the dielectric constant of the resonance part 220 will decrease. If the dielectric constant of the resonance part 220 decreases, the amplitude ratio (W2 / W1) of the reflected microwave W2 to the incident microwave W1 will gradually increase. That is, the degree of absorption of microwaves in the resonance portion 220 decreases. The third critical value can be determined based on the dielectric constant and the amount of the dielectric contained in the aerosol-generating article 10. The third critical value can be calculated by experiments and stored in the memory 106 in advance.

[0189] In one embodiment, the processor 101 sweeps the output frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillating part 210 within a preset reference frequency band, and calculates the resonant frequency when the size of the reflected microwave W2 is minimized. For example, the reference frequency band range may be a range of 2.4Ghz to 2.5Ghz or a range of 5.7Ghz to 5.9Ghz, but is not limited thereto. The adjustment of the output frequency of the processor 101 may be performed in real time. In other words, the processor 101 may adjust the output frequency of the oscillating part 210 independently of the adjustment of the power size of the oscillating part 210.

[0190] In one embodiment, the processor 101 determines whether the aerosol generating substance is exhausted based on the degree of change in the resonant frequency. Specifically, the processor 101 compares the resonant frequency at the start time of heating with the current resonant frequency. When the difference is greater than the fourth critical value, it can be determined that the aerosol generating substance has been exhausted. As the user smokes, the aerosol generating substance will be exhausted, and the dielectric constant of the resonant part 220 will decrease. As the dielectric constant of the resonant part 220 changes, the resonant frequency at which the size of the reflected microwave W2 is minimized will continue to change as the user smokes. The fourth critical value can be determined based on the dielectric constant of the dielectric contained in the aerosol generating article 10 and the amount of the dielectric. The fourth critical value can be calculated by experiment and stored in the memory 106 in advance.

[0191] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a method for controlling an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0192] Reference Figures 1 to 8 In step 810, the processor 101 may determine whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted or not. Step 810 may be a state where the aerosol generating device 100 operates in a standby mode. The processor 101 may determine whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted or not based on the reflected microwave W2.

[0193] In one embodiment, when the size of the reflected microwave W2 is smaller than the first critical value, the processor 101 may determine that the aerosol generating article 10 has been inserted into the accommodating space 220 h of the resonance portion 220 .

[0194] In one embodiment, when the phase difference between the incident microwave W1 and the reflected microwave W2 is greater than the second critical value, it can be determined that the aerosol generating article 10 has been inserted into the accommodating space 220h of the resonance portion 220.

[0195] In step 820, when the processor 101 determines that the aerosol generating article 10 has been inserted, the aerosol generating article 10 may be heated. The processor 101 may control the oscillating part 210 to output microwaves at a first power in the standby mode and at a second power greater than the first power in the heating mode.

[0196] In step 830, the processor 101 determines whether the aerosol generating material contained in the aerosol generating article 10 is exhausted. If it is determined that the aerosol generating material is exhausted, the heating of the aerosol generating article 10 may be terminated. Step 830 may be a state in which the aerosol generating device 100 is operating in the heating mode. Specifically, step 830 may be a smoking interval in which the aerosol generating device 100 is in the heating mode.

[0197] In one embodiment, the processor 101 determines whether the aerosol generating substance is exhausted based on the amplitude ratio (W2 / W1) of the reflected microwave W2 to the incident microwave W1. Specifically, the processor 101 compares the amplitude ratio (W2 / W1) at the start time of heating with the current amplitude ratio (W2 / W1). When the ratio is less than the third critical value, it can be determined that the aerosol generating substance has been exhausted.

[0198] In one embodiment, the processor 101 determines whether the aerosol generating substance is exhausted based on the degree of change of the resonant frequency. Specifically, the processor 101 compares the resonant frequency at the start time of heating with the current resonant frequency. When the difference is greater than a fourth critical value, it can be determined that the aerosol generating substance has been exhausted.

[0199] Any embodiments of the present disclosure described above or other embodiments are not exclusive or different from each other. The configuration or function of each of any embodiments of the present disclosure described above and other embodiments may be used together or combined.

[0200] For example, it means that the A structure described in a specific embodiment and / or the drawings can be combined with the B structure described in other embodiments and / or the drawings. In other words, it means that even if the combination between the structures is not directly described, it is considered that the combination can be performed unless it is clearly stated that the combination cannot be performed.

[0201] The above detailed description should not be interpreted as limiting in any aspect, but should be regarded as exemplary. The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that: include: a processor to control the operation of the aerosol generating device, The oscillating part receives the alternating current and generates microwaves within a preset frequency range. a resonance section including a storage space for storing an aerosol-generating article, the resonance section heating the aerosol-generating article inserted into the storage space by resonating the incident microwave output from the oscillation section, and a power monitoring unit for monitoring the reflected microwaves reflected by the resonant unit; The processor determines whether the aerosol generating article is inserted based on the reflected microwaves monitored by the power monitoring unit.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the reflected microwave is less than a first critical value, the processor determines that the aerosol generating article has been inserted.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the phase difference between the incident microwave and the reflected microwave is greater than a second critical value, the processor determines that the aerosol generating article has been inserted.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The processor controls to supply a first power to the oscillating portion to determine whether the aerosol generating article is inserted or not, If it is determined that the aerosol-generating article has been inserted, the processor controls the oscillating unit to supply a second power having a magnitude different from the first power to heat the aerosol-generating article.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first power is less than the second power.

6. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, characterized in that: the processor monitoring the amplitude ratio of the reflected microwave to the incident microwave, When the ratio of the amplitude ratio at the heating start time point to the current amplitude ratio is less than a third critical value, the processor controls to supply the first power.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The processor scans the output frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillating part within a preset reference frequency band, and calculates the resonance frequency at which the magnitude of the reflected microwaves becomes the minimum. When the difference between the resonant frequency and the resonant frequency at the heating start time point is greater than a fourth critical value, the processor controls to supply the first power.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The device further comprises an output unit configured to output information related to the state of the aerosol generating device. The control unit controls the output unit to provide the information to the user by at least any one of visual, tactile, and auditory means.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The processor sweeps the output frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillation portion within the reference frequency band range between 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz.

10. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that The resonating part comprises: a first inner conductor formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and surrounding the first region, and a second internal conductor formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and surrounding a second region different from the first region, the second internal conductor being arranged at a predetermined distance from the first internal conductor; The microwaves are resonated by the first inner conductor and the second inner conductor.

11. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The resonating part comprises: a first plate, surrounding a third region, and a second plate, spaced apart from the first plate in a circumferential direction of the third region and surrounding a fourth region different from the third region; The microwaves are resonated through the first plate and the second plate.

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