Evaporator power system

Abstract

A system includes a converter configured to be electrically coupled to a power source and a heating element of an evaporator atomizer. The converter may be further configured to receive the first voltage from the power source and provide a second voltage to the heating element. The converter may be a DC-DC converter. A power monitor configured to be electrically coupled to the heating element measures current through the heating element, measures voltage across the heating element, calculates power and / or resistance, and outputs a control signal to the converter. The converter may be configured to be controlled by the control signal to vary the second voltage to maintain a target power or target temperature on the heating element. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on October 21, 2019, with application number 201910999851.4 entitled "Evaporator Power System". Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 748,203, entitled “Powering Vapor Atomizer,” filed October 19, 2018, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 915,294, entitled “Powering Vapor Atomizer,” filed October 15, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The topic described in this article involves powering an evaporator atomizer using a DC-DC converter. Background Technology

[0004] Evaporator devices, also known as evaporators, electronic evaporator devices, or e-evaporator devices, are used to deliver aerosols (e.g., gaseous and / or condensed phase materials suspended in still or moving air or some other gaseous carrier) by a user inhaling an aerosol containing one or more active ingredients. For example, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) include a class of battery-powered evaporator devices that can be used to simulate the experience of smoking without burning tobacco or other substances. Evaporators are increasingly popular for the standard medical use of delivering medications and for the consumption of tobacco, nicotine, and other botanical materials. Evaporator devices can be portable, stand-alone, and / or easy to use.

[0005] When using an evaporator device, the user inhales an aerosol, commonly known as "vapor," which can be generated by a heating element that evaporates an evaporable material (e.g., transforms a liquid or solid at least partially into a gaseous phase). The evaporable material can be a liquid, solution, solid, paste, wax, and / or any other form compatible with a particular evaporator device. The evaporable material used with the evaporator can be housed in a cartridge, which is, for example, a separable part of the evaporator device containing the evaporable material, including an outlet (e.g., a mouthpiece) for the user to inhale the aerosol.

[0006] In order to receive the inhalable aerosol produced by the evaporator device, in some examples, the user can activate the evaporator device by inhalation, by pressing a button, and / or by other methods. As used herein, inhalation refers to a user inhaling in a manner that results in a volume of air being drawn into the evaporator device, thereby producing an inhalable aerosol through the combination of the evaporated evaporable material with the volume of air.

[0007] A method of generating an inhalable aerosol from an evaporable material using an evaporator device involves heating the evaporable material in an evaporator atomizer or evaporation chamber (e.g., a heater chamber) to convert the evaporable material into a gaseous (or vapor) phase. An evaporator atomizer or evaporation chamber can refer to an area or volume in the evaporator device where a heat source (e.g., a conductive, convective, and / or radiant heat source) causes heating of the evaporable material to generate a mixture of air and the evaporable material to form a vapor of the evaporable material for inhalation by a user of the evaporator device.

[0008] Evaporator atomizers are used to evaporate liquids into aerosols and may require control of the power and temperature of heating elements (such as resistance wire coils) to produce a stable vapor and prevent liquid degradation due to exposure to high temperatures. Typically, two controllable heating-related parameters include the electrical power of the heating element and the temperature of the heating element.

[0009] In a typical evaporator atomizer, the heater coil can be constructed from a conductor with a positive temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), meaning its resistance increases with its body temperature. A control loop measures this increase in resistance from ambient to high temperatures and adjusts the heater power to maintain the target operating temperature for consistent vapor production. Heater power control can be achieved via pulse width modulation (PWM), where the current to the heating element is rapidly switched on and off to control the power dissipated as heat within the heating element.

[0010] While this PWM method can control the heating element, its implementation may not allow for large variations in the resistance of the heater and cabin contacts, may require power interruption to measure heater resistance, may result in shorter battery runtime, may result in shorter runtime at lower temperatures, may result in faster battery aging, may result in limited system integration, may result in limited TCR, and may result in an increase in the number and cost of components for measuring heater resistance. Summary of the Invention

[0011] In certain aspects of the present subject matter, challenges related to powering evaporator units can be addressed by including one or more features described herein or by equivalent / comparable methods that will be understood by those skilled in the art. Aspects of the present subject matter relate to methods and systems for powering heating elements of evaporator units.

[0012] Details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the specification and drawings. In some variations, one or more of the following features may optionally be included in any feasible combination.

[0013] In one aspect, a system includes a converter configured to be electrically coupled to a power source and a heating element of an evaporator atomizer. The converter may be further configured to receive a first voltage from the power source and supply a second voltage to the heating element. The converter may be a DC-DC converter. A power monitor may be configured to be electrically coupled to the heating element, measure the current through the heating element, measure the voltage across the heating element, calculate power and / or resistance, and output a control signal to the converter. The converter may be configured to be controlled by the control signal to change the second voltage to maintain a target power or target temperature on the heating element.

[0014] One or more of the following features may be included in any feasible combination. For example, the converter may include a boost and / or buck converter. The converter may include an energy storage device. The energy storage device may include a capacitor in a switched capacitor topology or a charge pump topology. The energy storage device may include an inductor. The power monitor may include analog circuitry forming a closed-loop control. The power monitor may include: analog front-end circuitry configured to measure the current through the heating element and the voltage across the heating element; and a digital converter including circuitry configured to provide a control signal based on the measured current through the heating element and the measured voltage across the heating element. The digital converter may be configured to provide the control signal as a pulse-width modulated signal, a digital-to-analog conversion signal, or a signal in an integrated circuit / inter-integrated circuit (ICB) format. The power monitor may include a 4-wire connection to measure the voltage across the heating element. Alternatively, the power monitor may also include a 3-wire connection to measure the voltage across the heating element. The power monitor may continuously measure the current and voltage without interrupting the power to the heating element. A microcontroller and a switch may be included between the converter and the heating element. The switch may be electrically coupled to the microcontroller. The microcontroller can be configured to apply a pulse-width modulated signal to the gate of the switch. The converter can be configured to operate at a first power level, and the microcontroller can be configured to determine a second power level based on a measured current through the heating element and a measured voltage on the heating element, and modify the pulse-width modulated signal to control the switch to modify the second voltage.

[0015] The converter can be configured to continuously supply power to the heating element during a heating cycle. A power monitor can be configured to determine changes in the contact resistance of the contacts between the converter and the heating element based on measured changes in current. The system may further include a current source configured to be coupled to the heating element, the current source comprising a current source resistor and a current source switch.

[0016] The system may further include a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port including a USB power rail, to which the converter is configured to output a third voltage. The system including the converter may also include pulse-width modulation (PWM) control circuitry configured to be electrically coupled to the power supply and the heating element of the evaporator atomizer. The PWM control circuitry is also configured to provide PWM power to the heating element. The power supply may be a battery.

[0017] On the other hand, an integrated converter includes a converter, a power monitor, and a charger in one unit. The converter can be configured to be electrically coupled to a power source and a heating element of an evaporator atomizer. The converter can be further configured to receive a first voltage from the power source and supply a second voltage to the heating element. This converter is a DC-DC converter. The power monitor can be configured to be electrically coupled to the heating element, measure the current through the heating element, measure the voltage across the heating element, calculate power and / or resistance, and output a control signal to the converter. The charger can be configured to be electrically coupled to the power source to charge the power source. The converter is configured to be controlled by the control signal to change the second voltage to maintain a target power or target temperature on the heating element. The converter and charger may include a common inductor to power the heating element and charge the power source.

[0018] In another approach, one method includes: measuring the current through the heating element of the evaporator atomizer; measuring the voltage across the heating element; calculating power and / or resistance; and controlling the operation of a converter to change the second voltage to maintain a target power or target temperature on the heating element. The current can be provided by a converter configured to be electrically coupled to a power source and a heating element. The converter can be further configured to receive a first voltage from the power source and provide a second voltage to the heating element. This conversion is a DC-DC converter.

[0019] One or more of the following features may be included in any feasible combination. For example, the converter may include a boost and / or buck converter; the converter may include an energy storage device. The energy storage device may include a capacitor in a switched capacitor topology or a charge pump topology. The energy storage device may include an inductor. The control signal may be provided to the converter as a pulse-width modulated signal, a digital-to-analog conversion signal, or a signal in an integrated circuit / inter-integrated circuit (ICB) format. The pulse-width modulated signal may be applied to the gate of a switch coupled between the microcontroller, the converter, and the heating element. The converter may be configured to operate at a first power level, and the microcontroller may be configured to determine a second power level based on a measured current through the heating element and a measured voltage across the heating element and modify the pulse-width modulated signal to control the switch to modify the second voltage. The converter may be configured to continuously supply power to the heating element during a heating cycle. The change in contact resistance of the contacts between the converter and the heating element may be determined based on the measured change in current.

[0020] A 4-wire connection can be used to measure the voltage across the heating element. Alternatively, a 3-wire connection can also be used to measure the voltage across the heating element. The current flowing through the heating element can be continuously measured without interrupting its power. The power source can be a battery.

[0021] Details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and the following description. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the specification and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate certain aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the specification, help to explain some principles associated with the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings: Figure 1A This is a block diagram of the evaporator assembly.

[0023] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of the evaporator assembly and the evaporator feed box.

[0024] Figure 1C This is a front view of an embodiment of the evaporator assembly and evaporator feed box; Figure 1D This is a front view of the evaporator feed box coupled to the evaporator unit; Figure 1E This is a perspective view of the evaporator feed box; Figure 1F This is a perspective view of another embodiment of the evaporator feed box coupled to the evaporator device; Figure 1G This is a system block diagram illustrating an exemplary PWM heater control; Figure 2 This is a system block diagram illustrating exemplary heater power control according to some aspects of the current topic; Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 A diagram showing the operating modes of an exemplary heater control 200 is provided. Figure 4 This is a system block diagram illustrating an exemplary heater control in which a converter operates as a current source; Figure 5 This is a process flow diagram illustrating an example process for operating heater control according to some aspects of the current topic; and Figure 6 An example circuit diagram is shown, illustrating the resistance and related parameters in an exemplary electrical power path, and including a power control switch.

[0025] In practice, similar reference numerals indicate similar structures, features, or elements. Similar reference symbols in various figures indicate similar elements. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The implementation of the present subject matter includes methods, apparatus, articles, and systems relating to the evaporation of one or more materials for inhalation by a user. Example embodiments include methods for powering an evaporator device and a system including an evaporator device. As used in the following description and claims, the term "evaporator device" refers to any standalone device comprising two or more separable components (e.g., an evaporator body including a battery and other hardware, and a cartridge including an evaporable material) and / or the like. An evaporator device, also referred to as an evaporator, electronic evaporator device, or e-evaporator device, can be used to deliver an aerosol containing one or more active ingredients (e.g., a gaseous and / or condensed phase material suspended in still or moving air or some other gas carrier) by a user inhalation through the evaporator device. As used herein, an "evaporator system" can include one or more components, such as an evaporator device. Examples of evaporator devices consistent with embodiments of the present subject matter include electronic evaporators, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), etc. Typically, such evaporator devices are handheld devices that heat (e.g., by convection, conduction, radiation, and / or some combination thereof) an evaporable material to provide an inhalable dose of the material. Evaporable materials used with an evaporator device can be housed in a cartridge (e.g., part of an evaporator containing evaporable materials in a storage container or other container). This cartridge can be refilled when empty or used once to allow the use of other evaporable materials of the same or different types. The evaporator device can be an evaporator device using a cartridge, an evaporator device without a cartridge, or a multi-purpose evaporator device that can be used with or without a cartridge. For example, an evaporator device may include a heating chamber (e.g., an oven or other area where the material is heated by heating elements) configured to directly receive evaporable materials into a heating chamber and / or a storage container for containing the evaporable materials. In some embodiments, the evaporator can be configured to be used with liquid evaporable materials (e.g., a carrier solution in which active and / or inactive components are suspended or held in a solution, or the evaporable material itself in liquid form), pastes, waxes, or solid evaporable materials. Solid evaporable materials may include plant material that releases a portion of itself as evaporable material (e.g., after the evaporable material is released to the user for inhalation, some portions of the plant material remain as waste), or alternatively, the evaporable material itself in solid form so that all solid material can eventually be evaporated for inhalation. Liquid evaporable materials may similarly be completely evaporated, or may include a portion of liquid material remaining after all suitable inhalation material has been consumed.

[0027] Reference Figure 1AThe block diagram shows that the evaporator device 100 may include a power source 112 (e.g., a battery, which may be a rechargeable battery) and a controller 104 (e.g., a processor, circuitry, etc. capable of performing logic) for controlling the delivery of heat to the atomizer 141 to convert the evaporable material 102 from a condensed form (e.g., solid, liquid, solution, suspension, at least a portion of untreated plant material, etc.) into a gaseous phase. The controller 104 may be part of one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) consistent with certain embodiments of the present subject. After the evaporable material 102 is converted into a gaseous phase, at least some of the gaseous evaporable material 102 may condense to form particulate matter at least partially locally in equilibrium with the gaseous phase as part of an aerosol, which may form some or all of the inhalable dose provided by the evaporator device 100 during inhalation or exhalation by a user on the evaporator device 100. It will be understood that the interaction between the gas phase and the condensate phase in the aerosol produced by the evaporator device 100 can be complex and dynamic, as factors such as ambient temperature, relative humidity, chemical properties, flow conditions of the airflow path (inside the evaporator and in the airways of humans or other animals), and mixing of the evaporable material 102 in the gas phase or aerosol phase with other airflows can affect one or more physical parameters of the aerosol. In some evaporators, especially those used to deliver volatile evaporable materials, the inhalable dose may be predominantly present in the gas phase (i.e., the formation of condensate phase particles may be very limited).

[0028] The atomizer 141 in the evaporator device 100 can be configured to evaporate the evaporable material 102. The evaporable material 102 can be a liquid. Examples of evaporable materials 102 include pure liquids, suspensions, solutions, mixtures, etc. The atomizer 141 may include a wick element (i.e., a wick) configured to deliver a quantity of the evaporable material 102 to a portion of the atomizer 141 including a heating element. Figure 1A (Not shown in the image).

[0029] For example, a wicking element can be configured to draw evaporable material 102 from a reservoir 140 configured to contain evaporable material 102, such that the evaporable material 102 can be evaporated by heat transferred from a heating element. The wicking element can also optionally allow air to enter the reservoir 140 and replace the volume of the removed evaporable material 102. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, capillary action can draw the evaporable material 102 into the wick for evaporation by the heating element, and air can be returned through the wick to the reservoir 140 to at least partially balance the pressure in the reservoir 140. Other methods that allow air to return to the reservoir 140 to balance the pressure are also within the scope of the present subject matter.

[0030] As used herein, the term “core” or “core element” includes any material capable of inducing fluid movement via capillary pressure.

[0031] Heating elements may include one or more of conductive heaters, radiant heaters, and / or convection heaters. One type of heating element is a resistance heating element, which may include a material (e.g., a metal or alloy, such as a nickel-chromium alloy or a non-metallic resistor) configured to dissipate electrical energy as heat when current passes through one or more resistive segments of the heating element. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the atomizer 141 may include a heating element comprising a resistance coil or other heating element surrounding, positioned therein, integrated into an integral shape, pressed to thermally contact therewith, or otherwise arranged to transfer heat to the wicking element to evaporate the evaporable material 102 drawn from the reservoir 140 by the wicking element for subsequent inhalation by the user as a gaseous and / or condensed phase (e.g., aerosol particles or droplets). Other wicking element, heating element, and / or atomizer component configurations are also possible.

[0032] Some evaporator devices may additionally or alternatively be configured to produce an inhalable dose of the vapor phase and / or aerosol phase of the evaporable material 102 by heating the evaporable material 102. The evaporable material 102 may be a solid phase material (e.g., wax) or plant material (e.g., tobacco leaves and / or portions thereof). In such evaporator devices, the resistance heating element may be part of the wall of an oven or other heated chamber in which the evaporable material 102 is placed, or otherwise incorporated therein or in thermal contact with it. Alternatively, one or more resistance heating elements may be used to heat air passing through or through the evaporable material 102 to induce convective heating of the evaporable material 102. In other examples, one or more resistance heating elements may be arranged in close contact with the plant material such that direct conductive heating of the plant material occurs within the plant material, as opposed to conduction only from the oven wall inwards.

[0033] The heating element can be activated in association with a user drawing (i.e., sucking, drawing, etc.) into the mouthpiece 130 of the evaporator assembly 100, causing air to flow from the inlet along an airflow path through the atomizer 141 (i.e., the wick element and the heating element). Optionally, air can flow from the air inlet through one or more condensation zones or chambers to the air outlet in the mouthpiece 130. The incoming air moving along the airflow path moves above or through the atomizer 141, where the vaporizable material 102 in the gaseous phase is entrained into the air. The heating element can be activated by a controller 104, which may optionally be part of the evaporator body 110 discussed herein, thereby causing current from the power source 112 through a circuit including a resistance heating element, which may be part of the evaporator cartridge 120 as described herein. As described herein, the entrained vaporized material 102 can condense as it passes through the remainder of the airflow path, thereby delivering an inhalable dose of the vaporized material 102 in the form of an aerosol from an air outlet (e.g., mouthpiece 130) for the user to inhale.

[0034] Activation of the heating element can be caused by automatic detection of suction based on one or more signals generated by one or more sensors 113. Sensors 113 and the signals generated by sensors 113 may include one or more of the following: one or more pressure sensors arranged to detect pressure (or optionally measure changes in absolute pressure) along the airflow path relative to ambient pressure; one or more motion sensors (e.g., accelerometers) of the evaporator unit 100; one or more flow sensors of the evaporator unit 100; a capacitive lip sensor of the evaporator unit 100; detection of user interaction with the evaporator unit 100 via one or more input devices 116 (e.g., buttons or other tactile control devices of the evaporator unit 100); receiving signals from a computing device communicating with the evaporator unit 100; and / or determining by other means that suction is occurring or about to occur.

[0035] As discussed herein, the evaporator device 100, consistent with embodiments of the present subject, can be configured to connect (e.g., wirelessly or via a wired connection) to a computing device (or optionally two or more devices) communicating with the evaporator device 100. For this purpose, the controller 104 may include communication hardware 105. The controller 104 may also include memory 108. The communication hardware 105 may include firmware and / or may be software-controlled for executing one or more encryption protocols for communication.

[0036] The computing device may be a component of the evaporator system, including the evaporator device 100, and may include its own communication hardware that can establish a wireless communication channel with the communication hardware 105 of the evaporator device 100. For example, the computing device used as part of the evaporator system may include a general-purpose computing device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, personal computer, or certain other portable devices such as a smartwatch) that executes software to generate a user interface for enabling a user to interact with the evaporator device 100. In other embodiments of the present subject, such a device used as part of the evaporator system may be dedicated hardware, such as a remote control or other wireless or wired devices having one or more physical or software (i.e., configurable on a screen or other display device and selectable by a user interacting with a touch-sensitive screen or other input devices such as a mouse, pointer, trackball, cursor buttons, etc.) interface controls. The evaporator device 100 may also include one or more outputs 117 or devices for providing information to a user. For example, output 117 may include one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to provide feedback to the user based on the status and / or operating mode of the evaporator device 100.

[0037] In examples where the computing device provides signals related to the activation of the resistance heating element, or in other examples where the computing device is coupled to the evaporator device 100 to achieve various control or other functions, the computing device executes one or more computer instruction sets to provide a user interface and low-level data processing. In one example, the computing device detecting user interaction with one or more user interface elements may signal the evaporator device 100 to activate the heating element to reach the operating temperature for generating an inhalable dose of vapor / aerosol. Other functions of the evaporator device 100 can be controlled through user interaction with a user interface on the computing device communicating with the evaporator device 100.

[0038] The temperature of the resistance heating element of the evaporator device 100 can depend on a number of factors, including the amount of electrical power delivered to the resistance heating element, conductive heat transfer to other parts of the electronic evaporator device 100 and / or to the environment, latent heat loss due to the evaporable material 102 evaporating from the wicking element and / or the atomizer 141 as a whole, and convective heat loss due to airflow (i.e., the air flowing through the heating element or the atomizer 141 as a user inhales onto the evaporator device 100). As described herein, in order to reliably activate the heating element or heat it to a desired temperature, in some embodiments of the present subject matter, the evaporator device 100 may utilize signals from sensor 113 (e.g., a pressure sensor) to determine when a user inhales. Sensor 113 may be positioned in the airflow path and / or may be connected (e.g., via a channel or other path) to an airflow path (which includes an inlet for air to enter the evaporator device 100 and an outlet for vapor and / or aerosol generated by the user through its inhalation), such that sensor 113 experiences a change (e.g., pressure change) simultaneously with the air flowing from the air inlet through the evaporator device 100 to the air outlet. In some embodiments of the present subject matter, the heating element may be activated in association with the user's inhalation, for example by automatically detecting inhalation or by sensor 113 detecting a change in the airflow path (e.g., a pressure change).

[0039] Sensor 113 may be positioned on or coupled to controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board component or other type of circuit board) (i.e., physically or electrically or electronically connected via a wireless connection). For accurate measurements and to maintain the robustness of evaporator unit 100, it is advantageous to provide a seal 127 that is sufficiently flexible to separate the airflow path from other parts of evaporator unit 100. Seal 127 may be a gasket or may be configured to at least partially surround sensor 113 such that the connection of sensor 113 to the internal circuitry of evaporator unit 100 is separated from the portion of sensor 113 exposed to the airflow path. In the example of a cartridge-based evaporator, seal 127 may also separate one or more portions of the electrical connection between evaporator body 110 and evaporator cartridge 120. This arrangement of the seal 127 in the evaporator unit 100 can help mitigate the potentially damaging effects on the evaporator components due to interactions with environmental factors such as gaseous or liquid water, other fluids such as evaporable material 102, etc., and / or reduce air escape from the designated airflow path in the evaporator unit 100. Undesirable air, liquid, or other fluids passing through and / or contacting the circuitry of the evaporator unit 100 can cause various adverse effects, such as altered pressure readings, and / or can lead to the accumulation of harmful substances such as moisture, excess evaporable material 102, etc., in certain parts of the evaporator unit 100, potentially resulting in weak pressure signals, degradation of sensor 113 or other components, and / or a shorter lifespan for the evaporator unit 100. Leaks in the seal 127 can also cause a user to inhale air containing or composed of materials that may not be desired to be inhaled, which has already passed through various parts of the evaporator unit 100.

[0040] In some embodiments, the vaporizer body 110 includes a controller 104, a power supply 112 (e.g., a battery), one or more sensors 113, charging contacts (such as those for charging the power supply 112), a seal 127, and a cartridge receiver 118 configured to receive the vaporizer cartridge 120 to be coupled to the vaporizer body 110 via one or more of various attachment structures. In some examples, the vaporizer cartridge 120 includes a reservoir 140 for containing evaporable material 102, and a mouthpiece 130 has an aerosol outlet for delivering an inhalable dose to a user. The vaporizer cartridge 120 may include an atomizer 141 having a wicking element and a heating element. Alternatively, one or both of the wicking element and the heating element may be part of the vaporizer body 110. In embodiments in which any part of the atomizer 141 (i.e., the heating element and / or the wicking element) is part of the evaporator body 110, the evaporator device 100 may be configured to supply evaporable material 102 from a reservoir 140 in the evaporator cartridge 120 to said one or more parts of the atomizer 141 included in the evaporator body 110.

[0041] The cartridge-based construction for the evaporator device 100 (producing an inhalable dose of non-liquid evaporable material 102 by heating a non-liquid material) is also within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, the evaporator cartridge 120 may include a large amount of plant material that is processed and shaped to be in direct contact with a portion of one or more resistance heating elements, and the evaporator cartridge 120 may be configured to be mechanically and / or electrically coupled to the evaporator body 110, which includes a controller 104, a power supply 112, and one or more receiver contacts 125a and 125b; the receiver contacts 125a and 125b are configured to connect to one or more corresponding cartridge contacts 124a and 125b and complete the circuitry with one or more resistance heating elements.

[0042] In embodiments of the evaporator device 100 (where the power supply 112 is part of the evaporator body 110 and the heating element is disposed in the evaporator cartridge 120 and configured to be coupled to the evaporator body 110), the evaporator device 100 may include electrical connection features (e.g., means for completing circuitry) for completing circuitry including a controller 104 (e.g., a printed circuit board, a microcontroller, etc.), the power supply 112, and a heating element (e.g., a heating element within the atomizer 141). These features may include one or more contacts (referred herein to as cartridge contacts 124a and 124b) on the bottom surface of the evaporator cartridge 120 and at least two contacts (referred herein to as receiver contacts 125a and 125b) disposed near the bottom of the cartridge receiver 118 of the evaporator device 100, such that when the evaporator cartridge 120 is inserted into and coupled to the cartridge receiver 118, the cartridge contacts 124a and 124b form an electrical connection with the receiver contacts 125a and 125b. The circuits completed through these electrical connections allow current to be supplied to the heating element and can also be used for other functions, such as measuring the resistance of the heating element in order to determine and / or control the temperature of the heating element based on its thermal resistance coefficient.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present subject matter, cartridge contacts 124a and 124b and receiver contacts 125a and 125b can be configured to be electrically connected in any of at least two orientations. In other words, by inserting the evaporator cartridge 120 into the cartridge receiver 118 in a first rotational orientation (along the axis along which the evaporator cartridge 120 is inserted into the cartridge receiver 118 of the evaporator body 110), such that cartridge contact 124a is electrically connected to receiver contact 125a and cartridge contact 124b is electrically connected to receiver contact 125b, one or more circuits required for the operation of the evaporator device 100 can be completed. Furthermore, the one or more circuits required for the operation of the evaporator device 100 can be completed by inserting the evaporator cartridge 120 into the cartridge receiver 118 in a second rotational orientation, such that cartridge contact 124a is electrically connected to receiver contact 125b and cartridge contact 124b is electrically connected to receiver contact 125a.

[0044] In one example of an attachment structure for coupling evaporator cartridge 120 to evaporator body 110, evaporator body 110 includes one or more stops (e.g., recesses, protrusions, etc.) projecting inward from the inner surface of cartridge receiver 118, formed to include additional material (e.g., metal, plastic, etc.) and / or the like, including portions protruding into cartridge receiver 118. One or more outer surfaces of evaporator cartridge 120 may include corresponding recesses ( Figure 1A (Not shown in the diagram) When the evaporator cartridge 120 is inserted into the cartridge receiver 118 on the evaporator body 110, the corresponding recess may fit and / or otherwise engage with these stops or protrusions. When the evaporator cartridge 120 and the evaporator body 110 are coupled (e.g., by inserting the evaporator cartridge 120 into the cartridge receiver 118 of the evaporator body 110), the stops or protrusions of the evaporator body 110 may fit into, and / or otherwise retain within, the recess of the evaporator cartridge 120 to hold the evaporator cartridge 120 in place after assembly. Such a component can provide sufficient support to hold the evaporator feed box 120 in place to ensure good contact between the feed box contacts 124a and 124b and the receiver contacts 125a and 125b, while allowing the evaporator feed box 120 to be released from the evaporator body 110 when the user pulls the evaporator feed box 120 with reasonable force, so that the evaporator feed box 120 is detached from the feed box receiver 118.

[0045] In some embodiments, the evaporator feed tray 120 or at least the insertable end 122 of the evaporator feed tray 120 configured for insertion into the feed tray receiver 118 may have a non-circular cross-section transverse to the axis along which the evaporator feed tray 120 is inserted into the feed tray receiver 118. For example, the non-circular cross-section may be approximately rectangular, approximately elliptical (i.e., having an approximately oval shape), non-rectangular but having two sets of parallel or approximately parallel opposite sides (i.e., having a parallelogram-like shape), or other shapes having at least second-order rotational symmetry. In such cases, the approximate shape representation is obviously similar to the fundamental shape described, but the sides of the shape in question need not be perfectly linear, nor do the vertices need to be perfectly sharp. Rounding of the edges or vertices of the cross-sectional shape, either one or both, is considered in the description of any non-circular cross-section referred to herein.

[0046] The cartridge contacts 124a and 124b and the receiver contacts 125a and 125b can take various forms. For example, one or two sets of contacts may include conductive pins, tabs, posts, receiving holes for pins or posts, etc. Certain types of contacts may include springs or other features to facilitate better physical and electrical contact between the contacts on the evaporator cartridge 120 and the contacts on the evaporator body 110. Electrical contacts may optionally be gold-plated and / or comprise other materials.

[0047] Figure 1B An embodiment of an evaporator body 110 and a feed box receiver 118 is shown, wherein an evaporator feed box 120 can be releasably inserted into the feed box receiver 118. Figure 1B A top view of an evaporator assembly 100 is shown, illustrating an evaporator cartridge 120 positioned for insertion into an evaporator body 110. When a user draws air onto the evaporator assembly 100, air can pass between the outer surface of the evaporator cartridge 120 and the inner surface of the cartridge receiver 118 on the evaporator body 110. The air is then drawn to the insertable end 122 of the cartridge, through an evaporation chamber including or containing a heating element and a core, and extracted through the outlet of a suction nozzle 130 to deliver an inhalable aerosol to the user. The reservoir 140 of the evaporator cartridge 120 may be formed wholly or partially of a translucent material, such that the level of the evaporable material 102 is visible within the evaporator cartridge 120. The suction nozzle 130 may be a separable component of the evaporator cartridge 120 or may be integrally formed with one or more other components of the evaporator cartridge 120 (e.g., integrally formed with the reservoir 140, etc.).

[0048] In addition to the above discussion regarding the reversibility of the electrical connection between the evaporator cartridge 120 and the evaporator body 110, which allows for at least two rotational orientations of the evaporator cartridge 120 in the cartridge receiver 118, in some embodiments of the evaporator device 100, the shape of the evaporator cartridge 120, or the shape of at least the insertable end 122 of the evaporator cartridge 120 configured to be inserted into the cartridge receiver 118, can have at least second-order rotational symmetry. In other words, the evaporator cartridge 120, or at least the insertable end 122 of the evaporator cartridge 120, can be symmetrical when rotated 180° about the axis along which the evaporator cartridge 120 is inserted into the cartridge receiver 118. In this configuration, the circuitry of the evaporator device 100 can support the same operation regardless of which symmetrical orientation the evaporator cartridge 120 exhibits.

[0049] Figure 1C-1D Example features are shown that may be included in embodiments of the evaporator device 100 consistent with the present subject. Figure 1C and 1D This shows the process before connecting the evaporator feed box 120 to the evaporator body 110 ( Figure 1C ) and afterwards ( Figure 1D A top view of an example of an evaporator device 100.

[0050] Figure 1E A perspective view of a variant of the evaporator cartridge 120 holding the evaporable material 102 is shown. Any suitable evaporable material 102 may be contained within the evaporator cartridge 120 (e.g., within a reservoir 140), including solutions of nicotine or other organic materials.

[0051] Figure 1FA perspective view of another example of an evaporator device 100 is shown, which includes an evaporator body 110 coupled to a separable evaporator cartridge 120. As shown, the evaporator device 100 may include one or more outputs 117 (e.g., LEDs) configured to provide information to a user based on the status, operating mode, etc. of the evaporator device 100. In some aspects, the one or more outputs 117 may include multiple LEDs (i.e., two, three, four, five, or six LEDs). The one or more outputs 117 (i.e., each individual LED) may be configured to display light in one or more colors (e.g., white, red, blue, green, yellow, etc.). The one or more outputs 117 may be configured to display different light patterns (e.g., by illuminating specific LEDs, changing the light intensity of one or more LEDs over time, illuminating one or more LEDs in different colors, etc.) to indicate different states, operating modes, etc. of the evaporator device 100. In some embodiments, the one or more outputs 117 may be located near and / or at least partially within the bottom region 160 of the evaporator device 100. Additionally or alternatively, the evaporator device 100 may include externally accessible charging contacts 128 that may be located near and / or at least partially disposed within the bottom region 160 of the evaporator device 100.

[0052] Figure 1G This is a system block diagram illustrating an example of a conventional PWM heater controller 160. The heater controller includes a battery charger 162, a microcontroller 164, a PWM metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) 165, a voltage measurement point (VMEAS) analog front end (AFE) 185, a low dropout regulator (LDO) 174, and a current source 182. The PWM heater controller 160 may include contacts 181 for coupling to a chamber 180 containing a heating element 185 and an evaporable material. The PWM heater controller 160 may also be coupled to a battery 172. The microcontroller 164 can control the PWM MOSFET 165 to switch the current source 182 or the battery 172 in accordance with the heating element 185 to provide power to the heating element 185 for heating.

[0053] In conventional PWM control, power is supplied directly from battery 172 and switched on and off via a solid-state switch (such as PWM MOSFET 165). The heater resistance can be measured between PWM pulses by flowing a known constant current through the heater and measuring the voltage drop across the heating element 185. In some existing evaporator atomizers, heater control is achieved by pulse width modulation of the power supply (e.g., battery) being delivered to the heating element. As described below, while conventional PWM methods can control the heating element, PWM control may not tolerate large variations in heater and chamber contact resistance, may require power interruption to measure heater resistance, may shorten battery runtime, may result in shorter runtime at lower temperatures, may cause faster battery aging, may limit system integration, may limit TCR, and / or may increase the number and cost of components used to measure heater resistance.

[0054] Some PWM implementations may not tolerate large variations in heater and chamber contact resistance. PWM control may be limited to a maximum duty cycle. At low battery voltages, PWM control may not be able to compensate for increases in chamber contact resistance to maintain target power. In production, PWM control may require tighter heater resistance tolerances to ensure the target heater power is achieved at low voltages. PWM control reduces availability, meaning users may need to clean the chamber contacts more frequently.

[0055] PWM control interrupts power to measure the heating element temperature. Due to PWM switching, it can be difficult to directly measure the heater's power. For the same reason, it can be difficult to measure the heater's resistance between PWM pulses, so the heater's power is typically interrupted for measurement. PWM control may require more complex circuitry, such as a stable constant current source and a Wheatstone bridge, to measure resistance.

[0056] PWM control can result in shorter evaporator battery runtime. There is a minimum battery voltage limit to achieve the target power. For the example above, the 8.0 W target power requires a minimum voltage of approximately 3.4 V under load. Below approximately 3.4 V, the PWM duty cycle is 100%, and the system cannot deliver the target power. This will negatively impact the user experience when the battery is low. For older batteries, the minimum voltage limit is reached even at higher states of charge, thus reducing runtime.

[0057] PWM control can result in shorter evaporator runtime at low temperatures. Battery impedance (DCIR) increases at low temperatures, even around 15°C. This causes the battery voltage to drop under load, degrading the user experience and shortening runtime. This effect is even greater at temperatures below 10°C, leading to significantly reduced runtime.

[0058] PWM control can lead to faster battery aging. Because of the low heater resistance, the current in the PWM pulses is high at both the average and high voltages of the battery. This results in higher polarization and stress within the battery, leading to faster aging and a shorter cycle life.

[0059] PWM control can lead to limited system integration. PWM-controlled charging and heater power control are separate circuits, requiring a larger board area. PWM control may also require relatively low heating element resistance, thus limiting design options.

[0060] PWM control can limit the heater's TCR selection options. A higher TCR provides a larger resistance change with temperature, a larger signal, and thus better temperature measurement accuracy. However, PWM control may require a lower TCR to maintain heater power at low battery voltages.

[0061] PWM control can lead to an increased number of components and increased cost for measuring heater resistance. For example, additional current sources and Wheatstone bridge circuits may increase the number of components.

[0062] The subject matter described herein offers numerous technical advantages over conventional PWM control and other heating element control techniques. For example, the present subject matter enables improved system integration. In some implementations, charger and heater power control can be integrated into a single DC-DC converter. A single inductor can be used to charge and power the heater. The combination of charger and heater control circuitry can provide cost reduction and / or space reduction.

[0063] In some implementations, the present subject matter allows for a reduction in plate area, which can permit larger battery capacities or smaller overall evaporator units. Lower overall cost can be achieved, allowing for significant variations in heater and chamber contact resistance, etc. The output voltage can vary proportionally with increasing load resistance to maintain power. This compensates for large variations in chamber contact resistance and allows for more lenient manufacturing tolerances for the heating elements.

[0064] In some implementations, the present subject can improve availability by automatically compensating for changes in contact resistance, thereby requiring fewer contact cleaning operations.

[0065] In some implementations, the present subject matter enables the measurement of the heater element while heating is in progress. For example, uninterrupted power can be supplied to the heater, and the heater power can also be measured directly during heating. A simpler measurement circuit can be implemented due to the DC output of the converter.

[0066] In some implementations, the present subject matter can achieve longer battery runtime, allowing battery cells to discharge deeper under load to 3.0 V or even lower, to operate for longer periods within target performance, and / or achieve improved performance at low ambient temperatures (e.g., in cold weather). For example, battery voltage may drop at low temperatures, while the converter can still maintain constant power to the heater and / or provide longer runtime at low temperatures.

[0067] In some implementations, the present subject matter can improve battery cycle life, reduce battery stress due to lower peak discharge current, and achieve greater system integration, such as the charger and heater power control being built into an integrated DC-DC converter, using the same single inductor (i.e., the inductor shared by the charger and heater power control) to charge and power the heating element, and / or reduce the board area required for heater control, thereby allowing for larger battery capacity or smaller devices, and / or reducing overall cost.

[0068] Compared to linear chargers, some implementations can achieve less heat dissipation during charging, with less heat transferred to the charger temperature sensor (typically a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) mounted on the battery cell), allowing for accurate battery temperature measurement, high charging efficiency from battery-powered charging accessories, and / or energy savings.

[0069] Some implementations can provide alternative heater resistance measurements with low excitation current and no self-heating, which can be achieved by at least adding a resistor in series with the heater and the power FET.

[0070] This topic relates to the heating control of an evaporator atomizer using a DC-DC converter and a power monitor that measures the current flowing through the heater and the voltage across the heating element to calculate power and impedance. The converter's output voltage can be controlled to maintain target power and / or target temperature on the heating element. By utilizing DC-DC converter control, this topic enables continuous monitoring of one or more of the heater resistance and temperature during power variations, providing faster preheating and a consistent power profile at low battery voltages and temperatures. The combined charger and heater control circuitry reduces cost and space requirements, compensates for increased chamber contact resistance and improves user experience, allows for higher heater TCR without overloading the battery when the heating element is near ambient temperature, thus improving efficiency at low battery voltages, improving battery runtime, providing consistent performance at lower temperatures, and extending battery life, among other benefits.

[0071] Figure 2This is a system block diagram illustrating an exemplary heater power control 200 according to some aspects of the present topic. The heater power controller 200 may include a buck-boost DC-DC converter 205 and a power monitor 210. In some embodiments, the heater power controller 200 is part of the circuitry of the controller 104 described above.

[0072] Converter 205 can be electrically coupled to a power source (e.g., battery 215 and / or Universal Serial Bus (USB) power 220) and a heating element 225 located in compartment 230. Converter 205 can be coupled to heating element 225 via contact 235. The converter can receive a first voltage (e.g., V) from the power source (e.g., 215 or 220). BAT or V USB ), and provides a second voltage (e.g., V) to the heating element 225. HEAT+ ).

[0073] Power monitor 210 may be electrically coupled to heating element 225 and may include microprocessor 211, analog-to-digital converter 212, and analog front-end 213. Power monitor 210 may measure the current flowing through heating element 225 and the voltage across heating element (e.g., from V). HEAT+ To V HEAT- The voltage drop is calculated, the power and / or resistance are calculated, and a control signal (e.g., DC EN) is output to the converter 205.

[0074] The converter 205 can be controlled by a control signal (e.g., DC EN) to change the second voltage (e.g., V). HEAT + This is to maintain the target power or target temperature on the heating element 225. An improved evaporator atomizer can be achieved by utilizing the converter 205 and the power monitor 210 to maintain the target power or target temperature on the heating element 225.

[0075] In some implementations, converter 205 may include an energy storage component 240. For example, converter 205 may utilize a capacitor as the energy storage component 240 in a switched capacitor or charge pump topology. However, in order to limit the peak current drawn from battery 215, such as Figure 2 As shown, converter 205 may include an inductor as an energy storage component 240. Inductor-based converters can be used to reduce voltage (e.g., buck), increase voltage (e.g., boost), or regulate voltage within a battery voltage range (e.g., buck-boost).

[0076] In some implementations, a power monitor 210 can be used to implement closed-loop control of the converter 205. The power monitor 210 includes analog circuitry for measuring voltage and current and outputting analog signals to control the converter. In some implementations, closed-loop control can be achieved, for example, through analog front-end (AFE) circuitry to obtain voltage and current information. The power monitor 210 may include a digital converter 212 having a digital control output signal such as a PWM signal, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) signal, or an I2C signal in an integrated circuit bus format. The power monitor 210 can measure the voltage across the heating element 225 and the current through the heating element 225 to calculate the electrical power consumed in the heating element 225 and the resistance of the heating element 225. Unlike conventional PWM methods, this can be performed continuously without interrupting the power supply to the heating element.

[0077] In some embodiments, the subject may utilize a 4-wire (Kelvin) connection (e.g., four contacts 235) to perform precise voltage measurements on the heating element 225. In some embodiments, the subject may utilize a 2-wire bay connection (e.g., two contacts 235) or a 3-wire connection.

[0078] In some implementations, a 5V power supply can be provided, enabling the DC-DC converter 205 to charge other electronic devices from the internal battery 215. In this case, the converter outputs 5V as a USB power source. In this implementation, the converter can operate in one of three modes: 1) as a charger, 2) for heater control, or 3) as a USB power source.

[0079] Some implementations allow for higher heater TCR. Higher TCR can provide greater [potential benefits]. R / T-signal (resistance change / temperature change) and more precise temperature measurement. Some implementations can allow for cabin contact resistance diagnostics, where changes in output current can be analyzed to sense increases in contact resistance.

[0080] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 2 The diagram illustrates the operating modes of the example heater power controller 200. The diagram shows the voltage versus time relationship when the device is in the off "transport" mode, when a charger is connected (e.g., charging mode), during suction, when the charger is disconnected ("discharging mode"), resting, charging mode, and resting.

[0081] In some implementations, the DC-DC converter can be used as a constant current source. In some implementations, the DC-DC converter can provide a constant current to measure the heater resistance between each pump. This converts a constant voltage output into a current source. Figure 4 This is a system block diagram illustrating an example heater controller 400, where a converter 205 is used as a current source. The example heater controller 400 includes a resistor 405 connected in series with a heating element 225 and a switch 410 (MOSFET). The switch 410 is controlled by a power monitor 210.

[0082] The current can be determined by the value R of resistor 405. ISET The setting, and in some implementations, can be selected around 10-100 mA. The power monitor 210 can measure the voltage across the heating element 225 and the current through the heating element 225 to calculate the resistance.

[0083] In an exemplary embodiment, the heating element 225 may include a positive temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) that increases in temperature by +5% at temperatures above 250°C. At operating temperature, the heater power may be 8 watts (W), and the resistance (R) of the heating element 225 may be... h The resistance of the heating element 225 is 0.525 ohms (Ω), and the parasitic resistance Rp is 0.35 Ω. The voltage on the heater can be initially set to 2.00 V. As the heating element 225 heats up, its resistance increases to 0.525 ohms = 0.5 ohms × 1.05, and the heater voltage also increases to 2.05 V to maintain 8 W of power on the heater. Note that the actual output voltage of the DC-DC converter is higher, at 2.80 V at the start of heating and at the target temperature, to compensate for the voltage drop across the parasitic resistance.

[0084] Assuming a DC-DC converter with an efficiency of 93%, the overall efficiency of this DC-DC circuit could be approximately 56%, or about 15% lower than PWM control, which will be described in more detail below. To improve efficiency, the output voltage can be increased to 4.5V. This would result in R... h The impedance is increased to 2.11Ω. Average efficiency improves to approximately 75%. In this case, the converter efficiency is approximately 4% higher than the PWM efficiency.

[0085] In some implementations, higher heater resistance can be utilized for high efficiency, power monitors can incorporate filtering to improve voltage and current measurement accuracy, and the present subject can utilize converters with improved internal power field-effect transistor (FET) designs for lower resistance R. DS（on） And faster switching for greater efficiency.

[0086] In some implementations, hybrid heater control can be achieved by combining a DC-DC converter with a PWM control circuit to improve the overall efficiency of the evaporator unit. For example, PWM can be used at high battery voltages and provide boost at low battery voltages or low temperatures, or to compensate for increased chamber contact resistance. The DC-DC converter can be configured to operate at relatively high efficiency (for a DC-DC converter) and can be turned on and off when the required output power is less than the full output power. In this way, the PWM control circuit can supplement the power supplied by the DC-DC converter to the heating element, or it can supply only PWM power to the heating element when the DC-DC converter is off.

[0087] In some embodiments, the method of controlling the hybrid heater includes measuring the power supply output voltage (e.g., battery output voltage) and selecting operating circuitry (e.g., using a controller or an automatic voltage switch) to power the heating element. In some embodiments, the method includes powering the heating element with a PWM control circuit when the power supply output voltage is greater than or equal to 4.0 V, and with a DC-DC converter control circuit when the power supply output voltage is less than 4.0 V. In some embodiments, the method includes powering the heating element with a PWM control circuit when the power supply output voltage is greater than or equal to 3.8 V, and with a DC-DC converter control circuit when the power supply output voltage is less than 3.8 V. In some embodiments, the method includes powering the heating element with a PWM control circuit when the power supply output voltage is greater than or equal to 3.6 V, and with a DC-DC converter control circuit when the power supply output voltage is less than 3.6 V. In some embodiments, the method includes powering the heating element with a PWM control circuit when the power supply output voltage is greater than or equal to 3.4 V, and with a DC-DC converter control circuit when the power supply output voltage is less than 3.4 V.

[0088] In some embodiments, the method of controlling a hybrid heater includes: measuring the duty cycle of a PWM control circuit powering a heating element (e.g., using a controller), and switching to a DC-DC converter control circuit to power the heating element when the duty cycle is greater than 85%. In some embodiments, the method of controlling a hybrid heater includes: measuring the duty cycle of a PWM control circuit powering a heating element (e.g., using a controller), and switching to a DC-DC converter control circuit to power the heating element when the duty cycle is greater than 90%. In some embodiments, the method of controlling a hybrid heater includes: measuring the duty cycle of a PWM control circuit powering a heating element (e.g., using a controller), and switching to a DC-DC converter control circuit to power the heating element when the duty cycle is greater than 95%. In some embodiments, the method of controlling a hybrid heater includes: measuring the duty cycle of a PWM control circuit powering a heating element (e.g., using a controller), and switching to a DC-DC converter control circuit to power the heating element when the duty cycle is greater than 98%. In some implementations, the method of hybrid heater control includes: measuring the duty cycle of a PWM control circuit that powers the heating element (e.g., by using a controller), and switching to a DC-DC converter control circuit to power the heating element when the duty cycle is approximately 100%.

[0089] Figure 5 This is a process flow diagram illustrating an example process 500 for operating a heater controller according to some aspects of the present topic. At 510, the current through the heating element of the evaporator atomizer can be measured. The current can be provided by a converter configured to be electrically coupled to a power source and a heating element. The converter can be further configured to receive a first voltage from the power source and provide a second voltage to the heating element. This converter can be a DC-DC converter.

[0090] At 520, the voltage across the heating element can be measured. At 530, power and / or resistance can be calculated. At 540, the operation of the converter can be controlled to change the second voltage to maintain the target power or target temperature on the heating element.

[0091] The following includes exemplary PWM control implementations that can supplement the DC-DC converter in providing power to the heating element, or can provide PWM power to the heating element only when the DC-DC converter is off. A typical lithium-ion battery cell operates from approximately 4.2V to 3.0V as it discharges from full charge to empty charge. To ensure sufficient voltage to achieve the target power and temperature, the resistor (Rh) of the heating element is selected for the minimum operating voltage at the maximum PWM duty cycle (D). The current and power in the PWM pulse are proportional to the voltage, given by Ohm's law Ih = Vb / R, where: Ih is the current, Vb is the battery voltage, and R is the resistance. R includes all resistance in the electrical power path between the positive and negative terminals of the battery chemistry and the atomizer.

[0092] In some implementations, the resistance R can be expressed as the sum of the following resistances: Rb: internal unit impedance (DCIR); Rs: battery safety electronics, FETs, and PWM switches; Rt: conductor resistance, wires, PCBA traces, and electrical interconnects; Rc: chamber contact resistance; Rh: resistance heating element (atomizer). For simplicity, the parasitic resistance can be expressed as Rp = Rb + Rs + Rt + Rc. Therefore, the total resistance in the circuit is R = Rh + Rp. Figure 6 An example circuit diagram is shown, illustrating the resistances and related parameters in an example electrical power path, and including a power control switch. Note that in the calculations, the resistances in the positive and negative rails are represented as single resistances.

[0093] For PWM control calculations and a target power of 8.0W on the heating element, the power from the battery can be expressed as Pb = Ph + Pp, where: Pb is the power drawn from the battery, Ph is the power on the heating element, and Pp is the power loss across the sum of all parasitic resistances. Similarly, the battery voltage Vb can be expressed as the sum of the voltage across the heating element Vh and the voltage across the parasitic resistance Vp, as Vb = Vh + Vp. Vh = Rh × I and Vp = Rp × I can be substituted to derive Vb = I × (Rh + Rp). Rh can be chosen, for example, when Ph ≥ 8.0W at the maximum duty cycle and minimum battery voltage, where Rb = 200mΩ (for small lithium-ion batteries); Rs = 60 mΩ; Rt = 60 mΩ; Rc = 30mΩ; Rp = 0.35Ω.

[0094] At a minimum battery voltage of 3.40 V, R = 0.50Ω can be selected. The total resistance in the circuit is R = Rp + Rh = 0.35Ω + 0.5Ω = 0.85Ω. The peak current in the PWM pulse during heating is I = 3.4 V / 0.85Ω = 4.0A. For the example above, this is the current under different charging states: 4 A at the lowest battery voltage of 3.4 V; 5.28 A at the average battery voltage of 3.7 V; and 6.74 A at the maximum battery voltage of 4.2 V. The average power drawn from the battery at 3.70 V is 11.22 W, with an efficiency of 71.3%. Note that power loss is independent of the duty cycle because the power of the heating element is only transferred in the PWM pulse.

[0095] Depending on the desired configuration, the subject matter described herein can be embodied in systems, apparatuses, methods, and / or articles. The embodiments set forth in the foregoing description do not represent all embodiments consistent with the subject matter described herein. Rather, they are merely examples of aspects consistent with the described subject matter. Although some variations have been described in detail above, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, other features and / or variations may be provided in addition to those features and / or variations set forth herein. For example, the above embodiments may be applicable to various combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed features and / or combinations and sub-combinations of several other features disclosed above. Furthermore, the logical flows depicted in the drawings and / or described herein do not necessarily require the specific order or sequential order shown to achieve the desired results. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0096] the term When a feature or element is referred to herein as "located on another feature or element," it may be directly located on the other feature or element, or there may be intermediate features and / or elements present. Conversely, when a feature or element is referred to herein as "directly located on another feature or element," there are no intermediate features or elements. It should also be understood that when a feature or element is referred to herein as "connected," "attached," or "coupled / coupled" to another feature or element, it may be directly connected, attached, or coupled / coupled to the other feature or element, or there may be intermediate features or elements present. Conversely, when a feature or element is referred to herein as "directly connected," "directly attached," or "directly coupled / coupled" to another feature or element, there are no intermediate features or elements.

[0097] Although one embodiment has been described or illustrated, the features and elements thus described or illustrated may be applied to other embodiments. Those skilled in the art will also understand that references to structures or features positioned “adjacent” to another feature may have portions overlapping or located beneath the adjacent feature.

[0098] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations and achieved, and is not restrictive. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” used herein are intended to include the plural forms as well.

[0099] In the foregoing description and claims, phrases such as "at least one" or "one or more of..." may appear as a combined list of elements or features. The term "and / or" may also appear in a list of two or more elements or features. Unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by the context in which it is used, such phrases are intended to individually refer to any listed element or feature, or any listed element or feature in combination with any other listed element or feature. For example, the phrases "at least one of A and B," "one or more of A and B," and "A and / or B" are each intended to mean "A alone, B alone, or A and B together." A similar interpretation applies to lists comprising three or more items. For example, the phrases "at least one of A, B, and C," "one or more of A, B, and C," and "A, B, and / or C" are each intended to mean "A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A and B and C together." The use of the term "based on" in or in the claims means "at least partially based on," thus allowing for the inclusion of unreferenced features or elements.

[0100] This document may use spatially relative terms such as “forward,” “backward,” “down,” “below,” “up,” “above,” etc., to facilitate the description of the relationship of an element or feature to other elements or features as shown in the figures. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientations shown in the figures, spatially relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figure is reversed, an element described as “below” or “below” other elements or features would be “oriented” “above” other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term “below…” can include both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or otherwise), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein shall be interpreted accordingly. Similarly, unless explicitly stated otherwise, the terms “up,” “down,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” etc., are used herein for illustrative purposes only.

[0101] Unless the context otherwise requires, although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various features / elements (including steps), these features / elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one feature / element from another. Thus, the first feature / element discussed below may be referred to as the second feature / element, and similarly, the second feature / element discussed below may be referred to as the first feature / element without departing from the teachings provided herein.

[0102] As used in this specification and claims, including as used in the embodiments, and unless explicitly stated otherwise, all numbers may be read as beginning with the word “about” or “approximately”, even if the term is not explicitly stated. The phrase “about” or “approximately” may be used when describing magnitude and / or location to indicate that the described value and / or location is within a reasonable expected range of value and / or location. For example, a numerical value may be the value (or range of values) + / - 0.1%, the value (or range of values) + / - 1%, the value (or range of values) + / - 2%, the value (or range of values) + / - 5%, the value (or range of values) + / - 10%, etc. Unless the context otherwise requires, any numerical value given herein should also be understood to include approximately or approximately that value. For example, if the value “10” is disclosed, “about 10” is also disclosed. Any numerical ranges referenced herein are intended to include all subranges contained therein. It should also be understood that, as will be properly understood by those skilled in the art, when a value is disclosed, “less than or equal to the value,” “greater than or equal to the value,” and possible ranges between the values ​​are also disclosed. For example, if the value “X” is disclosed, then “less than or equal to X” and “greater than or equal to X” are also disclosed (e.g., where X is a numerical value). It should also be understood that throughout the application, data is provided in a variety of different formats, and that the data represents a range of any combination of end points and start points, as well as data points. For example, if specific data point “10” and specific data point “15” are disclosed, it should be understood that greater than, greater than or equal to, less than, less than or equal to, and equal to 10 and 15, as well as values ​​between 10 and 15, are also considered disclosed. It should also be understood that each unit between two specific units is also disclosed. For example, if 10 and 15 are disclosed, then 11, 12, 13, and 14 are also disclosed.

[0103] Although various illustrative embodiments have been described above, any changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the teachings herein. For example, in alternative embodiments, the order in which the various described method steps are performed may often be changed, and in other alternative embodiments, one or more method steps may be skipped entirely. Optional features of various apparatus and system implementations may be included in some embodiments but not in others. Therefore, the foregoing description is provided primarily for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0104] One or more aspects or features of the subject matter described herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuits, integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various aspects or features can be implemented in one or more computer programs executable and / or interpretable on a programmable system, which includes at least one programmable processor, which may be dedicated or general-purpose, coupled to receive data from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and to send data and instructions to the storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. The programmable system or computing system may include clients and servers. Clients and servers are typically geographically separated and typically interact via a communication network. The client-server relationship is established by means of computer programs running on respective computers and having a client-server relationship with each other.

[0105] These computer programs, also referred to as programs, software, software applications, applications, devices, or code, include machine instructions for a programmable processor and can be implemented using high-level procedural languages, object-oriented programming languages, functional programming languages, logic programming languages, and / or assembly / machine languages. As used herein, the term "machine-readable medium" refers to any computer program product, device, and / or apparatus for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, such as disks, optical disks, memories, and programmable logic devices (PLDs), including machine-readable media that receive machine instructions as machine-readable signals. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor. Machine-readable media can store such machine instructions non-transitory, such as non-transitory solid-state memory or magnetic hard disk drives or any equivalent storage medium. Machine-readable media can alternatively or additionally store such machine instructions transiently, such as processor caches or other random access memory associated with one or more physical processor cores.

[0106] The examples and illustrations included herein show specific embodiments in which the subject matter can be practiced by way of illustration and not limitation. As stated above, other embodiments can be utilized and derived therefrom, allowing for structural and logical substitutions and changes without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Such embodiments of the subject matter of the invention may be referred to herein individually or collectively by the term "invention," and if more than one invention is disclosed in fact, it is not intended to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept but merely for convenience. Thus, although particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may replace the particular embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all modifications or variations of the various implementations. Combinations of the above embodiments, as well as other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the above description. The use of the term "based on" in this document and in the claims is intended to mean "at least partially based on," thereby also allowing for features or elements not described herein.

[0107] Depending on the desired configuration, the subject matter described herein can be embodied in systems, apparatuses, methods, and / or articles. The embodiments set forth in the foregoing description do not represent all embodiments consistent with the subject matter described herein. Rather, they are merely some examples consistent with aspects related to the described subject matter. Although some variations have been described in detail herein, other modifications or additions are possible. In particular, other features and / or variations may be provided in addition to those features and / or variations set forth herein. For example, the embodiments described herein can be for various combinations and sub-combinations of the disclosed features and / or combinations and sub-combinations of several other features disclosed herein. Furthermore, the logical flows depicted in the drawings and / or described herein do not necessarily require the specific order or sequential order shown to achieve the desired results. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising: A converter configured to be electrically coupled to a power source and a heating element of an evaporator atomizer, the converter being further configured to receive a first voltage from the power source and provide a second voltage to the heating element, the converter being a DC-DC converter; and A power monitor, configured to be electrically coupled to the heating element, measure the current through the heating element, measure the voltage across the heating element, calculate power and / or resistance, and output a control signal to the converter, the power monitor including a 3-wire or 4-wire connection for measuring the voltage across the heating element. The converter is configured to be controlled by the control signal to change the second voltage in order to maintain the target power or target temperature on the heating element.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The converter includes a boost and / or buck converter, and the converter includes an energy storage device.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The energy storage device includes a capacitor in a switched capacitor topology or a charge pump topology.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The energy storage device includes an inductor.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The power monitor includes analog circuitry that forms a closed-loop control.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The power monitor includes: An analog front-end circuit is configured to measure the current through the heating element and the voltage across the heating element; and A digital converter comprising circuitry configured to provide the control signal based on a measured current through the heating element and a measured voltage on the heating element.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein, The digital converter is configured to provide the control signal as a pulse width modulation signal, a digital-to-analog conversion signal, or a signal in the format of an integrated circuit.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The power monitor continuously measures the current and the voltage without interrupting the power supply to the heating element.

9. An integrated converter, comprising: A converter, configured to be electrically coupled to a power source and a heating element of an evaporator atomizer, is further configured to receive a first voltage from the power source and provide a second voltage to the heating element; the converter is a DC-DC converter. A power monitor, configured to be electrically coupled to the heating element, measure the current through the heating element, measure the voltage across the heating element, calculate power and / or resistance, and output control signals to the converter, the power monitor including a 3-wire or 4-wire connection for measuring the voltage across the heating element, and A charger configured to be electrically coupled to the power source to charge the power source. The converter is configured to be controlled by the control signal to change the second voltage in order to maintain the target power or target temperature on the heating element.

10. A method comprising: The current passing through the heating element of the evaporator atomizer is measured. The current is provided by a converter configured to be electrically coupled to a power source and the heating element. The converter is also configured to receive a first voltage from the power source and provide a second voltage to the heating element. The converter is a DC-DC converter. The voltage across the heating element is measured via a 3-wire or 4-wire connection. Calculate power and / or resistance; and The second voltage is changed to maintain the target power or target temperature on the heating element.

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