Ultrasonic vibrator and field effect transistor protection circuit

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment, a driving circuit of an electronic device for supplying power to a vibrator connected to the electronic device includes: a first power supply providing a voltage to a gate terminal of a switch; a second power supply providing a voltage to the drain terminal of the switch; and a diode connected between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact, the diode being connected in parallel with the vibrator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device, and more particularly to a structure for protecting a driving circuit. Background Art

[0002] The demand for electronic cigarettes (ie, e-cigarettes) continues to increase. As the demand for e-cigarettes increases, functions related to e-cigarettes are being continuously developed. The functions related to e-cigarettes may include functions related to the type and characteristics of the e-cigarettes. Summary of the invention

[0003] Technical issues to be solved

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure may provide an aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol.

[0005] An aspect of the present disclosure may provide a structure for protecting a driving circuit inserted into an aerosol generating device.

[0006] Technical solutions to the problem

[0007] According to one aspect, a driving circuit of an electronic device is provided, the driving circuit of the electronic device comprising a first electrical contact point and a second electrical contact point, the first electrical contact point being connectable to a first end of a cigarette cartridge and the second electrical contact point being connectable to a second end of the cigarette cartridge; a switch having a drain terminal and a source terminal, the drain terminal being connected to the first electrical contact point and the source terminal being connected to a grounding portion; a first power supply, the first power supply being configured to provide a voltage to a gate terminal of the switch; a second power supply, the second power supply being configured to provide a voltage to a drain terminal of the switch; and a diode, the diode being connected between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point so that the diode is connected in parallel with the vibrator.

[0008] The drive circuit may further include an inductor connected between the first electrical contact point and the second power source; and a first resistor connected between a gate terminal of the switch and a ground.

[0009] The first power source may provide an alternating current (AC) voltage to a gate terminal of the switch.

[0010] The second power supply may provide a direct current (DC) voltage to a drain terminal of the switch and a first terminal of the vibrator.

[0011] According to one aspect, an electronic cigarette is provided. The electronic cigarette includes the driving circuit as described above.

[0012] The diode may include at least one zener diode configured to limit a voltage level applied to the vibrator.

[0013] The at least one Zener diode may include a plurality of Zener diodes connected in parallel or in series.

[0014] According to another aspect, an electronic device is provided, the electronic device comprising: a drive circuit, the drive circuit being configured to: drive the vibrator included in the cigarette cartridge when the cigarette cartridge is connected to the electronic device; and a controller, the controller being configured to control the operation of the drive circuit. The drive circuit may include a first electrical contact point and a second electrical contact point, the first electrical contact point being connectable to the first end of the cigarette cartridge, the second electrical contact point being connectable to the second end of the cigarette cartridge; a switch having a drain terminal and a source terminal, the drain terminal being connected to the first electrical contact point, the source terminal being connected to a ground portion; a first power supply, the first power supply being configured to provide a voltage to a gate terminal of the switch; a second power supply, the second power supply being configured to provide a voltage to a drain terminal of the switch; and a diode, the diode being connected between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point, so that the diode is connected in parallel with the vibrator.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the exemplary embodiments described herein, there may be provided a driving circuit for driving a vibrator of an aerosol generating device.

[0017] According to the exemplary embodiments described herein, an aerosol generating device for generating aerosol may be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0020] Figure 3 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment, with the cartridge separated from the body.

[0021] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment, with a cartridge coupled to a body.

[0022] Figure 5a is a driving circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0023] Figure 5b and Figure 5c is a diagram illustrating a voltage applied to a vibrator by a driving circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6 is a full-bridge mode driving circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0025] Figure 7 is a driving circuit capable of switching between a full-bridge mode and a half-bridge mode according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0026] Figure 8 is an equivalent circuit of a driving circuit operating in a half-bridge mode according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] The following detailed specific structural or functional description of the embodiment is only for illustrative purposes, and the embodiment can be implemented in different alternative forms and improved forms. Here, the embodiment is not intended to limit the present disclosure, but should be understood to include all changes, equivalents and even substitutes within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0028] Although the terms such as first or second can be used to describe different components, the components are not limited to these terms. These terms should only be used to distinguish one component from other components. For example, the first component can be named as the second component, and similarly, the second component can also be named as the first component.

[0029] It should be noted that when one component is described as being “connected,” “coupled,” or “coupled” to another component, a third component may be “connected,” “coupled,” or “coupled” between the first component and the second component, even though the first component may be “connected,” “coupled,” or “coupled” to the second component.

[0030] The singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that in this specification, the terms "comprises / comprising" or "includes / including" are used to express the existence of features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components recorded in the specification, and do not exclude the existence or additional addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0031] In the content, "at least one of A, B and C" and "at least one of A, B or C" should be understood as including only a, only b, only c, both a and b, both a and c, both b and c, or all of a, b and c.

[0032] Unless otherwise specified, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the common meanings understood by those of ordinary skill in the art related to the present disclosure. It is also understood that commonly used terms as defined in dictionaries should be understood as having the same meaning as in the relevant technical content, and should not be interpreted as idealized or overly formalized meanings if they are not clearly defined in this specification.

[0033] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the process of describing the exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description is omitted.

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

[0035] According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 1 The aerosol generating device 100 may include a controller 110, a sensing unit 120, an output unit 130, a battery 140, an atomizer 150, a user input unit 160, a memory 170, and a communication unit 180. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to Figure 1 As shown. A person skilled in the art who is related to the present disclosure will understand that the aerosol generating device 100 may be omitted according to different designs. Figure 1 Some of the components shown may be further modified or new components may be added.

[0036] The sensing unit 120 can sense the state of the aerosol generating device 100 or the surrounding state of the aerosol generating device 100, and transmit the sensed information to the controller 110. The controller 110 can control the aerosol generating device 100 to perform various functions based on the sensed information, such as controlling the operation of the atomizer 150, restricting smoking, determining whether to insert an aerosol generating article (e.g., an aerosol generating substance, a cigarette cartridge, etc.), and displaying a notification.

[0037] The sensing unit 120 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 122 , an insertion detection sensor 124 , and a suction sensor 126 , but is not limited thereto.

[0038] The temperature sensor 122 can sense the temperature of the atomizer 150 (or the aerosol generating substance). The aerosol generating device 100 can include a separate temperature sensor to sense the temperature of the atomizer 150, or the atomizer 150 itself can perform functions such as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 122 can be disposed around the battery 140 to monitor the temperature of the battery 140.

[0039] The insertion detection sensor 124 can sense whether the aerosol generating article is inserted and / or removed. For example, the insertion detection sensor 124 can include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, a light sensor, a resistance sensor, a capacitance sensor, an inductance sensor, or an infrared sensor, which can sense a signal change when the aerosol generating article is inserted and / or removed.

[0040] The suction sensor 126 can sense the user's suction based on various physical changes in the airflow path or channel. For example, the suction sensor 126 can sense the user's suction based on any one of temperature change, flow change, voltage change and pressure change.

[0041] In addition to the above-mentioned sensors 122 to 126, the sensing unit 120 may further include at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS)), a proximity sensor, or a red, green, and blue (RGB) sensor (e.g., an illumination sensor). Since a person of ordinary skill in the art can intuitively infer the function of each sensor from the name, a detailed description thereof is omitted here.

[0042] The output unit 130 may output and provide information about the state of the aerosol generating device 100 to the user. The output unit 130 may include at least one of a display 132, a tactile portion 134, or a sound outputter 136, but is not limited thereto. When the display 132 and a touch panel are arranged in a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display 132 may be used not only as an output device but also as an input device.

[0043] The display 132 can visually provide information about the aerosol generating device 100 to the user. For example, the information about the aerosol generating device 100 may include various information such as the charging / discharging state of the battery 140 of the aerosol generating device 100, the state of the atomizer 150, the insertion / removal state of the aerosol generating article, the use restriction state of the aerosol generating device 100 (for example, abnormal articles are detected), and the display 132 can output the information to the outside. The display 132 can be provided in the form of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, an organic light emitting display (OLED) panel, etc. The display 132 can also be provided in the form of a light emitting diode (LED) device.

[0044] The haptic portion 134 may convert the electrical signal into a mechanical stimulation or an electrical stimulation to provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 100 in a tactile manner. For example, the haptic portion 134 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0045] The sound outputter 136 may provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 100 in the form of sound. For example, the sound outputter 136 may convert an electrical signal into a sound signal and output the sound signal to the outside.

[0046] The battery 140 can supply the power required for the operation of the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 140 can supply power to the atomizer 150 to operate it. The battery 140 can also provide the power required for the operation of other components (such as the sensing unit 120, the output unit 130, the user input unit 160, the memory 170, and the communication unit 180) included in the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 140 can be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 140 can be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0047] The nebulizer 150 may receive power from the battery 140 to nebulize the aerosol generating substance. Figure 1 Although not shown in the figure, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a direct current (DC) to direct current (DC / DC) converter) that converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies the power to the atomizer 150. In addition, when the aerosol generating device 100 generates aerosol by ultrasonic vibration, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include a direct current to alternating current (AC) (DC / AC) converter to convert the DC power of the battery 140 into AC power.

[0048] The controller 110, the sensing unit 120, the output unit 130, the user input unit 160, the memory 170, and the communication unit 180 may receive power from the battery 140 to implement their functions. Figure 1 Although not shown in the figure, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include a power conversion circuit, for example, a low dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage stabilization circuit, which converts the power of the battery 140 and supplies the power to various components.

[0049] According to an exemplary embodiment, the atomizer 150 may include a vibrator configured to generate ultrasonic vibrations by an applied signal (e.g., electricity). For example, the material of the vibrator may include, but is not limited to, piezoelectric ceramics. The vibrator may include a piezoelectric body. According to an exemplary embodiment, the piezoelectric body may be a conversion element that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, and may generate ultrasonic vibrations under the control of the controller 110. In an exemplary embodiment, when AC power is applied to the piezoelectric body obtained by polarization, the piezoelectric body may repeatedly expand and contract. Due to the repeated expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric body, the vibrator may vibrate at a characteristic frequency. When a signal is applied to the vibrator, a short high-frequency vibration is generated, and the generated vibration can crush the aerosol-generating substance into small particles to atomize it into an aerosol.

[0050] The user input unit 160 may receive information input by a user or output information to the user. For example, the user input unit 160 may include a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact capacitance type, pressure resistance film type, infrared sensing type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, overall tension measurement type, piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc., but is not limited thereto. In addition, although Figure 1 Not shown, the aerosol generating device 100 may further include a connection interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and may be connected to another external device via the USB interface to transmit and receive information, or to charge the battery 140.

[0051] The memory 170 is hardware for storing various data processed by the aerosol generating device 100, and can store data processed by the controller 110 and data to be processed by the controller 110. The memory 170 includes, for example, a flash memory type memory, a hard disk type memory, a multimedia card micro type memory, a card type memory (such as SD or XD memory, etc.), a random access memory (random access memory, RAM), a static random access memory (static random access memory, SRAM), a read-only memory (read-only memory, ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (programmable read-only memory, PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk or an optical disk. The memory 170 can store the running time of the aerosol generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature curve, and data associated with the user's smoking pattern.

[0052] The communication unit 180 may include at least one component for communicating with another electronic device. For example, the communication unit 180 may include a short-range wireless communication unit 182 and a wireless communication unit 184 .

[0053] The short-range wireless communication unit 182 includes a Bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication unit, a Near Field Communication unit (NFC) unit, a wireless local area network (WLAN) (such as Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared Data Association (IrDA) communication unit, a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra wideband (UWB) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0054] The wireless communication unit 184 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 184 may use subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier (IMSI)) to identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 100 within the communication network.

[0055] The controller 110 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100. In an exemplary embodiment, the controller 110 may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a program executable by the microprocessor. In addition, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure relates that the processor may be implemented as other forms of hardware.

[0056] The controller 110 may control the operation of the atomizer 150 by controlling the power supply from the battery 140 to the atomizer 150. For example, the controller 110 may control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching element of the drive circuit 138 between the battery 140 and the atomizer 150.

[0057] The controller 110 may analyze the sensing result obtained by the sensing of the sensing unit 120 and control the subsequent process to be performed. For example, the controller 110 may control the power supplied to the atomizer 150 according to the sensing result obtained by the sensing unit 120, thereby starting and shutting down the operation of the atomizer 150. For another example, the controller 110 may control the amount of power supplied to the atomizer 150 and the power supply time according to the sensing result obtained by the sensing unit 120, so that the atomizer 150 vibrates at a predetermined frequency or maintains a desired frequency.

[0058] The controller 110 may control the output unit 130 according to the sensing result obtained by the sensing unit 120. For example, when the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 126 reaches a preset number, the controller 110 may notify the user through at least one of the display 132, the tactile portion 134, or the sound outputter 136 that the aerosol generating device 100 is about to stop.

[0059] According to an exemplary embodiment, the controller 110 may control the driving circuit 138 according to the state of the aerosol generating article sensed by the sensing unit 120, thereby controlling the power supply time and / or power supply amount to the atomizer 150. For example, the controller 110 may control the vibration frequency of the vibrator of the atomizer 150 according to the type and remaining amount of the aerosol generating article.

[0060] The exemplary embodiments described herein may be implemented in the form of a storage medium, which includes instructions executable by a computer, such as a program module executable by a computer. Computer-readable media may be any available media accessible by a computer, and include all volatile media, non-volatile media, removable media, and non-removable media. In addition, computer-readable media may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media include all volatile media, non-volatile media, removable media, and non-removable media for storing information of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data implemented by any method or technology. Communication media typically include computer-readable instructions, data structures, other data (such as program modules) or other transmission mechanisms in modulated data signals, and include any information transmission media.

[0061] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0062] Reference Figure 2 , aerosol generating device 200 (e.g., Figure 1 The aerosol generating device 100 may include a cartridge 220 containing an aerosol generating substance, and a body 210 connected to the cartridge 220.

[0063] The cartridge 220 of the aerosol generating device 200 may be coupled to the body 210, and an aerosol generating substance is stored in the cartridge 220. For example, the cartridge 220 and the body 210 may be coupled by inserting at least a portion of the cartridge 220 into the body 210. For another example, the cartridge 220 and the body 210 may be coupled by inserting at least a portion of the body 210 into the cartridge 220.

[0064] The cigarette cartridge 220 and the body 210 can be coupled by at least one of a snap-fit ​​method, a screw coupling method, a magnetic coupling method, and an interference fit method, but the coupling method of the cigarette cartridge 220 and the body 210 is not limited to the above exemplary methods.

[0065] According to an exemplary embodiment, the cigarette cartridge 220 may include a housing 222 , a mouthpiece 224 , a storage portion 230 , a transmission portion 240 , a vibrator 250 , and an electronic terminal 260 .

[0066] The housing 222 of the aerosol generating device 200 may form the overall appearance of the cartridge 220 together with the mouthpiece 224, and components for operating the cartridge 220 may be disposed inside the housing 222. For example, the housing 222 may be formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but the shape of the housing 222 is not limited to the foregoing example. According to an exemplary embodiment, the housing 222 may be formed in other polyhedral (e.g., triangular prism, pentagonal prism) shapes or cylindrical shapes.

[0067] The nozzle 224 of the aerosol generating device 200 may be disposed in an area of ​​the housing 222, and the nozzle 224 of the aerosol generating device 200 may include an outlet 224e for discharging the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating substance to the outside. For example, the nozzle 224 may be placed in another area of ​​the cartridge 220 opposite to an area coupled to the body 210. The user may receive the aerosol from the cartridge 220 by contacting the nozzle 224 with the mouth and inhaling.

[0068] Through the inhalation or suction performed by the user, a pressure difference may be generated between the inside of the cartridge 220 and the outside of the cartridge 220, and the aerosol generated in the cartridge 220 may be discharged to the outside of the cartridge 220 via the outlet 224e by virtue of the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the cartridge 220. That is, the user may receive the aerosol discharged to the outside of the cartridge 220 via the outlet 224e due to the user contacting the mouthpiece 224 with the mouth and inhaling.

[0069] The storage portion 230 of the aerosol generating device 200 may be located in the internal space of the housing 222 and store an aerosol generating substance. Hereinafter, the expression "storing an aerosol generating substance" may mean a function of simply containing an aerosol generating substance, serving as a container, or may involve an additional function of retaining an aerosol generating substance by using a sponge, cotton, cloth, or a porous ceramic structure.

[0070] The storage unit 230 may store the aerosol-generating substance in any state of, for example, liquid, solid, gas, or gel.

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment, the aerosol-generating substance may include a liquid composition, which may be, for example, a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance containing volatile tobacco aroma components, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco-containing substance.

[0072] For example, the liquid composition may include any one of water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract, flavor, flavoring agent, and vitamin mixture, or a mixture of the above ingredients. Flavoring agent may include the following non-limiting examples: menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and fruity ingredients, etc.

[0073] The flavoring agent may include ingredients that provide different aromas or tastes to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, or vitamin E, but the above examples are not limited thereto. The liquid composition may also include an aerosol former such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

[0074] For example, the liquid composition can include glycerol and propylene glycol solutions with any weight ratio of nicotine salts added. The liquid composition can also contain two or more nicotine salts. Nicotine salts can be formed by adding appropriate acids (including organic acids or inorganic acids) to nicotine. Nicotine can be naturally occurring nicotine or synthetic nicotine, and nicotine has a concentration of any suitable weight relative to the total solution weight of the liquid composition.

[0075] The acid used to form the nicotine salt may be appropriately selected based on the absorption rate of nicotine in the blood, the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device 200, the aroma or taste, the solubility, etc. As a non-limiting example, the acid used to form the nicotine salt may include a single acid or a mixture of two or more acids selected from the following: benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, saccharic acid, malonic acid, or malic acid.

[0076] The transfer part 240 of the aerosol generating device 200 may absorb the aerosol generating substance. For example, the aerosol generating substance stored or contained in the storage part 230 may be transferred from the storage part 230 to the vibrator 250 through the transfer part 240, and the vibrator 250 may generate an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol generating substance of the transfer part 240 or the aerosol generating substance received from the transfer part 240. In this case, the transfer part 240 may include at least one of cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic, but the above example is not limited thereto.

[0077] According to an exemplary embodiment, the transfer portion 240 may be disposed adjacent to the storage portion 230 to receive the liquid aerosol generating substance from the storage portion 230. For example, the aerosol generating substance stored in the storage portion 230 may be discharged to the outside of the storage portion 230 through a liquid supply port formed in a region of the storage portion 230 facing the transfer portion 240, and the transfer portion 240 may absorb at least a portion of the aerosol generating substance discharged from the storage portion 230 to absorb the aerosol generating substance from the storage portion 230.

[0078] According to an exemplary embodiment, the smoke bomb 220 may further include an absorbent (not shown), which is arranged to cover at least a portion of the vibrator 250 that generates the aerosol, and the absorbent transfers the aerosol generating substance absorbed by the transfer portion 240 to the vibrator 250. The absorbent may be made of a material capable of absorbing aerosol generating substances. For example, the absorbent may include at least one material of SPL 30 (H), SPL 50 (H) V, NP 100 (V8), SPL 60 (FC) and melamine. Since the smoke bomb 220 also includes an absorbent, in addition to the transfer portion 240, the aerosol generating substance may also be absorbed by the absorbent, thereby increasing the amount of the aerosol generating substance absorbed.

[0079] The vibrator 250 of the aerosol generating device 200 may be disposed inside the housing 222, and may generate aerosol by changing the phase of the aerosol generating substance stored in the cartridge 220. For example, the vibrator 250 may generate aerosol by heating or vibrating the aerosol generating substance.

[0080] In addition, since the absorbent is configured to cover at least a portion of the vibrator 250, the absorbent can be used as a physical barrier to prevent the "oil explosion" phenomenon in which particles that are not fully atomized are directly discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 200 during the process of generating aerosol. "Oil explosion" may refer to the phenomenon that some large particles of the aerosol generating material that are not fully atomized are discharged to the outside of the cartridge 220. According to an embodiment, the absorbent included in the cartridge 220 can reduce the possibility of oil explosion, thereby improving the smoking satisfaction of the user.

[0081] In an exemplary embodiment, the absorbent may be disposed between one surface of the vibrator 250 generating the aerosol and the transfer part 240 so that the aerosol supplied to the transfer part 240 is transferred to the vibrator 250. For example, one area of ​​the absorbent may be in contact with an area of ​​the transfer part 240 facing the -z direction, and another area of ​​the absorbent may be in contact with an area of ​​the vibrator 250 facing the +z direction. That is, the absorbent may be disposed on the top surface (e.g., +z direction) of the vibrator 250, and supply the aerosol generating substance absorbed by the transfer part 240 to the vibrator 250.

[0082] According to an exemplary embodiment, the vibrator 250 of the aerosol generating device 200 can cause a phase change in the aerosol generating substance by utilizing an ultrasonic vibration method, which atomizes the aerosol generating substance by ultrasonic vibration. For example, the vibrator 250 can generate short-period vibrations, and the vibrations generated from the vibrator 250 can be ultrasonic vibrations. The frequency of the ultrasonic vibrations can be in the range of about 100 kilohertz (kHz) to about 10 megahertz (MHz) (desirably, in the range of about 100kHz to 3.5MHz), but the above example is not limited thereto. When the vibrator 250 generates ultrasonic vibrations of such a frequency band as described above, the vibrator 250 can vibrate along the length direction (e.g., z-axis direction) of the cigarette cartridge 220 or the housing 222. However, the direction along which the vibrator 250 of the exemplary embodiment vibrates is not limited thereto, and the direction along which the vibrator 250 vibrates can be changed to different vibration directions (e.g., any one of the x-axis direction, the y-axis direction, and the z-axis direction or a combination thereof). The aerosol generating substance supplied from the storage part 230 to the vibrator 250 may be vaporized and / or granulated by such short-period vibration generated by the vibrator 250 , thereby being atomized into an aerosol.

[0083] For example, the vibrator 250 may include piezoelectric ceramics, which are functional materials that can generate electricity (or voltage) when a physical force (or pressure) is applied, and vice versa, generate vibration (or mechanical force) when electricity is applied, thereby realizing mutual conversion between electricity and mechanical force. That is, due to the electricity applied to the vibrator 250, short-period vibration (or physical force) can be generated, and the generated vibration can separate the aerosol generating substance into small particles and atomize the aerosol generating substance into an aerosol.

[0084] The vibrator 250 may be electrically connected to other components of the aerosol generating device 200 through the electronic terminal 260. The electronic terminal 260 may be disposed on one surface of the cartridge 220. For example, the electronic terminal 260 may be disposed on a coupling surface of the cartridge 220, where the cartridge 220 is coupled to the body 210 of the aerosol generating device 200. The electronic terminal 260 may be disposed on a side of the housing 222 opposite to the mouthpiece 224.

[0085] According to an exemplary embodiment, the vibrator 250 may be electrically connected to at least one of the driving circuit 212 , the controller 214 , and the battery 216 of the body 210 via an electronic terminal 260 disposed inside the housing 222 of the cigarette cartridge 220 .

[0086] For example, the vibrator 250 is electrically connected to the electronic terminal 260 disposed inside the cigarette cartridge 220 through a first conductor, and the electronic terminal 260 can be electrically connected to the driving circuit 212 of the body 210 through a second conductor. In other words, the vibrator 250 can be electrically connected to the components of the body 210 through the electronic terminal 260 as a medium.

[0087] The vibrator 250 may generate ultrasonic vibrations by receiving power from the battery 216 of the body 210 through the electronic terminal 260. In addition, the vibrator 250 may be electrically connected to the controller 214 of the body 210 through the electronic terminal 260, and the controller 214 may control the operation of the vibrator 250 through the driving circuit 212.

[0088] For example, the electronic terminal 260 is at least one of a pogo pin, a wire, a cable, a printed circuit board (PCB), a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), or a C-clip, but the electronic terminal 260 is not limited to the above examples.

[0089] In an exemplary embodiment, the vibrator 250 can be implemented as a mesh shape or plate shape vibration accommodating portion, which performs the following two functions: the function of absorbing aerosol generating substances and maintaining the aerosol generating substances in an optimal state for conversion into aerosol; and the function of transmitting vibration to the aerosol generating substances to generate aerosol without the need for a separate transmission portion (for example, the transmission portion 240).

[0090] The aerosol generated by the vibrator 250 may be discharged to the outside of the cartridge 220 through the airflow channel 223 to be supplied to the user.

[0091] According to an exemplary embodiment, the airflow channel 223 may be positioned inside the cartridge 220 and may be connected to the vibrator 250 and the outlet 224e of the mouthpiece 224. Therefore, the aerosol generated by the vibrator 250 may flow along the airflow channel 223 and may be discharged through the outlet 224e to the outside of the cartridge 220 or the aerosol generating device 200. The user may receive the aerosol by contacting the mouthpiece 224 with the mouth and inhaling the aerosol discharged from the outlet 224e.

[0092] Although not shown in the figure, the airflow channel 223 may include at least one inlet for air outside the cartridge 220 to flow into the cartridge 220. The inlet may be provided in at least a portion of the housing 222 of the cartridge 220. For example, the inlet may be provided on a coupling surface (e.g., a bottom surface) of the cartridge 220, where the cartridge 220 is coupled to the body 210 at the coupling surface of the cartridge 220.

[0093] In this case, at least one gap may be formed in a portion of the coupling position of the cartridge 220 and the body 210, so that external air may flow in through the gap between the cartridge 220 and the body 210 to move to the inside of the cartridge 220 through the inlet.

[0094] The airflow channel 223 may be connected from the inlet to a space where the vibrator 250 generates aerosol, and the airflow channel 223 may be connected from the space to the outlet 224e.

[0095] Therefore, the air flowing in through the inlet may be transferred to the vibrator 250 , and the transferred air moves to the outlet 224 e together with the aerosol generated by the vibrator 250 , thereby achieving airflow circulation inside the cartridge 220 .

[0096] In an exemplary embodiment, within the housing 222, at least a portion of the airflow channel 223 may be arranged such that the outer peripheral surface is surrounded by the storage portion 230 in the housing 222. In another exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of the airflow channel 223 may be arranged between the inner wall of the housing 222 and the outer wall of the storage portion 230. The arrangement structure of the airflow channel 223 is not limited to the above example, and the airflow channel 223 may be arranged in a different structure that allows airflow to circulate between the inlet, the vibrator 250, and the outlet 224e.

[0097] According to an exemplary embodiment, the body 210 may include a driving circuit 212, a controller 214, and a battery 216 therein, and one end of the body 210 may be connected to one end of the cartridge 220. For example, the body 210 may be coupled to a bottom surface or a coupling surface of the cartridge 220.

[0098] When the vibrator 250 of the cigarette cartridge 220 is electrically connected to the drive circuit 212 via the electronic terminal 260, the drive circuit 212 may supply power to the vibrator 250. For example, the amount of power supplied to the vibrator 250 may be determined by the controller 214. The vibration frequency of the vibrator 250 may be controlled according to the amount of power. According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive circuit 212 may be configured in the following forms: a class E power amplifier circuit, a half-bridge circuit, or a full-bridge circuit, and is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0099] The controller 214 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 200. For example, the controller 214 may control the amount of aerosol generated by the vibrator 250 by controlling the power supplied from the battery 216 to the vibrator 250. For example, the controller 214 may control the power supplied to the vibrator 250 so that the vibrator 250 may vibrate at a predetermined frequency.

[0100] The controller 214 may be implemented as a plurality of logic gate arrays, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a program executable by the microprocessor. In addition, it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that the controller 214 may be other forms of hardware.

[0101] The controller 214 may analyze the sensing result obtained by at least one sensor included in the aerosol generating device 200 and control the subsequent process to be performed thereafter. For example, the controller 214 may control the power supplied to the vibrator 250 according to the sensing result obtained by the at least one sensor, thereby starting or shutting down the vibrator 250. In addition, the controller 214 may control the amount of power supplied to the vibrator 250 and the time for supplying power to the vibrator 250 based on the sensing result obtained by the at least one sensor, so that the vibrator 250 can generate an appropriate amount of aerosol.

[0102] The battery 216 may supply power required for operating the aerosol generating device 200. For example, when the body 210 is electrically connected to the cartridge 220, the battery 216 may power the vibrator 250.

[0103] The battery 216 may supply power required for the operation of other hardware elements (eg, sensors, user interface, memory, and controller 214) disposed within the aerosol generating device 200. The battery 216 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery.

[0104] For example, the battery 216 may include a nickel-based battery (eg, a nickel metal hydride battery or a nickel cadmium battery) or a lithium-based battery (eg, a lithium cobalt battery, a lithium phosphate battery, a lithium titanate battery, a lithium ion battery, or a lithium polymer battery).

[0105] In an exemplary embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the aerosol generating device 200 in a direction transverse to the length direction of the cartridge 220 and / or the body 210 of the aerosol generating device 200 may be circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, or multiple polygonal shapes. However, the cross-sectional shape of the cartridge 220 and / or the body 210 is not limited to the above exemplary shapes, or the cross-sectional shape of the cartridge 220 and / or the body 210 is not necessarily a shape in which the aerosol generating device 200 extends linearly along the length direction.

[0106] In an exemplary embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the aerosol generating device 200 may be extended longer to be curved into a streamlined shape, or be bent at a predetermined angle in a specific area and extended to facilitate user gripping, and the cross-sectional shape of the aerosol generating device 200 may vary along the length direction.

[0107] Figure 3is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an exemplary embodiment in which a cartridge and a body are separated from each other, Figure 4 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device in which a cartridge and a body are coupled to each other according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0108] According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 3 and Figure 4 The aerosol generating device 300 shown may be Figure 2 The aerosol generating device 200 (or Figure 1 A modification of the aerosol generating device 100) Figure 3 and Figure 4 The cigarette cartridge 220-1 and the body 210-1 shown in the figure can be respectively Figure 2 The illustrated examples are modifications of the cartridge 220 and the body 210 , and therefore repeated details will be omitted below.

[0109] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The cartridge 220-1 may be detachably coupled to the body 210-1. For example, at least a portion of the cartridge 220-1 is inserted into the body 210-1, and the cartridge 220-1 may be coupled to the body 210-1.

[0110] The cigarette cartridge 220-1 may include a mouthpiece 10m that can move between an open position and a closed position. For example, the mouthpiece 10m can be opened and closed by rotating between the open position and the closed position.

[0111] The body portion 10b of the cigarette cartridge 220-1 can be coupled to the nozzle 10m via a rotating shaft. In one example, the nozzle 10m can be in an open position. Such an open state of the nozzle 10m may refer to a state in which the nozzle 10m is unfolded in the length direction (i.e., z-axis direction) of the cigarette cartridge 220-1 for the user to contact with the mouth. Here, the length direction may refer to the direction in which the cigarette cartridge 220-1 extends the longest in multiple directions. In another example, the nozzle 10m may be in a closed position. Such a closed state of the nozzle 10m may refer to a state in which the nozzle 10m is folded in a direction transverse to the length direction of the cigarette cartridge 220-1 to accommodate the nozzle 10m in the body 210-1 of the aerosol generating device 300.

[0112] The cigarette cartridge 220-1 may include a body portion 10b, which includes various components required for generating aerosol and discharging the generated aerosol. For example, the body portion 10b may include a storage portion, a vibrator, and at least a portion of an airflow channel.

[0113] The body 210-1 may include a coupling portion 20a that can be coupled to the cartridge 220-1. For example, the body 210-1 may include a receiving groove 20a-1, and at least a portion of the cartridge 220-1 may be accommodated or received in the receiving groove 20a-1. The body portion 10b of the cartridge 220-1 may be inserted into the receiving groove 20a-1. For example, the body portion 10b of the cartridge 220-1 may be configured to be roughly square-cylindrical, and the corners of the square-cylindrical shape may be chamfered or rounded. However, the shape of the body portion 10b of the cartridge 220-1 is not limited to the above examples, but may be cylindrical or polygonal.

[0114] As mentioned above Figure 2 The cartridge 220-1 and the body 210-1 may be coupled by at least one of a snap-fit ​​method, a screw coupling method, a magnetic coupling method, and an interference fit method. For example, the cartridge 220-1 may include a first magnet, and the body 210-1 may include a second magnet, so that the cartridge 220-1 and the body 210-1 may be coupled by magnetic force. However, the strength of the first magnet and the second magnet may be designed considering the convenience of attachment and removal of the cartridge 220-1 and the body 210-1 and / or the operational stability of the aerosol generating device 300.

[0115] The body 210-1 may include a button 20b. The button 20b may be disposed on one surface of the body 210-1. For example, the button 20b may be disposed on one surface of the body 210-1 corresponding to one end 20c-1 of the cover 20c. When using the aerosol generating device 300, the user may use the button 20b to control the operation of the aerosol generating device 300.

[0116] The body 210-1 may further include a housing 20s, which can accommodate or receive the nozzle 10m of the cartridge 220-1 when the nozzle 10m is moved to the closed position. The housing 20s may be disposed on one surface of the body 210-1 and may have a shape or size corresponding to the shape and size of the nozzle 10m.

[0117] like Figure 4 As shown, when the nozzle 10m moves to the closed position, the nozzle 10m can minimize the portion of the aerosol generating device 1 protruding outward at the closed position, that is, minimize the portion protruding outward from the outer surface of the body 210-1 at the closed position, thereby improving portability.

[0118] In an exemplary embodiment, the body 210-1 may further include a cover 20c coupled to a portion of the body 210-1. The cover 20c may be coupled to at least one surface of the body 210-1. For example, the cover 20c may be coupled to a side of the body 210-1 where the coupling portion 20a is located. In addition, the cover 20c may be coupled to a surface where the receiving portion 20s of the body 210-1 is located.

[0119] The cover 20c may include an opening 20c-o. The cover 20c may include an opening 20c-o having a size corresponding to the size of the mouthpiece 10m. For example, the opening 20c-o may have a predetermined length and width. The width of the opening 20c-o may be less than or equal to the width of the body of the cartridge 220-1 and may be greater than or equal to the width of the mouthpiece 10m. The length of the opening 20c-o may be greater than or equal to the length of the mouthpiece 10m.

[0120] The cover 20c may extend from one end 20c-1 to the other end 20c-2 so that the cover 20c is placed in the seat portion 20c' of the body 210-1. For example, the seat portion 20c' may have a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the cover 20c. The seat portion 20c' may be a portion extending from the inlet side of the coupling portion 20a and the accommodating portion 20s to both sides, and the seat portion 20c' may be recessed so that the cover 20c can be coupled to a predetermined depth of the seat portion.

[0121] When the cartridge 220-1 is coupled to the body 210-1, the cover 20c may be attached to the body 210-1 after the cartridge 220-1 is coupled to the body 210-1. The cover 20c may be coupled to one side of the body 210-1 using at least one of a snap fit method, an interference fit method, or a magnetic coupling method, but is not limited to the above examples of coupling methods.

[0122] Since the cover 20c includes an opening 20c-o through which the mouthpiece 10m can pass, the opening and closing operations of the mouthpiece 10m will not be affected when the cigarette cartridge 220-1 is coupled to the body 210-1, while also protecting the cigarette cartridge 220-1 and maintaining the coupling between the cigarette cartridge 220-1 and the body 210-1.

[0123] Figure 4An aerosol generating device 300 is shown in which both the cartridge 220-1 and the cover 20c are coupled to the body 210-1, and the mouthpiece 10m is in a closed position. As shown, the body 210-1 includes a receiving portion 20s having a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the mouthpiece 10m, and a seating portion 20c' having a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the cover 20c, and the cover 20c includes an opening 20c-o having a size and shape corresponding to the size and shape of the mouthpiece 10m, so that the aerosol generating device 300 can be formed firmly and powerfully.

[0124] To separate the cartridge 220-1 from the body 210-1, the cover 20c may be separated from the body 210-1 first, and then the cartridge 220-1 may be separated from the body 210-1. On the other hand, the cover 20c may be installed after the body 210-1 is coupled to the cartridge 220-1.

[0125] Figure 5a A driving circuit according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0126] Reference Figure 5a According to an exemplary embodiment, vibrator C 510 (eg, Figure 1 Atomizer 150 or Figure 2 The vibrator 250 may be included in the cigarette cartridge 500-1 (eg, Figure 2 The vibrator 510 may be electrically connected to the drive circuit 500 (eg, Figure 1 The driving circuit 138 or Figure 2 The controller 214 may be configured to provide a first electrical contact point 511 and a second electrical contact point 513 of the driving circuit 212 of the drive circuit 500. When the first electrical contact point 511 and the second electrical contact point 513 are connected through the vibrator 510, the controller 214 may recognize the coupling of the vibrator 510 and supply power to the driving circuit 500.

[0127] More specifically, the driving circuit 500 may be connected to a first end of the vibrator 510 through a first electrical contact point 511 , and may be connected to a second end of the vibrator 510 through a second electrical contact point 513 .

[0128] According to an exemplary embodiment, the cartridge 500 - 1 may include a vibrator C 510 and a diode D 512. When the cartridge 500 - 1 is mechanically coupled to the body 210, the cartridge 500 - 1 may be electrically connected to the driving circuit 500.

[0129] Although the cartridge 500 - 1 is illustrated as including the vibrator C 510 and the diode D 512 according to an exemplary embodiment, the diode D 512 may be included in the driving circuit 500 instead of the cartridge 500 - 1 .

[0130] According to an exemplary embodiment, the driving circuit 500 may include a switch SW 514, a first power source 516, and a second power source 517. Assume that the driving circuit 500 is coupled to the cartridge 500-1.

[0131] According to an exemplary embodiment, a drain terminal of the switch 514 may be connected to the first electrical contact 511, and a source terminal of the switch 514 may be connected to ground. According to an exemplary embodiment, the switch 514 may be a field effect transistor (FET) based switch.

[0132] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first power supply 516 may provide a voltage to a gate terminal of the switch 514, and the second power supply 517 may provide a voltage to a drain terminal of the switch 514. According to an exemplary embodiment, the first power supply 516 may provide an alternating current (AC) voltage to the gate terminal of the switch 514. For example, the peak value of the alternating current (AC) voltage may be less than or equal to 4 volts (V), but is not limited thereto. According to an exemplary embodiment, the second power supply 517 may provide a direct current (DC) voltage to the drain terminal of the switch 514 and the first terminal (e.g., the first electrical contact point) of the vibrator 510. For example, the direct current (DC) voltage may be less than or equal to 15V (e.g., 10V), but is not limited thereto.

[0133] According to an exemplary embodiment, both ends of the diode D 512 may be connected to the first electrical contact point 511 and the second electrical contact point 513 , respectively, such that the diode D 512 is connected in parallel with the vibrator 510 .

[0134] According to an exemplary embodiment, the driving circuit 500 may further include an inductor 515 and a first resistor 518 .

[0135] According to an exemplary embodiment, the inductor 515 may be connected between the first electrical contact point 511 and the second power source 517. The inductor 515 may obtain a high voltage through a boost converter and apply the high voltage to the vibrator 510.

[0136] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first resistor 518 may be connected between the gate terminal of the switch 514 and ground.

[0137] According to an exemplary embodiment, the diode D 512 may include at least one Zener diode. The Zener diode may protect an integrated circuit (IC) by utilizing a characteristic that a voltage remains constant even when a current changes. The driving circuit 500 may use the diode D 512 to limit a voltage level applied to the vibrator 510 to a certain level (e.g., about 20V) or less.

[0138] For example, a device that generates aerosol using an ultrasonic vibrator (e.g., aerosol generating device 200) can generate aerosol by vibrating the vibrator included in the cigarette cartridge at a high frequency. In this example, a high voltage (e.g., 100V) can be applied to the drain terminal of the vibrator 510 and the switch 514 (e.g., FET). When a high voltage is applied to the drain terminal of the vibrator 510 and the switch 514, the vibrator 510 or the switch 514 may be damaged due to various error conditions.

[0139] According to an exemplary embodiment, the driving circuit 500 may include a diode D 512 connected in parallel with the vibrator 510, and the diode D 512 may limit the voltage level to a certain level (hereinafter referred to as a breakdown voltage) to prevent damage to components in the driving circuit 500 during operation of the aerosol generating device 200.

[0140] According to an exemplary embodiment, the diode D 512 may include a plurality of Zener diodes connected in parallel or in series. The diode D 512 may connect a plurality of Zener diodes in parallel or in series to adjust the breakdown voltage to a desired level.

[0141] Figure 5b and Figure 5c A voltage applied to a vibrator by a driving circuit according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0142] Figure 5b When Figure 5a 5 is a graph of the voltage applied to the vibrator 510 when there is no diode 512 in the cigarette cartridge 500-1. When the voltage is applied to the vibrator 510 by the driving circuit 500, it can be seen that the voltage level is not limited and the voltage rises to about 28V.

[0143] Figure 5c 5 is a graph of the voltage applied to the vibrator 510 when the diode 512 of the cartridge 500-1 operates. When the voltage level is limited to 20V by the diode 512, it can be confirmed that the voltage level applied to the vibrator 510 is generally maintained at about 20V or less.

[0144] Figure 6 A full-bridge mode driving circuit according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0145] Reference Figure 5a and Figure 5b The descriptions provided above also apply to reference Figure 6 The descriptions provided are omitted here for repetition.

[0146] Hereinafter, when two elements are "connectable", this refers to a configuration in which the elements can be connected to each other when a detachable part of an aerosol generating device containing one element (e.g., a cartridge) is coupled to another detachable part of an aerosol generating device containing another element (i.e., a body).

[0147] According to an exemplary embodiment, in order to provide a signal to the vibrator 610 (eg, Figure 2 The driving circuit 600 may include: a first electrical contact 611 connectable to a first end of the vibrator 610; and a second electrical contact 613 connectable to a second end of the vibrator 610; an inductor 620 (e.g., a coil) connected to the first electrical contact 611 (wherein the first end of the inductor 620 is connected to the first electrical contact 611); a first switch SW1 631 having a source terminal connected to the second end of the inductor 620; a second switch SW2 633 having a drain terminal connected to the second end of the inductor 620 (wherein the source terminal of the second switch 633 is connected to the ground); a third switch SW3 635 having a source terminal connected to the second electrical contact 613; a fourth switch SW4 637 having a drain terminal connected to the second electrical contact 613 (wherein the source terminal of the fourth switch 637 is connected to the ground); and a first power source V1 configured to provide a voltage to the drain terminal of the first switch 631 and the drain terminal of the third switch 635. 601; a second power source V2 603 configured to provide a voltage to a gate terminal of the first switch 631 and a gate terminal of the fourth switch 637, and a third power source V3 605 configured to provide a voltage to a gate terminal of the second switch 633 and a gate terminal of the third switch 635. For example, the first switch 631, the second switch 633, the third switch 635 and the fourth switch 637 may be FET-based switches, respectively.

[0148] According to an exemplary embodiment, the vibrator 610 may be included in the cartridge. When the cartridge is mechanically coupled to the body, the vibrator 610 may be electrically connected to the first electrical contact point 611 and the second electrical contact point 613 of the drive circuit 600. When the first electrical contact point 611 and the second electrical contact point 613 are connected through the vibrator 610, the controller 214 may recognize the coupling of the vibrator 610 and supply power to the vibrator 610 through the drive circuit 600.

[0149] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first power source 601 may provide a DC voltage to the drain terminal of the first switch 631 and the drain terminal of the third switch 635. For example, the DC voltage may be less than or equal to 15V (eg, 10V), but is not limited thereto.

[0150] According to an exemplary embodiment, the second power supply 603 may provide a first alternating AC voltage to the gate terminal of the first switch 631 and the gate terminal of the fourth switch 637, and the third power supply 605 may provide a second alternating AC voltage to the gate terminal of the second switch 633 and the gate terminal of the third switch 635. For example, the peak values ​​of the first alternating AC voltage and the peak values ​​of the second alternating AC voltage may be less than or equal to 4V, respectively, but are not limited thereto.

[0151] According to an exemplary embodiment, the second power supply 603 and the third power supply 605 may operate alternately. That is, the second power supply 603 and the third power supply 605 do not operate simultaneously. The voltage between the first and second ends of the vibrator 610 provided by the driving circuit 600 may be greater than or equal to 100V, but is not limited thereto.

[0152] When the driving circuit 600 is used, a high voltage for vibrating the vibrator 610 can be applied based on a lower switch input voltage (eg, 10 V) compared to a driving circuit of a boost converter type in which a higher voltage (eg, 17 V) is applied to the switch.

[0153] Since the voltage applied to the switch of the driving circuit 600 is a voltage directly applied to the drain of the switch (e.g., 10V), it is not necessary to apply a switch capable of withstanding a high voltage. Therefore, a switch having a low on-resistance (Rds(on)) can be applied to the driving circuit 600, thereby solving problems such as overheating.

[0154] The driving circuit 600 may further include a diode D 612 connected to the first electrical contact point 611 and the second electrical contact point 613, whereby the diode D 612 is connected in parallel with the vibrator 610. The diode D 612 may perform the same function as described above with reference to FIG. Figure 5a to Figure 5c The diode D 512 of the aerosol generating device described has the same function.

[0155] Figure 7 A driving circuit capable of switching between a full-bridge mode and a half-bridge mode according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0156] According to an exemplary embodiment, in the above reference Figure 5aCompared with the drive circuit 500 described above, the drive circuit 700 may further include a fifth switch 738 connected to the second electrical contact 713; and a sixth switch 739 disposed between the drain terminal of the third switch 735 and the first power supply 701 (wherein the source terminal of the sixth switch 739 is connected to the drain terminal of the third switch 735, and the drain terminal of the sixth switch 739 is connected to the first power supply 701). For example, the first control signal provided to the gate terminal of the fifth switch 738 and the second control signal provided to the gate terminal of the sixth switch 739 may be different from each other, and the first control signal and the second control signal may be provided by the controller 214. When the first control signal is low and the second control signal is high, the drive circuit 700 may operate in a full-bridge mode. Conversely, when the first control signal is high and the second control signal is low, the drive circuit 700 may operate in a half-bridge mode. Figure 8 An equivalent circuit 800 of the driver circuit 700 operating in half-bridge mode is shown.

[0157] The driving circuit 700 may further include a diode D 712 connected to the first electrical contact point 711 and the second electrical contact point 713, whereby the diode D 712 is connected in parallel with the vibrator 710. The diode D 712 may perform the same function as described above. Figure 5a to Figure 5c The operation of the diode D 512 of the aerosol generating device is the same as described in FIG.

[0158] Figure 8 An equivalent circuit of a driving circuit operating in half-bridge mode according to an exemplary embodiment is shown.

[0159] According to an exemplary embodiment, when the second power source 703 and the third power source 705 operate alternately, the direction of the current flowing through the vibrator 710 may also be changed.

[0160] Compared with the full-bridge mode, in the half-bridge mode, the maximum voltage applied to the vibrator 710 can be reduced, and the total power consumption of the driving circuit 700 can also be reduced. Therefore, the half-bridge mode can be used when the aerosol generating device 200 needs to generate a relatively small amount of aerosol.

[0161] The driving circuit 800 may further include a diode D 712 connected to the first electrical contact point 711 and the second electrical contact point 713 so that the diode D 712 is connected in parallel with the vibrator 710. The diode D 712 may perform the same function as described above. Figure 5a to Figure 5c The operation of the diode D 512 of the aerosol generating device is the same as described in FIG.

[0162] The exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by hardware components, software components, and / or a combination of hardware components and software components. One or more general-purpose computers or special-purpose computers can be used to implement processing devices, such as, for example, processors, controllers, arithmetic logic units (arithmetic logic units, ALU), digital signal processors (digital signal processors), microcomputers, field programmable gate arrays (field programmable gate arrays, FPGA), programmable logic units (programmable logic units, PLU), microprocessors, or any other device that can respond and execute instructions in a limited manner. The processing device can run an operating system (OS) and one or more application software running on the operating system. The processing device can also access, store, operate, process and generate data in response to the execution of the software. For simplicity, it is described that there is only one processing device, but it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the processing device can include multiple processing elements (processing element) and multiple types of processing elements. For example, the processing device can include multiple processors or a processor and a controller. In addition, other processing configurations (processing configurations) such as parallel processors (parallel processors) can also be included.

[0163] Software may include a computer program, code, instruction, or a combination of one or more of the above to cause a processing device to operate in a desired manner, or to command a processing device independently or collectively. Software and / or data can be interpreted by a processing device or provide commands or data to a processing device, and the software and / or data can be permanently or temporarily embodied in any type of machine, component, physical device, virtual device, computer storage medium or device, or transmitted signal wave. Software can also be distributed on computer systems connected by a network so that the software is stored or executed in a distributed manner. Software and data can be stored in one or more non-transitory computer-readable recording media.

[0164] The method according to the exemplary embodiment as described above can be recorded in a non-transient computer-readable medium, which includes program instructions to implement various operations of the exemplary embodiment as described above. The medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. in a separate or combined form. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be instructions specially designed and constructed for the purpose of implementing the exemplary embodiment, or the program instructions may be instructions known and available to ordinary technicians in the field of computer software. Examples of non-transient computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and tapes; optical media such as CD-ROM discs and / or DVDs; magneto-optical media such as optical discs, and hardware devices, which are specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language codes generated by, for example, compilers, but also files containing high-level language codes that can be executed by computers using interpreters.

[0165] To perform the operations of the above examples, the hardware devices described above may be configured to function as one or more software modules, or vice versa.

[0166] Although the present disclosure includes specific examples, it is apparent from an understanding of the disclosure of the present application that various changes in form or detail may be made to these examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims and their equivalents. The examples described herein should be considered descriptive only and not for limiting purposes. The description of features or aspects in each example may be considered applicable to similar features or aspects in other examples. Suitable results can be achieved in the following cases: the described techniques are performed in different orders, and / or the components in the described systems, structures, devices, or circuits are combined in different forms, or replaced or substituted by other components or equivalents in the described systems, structures, devices, or circuits.

[0167] Therefore, the scope of the disclosure may be defined by the claims and their equivalents in addition to the above disclosure, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are to be construed as being included in the disclosure.

Claims

1. A driving circuit of an electronic device, comprising: a first electrical contact point and a second electrical contact point, wherein the first electrical contact point can be connected to a first end of the cigarette cartridge, and the second electrical contact point can be connected to a second end of the cigarette cartridge; a switch having a drain terminal and a source terminal, the drain terminal being connected to the first electrical contact point and the source terminal being connected to a ground; a first power source configured to provide a voltage to a gate terminal of the switch; a second power supply configured to provide a voltage to the drain terminal of the switch; as well as A diode is connected between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point, so that the diode is connected in parallel with the vibrator in the cigarette cartridge.

2. The driving circuit according to claim 1, further comprising: an inductor connected between the first electrical contact point and the second power source; as well as A first resistor is connected between the gate terminal of the switch and the ground.

3. The driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The first power supply is configured to provide an alternating current (AC) voltage to the gate terminal of the switch.

4. The driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The second power supply is configured to provide a direct current (DC) voltage to the drain terminal of the switch and the first terminal of the vibrator.

5. An electronic cigarette, comprising the driving circuit according to claim 1.

6. The driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein: The diodes include at least one zener diode configured to limit a voltage level applied to the vibrator.

7. The driving circuit according to claim 6, wherein: At least one of the Zener diodes includes a plurality of Zener diodes connected in parallel or in series.

8. An electronic device comprising: A driving circuit, wherein the driving circuit is configured to: drive a vibrator included in the cigarette cartridge when the cigarette cartridge is connected to the electronic device; as well as a controller configured to control the operation of the drive circuit, Wherein, the driving circuit comprises: a first electrical contact point and a second electrical contact point, wherein the first electrical contact point can be connected to a first end of the cigarette cartridge, and the second electrical contact point can be connected to a second end of the cigarette cartridge; a switch having a drain terminal and a source terminal, the drain terminal being connected to the first electrical contact point and the source terminal being connected to a ground; a first power source configured to provide a voltage to a gate terminal of the switch; a second power supply configured to provide a voltage to the drain terminal of the switch; and A diode is connected between the first electrical contact point and the second electrical contact point such that the diode is connected in parallel with the vibrator.

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