Aerosol-generating device and aerosol-generating system comprising aerosol-generating device

Abstract

An aerosol-generating system includes an aerosol-generating article and an aerosol-generating device configured to heat the aerosol-generating article inserted in a containment space of the aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating article comprises a first susceptor disposed in a first portion and a second susceptor disposed in a second portion different from the first portion, and the aerosol generating device includes a first coil disposed in a first region of the accommodation space, a second coil disposed in a second region of the accommodation space different from the first region, and a controller configured to control power supplied to the first coil and the second coil.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating system including the aerosol generating device. Background Art

[0002] Recently, the demand for alternative methods for overcoming the disadvantages of ordinary cigarettes has increased. For example, there is an increasing demand for systems that generate aerosol by heating a cigarette or an aerosol generating material using an aerosol generating device rather than by burning the cigarette. Summary of the invention

[0003] Technical issues As aerosol generating devices are increasingly used, the demand for customizing the aerosol volume and flavor of cigarettes has increased.

[0004] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may disclose customizing the amount of atomization and the flavor of a cigarette to meet user preferences by independently controlling the temperature of a first portion and a second portion of an aerosol-generating article.

[0005] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may detect the insertion of an aerosol-generating article by using an induction coil without providing a separate sensor for detecting the insertion of the aerosol-generating article.

[0006] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol generating device that can accurately measure the temperature of a heater in a non-contact manner.

[0007] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the above description, and other technical problems may be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the embodiments described below.

[0008] Technical Solution According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol generating system includes an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating device is configured to heat the aerosol generating article inserted into a receiving space of the aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating article includes a first receptor arranged in a first part and a second receptor arranged in a second part different from the first part, and the aerosol generating device includes a first coil arranged in a first area of ​​the receiving space, a second coil arranged in a second area of ​​the receiving space, and a controller configured to control power supplied to the first coil and the second coil, wherein the second area is different from the first area, the average thickness of the first receptor is greater than the average thickness of the second receptor, and the controller is further configured to drive the first coil within a first frequency range in a first time period and drive the second coil within a second frequency range in a second time period, and the lower limit of the second frequency range is greater than the upper limit of the first frequency range.

[0009] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an aerosol generating device includes: a containing space for containing an aerosol generating product; a first receptor arranged in a first area of ​​the containing space; a second receptor arranged in a second area of ​​the containing space that is different from the first area; a first coil wound on an outer surface of the first area of ​​the containing space; a second coil wound on an outer surface of the second area of ​​the containing space; and a controller configured to control power supplied to the first coil and the second coil, wherein an average thickness of the first receptor is greater than an average thickness of the second receptor, and the controller is further configured to drive the first coil within a first frequency range in a first time period and drive the second coil within a second frequency range in a second time period, and a lower limit of the second frequency range is higher than an upper limit of the first frequency range.

[0010] Beneficial Effects Various embodiments of the present disclosure may disclose customizing the amount of atomization and the flavor of a cigarette to meet user preferences by independently controlling the temperature of a first portion and a second portion of an aerosol-generating article.

[0011] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may detect the insertion of an aerosol-generating article by using an induction coil, without using a separate sensor for detecting the insertion of the aerosol-generating article.

[0012] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may accurately measure the temperature of a heater in a non-contact manner.

[0013] However, the effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and unmentioned effects can be clearly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

[0015] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an aerosol-generating article according to one embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing components of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing components of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing thicknesses of a first susceptor and a second susceptor according to one embodiment.

[0019] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating a control period of a first coil and a second coil according to one embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating a control period of a first coil and a second coil according to another embodiment.

[0021] Figure 8 The first to fourth periods of time are used to drive Figure 7 The range of driving frequencies of the first coil and the second coil.

[0022] Fig. 9 The frequency response of the first coil according to one embodiment is shown.

[0023] Fig.10 The frequency response of the second coil as a function of temperature variation of the first susceptor is shown according to one embodiment.

[0024] Fig.11 The frequency response of the second coil according to one embodiment is shown as a function of the temperature of the first susceptor.

[0025] Fig.12 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

[0026] Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention According to an embodiment, an aerosol generating system includes an aerosol generating article and an aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating device is configured to heat the aerosol generating article inserted into a receiving space of the aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating article includes a first receptor arranged in a first part and a second receptor arranged in a second part different from the first part, and the aerosol generating device includes a first coil arranged in a first area of ​​the receiving space, a second coil arranged in a second area of ​​the receiving space, and a controller configured to control power supplied to the first coil and the second coil, wherein the second area is different from the first area, the average thickness of the first receptor is greater than the average thickness of the second receptor, and the controller is further configured to drive the first coil within a first frequency range in a first time period and drive the second coil within a second frequency range in a second time period, and a lower limit of the second frequency range is greater than an upper limit of the first frequency range.

[0027] According to an embodiment, an aerosol generating device includes: a containing space for containing an aerosol generating product; a first receptor arranged in a first area of ​​the containing space; a second receptor arranged in a second area of ​​the containing space different from the first area; a first coil wound on an outer surface of the first area of ​​the containing space; a second coil wound on an outer surface of the second area of ​​the containing space; and a controller configured to control power supplied to the first coil and the second coil, wherein an average thickness of the first receptor is greater than an average thickness of the second receptor, and the controller is further configured to drive the first coil within a first frequency range in a first time period and drive the second coil within a second frequency range in a second time period, and a lower limit of the second frequency range is higher than an upper limit of the first frequency range.

[0028] The minimum thickness of the first susceptor may be greater than the maximum thickness of the second susceptor.

[0029] The first susceptor and the second susceptor may be formed in the shape of thin films, respectively.

[0030] The first time period may not overlap with the second time period.

[0031] The controller may detect a change in inductance through the first coil in a third period that does not overlap with the first period, or may detect a change in inductance through the second coil in a fourth period that does not overlap with the second period.

[0032] The controller may determine whether the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the receiving space based on the change in inductance.

[0033] The first period may not overlap with the second period, and at least a portion of the second period may overlap with at least a portion of the third period, or at least a portion of the first period may overlap with the fourth period.

[0034] The controller may scan the driving frequency of the first coil within a third frequency range in a third time period that does not overlap with the first time period, detect a change in the resonant frequency of the first coil based on the scanning result of the driving frequency of the first coil, scan the driving frequency of the second coil within a fourth frequency range in a fourth time period that does not overlap with the second time period, and detect a change in the resonant frequency of the second coil based on the scanning result of the driving frequency of the second coil.

[0035] The controller may calculate the temperatures of the first susceptor and the second susceptor based on the change in the resonant frequency.

[0036] An upper limit of the third frequency range may be lower than a lower limit of the first frequency range, and a lower limit of the fourth frequency range may be higher than an upper limit of the second frequency range. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Regarding the terms used to describe various embodiments, currently widely used general terms are selected in consideration of the functions of the structural elements in various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the meaning of the terms may change according to intentions, judicial precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc.

[0038] In addition, in some cases, uncommon terms may be selected. In such cases, the meaning of the term will be described in detail at the corresponding part in the description of the present disclosure.

[0039] Therefore, the terms used in various embodiments of the present disclosure should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the description provided herein.

[0040] In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

[0041] In addition, the terms “…” and “module” described in the specification mean a unit for processing at least one function and operation, and can be implemented by a hardware component or a software component and a combination thereof.

[0042] As used herein, expressions such as “at least one of,” when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements and do not modify the individual elements of the list.

[0043] For example, the expression "at least one of a, b, and c" should be understood to include 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.

[0044] In an embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette contained in an internal space thereof.

[0045] The aerosol generating device may comprise a heater. In one embodiment, the heater may be a resistive heater. For example, the heater may comprise a conductive track, and the heater may be heated when an electric current flows through the conductive track.

[0046] The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate heating element, a needle heating element, or a rod heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the cigarette depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0047] The cigarette may include a tobacco gang and a filter rod. The tobacco gang may be formed from sheets, strands, and tiny fragments cut from tobacco sheets. In addition, the tobacco gang may be surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil such as aluminum foil.

[0048] The filter rod may include a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may include at least one segment. For example, the filter rod may include a first segment configured to cool the aerosol and a second segment configured to filter a certain component in the aerosol.

[0049] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol by using a cartridge containing an aerosol generating material.

[0050] The aerosol generating device may include a cartridge containing an aerosol generating material and a main body supporting the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the main body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be integrally formed or assembled with the main body, and may also be fixed to the main body so as not to be removed from the main body by the user. The cartridge may be mounted on the main body with the aerosol generating material contained therein. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The aerosol generating material may also be injected into the cartridge with the cartridge coupled to the main body.

[0051] The cartridge can contain an aerosol-generating material in any of various states (such as liquid, solid, gaseous, gel, etc.). The aerosol-generating material can include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition can be a liquid including a tobacco-containing material having a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid including a non-tobacco material.

[0052] The cartridge can be operated by an electrical signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body to perform the function of generating an aerosol by converting the phase of the aerosol generating material in the cartridge into a gas phase. Aerosol may refer to a gas in which vaporized particles generated by the aerosol generating material are mixed with air.

[0053] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device can generate an aerosol by heating a liquid composition, and the generated aerosol can be delivered to a user through a cigarette. That is, the aerosol generated by the liquid composition can move along an airflow channel of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow channel can be configured to allow the aerosol to be delivered to the user by passing through the cigarette.

[0054] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates aerosol from an aerosol generating material by using an ultrasonic vibration method. In this case, the ultrasonic vibration method may refer to a method of generating aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material using ultrasonic vibrations generated by a vibrator.

[0055] The aerosol generating device may include a vibrator, and the vibrator may generate short-period vibration to atomize the aerosol generating material. The vibration generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibration, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibration may be about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0056] The aerosol generating device may further comprise a core that absorbs the aerosol generating material.For example, the core may be arranged to wrap around or be in contact with at least one region of the vibrator.

[0057] When a voltage (e.g., AC voltage) is applied to the vibrator, heat and / or ultrasonic vibration may be generated from the vibrator, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator may be transferred to the aerosol generating material absorbed into the core. The aerosol generating material absorbed into the core may be converted into a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibration transferred from the vibrator, and thus, an aerosol may be generated.

[0058] For example, the viscosity of the aerosol generating material absorbed into the core may be reduced by heat generated from the vibrator, and the aerosol generating material whose viscosity is reduced due to ultrasonic vibration generated from the vibrator may be divided into fine particles, thereby generating aerosol, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0059] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating article contained in the aerosol generating device by induction heating.

[0060] The aerosol generating device may include a susceptor and a coil. In an embodiment, the coil may apply a magnetic field to the susceptor. When power is supplied to the coil from the aerosol generating device, a magnetic field may be formed inside the coil. In an embodiment, the susceptor may be a magnetic body that generates heat by an external magnetic field. When the susceptor is positioned inside the coil and a magnetic field is applied to the susceptor, the susceptor generates heat to heat the aerosol generating article. In addition, optionally, the susceptor may be positioned inside the aerosol generating article.

[0061] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further comprise a bracket.

[0062] The aerosol generating device may form a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may charge a battery of the aerosol generating device. Optionally, the heater may be heated when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are coupled to each other.

[0063] The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown so that one of ordinary skill in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. The present disclosure may be implemented in a form that can be implemented in the aerosol generating device of the various embodiments described above or may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0064] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0065] Reference Figure 1 , the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment may include a housing 100 , and the aerosol generating article 20 may be inserted into the housing 100 .

[0066] The housing 100 may constitute the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 10, and may include an internal space (or "arrangement space") in which components of the aerosol generating device 10 may be arranged. In the drawings, only an embodiment in which the cross section of the housing 100 is formed in a semicircular shape is shown, but the shape of the housing 100 is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment (not shown), the housing 100 may be formed as a whole in the form of a cylinder or a polygonal prism (e.g., a triangular prism or a square prism).

[0067] Components for generating aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 and components for detecting the amount of moisture of the aerosol-generating article 20 may be disposed inside the housing 100 , and a detailed description thereof will be provided later.

[0068] In an embodiment, the housing 100 may include a housing space 100h through which the aerosol generating article 20 may be inserted into the housing 100. At least a portion of the aerosol generating article 20 may be inserted into or accommodated in the housing 100 through the housing space 100h.

[0069] The aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 or accommodated in the housing 100 may be heated inside the housing 100, and thus, aerosol may be generated from the aerosol generating article 20. The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article 20 may be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 through the aerosol generating article 20 and / or the space between the aerosol generating article 20 and the accommodation space 100h, and the user may inhale the aerosol discharged to the outside.

[0070] The aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment may further include a display D that displays visual information.

[0071] The display D may be positioned such that at least one area thereof is exposed to the outside of the housing 100. For example, at least one area of ​​the display D may be exposed to the outside of the housing 100 through a cover glass of the housing 100, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0072] The aerosol generating device 10 may output various visual information through the display D, or may control the operations of components of the aerosol generating device 10 based on a user input input on the display D.

[0073] In an embodiment, the aerosol generating device 10 may output information such as preheating time or number of puffs about the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the accommodating space 100h through the display D. However, the information output through the display D is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0074] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device 10 may detect a user input entered on the display D and may control power supplied to a heater (not shown) that heats the inserted aerosol generating article 20 based on the user input, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating article according to an embodiment. Figure 2 The structure of the aerosol generating article 20 is schematically shown, and Figure 2 The aerosol generating article 20 may be inserted into Figure 1 An embodiment of an aerosol-generating article in an aerosol-generating device 10.

[0075] Reference Figure 2 According to an embodiment, the aerosol-generating article 20 may include a first part 21, a second part 22, a third part 23 and a fourth part 24.

[0076] Each of the first part 21, the second part 22, the third part 23 and the fourth part 24 may include an aerosol generating component, a tobacco component, a cooling element and a filter element. For example, the first part 21 may include an aerosol generating material, the second part 22 may include a tobacco material and a humectant, the third part 23 may cool the airflow passing through the first part 21 and / or the second part 22, and the fourth part 24 may include a filter material.

[0077] In an embodiment, the first portion 21, the second portion 22, the third portion 23, and the fourth portion 24 may be sequentially arranged in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 20. In the present disclosure, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 20 may be a direction in which the length of the aerosol-generating article 20 extends. The longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 20 may refer to, for example, a direction from the first portion 21 to the fourth portion 24.

[0078] The first portion 21 and / or the second portion 22 of the aerosol-generating article 20 may be formed by an aerosol-generating device (e.g., Figure 1The aerosol generating device 10 of the aerosol generating article 20 is heated to generate an aerosol. Because the first part 21, the second part 22, the third part 23, and the fourth part 24 are aligned based on the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating article 20, the aerosol generated in the first part 21 and the second part 22 can sequentially flow through the first part 21, the second part 22, the third part 23, and the fourth part 24 and form an airflow. Therefore, the user can put the mouth on the fourth part 24 and inhale the aerosol discharged from the fourth part 24.

[0079] The first part 21 may include an aerosol-generating component. In addition, the first part 21 may also include other additives, such as flavoring agents, wetting agents and / or organic acids, and may contain flavoring liquids, such as menthol or humectants. The aerosol-generating component may include, for example, at least one of glycerol, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. The aerosol-generating component is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the first part 21 may also include various types of aerosol-generating components according to the embodiment.

[0080] The first part 21 may include a rolled sheet, and the aerosol generating component may be included in the first part 21 by being impregnated in the rolled sheet. In addition, other additives such as flavoring agents, wetting agents and / or organic acids may be included in the first part 21 in a state of being absorbed into the rolled sheet.

[0081] The winding sheet may include at least one of, for example, paper, cellulose acetate, lyocell, and polylactic acid. For example, the winding sheet may be a paper sheet that does not generate odor due to heat even when heated to a high temperature, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0082] The second portion 22 may include tobacco ingredients. The tobacco ingredients may include tobacco materials of a particular type. For example, the tobacco ingredients may include tobacco shred type, tobacco particle (tobacco particle) type, tobacco sheet type, tobacco bead type, tobacco particle (tobacco granule) type, tobacco powder type or tobacco extract type. In addition, the tobacco material may include at least one type such as from tobacco leaf, the side vein of tobacco leaf, snuff (puff tobacco), cut tobacco shreds, tobacco sheet and reconfigured tobacco.

[0083] The third part 23 may cool the airflow passing through the first part 21. The third part 23 may be made of a polymer material or a biodegradable polymer material, and may have a cooling function. For example, the third part 23 may be made of polylactic acid (PLA) fiber, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the third part 23 may be made of a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes. However, the third part 23 is not limited to the above examples, and may include any material that can cool the aerosol without limitation. For example, the third part 23 may include a tubular filter or a paper tube including a cavity.

[0084] The third portion 23 may include a tubular structure including a cavity, and an inner surface of the cavity may be coated with at least one type of material selected from the group consisting of PLA and a flavoring material.

[0085] PLA is coated on the inner surface of the cavity and causes a phase change, and can effectively cool the aerosol. For example, PLA can cause a phase change, such as fusion or glass transition that absorbs thermal energy. The thermal energy of the aerosol flowing through the inner surface of the cavity can be used for the phase change of PLA, and therefore, the temperature of the aerosol can be effectively reduced.

[0086] The flavoring material coated on the inner surface of the cavity can add a scent to the aerosol flowing through the inner surface of the cavity. The flavoring material can refer to a material used to add a specific scent. For example, the flavoring material can include vegetable spices such as cinnamon, sage, herbs, chamomile, winter hay, lavender, bergamot, lemon, orange, cinnamon, jasmine, ginger, vanilla, spearmint, peppermint, albizzia, coffee, celery, sandalwood, cocoa, etc.

[0087] As another example, the flavoring material may include animal flavors such as musk, ambergris, civet, castoreum, and the like.

[0088] As another example, the flavoring material may include alcohol-based compounds such as menthol, geraniol, linalool, anethole, eugenol, etc. In addition, the flavoring material may include aldehyde compounds such as vanillin, benzaldehyde, anisaldehyde, etc. In addition, the flavoring material may include ester-based compounds such as isoamyl acetate, linalyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, linalyl butyrate, etc. Preferably, the flavoring material may include menthol.

[0089] The fourth portion 24 may include a filter material. For example, the fourth portion 24 may be a cellulose acetate filter. The shape of the fourth portion 24 is not limited. For example, the fourth portion 24 may be a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod including a hollow portion therein. In addition, the fourth portion 24 may be a concave rod. If the fourth portion 24 includes a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may also have a different shape.

[0090] The fourth portion 24 may be formed to generate a flavor. For example, a liquid flavoring material may be injected into the fourth portion 24, or additional fibers impregnated with a flavoring material may be inserted into the fourth portion 24. For example, the additional fibers impregnated with a flavoring material may be arranged in the fourth portion 24 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating article 20. The additional fibers impregnated with a flavoring material may be formed by using materials such as cellulose acetate, cotton, PLA, etc., but are not limited thereto. In addition, with respect to the additional fibers impregnated with a flavoring material, the amount of the impregnated flavoring material may be controlled by adjusting the thickness of the fibers, the number of strands of the fibers, etc.

[0091] In addition, the fourth part 24 may include at least one capsule. For example, the capsule may include a flavoring material, and when the capsule is broken, a flavor may be generated due to the leaked flavoring material. As another example, the capsule may include an aerosol generating material, and when the capsule is broken, an aerosol may be generated from the leaked material. The capsule may have a structure in which the aerosol generating material is wrapped by a film. The capsule may have a spherical shape or a cylindrical shape, but is not limited thereto.

[0092] The aerosol-generating article 20 according to the embodiment may further include a wrapper 25 wrapping at least a portion of the first to fourth portions 21 to 24 and a thermally conductive film 26 .

[0093] The wrapper 25 may be located at the outermost end of the aerosol generating article 20, and may wrap at least a portion of the first to fourth portions 21 to 24 or all of the first to fourth portions 21 to 24, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. In addition, the wrapper 25 may be a single wrapper, but may also be a combination of multiple wrappers according to the embodiment.

[0094] When the thermally conductive film 26 is inserted into an aerosol generating device (e.g., Figure 1 When the aerosol generating device 10 is used as an aerosol generating device, the heat conductive film 26 may be located at a position corresponding to the heater to evenly distribute the heat generated by the heater to the first part 21 and / or the second part 22.

[0095] In an embodiment, the thermally conductive film 26 may include a material having excellent thermal conductivity, and may be positioned to wrap the first portion 21 and / or the second portion 22 heated by the heater of the aerosol generating device to uniformly distribute heat generated from the heater to the first portion 21 and / or the second portion 22. For example, the thermally conductive film 26 may include at least one of aluminum, platinum, and ruthenium having excellent thermal conductivity, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0096] In an embodiment, the size, shape, material, etc. of the thermally conductive film 26 may vary according to the type of the aerosol generating article 20. Therefore, the aerosol generating device may detect the type of the aerosol generating article 20 and / or the movement of the aerosol generating article 20 based on the change in electrical characteristics inside the aerosol generating device due to the thermally conductive film 26 of the aerosol generating article 20, and the details thereof will be described later.

[0097] According to one embodiment, the thermally conductive film 26 can directly generate heat through the alternating magnetic field generated by the induction coil. In other words, the thermally conductive film 26 can be used as a susceptor for induction heating by the induction coil.

[0098] The thermally conductive film 26 may include a first susceptor 261 disposed in the first portion and a second susceptor 262 disposed in the second portion. The first susceptor 261 may be separated from the second susceptor 262 by a certain distance. The heating of the first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262 may be independently controlled, and thus, the temperature of the first portion and the second portion of the aerosol generating article may be independently controlled. Thus, the user may customize the amount of atomization and the flavor of the cigarette to meet the user's preferences.

[0099] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing components of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0100] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 1 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol generating device 10 taken along line AA' and showing some components in the housing 100. In addition, the Figure 3 The aerosol generating article 20 in the aerosol generating device 10 may be Figure 2 The aerosol generating article 20 is described below, and its redundant description is omitted below.

[0101] Reference Figure 3 According to an embodiment of the aerosol generating device 10 (eg, Figure 1 The aerosol generating device 10 may include a housing 100 (eg, Figure 1 The aerosol generating device 10 includes a housing 100, a heater, a controller 120, a battery 130, and a sensor 140. The components of the aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment are not limited thereto, and at least one component may be added to the aerosol generating device 10 or at least one component may be omitted from the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment.

[0102] The housing 100 may include an internal space in which components of the aerosol generating device 10 may be placed. For example, a heater, a controller 120, a battery 130, and a sensor 140 may be located in the internal space of the housing 100, but the components in the internal space are not limited to the above embodiments.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the housing 100 may include a housing space 100h, and the aerosol generating article 20 may be inserted into the housing space 100h or the aerosol generating article 20 may be accommodated in the housing space 100h. For example, at least a portion of the aerosol generating article 20 may be inserted into the housing 100, or may be accommodated inside the housing 100 through the housing space 100h.

[0104] The heater may be located in the inner space of the housing 100, and may generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 or accommodated inside the housing 100. For example, the heater may generate heat when power is supplied to the heater from the battery 130, and may heat at least a portion of the aerosol-generating article 20. Vaporized particles generated when the aerosol-generating article 20 is heated may be mixed with air introduced into the housing 100 to generate an aerosol.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the heater may include an induction heating type heater. For example, the heater may include an induction coil that generates an alternating magnetic field when power is supplied, and a susceptor that generates heat by the alternating magnetic field generated by the induction coil. According to one embodiment, the heater may include at least two heaters to independently control the heating of two different areas of the accommodating space 100h into which the aerosol generating article is inserted.

[0106] The induction coil may include a first coil 111 and a second coil 112. The first coil 111 may be located in a first region of the accommodation space 100h, and the second coil 112 may be located in a second region of the accommodation space 100h that is different from the first region of the accommodation space 100h. The first region of the accommodation space 100h is adjacent to a first portion of the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the accommodation space 100h, and the second region of the accommodation space 100h may be adjacent to a second portion of the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the accommodation space 100h. The controller may supply independent alternating currents to the first coil 111 and the second coil 112. The controller may independently control the alternating currents supplied to the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 so that the first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262 may be independently controlled for heating. That is, the temperatures of the first portion and the second portion of the aerosol generating article 20 may be independently controlled, and thus, the user may customize the amount of atomization and the taste of the cigarette to meet the user's preference.

[0107] In one embodiment, the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 may surround the outer peripheral surface of the first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262, respectively, and the first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262 may respectively surround at least a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the housing 100 or accommodated in the housing 100. For example, the first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262 may surround a portion of the aerosol generating material (e.g., Figure 2 The first part 21) and / or the part including tobacco material (e.g. Figure 2 At least a portion of the second portion 22) in, but not limited to this.

[0108] The controller 120 may control all operations of the aerosol generating device 10. In one example, the controller 120 may be electrically or operably connected to the heater and the battery 130 to control the power supplied from the battery 130 to the heater.

[0109] In the present disclosure, the expression “operably connected” may mean a state in which components are connected through wireless communication to exchange signals or exchange optical signals and / or magnetic signals, etc., and the expression may be used with the same meaning below.

[0110] The battery 130 may supply power required for the operation of the aerosol generating device 10. For example, the battery 130 may supply power to a heater to heat the aerosol generating article 20. In another example, the battery 130 may also supply power required for the operation of the controller 120.

[0111] In one embodiment, the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 may be used to detect whether the aerosol-generating article 20 is inserted into the accommodating space 100h.

[0112] In one embodiment, the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 may be used to detect the temperature of the first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262. Specifically, the temperature of the first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262 may be calculated by the change in the resonant frequency of the first coil 111 and the second coil 112. The resistance value of the first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262 changes according to the temperature, and accordingly, the impedance value observed from the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 changes. When the impedance value observed from the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 changes, the resonant frequency of the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 also changes, and therefore, the temperature of the first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262 may be inferred from the change in the resonant frequency of the first coil 111 and the second coil 112.

[0113] In one embodiment, the controller 120 may determine whether the aerosol-generating article 20 is inserted into the accommodation space 100 h through the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 .

[0114] Since the aerosol-generating article 20 includes a thermally conductive film 26 (e.g., Figure 2 The thermally conductive film 26 of the storage space 100h is provided, so when the aerosol-generating article 20 is inserted into the storage space 100h, the electrical characteristics in the storage space 100h may change. Therefore, the controller 120 may detect the change of the electrical characteristics in the storage space 100h through the first coil 111 and the second coil 112, and determine whether the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the storage space 100h based on the detection result. For example, the controller 120 may detect the change of inductance in the storage space 100h through the first coil 111 and the second coil 112, and determine whether the aerosol-generating article 20 is inserted into the storage space 100h based on the detection result.

[0115] In one embodiment, the controller 120 may calculate the temperatures of the first and second susceptors 261 and 262 by detecting changes in the resonant frequencies of the first and second coils 111 and 112 .

[0116] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing components of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

[0117] and Figure 3 The embodiments are different. Figure 4 In the embodiment of the present invention, the first susceptor 101 and the second susceptor 102 are arranged in the accommodating space 100h of the aerosol generating device.

[0118] Specifically, the first susceptor 101 is arranged in a first area of ​​the accommodation space 100h, and the second susceptor 102 is arranged in a second area of ​​the accommodation space 100h that is different from the first area. The first area of ​​the accommodation space 100h is adjacent to a first portion of the aerosol-generating article 20 inserted into the accommodation space 100h, and the second area of ​​the accommodation space 100h is adjacent to a second portion of the aerosol-generating article 20 inserted into the accommodation space 100h.

[0119] The first coil 111 may be wound on an outer surface of a first region of the accommodation space 100 h , and the second coil 112 may be wound on an outer surface of a second region of the accommodation space 100 h .

[0120] exist Figure 4 In the embodiment of the present invention, the first susceptor 101 and the second susceptor 102 may be located in the accommodation space 100h, and therefore, the thermally conductive film 26 may be omitted from the aerosol generating article 20 (see Figure 2 ). However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and although Figure 4 Omitted, but the aerosol generating article 20 may include a thermally conductive film 26 (see Figure 2 ). The thermally conductive film may include a metal material having excellent thermal conductivity and may be directly heated by the first coil 111 and the second coil 112. In addition, the thermally conductive film may uniformly transfer the heat generated by the susceptor to the first portion and the second portion of the aerosol generating article 20.

[0121] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing thicknesses of a first susceptor and a second susceptor according to one embodiment.

[0122] Figure 5 The first sensor 501 and the second sensor 502 shown in the figure may correspond to the sensors included in Figure 2 and Figure 3 The first susceptor 261 and the second susceptor 262 in the aerosol-generating article shown in FIG. 1 , or correspond to the first susceptor 101 and the second susceptor 102 included in the aerosol-generating device, respectively.

[0123] Reference Figures 2 to 4 , the aerosol generating device of the present disclosure generates aerosol by heating the aerosol generating article 20 using an induction heating method. In order to customize the atomization amount and the taste of the cigarette to meet the user's preference, it is preferred to independently heat and control the temperature of the first part 21 and the second part 22 of the aerosol generating article 20. However, the embodiment of the present disclosure adopts the induction heating method, and the first part 21 is electromagnetically coupled to the second part 22, and therefore, it is difficult to independently control the heating of the first part 21 and the second part 22.

[0124] Reference Figure 3 , a heater for heating an aerosol-generating article 20 inserted into an aerosol-generating device 10 includes a first heater and a second heater. The first heater includes a first susceptor 261 included in the aerosol-generating article 20 and a first coil 111 included in the aerosol-generating device 10, and the second heater includes a second susceptor 262 included in the aerosol-generating article 20 and a second coil 112 included in the aerosol-generating device 10.

[0125] In order to independently control the heating of the first heater and the heating of the second heater, preferably, the magnetic field generated by the first coil 111 affects only the first susceptor 261, and the magnetic field generated by the second coil 112 affects only the second susceptor 262. However, the first coil 111 may be adjacent to the second coil 112, and the first susceptor 261 may also be adjacent to the second susceptor 262. Therefore, the magnetic field generated by the first coil 111 affects not only the first susceptor 261 but also the second susceptor 262. Likewise, the magnetic field generated by the second coil 112 affects not only the second susceptor 262 but also the first susceptor 261.

[0126] In order to solve this problem, in the present disclosure, heating by the first heater and heating by the second heater may be controlled independently of each other by utilizing the fact that the skin effect of the induced current has frequency-dependent characteristics.

[0127] The induction heating method uses the skin effect caused by the induced current, and when a high-frequency current is applied to the coil, a high-frequency magnetic flux is formed that vertically penetrates the surface of the susceptor. An induced current is induced on the outer peripheral surface of the susceptor by the high-frequency magnetic flux, and the susceptor is heated by Joule heat generated by the resistance of the susceptor. The induced current increases toward the outer peripheral surface of the conductive material and decreases exponentially toward the inner portion, which is the skin effect of the induced current.

[0128] The current penetration depth P is an important indicator of the depth from the peripheral surface of the susceptor that can be heated by the induced current. The current penetration depth P is defined as the distance at which the intensity (magnitude) of the induced current decays to 1 / e (0.368) of the intensity of the induced current on the peripheral surface, and is represented by the following equation 1.

[0129] Equation 1

[0130] (f: frequency, μ: magnetic permeability, σ: electrical conductivity) From the above equation 1, it can be seen that the current penetration depth P decreases as the frequency f increases, and increases as the frequency f decreases.

[0131] By making the thickness of the first susceptor 261 different from the thickness of the second susceptor 262 and setting the frequency of the AC current supplied to the first coil 111 to be different from the frequency of the AC current of the second coil 112, heating of the first heater and heating of the second heater can be controlled independently of each other.

[0132] Specifically, Figure 5As shown in FIG. 1 , the average thickness of the first susceptor 261 is configured to be greater than the average thickness of the second susceptor 262, and the frequency of the alternating current supplied to the first coil 111 is set to be lower than the frequency of the alternating current supplied to the second coil 112. However, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto, and are not limited to the embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 For example, the average thickness of the first susceptor 261 may be configured to be smaller than the average thickness of the second susceptor 262 and the frequency of the AC current supplied to the first coil 111 may be set to be higher than the frequency of the AC current supplied to the second coil 112.

[0133] The frequency of the alternating current supplied to the first coil 111 is relatively low, and therefore, its penetration depth is large. Therefore, the induced current of the first coil 111 is less induced in the second susceptor 262 having a relatively thin average thickness. As a result, the induced current induced from the first coil 111 to the second susceptor 262 is small, and accordingly, the second susceptor 262 is not sufficiently heated.

[0134] In contrast, the frequency of the alternating current supplied to the second coil 112 is relatively high, and therefore, the penetration depth is small. Therefore, the induced current induced from the second coil 112 to the first susceptor 261 does not flow through the entire first susceptor 261 having a relatively large average thickness, and is concentrated on the surface which is a part of the first susceptor 261. Since the thickness of the first susceptor 261 is greater than the penetration depth, the resistance of the first susceptor 261 is relatively small. As a result, the induced current induced from the second coil 112 cannot sufficiently heat the first susceptor 261 due to the low resistance of the first susceptor 261.

[0135] The first coil 111 and the second coil 112 may be driven by a current of a single frequency, but may also be driven within a specific frequency range. In this case, in order to greatly reduce the mutual influence of the first heater and the second heater, it is preferred that the lower limit of the second frequency range for driving the second coil 112 is set to be greater than the upper limit of the first frequency range for driving the first coil 111.

[0136] like Figure 5 As shown in , the thickness of the first susceptor 501 and the thickness of the second susceptor 502 may not be constant. In order to greatly reduce the mutual influence of the first heater and the second heater, preferably, the minimum thickness t1_min of the first susceptor 501 is greater than the maximum thickness t2_max of the second susceptor 502.

[0137] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the thickness of the first susceptor 501 is different from the thickness of the second susceptor 502, and the frequency of the alternating current supplied to the first coil 111 is different from the frequency of the alternating current supplied to the second coil 112, and therefore, the heating of the first heater and the heating of the second heater can be controlled independently of each other.

[0138] Therefore, the aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment can independently control the temperature of the first and second parts of the aerosol generating article 20 inserted into the aerosol generating device 10, and thus, the user can customize the atomization amount and the taste of the cigarette to meet the user's preference.

[0139] Figure 6 : is a view showing a control cycle of a first coil and a second coil according to one embodiment.

[0140] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 6 , the first coil 111 is positioned close to the second coil 112, and therefore, mutual induction may exist. When mutual induction exists, heating control of the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 may be unstable due to the influence of the mutual induction.

[0141] In order to remove the influence of the mutual inductance between the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 , the present disclosure provides a method of heating and driving the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 by a time division method.

[0142] The controller 120 may drive the first coil 111 within a first frequency range in a first period, and may drive the second coil 112 within a second frequency range in a second period. The first period may be a heating period for the first coil 111, and the second period may be a heating period for the second coil 112. Figure 6 As shown in , the first period does not overlap with the second period, and thus, the first coil 111 can be heated and driven by being separated in time from the second coil 112 .

[0143] like Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment, a blank period may be inserted between the first period and the second period. Similarly, a blank period may be inserted between the second period and the second period. The controller 120 may detect the inductance change during a portion of the blank period or may use the blank period as a detection period for detecting the impedance change. Figure 7 A detailed description thereof is given.

[0144] Figure 7 is a view showing a control period of a first coil and a second coil according to another embodiment.

[0145] Reference Figure 3 to Figure 4 and Figure 7 , the controller 120 may drive the first coil 111 in the first period and a third period not overlapping with the first period. In addition, the controller 120 may drive the second coil 112 in the second period and a fourth period not overlapping with the second period.

[0146] Here, the first period is a period during which an alternating current in a first frequency range is supplied to the first coil 111, and the second period is a period during which an alternating current in a second frequency range is supplied to the second coil 112. In other words, the first period is a heating period during which the first coil 111 inductively heats the first susceptor, and the second period is a heating period during which the second coil 112 inductively heats the second susceptor.

[0147] The third period is a detection period during which the controller 120 detects an inductance change or an impedance change through the first coil 111. The fourth period is a detection period during which the controller 120 detects an inductance change or an impedance change through the second coil 112. The controller 120 may determine whether the aerosol generating article 20 is inserted into the accommodation space of the aerosol generating device 10 based on the inductance change detected in the third period or the fourth period. In addition, the controller 120 may calculate the temperatures of the first susceptor and the second susceptor based on the impedance changes detected in the third period and the fourth period.

[0148] like Figure 7 As shown in , preferably, the first period does not overlap with the second period. This is because: when the inductance change or impedance change is detected by the first coil 111 in the first period when the first coil 111 inductively heats the first susceptor, the inductance change or impedance change may act as noise in the inductive heating control of the first susceptor. For the same reason, it is preferred that the second period does not overlap with the fourth period.

[0149] On the contrary, Figure 7 As shown in , preferably, the second period and the third period of the control period at least partially overlap, or the first period and the fourth period at least partially overlap. In this way, the idle period in which the first coil 111 and the second coil 112 do not perform the heating operation is minimized, thereby preventing insufficient heating of the aerosol generating device 10. The idle period of the first coil 111 is a combination of the third period and the blank period, and the idle period of the second coil 112 is a combination of the fourth period and the blank period.

[0150] Figure 8 The first to fourth periods of time are used to drive Figure 8 The range of driving frequencies of the first coil and the second coil.

[0151] The aerosol generating device 10 according to the embodiment may control the amplitude and frequency of the alternating current applied to the first coil and the second coil.

[0152] Reference Figures 3 to 8 , the frequency increases in the following order: a third frequency range fr3 (which is the lowest frequency band) for driving the first coil 111 in the third time period, a first frequency range fr1 for driving the first coil 111 in the first time period, a second frequency range fr2 for driving the second coil 112 in the second time period, and a fourth frequency range fr4 (which is the highest frequency band) for driving the second coil 112 in the fourth time period. Figure 8 The examples shown in the example assume that Figures 3 to 5 An embodiment wherein the average thickness of the first susceptors 101 and 261 is greater than the average thickness of the second susceptors 102 and 262.

[0153] Preferably, the first frequency range fr1 to the fourth frequency range fr4 do not overlap with each other. This is because: when the frequency ranges overlap with each other, the frequency ranges may interfere with each other when controlling the heating of the first coil 111 and the second coil 112. In addition, when a change in inductance or impedance is detected by the first coil 111 and the second coil 112, an unexpected induction heating operation may be performed.

[0154] In one embodiment, the controller 120 may detect the insertion of the aerosol generating article 20 based on the change in inductance of the first coil 111 in the third period. In addition, the controller 120 may detect the insertion of the aerosol generating article 20 based on the change in inductance of the second coil 112 in the fourth period. Specifically, the controller 120 may determine whether the aerosol generating article 20 is inserted into the accommodation space based on the frequency change corresponding to the inductance change of the first coil 111 or the second coil 112. In this case, the frequency change corresponding to the inductance change can be calculated by the following equation 2.

[0155] Equation 2

[0156] For example, the controller 120 may calculate the resonant frequency f0 according to the inductance L of the first coil 111 or the second coil 112 through Equation 2. That is, when the aerosol generating article 20 is inserted into the induction coil, the value of the inductance L of the induction coil may decrease, and the value of the resonant frequency f0 measured by the controller 120 may increase. In one embodiment, when the frequency value corresponding to the inductance change of the first coil 111 or the second coil 112 increases to be higher than a preset frequency change, the controller 120 may determine that the aerosol generating article 20 is inserted into the accommodation space.

[0157] In one embodiment, the controller 120 may calculate the temperature of the first susceptor 101 and 261 and the temperature of the second susceptor 102 and 262 by detecting a change in the resonant frequency of the first coil 111 in the third period and detecting a change in the resonant frequency of the second coil 112 in the fourth period.

[0158] Next, first refer to Figures 3 to 11 The principle of calculating the temperature of the first susceptor by detecting the change in the resonant frequency of the second coil is described.

[0159] The controller 120 may drive the first coil 111 at a first driving frequency in a first period. The first driving frequency may be included in a first frequency range fr1. A current applied to the first coil 111 may be changed according to the first driving frequency for driving the first coil 111.

[0160] Fig. 9 The frequency response 910 of the first coil 111 is shown. Fig. 9 , the response amplitude of the first coil 111 may be maximum at the first resonant frequency fo1. In other words, the current applied to the first coil 111 may be maximum at the first resonant frequency fo1. The first resonant frequency fo1 may be determined by the first coil 111 and a first capacitor (not shown) connected in series to the first coil 111.

[0161] In addition, based on the first resonant frequency fo1, the response amplitude of the first coil 111 may gradually decrease as the frequency increases. For example, the response amplitude h1 of the first coil 111 at a first frequency f1 greater than the first resonant frequency fo1 may be greater than the response amplitude h2 of the first coil 111 at a second frequency f2 greater than the first frequency f1.

[0162] The controller 120 may control the current applied to the first coil 111 by changing the driving frequency within the first frequency range fr1 in the first period. When the current applied to the first coil 111 changes, the temperature of the first susceptor 101 and 261 included in the aerosol generating article 20 or the aerosol generating device 10 may also change.

[0163] For example, when the controller 120 sets the first driving frequency to the first resonant frequency fo1, the maximum power may be supplied to the first coil 111. Therefore, the temperature of the first susceptors 101 and 261 may be heated to the maximum temperature. In another example, the controller 120 may supply the first power less than the maximum power to the first coil 111 by setting the first driving frequency to the first frequency f1 higher than the first resonant frequency fo1. Therefore, the temperature of the first susceptors 101 and 261 may be heated to the first temperature lower than the maximum temperature. In another example, the controller 120 may supply the second power less than the first power to the first coil 111 by setting the first driving frequency to the second frequency f2 higher than the first frequency f1. Therefore, the temperature of the first susceptors 101 and 261 may be heated to the second temperature lower than the first temperature.

[0164] The controller 120 may detect a change in the resonant frequency of the second coil 112 based on the fourth frequency range fr4 in the fourth period. Specifically, Fig.10 The frequency responses 1010, 1020 and 1030 of the second coil 112 according to the temperature changes of the first susceptors 101 and 261 are shown. Fig.10 In the embodiment, when the first susceptors 101 and 261 are at the first temperature, the response amplitude of the second coil 112 may be optimal at the second resonant frequency fo2. The second resonant frequency fo2 may be determined by the second coil 112 and a second capacitor (not shown) connected in series to the second coil 112.

[0165] In addition, as the temperature of the first susceptors 101 and 261 increases, the second resonant frequency fo2 of the second coil 112 may increase to fo2'' or decrease to fo2'. As the second resonant frequency fo2 changes, the frequency of the output maximum current may also change. In the fourth period, the controller 120 may scan the fourth driving frequency of the second coil 112 within the fourth frequency range fr4, and may detect the second resonant frequency fo2 of the second coil 112 based on the frequency scanning result. For example, the controller 120 may scan the fourth driving frequency of the second coil 112 within the fourth frequency range fr4, and determine the driving frequency when the current applied to the second coil 112 is the maximum as the second resonant frequency fo2.

[0166] In addition, when the fourth frequency range fr4 overlaps the first frequency range fr1, the first susceptors 101 and 261 may be inductively heated by the second coil 112. Since the inductive heating of the first susceptors 101 and 261 by the second coil 112 corresponds to unintended heating, the inductive heating may cause inaccurate temperature control of the first susceptors 101 and 261. Therefore, preferably, the fourth frequency range fr4 does not overlap the first frequency range fr1.

[0167] Assume that the average thickness of the first susceptors 101 and 261 is greater than the average thickness of the second susceptors 102 and 262 (see Figures 3 to 5 ),like Figure 8 As shown, preferably, the frequency increases in the following order: a third frequency range fr3 (which is the lowest frequency band) for driving the first coil 111 in a third time period, a first frequency range fr1 for driving the first coil 111 in a first time period, a second frequency range fr2 for driving the second coil 112 in a second time period, and a fourth frequency range fr4 (which is the highest frequency band) for driving the second coil 112 in a fourth time period.

[0168] At the upper limit of the first frequency range fr1, the first susceptors 101 and 261 may be heated to a first heating temperature by induction heating of the first coil 111, and at the lower limit of the fourth frequency range fr4, the first susceptors 101 and 261 may be heated to a second heating temperature lower than the first heating temperature by induction heating of the second coil 112. Aerosol may not be generated at the second heating temperature.

[0169] In addition, when the lower limit of the fourth frequency range fr4 affects the temperature change of the first susceptors 101 and 261, the temperature of the first susceptors 101 and 261 may change even during the frequency sweep of the second coil 112. In this regard, the lower limit of the fourth frequency range fr4 may be set to a frequency that does not affect the temperature change of the first susceptors 101 and 261. For example, when the first frequency range fr1 is 0.1 MHz to 0.3 MHz, the fourth frequency range fr4 may be set to 2 MHz to 4 MHz. However, the embodiment is not limited thereto. In addition, the average thickness of the first susceptors 101 and 261 may be designed by considering the relationship between the current penetration depth P and the frequency f of Equation 1 so that the lower limit of the fourth frequency range fr4 does not affect the temperature change of the first susceptors 101 and 261.

[0170] The controller 120 may calculate the temperature of the first susceptors 101 and 261 based on the change in the resonant frequency of the second coil 112 in the fourth period.

[0171] Specifically, Fig.11 Shown are changes in frequency responses 1110 and 1120 of the second coil 112 according to temperature changes of the first susceptors 101 and 261. The frequency response of the second coil 112 changes from the first frequency response 1110 to the second frequency response 1120 when the temperature of the first susceptors 101 and 261 changes.

[0172] The controller 120 may calculate the temperature of the first susceptor 101 and 261 based on a frequency difference fo2d between the third resonant frequency fo2a of the second coil 112 detected at a first time point of the fourth period and a fourth resonant frequency fo2b at a second time point when a preset time has passed from the first time point.

[0173] The controller 120 may calculate the temperatures of the first susceptors 101 and 261 based on matching data of the resonance frequency difference fo2d and the temperatures of the first susceptors 101 and 261. The matching data of the resonance frequency difference fo2d and the temperatures of the first susceptors 101 and 261 may be pre-stored in a memory in the form of a lookup table.

[0174] Next, a principle of calculating the temperature of the second susceptors 102 and 262 by detecting the change in the resonant frequency of the first coil 111 is described. The principle of calculating the temperature of the second susceptors 102 and 262 by detecting the change in the resonant frequency of the first coil 111 is similar to the principle of calculating the temperature of the first susceptors 110 and 261 by detecting the change in the resonant frequency of the second coil 112 described above.

[0175] The controller 120 may drive the second coil 112 at the second driving frequency in the second period. The second driving frequency may be included in the second frequency range fr2. The current applied to the second coil 112 may be changed according to the second driving frequency for driving the second coil 112.

[0176] The controller 120 may detect a change in the resonant frequency of the first coil 111 based on the third frequency range fr3 in the third period. The resonant frequency of the first coil 111 may be determined by the first coil 111 and a first capacitor (not shown) connected to the first coil 111 in series.

[0177] The resonant frequency of the first coil 111 may increase or decrease as the temperature of the second susceptor 102 and 262 increases. In the third period, the controller 120 may scan the third driving frequency of the first coil 111 within the third frequency range fr3, and may detect the second resonant frequency of the first coil 111 based on the frequency scanning result. For example, the controller 120 may scan the third driving frequency of the first coil 111 within the third frequency range fr3, and may determine the driving frequency when the current applied to the first coil 111 is the maximum as the second resonant frequency.

[0178] In addition, when the third frequency range fr3 overlaps the second frequency range fr2, the second susceptors 102 and 262 may be inductively heated by the first coil 111. Since the inductive heating of the second susceptors 102 and 262 by the first coil 111 corresponds to unintended heating, the inductive heating may cause inaccurate temperature control of the second susceptors 102 and 262. Therefore, preferably, the fourth frequency range fr4 does not overlap the first frequency range fr1.

[0179] Assume that the average thickness of the first susceptors 101 and 261 is greater than the average thickness of the second susceptors 102 and 262 (see Figure 3 and Figure 4 ),like Figure 8As shown, preferably, the frequency increases in the following order: a third frequency range fr3 (which is the lowest frequency band) for driving the first coil 111 in a third time period, a first frequency range fr1 for driving the first coil 111 in a first time period, a second frequency range fr2 for driving the second coil 112 in a second time period, and a fourth frequency range fr4 (which is the highest frequency band) for driving the second coil 112 in a fourth time period.

[0180] At the lower limit of the second frequency range fr2, the second susceptors 102 and 262 may be heated to a third heating temperature by induction heating of the second coil 112, and at the upper limit of the third frequency range fr3, the second susceptors 102 and 262 may be heated to a fourth heating temperature lower than the third heating temperature by induction heating of the first coil 111. Aerosol may not be generated at the fourth heating temperature.

[0181] In addition, when the upper limit of the third frequency range fr3 affects the temperature change of the second susceptors 102 and 262, the temperature of the second susceptors 102 and 262 may change even during the frequency sweep of the first coil 111. In this regard, the upper limit of the third frequency range fr3 may be set to a frequency that does not affect the temperature change of the second susceptors 102 and 262. In addition, the average thickness of the second susceptors 102 and 262 may be designed by considering the relationship between the current penetration depth P and the frequency f of Equation 1 so that the upper limit of the third frequency range fr3 does not affect the temperature change of the second susceptors 102 and 262.

[0182] The controller 120 may calculate the temperature of the second susceptors 102 and 262 based on the change in the resonant frequency of the first coil 111 in the third period.

[0183] The controller 120 may calculate the temperature of the second susceptor 102 and 262 based on a frequency difference between the resonant frequency of the first coil 111 detected at a first time point of the third period and the resonant frequency at a second time point when a preset time elapses from the first time point.

[0184] The controller 120 may calculate the temperature of the second susceptors 102 and 262 based on the matching data of the resonant frequency difference of the first coil 111 and the temperature of the second susceptors 102 and 262. The matching data of the resonant frequency difference and the temperature of the second susceptors 102 and 262 may be pre-stored in the memory in the form of a lookup table.

[0185] Fig.12 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 1200 according to another embodiment.

[0186] The aerosol generating device 1200 may include a controller 1210, a sensing unit 1220, an output unit 1230, a battery 1240, a heater 1250, a user input unit 1260, a memory 1270, and a communication unit 1280. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 1200 is not limited to Fig.12 That is, depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 1200, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the Fig.12 Some of the components shown in or new components may be added.

[0187] The sensing unit 1220 may sense the state of the aerosol generating device 1200 and the state around the aerosol generating device 1200, and transmit the sensed information to the controller 1210. Based on the sensed information, the controller 1210 may control the aerosol generating device 1200 to perform various functions, such as controlling the operation of the heater 1250, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol generating article (e.g., a cigarette, a cartridge, etc.) is inserted, displaying a notification, etc.

[0188] The sensing unit 1220 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 1222, an insertion detection sensor, and a suction sensor 1226, but is not limited thereto.

[0189] The temperature sensor 1222 can sense the temperature at which the heater 1250 (or the aerosol generating material) is heated. The aerosol generating device 1200 may include a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the heater 1250, or the heater 1250 may be used as a temperature sensor. Optionally, the temperature sensor 1222 may also be arranged around the battery 1240 to monitor the temperature of the battery 1240.

[0190] The insertion detection sensor 1224 may sense the insertion and / or removal of the aerosol generating article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 1224 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, and may sense a signal change according to the insertion and / or removal of the aerosol generating article. In addition, in the aerosol generating device 1200, the heater 1250 itself may be used as the insertion detection sensor 1224.

[0191] The suction sensor 1226 can sense the user's suction based on various physical changes in the airflow path or airflow channel. For example, the suction sensor 1226 can sense the user's suction based on any one of temperature change, flow change, voltage change and pressure change.

[0192] The sensing unit 1220 may further include at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, a position sensor (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS)), a proximity sensor, and a red, green, and blue (RGB) sensor (illuminance sensor), in addition to the above-mentioned temperature sensor 1222, the insertion detection sensor 1224, and the suction sensor 1226. Since a person of ordinary skill in the art can intuitively infer the function of each sensor from the name of the sensor, a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0193] The output unit 1230 may output information about the state of the aerosol generating device 1200 and provide the information to the user. The output unit 1230 may include at least one of a display unit 1232, a haptic unit 1234, and a sound output unit 1236, but is not limited thereto. When the display unit 1232 and the touch pad form a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display unit 1232 may be used as an input device in addition to being used as an output device.

[0194] The display unit 1232 may visually provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 1200. For example, the information about the aerosol generating device 1200 may represent various information, such as the charging / discharging state of the battery 1240 of the aerosol generating device 1200, the preheating state of the heater 1250, the insertion / removal state of the aerosol generating article, or the state in which the use of the aerosol generating device 1200 is restricted (e.g., sensing of an abnormal object), etc., and the display unit 1232 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 1232 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel, etc. In addition, the display unit 1232 may be in the form of a light emitting diode (LED) light emitting device.

[0195] The haptic unit 1234 may tactilely provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 1200 by converting an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulation or an electrical stimulation. For example, the haptic unit 1234 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0196] The sound output unit 1236 may audibly provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 1200. For example, the sound output unit 1236 may convert an electrical signal into a sound signal and output it to the outside.

[0197] The battery 1240 may provide power for operating the aerosol generating device 1200. The battery 1240 may supply power so that the heater 1250 may be heated. In addition, the battery 1240 may supply power required for the operation of other components (e.g., the sensing unit 1220, the output unit 1230, the user input unit 1260, the memory 1270, and the communication unit 1280) in the aerosol generating device 1200. The battery 1240 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 1240 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0198] Heater 1250 may receive power from battery 1240 to heat the aerosol generating material. Fig.12 , the aerosol generating device 1200 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a direct current (DC) / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 1240 and supplies it to the heater 1250. In addition, when the aerosol generating device 1200 generates aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol generating device 1200 may further include a DC / AC that converts the DC power of the battery 1240 into alternating current (AC) power.

[0199] The controller 1210, the sensing unit 1220, the output unit 1230, the user input unit 1260, the memory 1270, and the communication unit 1280 may each receive power from the battery 1240 to perform a function. Fig.12 Although not shown in FIG. 1 , the aerosol generating device 1200 may further include a power conversion circuit, such as a low dropout (LDO) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 1240 to supply the power to the corresponding components.

[0200] In an embodiment, the heater 1250 may be formed using any suitable resistive material. For example, a suitable resistive material may be a metal or metal alloy including titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nickel-chromium alloy, etc., but is not limited thereto. In addition, the heater 1250 may be implemented by a metal wire, a metal plate with a conductive track arranged thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0201] In another embodiment, the heater 1250 may be an induction heating type heater. For example, the heater 1250 may include a susceptor that heats the aerosol generating material by generating heat through a magnetic field applied by a coil.

[0202] In another embodiment, the heater 1250 may include two or more heaters. For example, the heater 1250 may include a first heater and a second heater. The first heater may include a first coil and a first susceptor inductively heated from the first coil, and the second heater may include a second coil and a second susceptor inductively heated from the second coil. By setting the driving frequencies of the first coil and the second coil differently and designing the average thicknesses of the first susceptor and the second susceptor to be different, the first coil inductively heats the second susceptor, or the second coil inductively heats the second susceptor. 1 Cross-heating by inductive heating of the susceptors may be minimized.

[0203] The user input unit 1260 may receive information input from the user or may output information to the user. For example, the user input unit 1260 may include a keyboard, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact capacitance method, pressure-resistant film method, infrared sensing method, surface ultrasonic conduction method, integral tension measurement method, piezoelectric effect method, etc.), a roller, a roller switch, etc., but is not limited thereto. In addition, although Fig.12 Although not shown in the figure, the aerosol generating device 1200 may further include a connection interface, such as a universal serial bus (USB) interface, and may be connected to other external devices, such as a USB interface, through the connection interface to send and receive information, or to charge the battery 1240.

[0204] The memory 1270 is a hardware component that stores various types of data processed in the aerosol generating device 1200, and may store data processed by the controller 1210 and data to be processed. In one embodiment, the matching data of the resonant frequency difference of the first coil and the temperature of the second susceptor may be stored in the form of a lookup table in the memory 1270. The matching data of the resonant frequency difference of the second coil and the temperature of the first susceptor may also be stored in the memory 1270 in the form of a lookup table.

[0205] The memory 1270 may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro memory, a card type memory (e.g., a secure digital (SD) or extreme digital (XD) memory, etc.), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory 1270 may store the operation time of the aerosol generating device 1200, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature curve, data on the smoking pattern of the user, etc.

[0206] The communication unit 1280 may include at least one component for communicating with another electronic device. For example, the communication unit 1280 may include a short-range wireless communication unit 1282 and a wireless communication unit 1284.

[0207] The short-range wireless communication unit 1282 may include a Bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a wireless LAN (WLAN) (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared data association (IrDA) communication unit, a Wi-Fi Direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0208] The wireless communication unit 1284 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 1284 may also identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 1200 within the communication network by using user information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).

[0209] The controller 1210 may control the general operation of the aerosol generating device 1200. In an embodiment, the controller 1210 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 memory in which a program executable by the microprocessor is stored and a general-purpose microprocessor. It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the processor may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

[0210] The controller 1210 may control the temperature of the heater 1250 by controlling the power supply from the battery 1240 to the heater 1250. For example, the controller 1210 may control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching device between the battery 1240 and the heater 1250. In another example, the heating integrated circuit may control the power supply to the heater 1250 according to a control command from the controller 1210.

[0211] The controller 1210 may analyze the result detected by the sensing unit 1220 and control subsequent processing. For example, the controller 1210 may control the power supplied to the heater 1250 based on the result detected by the sensing unit 1220 to start or end the operation of the heater 1250. For example, the controller 1210 may control the power supplied to the heater 1250 and the time of supplying the power based on the result detected by the sensing unit 1220 so that the heater 1250 can be heated to a preset temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature.

[0212] The controller 1210 may control the output unit 1230 based on the result detected by the sensing unit 1220. For example, when the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 1226 reaches a preset number, the controller 1210 may inform the user through at least one of the display unit 1232, the tactile unit 1234, and the sound output unit 1236 that the aerosol generating device 1200 will be turned off soon.

[0213] An embodiment may also be implemented in the form of a computer-readable recording medium (such as a program module executable by a computer) including instructions executable by a computer. Computer-readable recording media may be any available media that can be accessed by a computer, and include both volatile and non-volatile media and removable and non-removable media. In addition, computer-readable recording media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media include all volatile and non-volatile media and removable and non-removable media implemented by any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically include computer-readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal such as a program module or other transmission mechanism, and include any information transmission media.

[0214] The description of the above embodiments is only an example, and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and their equivalents may be made. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure shall be defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to those described in the claims shall be interpreted as being included within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating system comprising: Aerosol-generating products; as well as an aerosol generating device configured to heat the aerosol generating article inserted into a receiving space of the aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol-generating article comprises a first susceptor arranged in a first portion and a second susceptor arranged in a second portion different from the first portion, The aerosol generating device includes a first coil arranged in a first area of ​​the accommodating space, a second coil arranged in a second area of ​​the accommodating space, and a controller configured to control power supplied to the first coil and the second coil, wherein the second area is different from the first area, The average thickness of the first susceptor is greater than the average thickness of the second susceptor, The controller is further configured to drive the first coil within a first frequency range in a first time period and drive the second coil within a second frequency range in a second time period, and A lower limit of the second frequency range is greater than an upper limit of the first frequency range.

2. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein: The minimum thickness of the first susceptor is greater than the maximum thickness of the second susceptor.

3. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein: The first susceptor and the second susceptor are respectively formed in a film shape.

4. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein: The first time period does not overlap with the second time period.

5. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is further configured to detect the inductance change through the first coil in a third time period that does not overlap with the first time period, or to detect the inductance change through the second coil in a fourth time period that does not overlap with the second time period.

6. An aerosol generating system according to claim 5, wherein: The controller is further configured to determine whether the aerosol-generating article is inserted into the receiving space based on the change in inductance.

7. An aerosol generating system according to claim 5, wherein: The first time period does not overlap with the second time period, and The second time period at least partially overlaps with the third time period, or the first time period at least partially overlaps with the fourth time period.

8. An aerosol generating system according to claim 1, wherein: The controller is also configured to: sweeping the driving frequency of the first coil within a third frequency range in a third time period that does not overlap with the first time period, detecting a change in the resonance frequency of the first coil based on a scan result of the driving frequency of the first coil, sweeping the driving frequency of the second coil within a fourth frequency range in a fourth time period not overlapping with the second time period, and A change in the resonance frequency of the second coil is detected based on a result of scanning the driving frequency of the second coil.

9. An aerosol generating system according to claim 8, wherein: The controller is further configured to calculate temperatures of the first susceptor and the second susceptor based on a change in the resonant frequency of the first coil and a change in the resonant frequency of the second coil.

10. An aerosol generating system according to claim 8, wherein: The upper limit of the third frequency range is lower than the lower limit of the first frequency range, and A lower limit of the fourth frequency range is higher than an upper limit of the second frequency range.

11. An aerosol generating device comprising: A containing space for containing an aerosol generating product; A first susceptor arranged in a first area of ​​the accommodation space; a second sensor disposed in a second area of ​​the accommodation space different from the first area; a first coil, wound on an outer surface of the first area of ​​the accommodation space; a second coil, wound on an outer surface of the second area of ​​the accommodation space; as well as a controller configured to control power supplied to the first coil and the second coil, wherein the average thickness of the first susceptor is greater than the average thickness of the second susceptor, The controller is further configured to drive the first coil within a first frequency range in a first time period and drive the second coil within a second frequency range in a second time period, and A lower limit of the second frequency range is higher than an upper limit of the first frequency range.

12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 11, wherein: The minimum thickness of the first susceptor is greater than the maximum thickness of the second susceptor.

13. The aerosol generating device according to claim 11, wherein: The controller is further configured to detect the inductance change through the first coil in a third time period that does not overlap with the first time period, or detect the inductance change through the second coil in a fourth time period that does not overlap with the second time period.

14. The aerosol generating device according to claim 11, wherein: The controller is also configured to: sweeping the driving frequency of the first coil within a third frequency range in a third time period that does not overlap with the first time period, detecting a change in the resonance frequency of the first coil based on a scan result of the driving frequency of the first coil, sweeping the driving frequency of the second coil within a fourth frequency range in a fourth time period not overlapping with the second time period, and A change in the resonance frequency of the second coil is detected based on a result of scanning the driving frequency of the second coil.

15. The aerosol generating device according to claim 14, wherein: The upper limit of the third frequency range is lower than the lower limit of the first frequency range, and A lower limit of the fourth frequency range is higher than an upper limit of the second frequency range.

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