Aerosol-generating device and operating method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to an aerosol-generating device and a method for operating the same. An aerosol-generating device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: an oscillation unit that generates microwaves; a resonance part that includes an accommodation space for accommodating an aerosol-generating article, and that heats the aerosol-generating article by resonating microwaves; a power monitoring unit that measures the reflected microwaves reflected from the resonance unit and input to the oscillation unit; and a processor that determines a type of the aerosol-generating article based on the reflected microwaves measured by the power monitoring section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiment relates to an aerosol generating device and an operating method thereof, wherein the aerosol generating device heats an aerosol generating article by dielectric heating to generate an aerosol. Background Art

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods that 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.

[0003] Aerosol generating devices that generate aerosol by heating an aerosol generating substance using resistance heating or induction heating are common, but recently, dielectric heating aerosol generating devices that heat an aerosol generating substance using microwaves have been proposed.

[0004] The dielectric heating aerosol generating device is a device that can generate heat in a dielectric contained in an aerosol generating substance by resonance of microwaves and heat the aerosol generating substance by the heat generated in the dielectric.

[0005] Depending on the type of aerosol generating article inserted into the aerosol generating device, the power distribution for maintaining optimal atomization performance may be different. When a dielectric heating aerosol generating device includes a separate sensor for identifying the type of aerosol generating article, it may lead to increased manufacturing costs and difficulty in miniaturization of the product. Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an aerosol generating device capable of self-identifying an aerosol generating article without adding a separate dielectric heating method for inserting a sensing sensor may be provided.

[0008] Problems to be solved by the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand unmentioned problems from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0009] Means used to solve problems

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an aerosol generating device includes: an oscillation part, which generates microwaves; a resonance part, which includes a accommodating space for accommodating aerosol generating items, and the resonance part heats the aerosol generating items by causing the microwaves to resonate; a power monitoring part, which measures reflected microwaves reflected from the resonance part and input to the oscillation part; and a processor, which determines the type of the aerosol generating item based on the reflected microwaves measured by the power monitoring part.

[0011] The operating method of an aerosol generating device disclosed in the present invention comprises an oscillating part and a resonating part, wherein the oscillating part generates microwaves, the resonating part comprises a storage space for storing aerosol generating articles, and the resonating part heats the aerosol generating articles by causing the microwaves to resonate, and the operating method of the aerosol generating device comprises the following steps: identifying whether the aerosol generating article is inserted into the storage space; when the insertion of the aerosol generating article is sensed, generating an incident microwave output from the oscillating part and input to the resonating part; measuring the reflected microwave reflected from the resonating part and input to the oscillating part; and determining the type of the aerosol generating article based on the measured reflected microwave.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the aerosol generating device can recognize the inserted aerosol generating article by itself, without adding a separate insertion sensing sensor, by utilizing the reflected microwaves reflected from the resonator to the oscillator.

[0014] The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand unmentioned effects from the present specification and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Internal block diagram of the dielectric heating section.

[0018] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a heater assembly.

[0020] Figure 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0021] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0022] Fig. 8A and Figure 8B A diagram illustrating a lookup table including power distributions respectively corresponding to a plurality of aerosol-generating articles.

[0023] Fig. 9 This is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation method of the dielectric heating type aerosol generating device.

[0024] Description of Reference Numerals

[0025] 10: Aerosol-generating articles

[0026] 100: Aerosol Generating Device

[0027] 200: Heater assembly

[0028] 210: Oscillation unit

[0029] 220: Resonance

[0030] W1: incident microwave

[0031] W2: Reflected microwaves DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] 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.

[0036] 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.

[0037] Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, an expression in the singular includes an expression in the plural form.

[0038] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0039] 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 .

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] 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.

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] 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.

[0050] 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.

[0051] 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 .

[0052] 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.

[0053] Figure 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0054] Reference Figure 2 The aerosol generating device 100 may include an input portion 102 , an output portion 103 , a sensor portion 104 , a communication portion 105 , a memory 106 , a battery 107 , an interface portion 108 , a power conversion portion 109 and a dielectric heating portion 200 .

[0055] 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.

[0056] 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 / heating interruption 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 use any one of vision, hearing, and touch to convey information related to the state of the aerosol generating device 100 to the user. For example, the output unit 103 may include a display, a tactile motor, and an audio output unit.

[0057] 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.

[0058] The sensor part 104 may include a temperature sensor, a suction sensor, and an insertion sensing sensor.

[0059] 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.

[0060] 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.

[0061] 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 at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitance sensor, an inductance sensor, and an infrared sensor. When the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the insertion port 110h, the processor 101 may supply power to the dielectric heating portion 200.

[0062] 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.

[0063] 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.

[0064] 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.

[0065] 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.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] The dielectric heating unit 200 can output high-frequency microwaves to the resonance unit ( Figure 3The 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.

[0071] The aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the resonance part 220, and the dielectric material 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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 .

[0075] 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.

[0076] The processor 101 can adjust the frequency of the microwaves to make the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200 constant. 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.

[0077] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Internal block diagram of the dielectric heating section.

[0078] Reference Figure 3 The dielectric heating portion 200 may include an oscillating portion 210 , an isolating portion 240 , a power monitoring portion 250 , a matching portion 260 , a microwave output portion 230 , and a resonating portion 220 .

[0079] 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.

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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.

[0082] The processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating portion 210 based on a power curve (or temperature distribution) stored in advance. For example, the power curve includes target temperature information according to the preheating interval and the smoking interval, and the oscillating portion 210 may supply microwave power at a first power in the preheating interval and at a second power lower than the first power in the smoking interval.

[0083] The processor 101 can adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating portion 210 based on the working mode of the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the aerosol generating device 100 can operate 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 portion) is in a state in which no heating action is performed. The heating mode is a step in which the heater assembly 200 performs a heating action, and can be divided into a preheating interval and a smoking interval.

[0084] The oscillation part 210 may supply microwave power at a first power in the standby mode, and may supply microwave power at a second power greater than the first power in the heating mode.

[0085] In standby mode, the processor 101 may determine the type of aerosol-generating article 10 .

[0086] In the heating mode, the oscillating section 210 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating section 210 based on the power distribution corresponding to the type of the aerosol-generating article 10 determined in the standby mode. For example, the heating curve includes target temperature information according to the preheating interval and the smoking interval, and the oscillating section 210 may supply microwave power at a 2-1st power in the preheating interval, and supply microwave power at a 2-2nd power less than the 2-1st power in the smoking interval.

[0087] The isolation part 240 can block the microwave power input from the resonance part 220 to the oscillation part 210. Most of the microwave power output from the oscillation part 210 is absorbed by the heat receiving body, but according to the heating mode of the heat receiving body, a part of the microwave power can be reflected by the heat receiving body to be re-transmitted in the direction of the oscillation part 210. This is because the impedance from the oscillation part 210 to the resonance part 220 changes as the polar molecules according to the heating of the heat receiving body are exhausted. "The impedance from the oscillation part 210 to the resonance part 220 changes" may have the same meaning as "the resonant frequency of the resonance part 220 changes". When the microwave power reflected from the resonance part 220 is input to the oscillation part 210, not only the oscillation part 210 will 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.

[0088] The power monitoring unit 250 may monitor the incident microwave power output from the oscillating unit 210 and the reflected microwave power reflected from the resonating unit 220 , respectively. The power monitoring unit 250 may send information of the incident microwave power and the reflected microwave power to the matching unit 260 .

[0089] The reflection characteristics of the microwaves in the resonant part 220 can be changed according to the dielectric constant in the resonant part 220. Dielectric constant refers to an important characteristic value of the electrical characteristics of a dielectric material, i.e., a non-conductor. The dielectric constant does not represent the electrical characteristics of a direct current, but is directly related to the characteristics of an alternating current, especially an alternating electromagnetic wave. Specifically, the size of the reflected microwave reflected from the resonant part 220 can be changed according to the complex dielectric constant in the resonant part 220. The microwave absorptivity in the resonant part 220 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 from the resonant part 220 can be changed according to the dielectric constant in the resonant part 220. Since the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the accommodating space 220h of the resonant part 220 contains different dielectrics for each type, the dielectric constant of the resonant part 220 can be different. Therefore, by analyzing the reflected microwaves reflected from the resonance portion 220 , the type of the aerosol-generating article 10 inserted into the accommodation space of the resonance portion 220 can be determined.

[0090] 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.

[0091] 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.

[0092] The microwave output unit 230 is a structure for inputting microwave power to the resonance unit 220, and can be Figure 3The 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.

[0093] The resonating part 220 can heat the heated object by forming microwaves in the resonant structure. The resonating part 220 includes a housing space for housing 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 resonating 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.

[0094] 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.

[0095] The resonator 220 can be designed in consideration of the wavelength of the microwave so that the microwave can resonate inside the resonator 220. In order for the microwave to resonate inside the resonator 220, a closed end (short end) with a closed end face and an open end (open end) located in the opposite direction of the closed end and at least one region of the end face being open 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.

[0096] 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 with low microwave absorptivity. This is to prevent the phenomenon that the energy that should be transferred to the heated body is transferred to the dielectric and the dielectric itself is heated. The 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 327, and the preset size can be 1 / 100. For example, the dielectric can be at least any one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene and alumina or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0097] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to one embodiment.

[0098] Reference Figure 4 The heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment may include an oscillation part 210 and a resonance part 220 . Figure 4 The heater assembly 200 and the dielectric heating part 200 described above may be one embodiment, and repeated description will be omitted below.

[0099] When powered, the oscillation part 210 may generate microwaves of a designated frequency band. The microwaves generated at the oscillation part 210 may be transferred to the resonance part 220 through a coupler (not shown).

[0100] The resonance part 220 may include a housing space 220h of at least one region for housing the aerosol generating article 10, and may heat the aerosol generating article 10 in a dielectric heating manner by resonating the microwaves generated by the oscillation part 210. For example, the glycerin charges contained in the aerosol generating article 10 may vibrate or rotate due to the resonance of the microwaves, and the glycerin generates heat by friction heat generated when the charges vibrate or rotate, thereby heating the aerosol generating article 10.

[0101] According to one embodiment, the resonating part 220 may be made of a material having a low microwave absorptivity to prevent the microwaves generated by the oscillating part 210 from being absorbed by the resonating part 220 .

[0102] Below, refer to Figure 5 , the specific structure of the resonance part 220 of the heater assembly 200 will be reviewed.

[0103] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of a heater assembly. Figure 5 Shows the image taken along the A-A' direction Figure 4 A cross section of the heater assembly 200 is shown.

[0104] Reference Figure 5 According to one 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 a repeated description will be omitted below.

[0105] When an AC voltage is applied, the oscillation part 210 may generate microwaves of a designated frequency band, and the microwaves generated by the oscillation part 210 may be transferred to the resonance part 220 through the coupler 230 .

[0106] According to one embodiment, the oscillating portion 210 may be fixed to the resonating portion 220 to prevent it from being separated from the resonating portion 220 during use of the aerosol generating device. In one embodiment, the oscillating portion 210 may be supported by a bracket 220b protruding in the x-direction in one region of the resonating portion 220 to be fixed to the resonating portion 220. In another example, the oscillating portion 210 may be fixed to the resonating portion 220 by attaching it to one region of the resonating portion 220 without using the bracket 220b.

[0107] In the drawings, only an embodiment is shown in which the oscillating part 210 is fixed to one region in the x direction toward the resonating part 220, but the position of the oscillating part 210 is not limited to the embodiment shown. In another embodiment, the oscillating part 210 may also be fixed to another region in the -z direction toward the resonating part 220.

[0108] The resonating portion 220 is configured to surround at least one region of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the interior of the aerosol generating device, and can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by the microwaves generated from the oscillating portion 210. For example, a dielectric material included in the aerosol generating article 10 can generate heat by the electric field generated by the microwaves inside the resonating portion 220, and the aerosol generating article 10 can be heated by the heat generated by the dielectric material.

[0109] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generating article 10 may include a tobacco rod 11 and a filter rod 12 .

[0110] The tobacco rod 11 contains an aerosol-generating substance and can also be made of a sheet, a strand material, or a tobacco leaf obtained by cutting tobacco sheets into fine pieces. For example, the aerosol-generating substance can 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 can contain other additives such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. In addition, a flavoring agent such as menthol or a humectant can be added to the tobacco rod 11 by spraying it.

[0111] 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 rod, or a tubular rod having a hollow portion therein. In addition, the filter rod 12 may be an embedded 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.

[0112] At least a portion of the aerosol generating substance contained in the aerosol generating article 10 (for example, glycerin) can be a dielectric having polarity in an electric field, and at least a portion of such aerosol generating substance generates heat by dielectric heating, thereby heating the aerosol generating article 10.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the resonance part 220 may include an outer conductor 221 , a first inner conductor 223 , and a second inner conductor 225 .

[0114] The outer conductor 221 may form the overall appearance of the resonance portion 220, and may have a hollow shape with a hollow interior so that the components of the resonance portion 220 may be arranged inside the outer conductor 221. The outer conductor 221 may include a housing space 220h that may house the aerosol generating article 10, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be inserted into the interior of the outer conductor 221 through the housing space 220h.

[0115] According to one embodiment, the outer conductor 221 may include a first surface 221a, a second surface 221b configured to face the first surface 221a, and a side surface 221c surrounding an empty space between the first surface 221a and the second surface 221b. At least a portion of the components of the resonance portion 220 (for example, the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225) may be disposed in the inner space of the resonance portion 220 formed by the first surface 221a, the second surface 221b, and the side surface 221c.

[0116] The first inner conductor 223 may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending in a direction from the first surface 221 a of the outer conductor 221 toward an inner space of the outer conductor 221 .

[0117] According to one embodiment, one region of the first inner conductor 223 may be in contact with the coupler 230 connected to the oscillation part 210, and the microwave generated at the oscillation part 210 may be transferred to the first inner conductor 223 through the coupler 230. For example, the coupler 230 penetrates the outer conductor 221 and one end thereof is in contact with the oscillation part 210, and the other end is in contact with one region of the first inner conductor 223, and the microwave generated at the oscillation part 210 may be transferred to the first inner conductor 223 through the coupler 230.

[0118] At this time, for the transmission of microwaves, the coupler 230 may be configured to penetrate the outer conductor 221 without contacting the outer conductor 221 , but the configuration structure of the coupler 230 is not limited thereto as long as the microwaves generated in the oscillation unit 210 can be transmitted to the first inner conductor 223 .

[0119] The first region formed between the outer conductor 221 and the first inner conductor 223 may function as a "first resonator" that generates an electric field through resonance of microwaves. The first region may refer to a space formed by the first surface 221a, the side surface 221c, and the first inner conductor 223 of the outer conductor 221, and the microwaves transmitted through the coupler 230 may resonate inside the first region and generate an electric field.

[0120] The second inner conductor 225 may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending in a direction 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 to be spaced apart from the first inner conductor 223 by a predetermined distance in the inner space of the outer conductor 221, and a gap 226 may be formed between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225.

[0121] The second region formed between the outer conductor 221 and the second inner conductor 225 may be used as a "second resonator" that generates an electric field through the resonance of microwaves. The second inner conductor 225 may be coupled (e.g., capacitive coupling) to the first inner conductor 223, and when an electric field is generated inside the first region due to the above-mentioned coupling relationship, an induced electric field may also be generated inside the second region. In the present disclosure, "capacitive coupling" may refer to a coupling relationship in which energy can be transferred through capacitance between two conductors.

[0122] For example, when microwaves generated from the oscillation part 210 are transmitted to the first inner conductor 223 , an electric field may be generated inside the first region by resonance, and an induced electric field may 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 .

[0123] According to one embodiment, the first region and the second region of the resonating part 220 may function as a resonator having a length of ¼ wavelength (λ) of microwaves.

[0124] In one embodiment, when the end surface of the first region is closed by the first surface 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 when the end surface is open due to the absence of the first surface 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, when the end surface is open, one end of the second region (for example, the end in the -z direction) can be formed as an open end, and when the end surface of the second region is closed due to the second surface 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.

[0125] That is, when viewed on the xz plane, the first region and the second region may include a closed end and an open end and be formed into an overall "ㄈ" shape, and through the above structure, the first region and the second region may be used as a resonator having a length of 1 / 4 wavelength of microwaves.

[0126] According to one embodiment, the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 may have the same length based on the z-axis, and may be configured such that the first region and the second region are symmetrical to each other, but is not limited thereto.

[0127] The aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the inner space of the outer conductor 221 through the accommodating space 220h may be surrounded by the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 and heated by dielectric heating.

[0128] At least a portion of the electric field generated by the resonance of the microwaves in the first region and / or the second region may propagate toward the inside of 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 may be heated by the propagated electric field. For example, the dielectric contained in the aerosol generating article 10 may generate heat by the electric field propagated by the gap 226, and the aerosol generating article 10 may be heated by the heat generated by the dielectric.

[0129] The heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment makes the diameters of the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 smaller than a specified value, so that the electric field propagating to the inside of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 can be prevented from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 200 or the resonator 220. In the present disclosure, the "specified value" may refer to a diameter value at which the electric field begins to leak to the outside of 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 introduced into the inside of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 may leak to the outside of the resonator 220. On the other hand, the heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment can prevent the electric field from propagating to the outside of the resonator 220 by a structure in which the diameters of the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 are smaller than a specified value, and as a result, the electric field can be prevented from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 200 or the resonator 220 without a separate shielding member.

[0130] 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 .

[0131] When the electric field generated in the first region and the electric field generated in the second region flow into the inside of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 through the gap 226 , the strongest electric field may be generated around the gap 226 in the inner region of the resonance part 220 .

[0132] In a heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment, a tobacco rod 11 including a dielectric that generates heat through an electric field is arranged at a position corresponding to a gap 226 having the strongest electric field, thereby improving the heating efficiency (or "dielectric heating efficiency") of the heater assembly 200.

[0133] According to one embodiment, the resonating portion 220 may further include a closing portion 224, which is located inside the first inner conductor 223 and closes the end surface of the first inner conductor 223 to limit the flow direction of the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10. For example, the closing portion 224 may close the end surface of the first inner conductor 223 to block the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10 from flowing toward the -z direction.

[0134] As the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 10 or the droplets generated when the aerosol is liquefied flows in the -z direction and flows into the aerosol generating device (e.g., Figure 1On the other hand, the heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment limits the flow direction of the aerosol by the sealing portion 224, thereby preventing the misoperation or damage of the components of the aerosol generating device caused by the aerosol or droplets.

[0135] According to one embodiment, the resonator 220 may further include a dielectric accommodation space 227 for accommodating a dielectric. The dielectric accommodation space 227 may refer to an empty space between the outer conductor 221 and the first and second inner conductors 223 and 225, and a dielectric having a low microwave absorptivity may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space 227. For example, the dielectric may be at least one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene, and alumina, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0136] The heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment arranges the dielectric inside the dielectric accommodation space 227, so that the same electric field as that of the resonance part 220 not including the dielectric can be generated while reducing the overall size of the resonance part 220, such as . That is, the heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment can reduce the size of the resonance part 220 by the dielectric arranged inside the dielectric accommodation space 227, thereby reducing the assembly space of the resonance part 220 in the aerosol generating device, resulting in miniaturization of the aerosol generating device.

[0137] Figure 6 is a perspective view schematically showing a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0138] 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 .

[0139] 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 .

[0140] 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 .

[0141] The resonating portion 320 may surround at least one region 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.

[0142] The housing 321 of the resonance part 320 functions as an “outer 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 .

[0143] 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.

[0144] 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 structure of 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.

[0145] 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 .

[0146] 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.

[0147] The plurality of plates 323a and 323b may be connected to the housing 321 via 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 via 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.

[0148] The other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b are spaced apart from each other, thereby enabling opening. The other ends of the multiple plates 323a and 323b are spaced apart from each other, thereby enabling an open end to be formed at the other ends of the multiple plates 323a and 323b.

[0149] The plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connection portion 322 are connected to each other, so that the resonator assembly can be completed. The shape of the cross section cut along the length direction of the resonator assembly may include a "horseshoe shape".

[0150] 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.

[0151] 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.

[0152] When a 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 is used, 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 .

[0153] 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 apart from the ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b in a direction away from the ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b.

[0154] The open 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.

[0155] 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.

[0156] The plurality of plates 323 a and 323 b may be arranged symmetrically with respect to a central axis in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 10 (ie, the direction in which the aerosol-generating article 10 extends).

[0157] 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.

[0158] 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.

[0159] 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 resonating section 320 can resonate in the TEM mode through the plurality of plates 323a, 323b, and thus can be manufactured to be smaller than Figure 5The size of the resonant portion 220 can only utilize the transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic mode (TM) modes.

[0160] Since 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.

[0161] The resonator 320 according 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 with at least one region of the end surface open to have a length (λ / 4) of 1 / 4 of the wavelength (λ) of the microwave.

[0162] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment, a closed end is formed in the region of one end of the resonance part 320 corresponding to the left region, which is closed by a structure in which one end of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b and the connection part 322 are connected to the housing 321. Figure 6 In the embodiment, the region at the other end of the resonance part 320 corresponding to the region on the right side is opened to the outside through the opening 321a of the housing 321 to form an open end. With such a structure of the resonance part 320, the resonance part 320 can be used as a resonator having a length of 1 / 4 wavelength of microwaves.

[0163] According to the resonance structure of the resonance part 320 described above, the electric field may not propagate to 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 a separate shielding member to shield the electric field.

[0164] 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.

[0165] 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.

[0166] 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.

[0167] 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.

[0168] A resonance peak is formed at the other end of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b operating as a resonator, and a stronger electric field than other regions can be generated. 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 region with the strongest electric field, thereby improving the heating efficiency (or "dielectric heating efficiency") of the heater assembly 300.

[0169] 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.

[0170] 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.

[0171] 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.

[0172] 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.

[0173] By disposing a dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 327, it is possible to 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 of the heater assembly 300. That is, by disposing a dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 327, the size of the resonance part 320 can be reduced, and 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.

[0174] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. Fig. 8A and Figure 8B A diagram illustrating a lookup table including power distributions respectively corresponding to a plurality of aerosol-generating articles.

[0175] Figure 7 Only the components included in the aerosol generating device 100 are shown. Figures 2 to 4 The structure for adjusting the magnitude and frequency of the microwave power in the output of the oscillating part 210 is omitted in the following. Figures 2 to 4 Duplicate description.

[0176] Reference Figure 3 and Figures 5 to 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 .

[0177] The oscillating part 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. The oscillating part 210 includes at least one switching element, and the processor 101 may change the output frequency of the microwaves by adjusting the on / off switching of the switching element. For example, the processor 101 may control the oscillating part 210 to output microwaves having any one output frequency selected from the range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz or the range of 5.7 GHz to 5.9 GHz.

[0178] In addition, the oscillating part 210 includes a power amplifier, which can adjust the power of the output microwave by increasing or decreasing the amplitude of the microwave under the control of the processor 101. For example, the processor 101 can output microwaves having any power selected from the range of 3W to 20W by controlling the oscillating part 210.

[0179] The microwaves output from the oscillation part 210 may be output to the resonance part 220 .

[0180] The resonance part 220 accommodates the aerosol generating article 10 and can heat the aerosol generating article 10 by resonating the microwaves received from the oscillation part 210. The internal structure of the resonance part 220 can be similar to Figures 4 to 6 same.

[0181] The power monitoring part 250 may measure the incident microwave W1 output from the oscillation part 210 or the reflected microwave W2 reflected from the resonance part 220 and input to the oscillation part 210. In one embodiment, the magnitude of the incident microwave W1 may correspond to the magnitude of the power output from the oscillation part 210 and input to the resonance part 220, and the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 may correspond to the magnitude of the power reflected from the resonance part 220 and input to the oscillation part 210.

[0182] The aerosol generating article 10 may include a tobacco rod 11 and a filter rod 12, and the tobacco rod 11 may include an aerosol generating substance. Regarding the form of the aerosol generating substance, it may be made of a sheet, a filament or a tobacco leaf, etc. Regarding the type of the aerosol generating substance, 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. In addition, the tobacco rod 11 may also include at least one of a flavoring agent, a humectant, an organic acid and a flavor enhancer.

[0183] The aerosol generating article 10 includes a dielectric, for example, an aerosol generating substance, a flavoring agent, a humectant, an organic acid, and a flavoring agent, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric contained in the tobacco rod 11 may be different depending on the type of the aerosol generating article 10. Therefore, the dielectric constant of the dielectric of the resonance portion 220 may be changed depending on the type of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the resonance portion 220. That is, the impedance of the resonance portion 220 may be different depending on the type of the aerosol generating article 10 inserted into the resonance portion 220. Even if the incident microwave W1 incident to the resonance portion 220 is the same, if the impedance of the resonance portion 220 is different, the degree of reflection is different, and thus the size of the reflected microwave W2 may be different.

[0184] When the oscillation part 210 is controlled to a fixed output even if the impedance of the resonance part 220 is different, the first impedance Zeq1 from the oscillation part 210 to the resonance part 220 and the second impedance Zeq2 from the resonance part 220 to the oscillation part 210 may be inconsistent. In other words, the first impedance Zeq1 and the second impedance Zeq2 may not match. In addition, since impedance matching is related to the maximum power transfer condition, the maximum power transfer condition may not be satisfied. When the maximum power transfer condition is not satisfied, the aerosol generating device 100 cannot achieve optimal atomization performance.

[0185] Hereinafter, a configuration for adjusting the magnitude of microwave power output to the oscillating portion 210 based on power distribution that differs depending on the type of the aerosol-generating article 10 will be described in detail.

[0186] First, in the standby mode, the aerosol generating device 100 can identify whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the receiving space ( Figure 4 220h).

[0187] According to one embodiment, the processor 101 may utilize the sensor unit ( Figure 2 The insertion sensing sensor 104) is used to identify whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the receiving space ( Figure 4 At this time, the insertion sensing sensor may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitance sensor, an inductance sensor, and an infrared sensor.

[0188] The processor 101 according to another embodiment may also determine whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted based on the reflected microwave. When the size of the reflected microwave W2 is less than the first threshold, the processor 101 may determine that the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the accommodation space 220h of the resonance portion 220. At this time, the first threshold may be determined based on 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 threshold may be inversely proportional to the dielectric constant of the aerosol generating article 10. The first threshold may be calculated by experiment. The first threshold may be pre-stored in the memory 106.

[0189] When the insertion of the aerosol generating article 10 is sensed, the processor 101 outputs the incident microwave W1 using the oscillating section 210, and can measure the reflected microwave W2 reflected from the resonating section 220 and input to the oscillating section 210 using the power monitoring section 250. At this time, the processor 101 can receive the measured incident microwave W1 and reflected microwave W2 from the power monitoring section 250.

[0190] Thereafter, the processor 101 may determine the type of the aerosol generating article 10 based on the measured reflected microwave W2. The aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment may include a memory ( Figure 2 106), in which the relationship between multiple reflected microwaves W2 and aerosol generating articles 10 is stored in the form of a lookup table.

[0191] Each of the plurality of aerosol generating articles 10 may have a dielectric constant of a dielectric fixed according to the composition of the tobacco rod 11. Therefore, each of the plurality of aerosol generating articles 10 may have a different size of reflected microwaves W2 in response to incident microwaves W1 of the same size.

[0192] For example, refer to Fig. 8A , the plurality of aerosol-generating articles 10 may include a first aerosol-generating article, a second aerosol-generating article, and a third aerosol-generating article. At this time, the dielectric constant of the dielectric contained in the aerosol-generating article 10 may decrease in the order of the third aerosol-generating article, the second aerosol-generating article, and the first aerosol-generating article (i.e., the dielectric constant of the first aerosol-generating article is the smallest, and the dielectric constant of the third aerosol-generating article is the largest). The larger the dielectric constant of the aerosol-generating article 10, the more incident microwaves W1 it absorbs, so the reflected microwaves W2 for the same size of the incident microwaves W1 decrease in the order of the first aerosol-generating article, the second aerosol-generating article, and the third aerosol-generating article (i.e., the reflected microwaves W2 for the first aerosol-generating article is the largest, and the reflected microwaves W2 for the third aerosol-generating article is the smallest).

[0193] Then, in the heating mode, the processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating portion 210 based on the power distribution corresponding to the type of the aerosol-generating article 10 determined in the standby mode.

[0194] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 may include a memory ( Figure 2 106), in which the relationship between a plurality of aerosol generating articles 10 (or the size of reflected microwave W2) and power distribution is stored in the form of a lookup table. That is, the relationship between a plurality of aerosol generating articles 10 (or the size of reflected microwave W2) and power distribution is stored in the memory ( Figure 2 The lookup table in 106) may be composed of a first lookup table including aerosol generating articles 10 corresponding to the size of the reflected microwave W2 and a second lookup table including power distributions corresponding to a plurality of aerosol generating articles 10. However, it is not limited thereto, and may also be composed of only a lookup table including power distributions corresponding to the size of the reflected microwave W2.

[0195] For example, refer to Fig. 8A The first heating curve corresponding to the first aerosol generating article includes target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating interval PR1 and the smoking interval PR2, and the oscillating unit 210 may supply microwave power at a 2nd to 11th power in the preheating interval PR1, and supply microwave power at a 2nd to 21st power less than the 2nd to 11th power in the smoking interval PR2. The processor 101 may progressively increase the size of the microwave power in the smoking interval PR2.

[0196] In addition, the second heating curve corresponding to the second aerosol generating article includes target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating interval PR1 and the smoking interval PR2, and the oscillating unit 210 can supply microwave power at the 2nd to 12th power in the preheating interval PR1, and supply microwave power at the 2nd to 22nd power which is less than the 2nd to 12th power in the smoking interval PR2. The processor 101 can gradually increase the size of the microwave power in the smoking interval PR2.

[0197] Similarly, the third heating curve corresponding to the third aerosol generating article includes that according to the target temperature information (or target power information) in the preheating interval PR1 and the smoking interval PR2, the oscillating unit 210 may supply microwave power at the 2nd to 13th power in the preheating interval PR1, and supply microwave power at the 2nd to 23rd power which is less than the 2nd to 13th power in the smoking interval PR2. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking interval PR2.

[0198] At this time, the larger the dielectric constant of the heated object (or the aerosol generating article 10), the higher the temperature required for heating. Therefore, it can be set to decrease in the order of the size of the 2nd-13th power, the size of the 2nd-12th power, and the size of the 2nd-11th power, and to decrease in the order of the size of the 2nd-23rd power, the size of the 2nd-22nd power, and the size of the 2nd-21st power.

[0199] However, the heating curve is not limited to the configuration in which the target temperature is adjusted by adjusting the power. Figure 8B As shown, the heating curve can also adjust the target temperature by adjusting the preheating time.

[0200] Specifically, refer to Figure 8B The first heating curve corresponding to the first aerosol generating article includes target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating interval PR1 and the smoking interval PR2, the oscillating unit 210 may supply microwave power at a 2nd to 11th power in the preheating interval PR1, and may supply microwave power at a 2nd to 21st power less than the 2nd to 11th power in the smoking interval PR2. The processor 101 may gradually increase the size of the microwave power in the smoking interval PR2.

[0201] In addition, the second heating curve corresponding to the second aerosol generating article may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating interval PR1-1 and the smoking interval PR2-1. However, the preheating interval PR1-1 of the second heating curve may be longer than the preheating interval PR1 of the first heating curve.

[0202] The oscillating unit 210 may supply microwave power at the 2nd to 11th power in the preheating interval PR1-1, similarly to the preheating interval PR1 of the first heating curve, and may supply microwave power at the 2nd to 21st power in the smoking interval PR2-1, similarly to the smoking interval PR2 of the first heating curve. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking interval PR2-1.

[0203] Similarly, the third heating curve corresponding to the third aerosol generating article may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating interval PR1-2 and the smoking interval PR2-2. However, the preheating interval PR1-2 of the third heating curve may be longer than the preheating interval PR1-1 of the second heating curve.

[0204] The oscillating unit 210 may supply microwave power at the 2nd to 11th power in the preheating interval PR1-2, similarly to the preheating interval PR1 of the first heating curve, and may supply microwave power at the 2nd to 21st power in the smoking interval PR2-2, similarly to the smoking interval PR2 of the first heating curve. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking interval PR2-2.

[0205] At this time, the larger the dielectric constant of the heated object (or the aerosol generating article 10), the longer the preheating time is required, so it can be set to decrease in the order of preheating section PR1-2, preheating section PR1-1 and preheating section PR1.

[0206] On the other hand, the processor 101 may determine whether to reuse the aerosol-generating article 10 based on the reflected microwaves W2 measured in the standby mode.

[0207] Specifically, when the reflected microwave W2 measured in the standby mode is above a preset threshold, the processor 101 may interrupt the oscillating unit 210 from generating microwaves. That is, since the aerosol generating material and the like contained in the tobacco rod 11 are in a depleted state, the reused aerosol generating article 10 may have a dielectric constant significantly lower than that of the unused aerosol generating article 10. Thus, the reflected microwave W2 of the reused aerosol generating article 10 may be greater than the reflected microwave W2 of the unused aerosol generating article 10. At this time, the preset threshold is calculated in an experimental statistical manner and stored in advance in the memory 106.

[0208] The power monitoring unit 250 according to one embodiment may track the change in the resonance frequency of the resonance unit 220 in real time in the heating mode.

[0209] More specifically, when the dielectric substance contained in the aerosol generating article 10 is consumed by microwave heating, the impedance of the resonance part 220 may change. When the oscillation part 210 is controlled to a fixed output even if the impedance of the resonance part 220 is variable, the first impedance Zeq1 from the oscillation part 210 to the resonance part 220 and the second impedance Zeq2 from the resonance part 220 to the oscillation part 210 may not be consistent. In other words, the first impedance Zeq1 and the second impedance Zeq2 may not match. In addition, since impedance matching is related to the maximum power transfer condition, the maximum power transfer condition may not be satisfied. In the heating mode, the power monitoring part 250 can measure the power output from the oscillation part 210 and input to the resonance part 220 and the power reflected from the resonance part 220 and input to the oscillation part 210, so as to match the first impedance Zeq1 and the second impedance Zeq2.

[0210] The processor 101 may adjust the output frequency of the oscillating part 210 so that the difference between the power output from the oscillating part 210 and input to the resonating part 220 and the power reflected from the resonating part 220 and input to the oscillating part 210 is included in a preset reference power range. For example, the reference power range may be between 0W and 1W, but is not limited thereto.

[0211] The processor 101 may sweep the output frequency output from the oscillating part 210 within a preset reference frequency band range, and control the oscillating part 210 so that the difference between the power output from the oscillating part 210 and input to the resonating part 220 and the power reflected from the resonating part 220 and input to the oscillating part 210 is within a preset range. For example, the reference frequency band range may be within a range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz or within a range of 5.7 GHz to 5.9 GHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0212] The output frequency adjustment of the processor 101 can be performed in real time. In other words, the processor 101 can adjust the output frequency of the oscillating portion 210 independently of the power adjustment of the oscillating portion 210. That is, the processor 101 can adjust the power of the microwave output from the oscillating portion 210 according to the power distribution corresponding to the type of the aerosol generating article 10, regardless of the output frequency adjustment of the oscillating portion 210.

[0213] Fig. 9 This is a sequence diagram for explaining the operation method of the dielectric heating aerosol generating device. Fig. 9 The embodiment shown and Figures 1 to 8B The above-mentioned embodiments can be applied to the operation method of the aerosol generating device.

[0214] Reference Figures 1 to 9In the operation method of the aerosol generating device 100, the aerosol generating device 100 includes: an oscillating part 210, generating microwaves; and a resonating part 220, including a storage space 220h for storing an aerosol generating article 10 and heating the aerosol generating article 10 by causing the microwave to resonate, the method includes: a step S10 of identifying whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the storage space 220h in the standby mode; a step S20 of generating an incident microwave W1 output from the oscillating part 210 and input to the resonating part 220 when the insertion of the aerosol generating article 10 is sensed; and a step S30 of measuring a reflected microwave W2 reflected from the resonating part 220 and input to the oscillating part 210, and determining the type of the aerosol generating article based on the measured reflected microwave W2, and may include: a step S40 of adjusting the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating part 210 according to the power distribution corresponding to the aerosol generating article 10 determined in the standby mode in the heating mode.

[0215] The processor 101 can adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating part 210 based on the working mode of the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the aerosol generating device 100 can operate 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) is not performing a heating action. The heating mode is a step in which the heater assembly 200 performs a heating action, and can be divided into a preheating interval and a smoking interval.

[0216] The oscillating part 210 may supply microwave power at a first power in the standby mode (eg, step S10 , step S20 , and step S30 ), and may supply microwave power at a second power greater than the first power in the heating mode (eg, step S40 ).

[0217] Specifically, the processor 101 can use the sensor unit ( Figure 2 The insertion sensing sensor 104) is used to identify whether the aerosol generating article 10 is inserted into the receiving space ( Figure 4 At this time, the insertion sensing sensor may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitance sensor, an inductance sensor, and an infrared sensor.

[0218] Then, when the insertion of the aerosol-generating article 10 is sensed in the standby mode, the processor 101 may output the incident microwave W1 using the oscillating section 210 (step S20 ).

[0219] Afterwards, the processor 101 uses the power monitoring section 250 in the standby mode to measure the reflected microwave W2 reflected from the resonance section 220 and input to the oscillation section 210, and determines the type of the aerosol generating article 10 based on the measured reflected microwave W2 (step S30). The aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment may include a memory ( Figure 2 106), in which the relationship between the size of the reflected microwave W2 and the power distribution is stored in the form of a lookup table. Each of the plurality of aerosol generating articles 10 may have a dielectric constant of a dielectric that is fixed according to the composition of the tobacco rod 11. Therefore, each of the plurality of aerosol generating articles 10 may have a different size of the reflected microwave W2 in response to the same size of the incident microwave W1.

[0220] Then, in the heating mode, the processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillating portion 210 based on the power distribution corresponding to the type of the aerosol-generating article 10 determined in the standby mode (step S40).

[0221] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 may include a memory ( Figure 2 106), in which the relationship between a plurality of aerosol generating articles 10 and power distribution is stored in the form of a lookup table. For example, referring to Fig. 8A The first heating curve corresponding to the first aerosol generating article includes target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating interval PR1 and the smoking interval PR2, the oscillating unit 210 may supply microwave power at a 2nd to 11th power in the preheating interval PR1, and may supply microwave power at a 2nd to 21st power less than the 2nd to 11th power in the smoking interval PR2. The processor 101 may gradually increase the size of the microwave power in the smoking interval PR2.

[0222] In addition, the second heating curve corresponding to the second aerosol generating article includes target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating interval PR1 and the smoking interval PR2, and the oscillating unit 210 can supply microwave power at the 2nd to 12th power in the preheating interval PR1, and can supply microwave power at the 2nd to 22nd power which is less than the 2nd to 12th power in the smoking interval PR2. The processor 101 can gradually increase the size of the microwave power in the smoking interval PR2.

[0223] Similarly, the third heating curve corresponding to the third aerosol generating article includes target temperature information (or target power information) according to the preheating interval PR1 and the smoking interval PR2, and the oscillating unit 210 can supply microwave power at the 2nd to 13th power in the preheating interval PR1, and can supply microwave power at the 2nd to 23rd power less than the 2nd to 13th power in the smoking interval PR2. The processor 101 can gradually increase the size of the microwave power in the smoking interval PR2.

[0224] At this time, the larger the dielectric constant of the heated object (or the aerosol generating article 10), the higher the temperature required for heating. Therefore, it can be set to decrease in the order of the size of the 2nd-13th power, the size of the 2nd-12th power, and the size of the 2nd-11th power, and to decrease in the order of the size of the 2nd-23rd power, the size of the 2nd-22nd power, and the size of the 2nd-21st power.

[0225] On the other hand, the processor 101 may determine whether to reuse the aerosol-generating article 10 based on the reflected microwaves W2 measured in the standby mode.

[0226] Specifically, when the reflected microwave W2 measured in the standby mode is above a preset threshold, the processor 101 may interrupt the oscillating unit 210 from generating microwaves. That is, since the aerosol generating material and the like contained in the tobacco rod 11 are in a depleted state, the reused aerosol generating article 10 may have a dielectric constant significantly lower than that of the unused aerosol generating article 10. Thus, the reflected microwave W2 of the reused aerosol generating article 10 may be greater than the reflected microwave W2 of the unused aerosol generating article 10. At this time, the preset threshold is calculated in an experimental statistical manner and stored in advance in the memory 106.

[0227] Any embodiments of the present disclosure described above or other embodiments are not mutually exclusive or different. The configurations or functions of any embodiments of the present disclosure described above or other embodiments may be used or combined.

[0228] 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.

[0229] 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, wherein: include: an oscillating portion for generating microwaves; a resonance portion including a housing space for housing an aerosol-generating article, and the resonance portion heats the aerosol-generating article by causing the microwave to resonate; a power monitoring section for measuring the reflected microwaves reflected from the resonance section and input to the oscillation section; as well as A processor is provided to determine the type of the aerosol generating article based on the reflected microwaves measured by the power monitoring unit.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A memory stores the relationship between a plurality of aerosol generating items and power distribution in the form of a lookup table.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein: The processor adjusts the magnitude of microwave power output from the oscillating portion according to the power distribution corresponding to the determined aerosol-generating article based on the lookup table.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: The insertion sensing sensor senses whether the aerosol generating article is inserted into the accommodation space.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein: The processor is configured to cause the oscillating portion to output incident microwaves when the insertion sensing sensor senses the insertion of the aerosol-generating article.

6. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein: The insertion sensing sensor includes at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitance sensor, an inductance sensor, and an infrared sensor.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The aerosol generating article comprises a tobacco rod and a filter rod, and the tobacco rod comprises a dielectric, the dielectric is an aerosol generating substance and a flavoring agent.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7, wherein: The reflected microwaves differ according to the dielectric constant of the dielectric.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to interrupt the oscillating unit from generating the microwave when the reflected microwave is equal to or greater than a preset threshold.

10. The aerosol generating device according to claim 9, wherein: Also includes: an output unit for transmitting information related to the state of the aerosol generating device to a user by using any one of vision, hearing and touch, The processor notifies the user of the determined type of the aerosol-generating article and / or the generation interruption state of the microwaves through the output portion.

11. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The resonating part comprises: a first inner conductor having a hollow cylindrical shape surrounding a region of the aerosol-generating article; and a second inner conductor spaced a predetermined distance from the first inner conductor and having a hollow cylindrical shape surrounding another region of the aerosol-generating article, The microwave resonates through the first inner conductor and the second inner conductor.

12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The resonating part comprises: a first panel surrounding a region of the aerosol-generating article; and a second plate spaced apart from the first plate in a circumferential direction of the aerosol-generating article and surrounding another region of the aerosol-generating article, The microwaves resonate through the first plate and the second plate.

13. An operating method of an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device comprising an oscillating portion and a resonating portion, the oscillating portion generating microwaves, the resonating portion comprising a storage space for storing an aerosol generating article, and the resonating portion heating the aerosol generating article by causing the microwaves to resonate, wherein: The operation method of the aerosol generating device comprises the following steps: identifying whether the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the receiving space; generating, when the insertion of the aerosol-generating article is sensed, an incident microwave output from the oscillating portion and input to the resonating portion; measuring the reflected microwaves reflected from the resonance part and input to the oscillation part; as well as The type of the aerosol generating article is determined based on the measured reflected microwaves.

14. The method for operating the aerosol generating device according to claim 13, wherein: The following steps are also included: Based on a lookup table including power distributions corresponding to a plurality of aerosol-generating articles, the magnitude of microwave power output from the oscillating portion is adjusted according to the power distribution corresponding to the determined aerosol-generating article.

15. The method for operating the aerosol generating device according to claim 14, wherein: In the step of adjusting the magnitude of the microwave power, when the reflected microwave is greater than a preset threshold, the oscillation unit is stopped from generating the microwave.

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