Temperature control method and aerosol generation device

Abstract

This disclosure provides a temperature control method and an aerosol generating apparatus, relating to the technical field of aerosol generation. The temperature control method is applied in an aerosol generating apparatus, which includes a heating element for heating an aerosol generating article to generate aerosol. The aerosol generating apparatus has a heat preservation stage, which includes multiple alternating energy supply time periods and a natural cooling time period. The energy supply time periods are used to provide power to the heating element, and the natural cooling time periods are used to stop providing power to the heating element. The temperature control method includes: maintaining the temperature of the heating element at the first preset temperature value when the temperature of the heating element reaches the highest first preset temperature value; obtaining the duration for which the temperature of the heating element is maintained at the first preset temperature value; and stopping the power supply to the heating element when the duration reaches the first preset duration, so that the heating element enters the natural cooling time period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the technical field of aerosol generation, and more particularly to a temperature control method and an aerosol generation apparatus having the temperature control method. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, etc.) produce tobacco smoke through combustion during use. Technologies exist to replace these traditional tobacco products by releasing compounds through heating without combustion. An example of such a product is an aerosol generating device. These devices typically include a housing chamber and a heating element. The housing chamber houses an aerosol-generating article used in conjunction with the device. The aerosol-generating article can be solid tobacco or a non-tobacco filler, such as a cigarette stick. When the aerosol-generating article is housed in the device, the heating element heats it, causing at least a portion of the active substances in the article to evaporate and generate an aerosol that can be inhaled by the user.

[0003] The aforementioned aerosol generating device typically includes a preheating stage and a holding stage. During the preheating stage, the temperature of the heating element is raised to a target temperature, at which the aerosol-generating product can evaporate and produce aerosols. During the holding stage, the temperature of the heating element is controlled near the target temperature for user suction.

[0004] The existing temperature control method during the heat preservation stage maintains the temperature of the heating element near the target temperature by alternating between heating and cooling cycles. When the heating element reaches the preset maximum temperature during the heating cycle, the controller stops supplying power to the heating element, causing the temperature to drop and enter the cooling cycle. This method has the problem that if the preset maximum temperature is too high, some tobacco will be over-roasted, resulting in a slight burnt taste, while if the preset maximum temperature is too low, the tobacco will be under-roasted. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a temperature control method and an aerosol generating device to solve the technical problem that when temperature control is achieved by controlling the maximum temperature during the heat preservation stage, an excessively high maximum temperature will cause some tobacco to be over-roasted, resulting in a slight burnt taste, while an excessively low maximum temperature will cause the tobacco to be under-roasted.

[0006] At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides a temperature control method applied in an aerosol generating apparatus. The aerosol generating apparatus includes a heating element for heating an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol. The aerosol generating apparatus has a heat preservation phase, which includes multiple alternating energy supply time periods and natural cooling time periods. The energy supply time periods are used to supply power to the heating element, and the natural cooling time periods are used to stop supplying power to the heating element. The temperature control method includes:

[0007] When the temperature of the heating element reaches the highest first preset temperature value, the temperature of the heating element is maintained at the first preset temperature value.

[0008] The duration for which the temperature value of the heating element is maintained at the first preset temperature value is obtained;

[0009] If the above-mentioned holding time reaches the first preset time, power is stopped from being supplied to the heating element so that the heating element enters the above-mentioned natural cooling period.

[0010] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the aforementioned first preset duration portions are different.

[0011] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the first preset duration of the next energy supply period is longer than the first preset duration of the current energy supply period.

[0012] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the energy supply period has a minimum initial temperature value, and maintaining the temperature of the heating element at the maximum first preset temperature value when the temperature of the heating element reaches the maximum first preset temperature value includes:

[0013] A first power is supplied to the heating element to raise the temperature of the heating element from the initial temperature value to the first preset temperature value.

[0014] A second power is supplied to the heating element to maintain the temperature of the heating element at the first preset temperature value.

[0015] The first power is greater than the second power.

[0016] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the aerosol generating apparatus further includes a heating circuit, the heating circuit including the heating element and a switching circuit connected in series with the heating element, and the temperature control method further includes:

[0017] During the process of the temperature value of the heating element rising from the lowest initial temperature value to the first preset temperature value, a pulse width modulation signal with a first duty cycle is provided to the switching circuit.

[0018] While maintaining the temperature of the heating element at the first preset temperature, a pulse width modulation signal with a second duty cycle is provided to the switching circuit.

[0019] The first duty cycle is greater than the second duty cycle.

[0020] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the aerosol generating apparatus further includes a heating circuit, the heating circuit including the heating element and a switching circuit connected in series with the heating element, and the temperature control method further includes:

[0021] During the aforementioned energy supply period, the aforementioned switching circuit is kept in an on state at all times.

[0022] During the first preset duration, the switching circuit is controlled to switch between the on and off states according to preset intervals.

[0023] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the heating element has a third power during the energy supply period and a fourth power during the first preset duration, wherein the third power is equal to the fourth power.

[0024] According to embodiments of this disclosure, the aforementioned natural cooling time period has a minimum second preset temperature value, and the aforementioned temperature control method further includes:

[0025] The duration of the descent of the heating element from the first preset temperature value is obtained.

[0026] When the aforementioned descent time reaches the second preset time, and the temperature value of the aforementioned heating element is less than the aforementioned first preset temperature value but greater than the aforementioned second preset temperature value, power is supplied to the aforementioned heating element based on the aforementioned second preset time.

[0027] If the time it takes for the first preset temperature value to drop to the second preset temperature value is less than the second preset time, power is supplied to the heating element based on the second preset temperature value.

[0028] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides an aerosol generating apparatus, including a controller, the controller including a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor executing the computer program to implement the temperature control method described in the above embodiments.

[0029] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the aerosol generating apparatus further includes a heating element configured to be inserted into the aerosol generating article to heat the aerosol generating article. The aerosol generating apparatus has a chamber for receiving at least a portion of the aerosol generating article. The aerosol generating apparatus further includes a heat-conducting member at least partially surrounding the chamber, the heat-conducting member contacting the heating element to conduct at least a portion of the heat on the heating element to the heat-conducting member.

[0030] The temperature control method and aerosol generating device provided in the above embodiments maintain the heating element at the highest preset temperature value. Even when the heating element reaches the first preset temperature value, it can still transfer heat to the tobacco or non-tobacco matrix in the aerosol generating product, ensuring that the tobacco or non-tobacco matrix in the aerosol generating product is fully baked. There is no need to set a high first preset temperature value to ensure heat transfer. Therefore, the first preset temperature value does not need to be set too high. This facilitates temperature control during the heat preservation stage and prevents some tobacco or non-tobacco matrix from being over-baked and developing a burnt taste due to an excessively high first preset temperature value. Attached Figure Description

[0031] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0035] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a temperature control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown schematically.

[0036] Figure 5 A temperature profile of a heating element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated schematically.

[0037] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a specific implementation of operation S40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in the schematic diagram.

[0038] Figure 7A schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a switching circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0039] Figure 8 A flowchart illustrating a specific implementation of operation S40 according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown schematically;

[0040] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To facilitate understanding of this disclosure, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed to" or "attached to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. When an element is described as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements may exist between them. The terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0043] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this disclosure described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0044] In this embodiment of the disclosure, "installation" includes fixing or restricting a component or device to a specific position or place by means of welding, screwing, snapping, bonding, etc. The component or device may remain stationary in the specific position or place or may move within a limited range. After the component or device is fixed or restricted to the specific position or place, it may or may not be disassembled. This embodiment of the disclosure does not impose any restrictions.

[0045] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0046] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0047] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B and C", they should generally be interpreted in accordance with the meaning that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B and C" should include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B, a system having A and C, a system having B and C, and / or a system having A, B and C, etc.).

[0048] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] This disclosure provides an aerosol generating apparatus 100, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the aerosol generating device 100 includes a battery cell 10, a main board 20, and a heating element 30. A controller for the aerosol generating device 100 is mounted on the main board 20. The battery cell 10 and the heating element 30 are electrically connected to the controller, allowing the controller to control the battery cell 10 to supply electrical energy to the heating element 30. The aerosol generating device 100 also includes a longitudinally extending chamber 40. The chamber 40 is used to house the aerosol generating product 200 used in conjunction with the aerosol generating device 100. The heating element 30 is disposed on the outer wall of the chamber 40, thereby heating the aerosol generating product 200 within the chamber 40. The active material filling the aerosol generating product 200 volatilizes upon heating, generating aerosols. The battery cell 10 serves as the power supply for the aerosol generating device 100 and can be either a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery cell.

[0050] The aerosol generating device 100 also includes an airflow channel 50. The airflow channel 50 connects external air and the chamber 40. When a user inhales using the aerosol generating product 200, external cold air can enter the chamber 40 through the airflow channel 50, and then enter the aerosol generating product 200, carrying the aerosols in the aerosol generating product 200 out for the user to inhale.

[0051] The aerosol-generating article 200 preferably uses a tobacco-containing material from which volatile compounds are released upon heating. The aerosol-generating article 200 can also be a non-tobacco material suitable for electrically heated smoking. The aerosol-generating article 200 preferably uses a solid matrix. The solid matrix may include one or more of the following: vanilla leaves, tobacco leaves, homogenized tobacco, expanded tobacco, powder, granules, fragments, strips, or sheets. Alternatively, the solid matrix may contain additional tobacco or non-tobacco volatile flavor compounds to be released upon heating of the matrix.

[0052] In some embodiments, the heating element 30 may be a resistance heating element with the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) effect. The TCR effect describes the characteristic that the resistance of a material changes with temperature; it reflects the relationship between resistance and temperature and has the following calculation formula (1):

[0053] TCR=(R2-R1) / (R1×(T2-T1))(1);

[0054] Where TCR is the temperature coefficient, R1 and R2 are the resistance values ​​at two temperatures, and T1 and T2 are the corresponding temperature values. Therefore, using the above formula (1), T2 can be calculated given T1, R2, and R1. Typically, T1 is the initial temperature value of the heating element 30. The initial temperature value can be assumed to be 25℃. T2 is the current temperature value of the heating element 30 during the heating process. By calculating the resistance values ​​of R1 and R2, the current temperature value of the heating element 30 during the heating process can be calculated using the above formula.

[0055] In some embodiments, the heating element 30 may be a mesh resistive heating element covering the outer wall of the chamber 40. The heating element 30 may also be a thick-film heating element printed on the outer wall of the chamber 40. The heating element 30 is electrically connected to the main board 20. When the heating element 30 is energized, it generates heat, which is transferred to the aerosol generating article 200 in the chamber 40 via heat transfer, thereby causing the aerosol generating article 200 to evaporate and generate aerosol.

[0056] Figure 2 A schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0057] In other embodiments, such as Figure 2As shown, the heating element 30 extends at least partially into the chamber 40, and its end extending into the chamber 40 is configured as a pin or plate to facilitate smooth insertion of the heating element 30 into the aerosol generating article 200 for heating the aerosol generating article 200. This method improves the heating efficiency of the heating element 30 because the heating element 30 is inserted into the aerosol generating article 200 for heating.

[0058] In some embodiments, the heating element 30 can also generate heat through electromagnetic induction. Specifically, an induction coil can be placed near the heating element 30, and the main board 20 controls the flow of alternating current into the induction coil. Under the action of the alternating current in the induction coil, a changing magnetic field is generated. This changing magnetic field is configured to penetrate the heating element 30, thereby inducing eddy currents in the heating element 30 and generating heat under the action of the eddy currents.

[0059] To enable the heating element 30 to induce eddy currents, the suitable material for the heating element 30 can be any one of graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, stainless steel, niobium, aluminum, nickel, iron, copper, nickel-containing compounds, titanium, and metallic composites. In some embodiments, to better induce eddy currents and improve heating efficiency, the heating element 30 is preferably made of ferromagnetic materials or composed of ferromagnetic materials, such as ferritic iron, ferromagnetic alloys (e.g., ferromagnetic steel or stainless steel), ferromagnetic particles, and ferrite.

[0060] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0061] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, when the heating element 30 extends into the chamber 40 to be inserted into the aerosol generating article 200 for heating, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 also includes a heat-conducting element 60 at least partially surrounding the chamber 40. The heat-conducting element 60 is in contact with the heating element 30, so that at least a portion of the heat from the heating element 30 can be conducted to the heat-conducting element 60, thereby enabling the heat-conducting element 60 to provide auxiliary heating from the circumference of the aerosol generating article 200. It is readily understood that the temperature of the heat-conducting element 60 is lower than the temperature of the heating element 30.

[0062] The heat-conducting component 60 can be made of materials with high thermal conductivity, such as metallic materials like silver, copper, aluminum, and iron, or non-metallic materials like diamond and graphene.

[0063] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 has a preheating stage and a heat preservation stage. During the preheating stage, the controller controls the battery cell 10 to provide a large power to the heating element 30, causing the temperature of the heating element 30 to rapidly rise from an initial temperature to a target temperature. At this target temperature, the tobacco or non-tobacco solid matrix within the aerosol generating article 200 volatilizes upon heating, generating aerosols.

[0064] After the preheating stage is completed, the aerosol generating device 100 enters the heat preservation stage. The heat preservation stage is used to control the temperature of the heating element 30 near the target temperature value; specifically, it can be higher or lower than the target temperature value, thus causing the temperature of the heating element 30 to fluctuate around the target temperature value. During the heat preservation stage, the user can use the aerosol generating product 200 for suction. When the user is not suctioning, the controller controls the battery cell 10 to provide a small amount of power to the heating element 30 to maintain the temperature of the heating element 30 near the target temperature value.

[0065] When the user uses the aerosol generating product 200 to perform suction during the heat preservation stage, as the user suctions, the external cold air enters the aerosol generating product 200 and cools the heating element 30 or the temperature sensor located near the heating element 30, thereby causing the temperature of the heating element 30 or the sensor to drop. The controller then controls the battery cell 10 to provide a larger power to the heating element 30 so that the temperature of the heating element 30 can be quickly restored.

[0066] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating apparatus 100 also includes a feedback element for providing feedback to the user, indicating that the preheating phase is complete and the user can begin using the aerosol generating article 200 for suction. The feedback element may be a buzzer or a vibration motor; once preheating is complete, the controller may control the buzzer to sound or the vibration motor to vibrate, thereby providing feedback to the user.

[0067] In some embodiments, the controller can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a microcontroller, an ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination of these components. Additionally, the controller can also be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The controller can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP, and / or any other such configuration. The controller can also be the inverter board or main control board of a washing machine.

[0068] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a temperature control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown schematically.

[0069] Based on the aforementioned aerosol generating device 100, one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a temperature control method, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the temperature control method includes the following operations S40 to S42.

[0070] In operation S40, when the temperature value of the heating element 30 reaches the highest first preset temperature value, the temperature value of the heating element 30 is maintained at the first preset temperature value.

[0071] In operation S41, the duration for which the temperature value of the heating element 30 is maintained at the first preset temperature value is obtained.

[0072] In operation S42, if the holding time reaches the first preset time, power is stopped from being supplied to the heating element 30 so that the heating element 30 enters the natural cooling period.

[0073] In some embodiments, a temperature sensing element may be provided on the surface of the heating element 30. The temperature sensing element is electrically connected to the controller of the motherboard 20, and the temperature collected by the temperature sensing element is sent to the controller of the motherboard 20, so that the controller can obtain the temperature value of the heating element 30. Alternatively, in some embodiments, when the heating element 30 is a resistance heating element, the controller can also calculate the temperature value of the heating element 30 based on the TCR characteristics of the resistance heating element.

[0074] Figure 5 A temperature profile of a heating element according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated schematically.

[0075] like Figure 5 As shown, when the heating time reaches t1, the aerosol generating device 200 enters the heat preservation stage. The heat preservation stage includes multiple alternating energy supply time periods S1 and natural cooling time periods S2, that is, a natural cooling time period S2 is set between any two energy supply time periods S1. During the energy supply time period S1, the controller controls the battery cell 10 to provide power to the heating element 30, so that the temperature of the heating element 30 rises from the lowest initial temperature value to the highest first preset temperature value T1.

[0076] During the natural cooling period S2, the controller controls the battery cell 10 to stop supplying power to the heating element 30, that is, to cut off the electrical connection between the battery cell 10 and the heating element 30. As a result, the temperature of the heating element 30 decreases due to natural cooling. By using the above-mentioned energy supply period S1 and natural cooling period S2 to control the temperature, the temperature of the heating element 30 can be controlled near the target temperature value during the heat preservation stage.

[0077] During the energy supply period S1, the controller will acquire the temperature value of the heating element 30 in real time. When the temperature value of the heating element 30 reaches the highest first preset temperature value T1, the controller does not stop supplying power to the heating element 30, but continues to supply power to the heating element 30 to maintain the first preset temperature value T1, so that the temperature value of the heating element 30 is maintained near the first preset temperature value T1, that is, the temperature value of the heating element 30 fluctuates near the first preset temperature value T1.

[0078] The controller has a first preset duration. When the controller detects that the temperature value of the heating element 30 has reached the highest first preset temperature value, the timing unit in the controller starts timing to record the duration of the first preset temperature value. When the recorded duration of the first preset duration is reached, the controller cuts off the electrical connection between the battery cell 10 and the heating element 30, thereby stopping the supply of power to the heating element 30 and causing the temperature of the heating element 30 to begin to drop.

[0079] like Figure 5 As shown, a holding section S3 is set after the energy supply period S1. The holding section S3 is used to maintain the first preset temperature value T1. When the holding time reaches the first preset time, the controller stops supplying power to the heating element 30, so that the heating element 30 enters the natural cooling period S2.

[0080] By maintaining the first preset temperature value, the heating element 30 can still transfer heat to the tobacco or non-tobacco matrix in the aerosol generating product 200 when the first preset temperature value is reached, ensuring that the tobacco or non-tobacco matrix in the aerosol generating product 200 is fully baked without needing to set a high first preset temperature value to guarantee heat transfer. In other words, using this embodiment, the first preset temperature value does not need to be set too high, which facilitates temperature control during the heat preservation stage and prevents over-baking of some tobacco or non-tobacco matrix due to an excessively high first preset temperature value, thus avoiding a burnt taste.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first preset duration can be determined in a tasting test, and the first preset duration is determined based on the results of the tasting test.

[0082] In some embodiments, such as Figure 5As shown, the natural cooling period S2 has a minimum second preset temperature value T2. When the holding time reaches the first preset time, the controller stops supplying power to the heating element 30, and the heating element 30 begins to cool naturally, with its temperature value starting to decrease from the first preset temperature value. The controller also has a preset second preset time, which is the duration for the temperature value of the heating element 30 to decrease from the first preset temperature value. The temperature control method further includes acquiring the duration for the heating element 30 to decrease from the first preset temperature value. When the decrease time reaches the second preset time, and the temperature value of the heating element 30 is less than the first preset temperature value but greater than the second preset temperature value, power is supplied to the heating element 30 based on the second preset time. When the decrease time from the first preset temperature value to the second preset temperature value is less than the second preset time, power is supplied to the heating element 30 based on the second preset temperature value.

[0083] Specifically, during the temperature drop of the heating element 30, the controller begins to acquire the duration of the drop. The controller is usually equipped with a timer, which can be used to acquire the duration of the drop. During the drop, the controller monitors the temperature value of the heating element 30 in real time.

[0084] Furthermore, during the descent process, if the descent time of the heating element 30 from the first preset temperature value T1 reaches the aforementioned second preset time, and the temperature value of the heating element 30 is less than the first preset temperature value T1 but greater than the second preset temperature value T2, that is, the temperature value of the heating element 30 has not yet decreased to the lowest second preset temperature value T2, the controller controls the battery cell 10 to provide power to the heating element 30 based on the second preset time, so that the heating element 30 can work again to enter the next energy supply time period S1.

[0085] During the descent process, if the descent time of the heating element 30 from the first preset temperature value T1 to the second preset temperature value T2 is less than the second preset time, the controller controls the battery cell 10 to provide power to the heating element based on the second preset temperature value T2, so that the heating element 30 can work again to enter the next energy supply time period S1.

[0086] The existing technology mainly relies on whether the temperature of the heating element 30 drops to the second preset temperature value T2. If it drops to the second preset temperature value T2, the power is restored to the heating element 30 to enter the next energy supply period S1. This method can easily lead to excessive temperature drop during the process, which in turn reduces the suction taste during this process.

[0087] The method provided in this embodiment takes into account both the second preset temperature value T2 and the second preset duration. When one of the two is reached first, power is supplied to the heating element 30 based on its control to enter the next energy supply period S1, thereby avoiding excessive reduction in the temperature of the heating element 30 during the temperature drop process.

[0088] Similarly, the second preset temperature value T2 and the second preset duration can be determined by a tasting test. The tasting test is used to evaluate which range the second preset temperature value T2 and the second preset duration fall within, so that the aerosol still has a good taste. When the aerosol falls outside this range, the aerosol has a poor taste. Then, the determined second preset temperature value T2 and the second preset duration are preset in the controller through software programming.

[0089] In some embodiments, by Figure 5 It can be seen that each energy supply time period S1 corresponds to a holding section S3, and it is easy to understand that there are multiple holding sections S3 in the entire heat preservation stage. Each holding section S3 corresponds to a first preset duration, so the controller will set multiple first preset durations. However, the multiple first preset durations are not all the same.

[0090] Because the tobacco or non-tobacco matrix in the aerosol generating product 200 is gradually consumed during the heat preservation stage as inhalation proceeds, the energy required by the heating element 30 to transfer to the tobacco or non-tobacco will also change. Therefore, in the tasting test, each first preset time can be evaluated to determine the appropriate range of each first preset time.

[0091] In some embodiments, the first preset duration of the next energy supply period S1 is longer than the first preset duration of the current energy supply period S1. This is because in the early stage of the heat preservation phase, the heating element 30 first bakes the aerosol generating substrate that is closest to it, while in the later stage of the heat preservation phase, the heating element 30 needs to transfer heat to the aerosol generating substrate that is farther away, thereby baking this part of the aerosol generating substrate. Therefore, the heating element 30 needs to transfer more heat, and thus the first preset temperature value needs to be maintained for a longer time.

[0092] Specifically, such as Figure 5As shown, 0~t1 is the preheating stage. When the preheating time reaches t1, the temperature of the heating element 30 rises to the target temperature value T3, and then the heating element 30 enters the heat preservation stage. In the first energy supply time period S1 of the heat preservation stage, the first preset time of the holding section S3 is t2~t3; in the second energy supply time period S1, the first preset time of the holding section S3 is t4~t5; and in the third energy supply time period S1, the first preset time of the holding section S3 is t6~t7. As can be seen from the figure, the time interval between t6~t7 is greater than the time interval between t4~t5, and the time interval between t4~t5 is greater than the time interval between t2~t3.

[0093] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a specific implementation of operation S40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0094] In some embodiments, the energy supply period S1 has the lowest initial temperature value, such as... Figure 6 As shown, when the temperature value of the heating element 30 reaches the highest first preset temperature value T1, maintaining the temperature value of the heating element 30 at the first preset temperature value T1 includes the following operations S401 to S402.

[0095] In operation S401, a first power is supplied to the heating element 30 so that the temperature value of the heating element 30 rises from the initial temperature value to a first preset temperature value.

[0096] In operation S402, a second power is supplied to the heating element 30 to maintain the temperature of the heating element 30 at a first preset temperature value. The first power is greater than the second power.

[0097] Figure 7 A schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of a switching circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0098] In some embodiments, such as Figure 7 As shown, the heating circuit of the aerosol generating device 100 includes a heating element 30 and a switching circuit 70 connected in series with the heating element 30. The switching circuit 70 has a first terminal 71, a second terminal 72, and a third terminal 73. The first terminal 71 is electrically connected to the battery cell 10, the second terminal 72 is electrically connected to the heating element 30, and the third terminal 73 is electrically connected to the controller to receive control signals sent by the controller and thus control the switching circuit 70 to be turned on or off. The switching circuit 70 can be positioned as follows: Figure 7 As shown, it can be between the battery cell 10 and the heating element 30, or between the heating element 30 and ground; it only needs to be connected in series with the heating element 30.

[0099] In some embodiments, the switching circuit 70 may be configured as at least one of a relay, a transistor, or a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor. Of course, in other embodiments, the switching circuit 70 may also be configured as any other controllable switch, such as an insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) device, an integrated gate commutated thyristor (IGCT) device, a gate turn-off thyristor (GTO) device, a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) device, a junction-gate field-effect transistor (JFET) device, a MOS-controlled thyristor (MCT) device, etc.

[0100] In some embodiments, the control signal may be a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, thereby the controller can change the average voltage applied to the heating element 30 by changing the duty cycle applied to the switching circuit 70, thus changing the power applied to the heating element 30. Specifically, during the energy supply period S1, the controller provides a PWM signal with a first duty cycle to the switching circuit 70 to provide a first power to the heating element 30, causing the temperature of the heating element 30 to rise from a minimum initial temperature value to a first preset temperature value. When the first preset temperature value is reached, the controller provides a PWM signal with a second duty cycle to the switching circuit 70 to provide a second power to the heating element 30 during the holding period S3.

[0101] The first duty cycle is greater than the second duty cycle, which makes the first power greater than the second power. Therefore, during the energy supply period S1, the controller provides a larger first power to the heating element 30 so that its temperature value rises rapidly from the initial temperature value to the first preset temperature value T1. When the first preset temperature value is reached, the controller provides a smaller second power to the heating element 30 so as to maintain the first preset temperature value T1 during the holding period S3.

[0102] It is easy to understand that as the duty cycle decreases, the average voltage applied to the heating element 30 will also decrease accordingly, and the power supplied to the heating element 30 will also decrease. Therefore, during the design and commissioning phase of the aerosol generating device 100, a suitable second duty cycle can be adjusted and found, and then a suitable second power supplied to the heating element 30 in the holding section S3 can be found. Then the designer can pre-set the suitable second duty cycle in the controller.

[0103] In some embodiments, the first power can be made greater than the second power by adjusting the current output to the heating element 30. For example, the heating circuit includes a constant current source, which is controlled to output a larger current during the energy supply period S1 and a smaller current during the holding period S3, thereby making the first power greater than the second power.

[0104] Figure 8A flowchart illustrating a specific implementation of operation S40 according to another embodiment of this disclosure is shown.

[0105] In some embodiments, such as Figure 8 As shown, maintaining the temperature value of the heating element 30 at the first preset temperature value T1 may also include the following operations S403 to S404.

[0106] In operation S403, during the energy supply period, the control switch circuit 70 remains in the on state.

[0107] In operation S404, during the first preset duration, the control switch circuit 70 switches between the on state and the off state according to the preset interval duration.

[0108] Specifically, during the energy supply period S1, the controller keeps the switching circuit 70 in the ON state, causing the temperature of the heating element 30 to rise rapidly from the initial temperature value to the first preset temperature value T1. During the holding period S3, the controller switches the switching circuit 70 between the ON and OFF states at preset intervals, thereby maintaining the first preset temperature value T1 through the intermittent operation of the switching circuit 70.

[0109] For example, the first preset duration is 100ms. The controller controls the switching circuit 70 to conduct once every 10ms. Specifically, the controller controls the switching circuit 70 to conduct during the first 10ms, controls it to de-conduct during the second 10ms, controls it to conduct again during the third 10ms, controls it to de-conduct again during the fourth 10ms, and so on. Thus, the heating element 30 operates once every 10ms within the 100ms timeframe, thereby maintaining the first preset temperature value T1 through this intermittent operation of the heating element 30. In this case, the controller does not need to send a PWM control signal to the switching circuit 70; it only needs to send a start signal to the switching circuit 70 every 10ms to turn it on.

[0110] Similarly, during the design and commissioning phase of the aerosol generating device 100, designers can adjust and find a suitable interval duration, and then the designers can pre-set the suitable interval duration in the controller.

[0111] In some embodiments, when the heating element 30 is operated intermittently to maintain the first preset temperature value T1, the fourth power of the heating element 30 in the holding period S3 may be greater than or equal to the third power in the energy supply period S1. Preferably, the third power and the fourth power are equal to simplify software control and eliminate the need to adjust the power of the heating element 30.

[0112] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a controller according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0113] Furthermore, such as Figure 9 As shown, the controller includes: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. Figure 9 Taking a processor as an example, the memory stores a computer program. The computer program can be executed by at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the temperature control method of the above embodiment. The processor and the memory can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 9 Taking the example of a connection between China and Israel via a bus.

[0114] A processor can be implemented using at least one of the following: application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP), digital signal processing device (DSPD), programmable logic device (PLD), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), processor, controller, microcontroller, microprocessor, or other electronic unit that performs these functions.

[0115] The memory includes high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state memory device. In some embodiments, the memory may optionally include memory remotely located relative to the processor, which can be connected to the aerosol generating apparatus via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, intranets, local area networks, mobile communication networks, and combinations thereof.

[0116] The memory is used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / units corresponding to the control method / device described herein. The processor executes the non-volatile software programs, instructions, and units stored in the memory to perform various functional applications and data processing of the aerosol generator, thereby implementing the temperature control method of the above embodiments.

[0117] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this disclosure, and not to limit them; under the concept of this disclosure, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of different aspects of this disclosure as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity; although this disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A temperature control method, characterized in that, The aerosol generating apparatus includes a heating element for heating an aerosol generating product to generate aerosols. The apparatus has a heat preservation phase, which includes multiple alternating energy supply time periods and a natural cooling time period. The energy supply time periods are used to supply power to the heating element, and the natural cooling time periods are used to stop supplying power to the heating element. The temperature control method includes: When the temperature of the heating element reaches the highest first preset temperature value, the temperature of the heating element is maintained at the first preset temperature value; The duration for which the temperature value of the heating element is maintained at the first preset temperature value is determined. When the holding time reaches the first preset time, power is stopped from being supplied to the heating element so that the heating element enters the natural cooling period. Among them, several of the first preset duration portions are different.

2. The temperature control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first preset duration of the next energy supply period is greater than the first preset duration of the current energy supply period.

3. The temperature control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy supply period has a minimum initial temperature value, and maintaining the temperature value of the heating element at the first preset temperature value when the temperature value of the heating element reaches the highest first preset temperature value includes: A first power is supplied to the heating element to raise the temperature of the heating element from the initial temperature value to the first preset temperature value; A second power is supplied to the heating element to maintain the temperature of the heating element at the first preset temperature value; Wherein, the first power is greater than the second power.

4. The temperature control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aerosol generating device further includes a heating circuit, which includes the heating element and a switching circuit connected in series with the heating element. The temperature control method further includes: During the process of the heating element's temperature rising from the lowest initial temperature value to the first preset temperature value, a pulse width modulation signal with a first duty cycle is provided to the switching circuit. While maintaining the temperature of the heating element at the first preset temperature value, a pulse width modulation signal with a second duty cycle is provided to the switching circuit. Wherein, the first duty cycle is greater than the second duty cycle.

5. The temperature control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aerosol generating device further includes a heating circuit, which includes the heating element and a switching circuit connected in series with the heating element. The temperature control method further includes: During the energy supply period, the switching circuit is kept in an on state at all times. During the first preset duration, the switching circuit is controlled to switch between the on state and the off state at preset intervals.

6. The temperature control method according to claim 5, characterized in that, During the energy supply period, the heating element has a third power, and during the first preset duration, the heating element has a fourth power, the third power being equal to the fourth power.

7. The temperature control method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The natural cooling period has a minimum second preset temperature value, and the temperature control method further includes: The duration of the heating element's descent from the first preset temperature value is obtained; When the descent time reaches the second preset time, and the temperature value of the heating element is less than the first preset temperature value but greater than the second preset temperature value, power is supplied to the heating element based on the second preset time. If the time it takes for the first preset temperature value to drop to the second preset temperature value is less than the second preset time, power is supplied to the heating element based on the second preset temperature value.

8. An aerosol generating device, comprising a controller, characterized in that, The controller includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor executing the computer program implements the temperature control method according to any one of claims 1-7.

9. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The aerosol generating apparatus further includes a heating element configured to be inserted into the aerosol generating article to heat the aerosol generating article. The aerosol generating apparatus has a chamber for receiving at least a portion of the aerosol generating article. The aerosol generating apparatus also includes a heat-conducting element at least partially surrounding the chamber, the heat-conducting element contacting the heating element to conduct at least a portion of the heat on the heating element to the heat-conducting element.

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