Power supply unit for aerosol suction device

Abstract

To provide a power supply unit for an aerosol suction device that can properly grasp failure determination or deterioration determination of a power supply in a shorter time than before, and to provide a method for controlling the same and a control program.SOLUTION: A power supply unit for an aerosol suction device includes: a power supply capable of discharging electricity to a load for generating an aerosol from an aerosol source; and a controller for controlling the power supply. The controller acquires failure determination or deterioration determination of the power supply on the basis of internal resistance of the power supply.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol inhalator. [Background technology]

[0002] In the aerosol generator of Patent Document 1, the voltage between the terminals of the electric energy supply source during use of the aerosol generator is measured, and the measured voltage is compared with a voltage threshold to monitor whether the voltage falls below the threshold voltage at any point in time. However, by measuring the voltage drop alone, it is not possible to determine whether the battery simply needs to be recharged or whether the battery has deteriorated to the point where replacement is required. Therefore, the aerosol generator of Patent Document 1 is described as tracking the voltage drop from the status of the usage record, and notifying the user when the battery needs to be replaced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2017-514463 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the aerosol generating device described in Patent Document 1, it takes time to determine battery deterioration. Therefore, there has been a demand for a control method that can determine battery failure or deterioration in a shorter time.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, and a control method and control program thereof, which are capable of properly determining the deterioration or failure state of the power supply in a shorter period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect, there is provided a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler comprising a power supply capable of discharging from an aerosol source to a load for generating an aerosol, and a control unit for controlling the power supply, wherein the control unit obtains a degradation or failure state of the power supply based on an internal resistance of the power supply. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, a fault or deterioration state of a power supply can be appropriately detected in a shorter time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an aerosol inhaler equipped with a power supply unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the aerosol inhalator of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol inhalator of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a power supply unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an electrical circuit diagram of the aerosol inhalator. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a simplified electrical circuit diagram of the aerosol inhalator of FIG. 6 when the switch is in the off state. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is an equivalent circuit diagram equivalent to the electrical circuit of the aerosol inhalator of FIG. 6 when the switch is in the on state. [Figure 9] 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the open circuit voltage and the closed circuit voltage and the remaining amount of the power source. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the relationship between the difference between an open circuit voltage and a closed circuit voltage and the internal resistance. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a control flow diagram of degradation diagnosis control. [Figure 12] 12 is a timing chart of the deterioration diagnosis control in FIG. 11 . [Figure 13]FIG. 11 is a control flow diagram of degradation diagnosis control according to a first modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a control flow diagram of degradation diagnosis control in a second modified example. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a control flow diagram of degradation diagnosis control in a third modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, a power supply unit for an aerosol inhalator according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described, but first, an aerosol inhalator equipped with the power supply unit will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.

[0010] (Aerosol inhaler) The aerosol inhaler 1 is a device for inhaling flavors without combustion, and has a rod shape extending along a predetermined direction (hereinafter referred to as the longitudinal direction A). The aerosol inhaler 1 includes a power supply unit 10, a first cartridge 20, and a second cartridge 30, which are provided in this order along the longitudinal direction A. The first cartridge 20 is detachable from the power supply unit 10, and the second cartridge 30 is detachable from the first cartridge 20. In other words, the first cartridge 20 and the second cartridge 30 are each replaceable.

[0011] (Power supply unit) 3 and 4, the power supply unit 10 of this embodiment accommodates a power supply 12, a charger 13, a control unit 50, various sensors, etc. inside a cylindrical power supply unit case 11. The power supply 12 is a rechargeable secondary battery, an electric double layer capacitor, etc., and is preferably a lithium ion battery.

[0012] A discharge terminal 41 is provided on the top portion 11a located on one end side (first cartridge 20 side) in the longitudinal direction A of the power supply unit case 11. The discharge terminal 41 is provided so as to protrude from the upper surface of the top portion 11a toward the first cartridge 20, and is configured to be electrically connectable to the load 21 of the first cartridge 20.

[0013] Further, an air supply section 42 for supplying air to the load 21 of the first cartridge 20 is provided on the upper surface of the top section 11a, in the vicinity of the discharge terminal 41.

[0014] A charging terminal 43 capable of being electrically connected to an external power source 60 (see FIG. 6) capable of charging the power source 12 is provided on the bottom portion 11b located on the other end side in the longitudinal direction of the power source unit case 11 (the side opposite to the first cartridge 20). The charging terminal 43 is provided on a side surface of the bottom portion 11b, and at least one of a USB terminal, a microUSB terminal, and a Lightning terminal can be connected.

[0015] The charging terminal 43 may be a power receiving unit capable of contactlessly receiving power transmitted from the external power source 60. In such a case, the charging terminal 43 (power receiving unit) may be composed of a power receiving coil. The method of contactless power transmission (Wireless Power Transfer) may be an electromagnetic induction type or a magnetic resonance type. The charging terminal 43 may also be a power receiving unit capable of contactlessly receiving power transmitted from the external power source 60. As another example, The charging terminal 43 can be connected to at least one of a USB terminal, a microUSB terminal, and a Lightning terminal, and may have the power receiving unit described above.

[0016] In addition, the power supply unit case 11 has an operation unit 14 that can be operated by the user, which is provided on a side surface of the top portion 11a so as to face the opposite side to the charging terminal 43. More specifically, the operation unit 14 and the charging terminal 43 are in a point-symmetric relationship with respect to the intersection of a straight line connecting the operation unit 14 and the charging terminal 43 and the center line L of the power supply unit 10 in the longitudinal direction A. The operation unit 14 is composed of a button-type switch, a touch panel, etc., and is used to start / shut off the control unit 50 and various sensors in accordance with the user's intention to use the device. The control unit 50 and an inhalation sensor 15 that detects a puffing operation are provided near the operation unit 14.

[0017] Charger 13 is disposed close to charging terminal 43, and controls the charging power input from charging terminal 43 to power source 12. Charger 13 includes a converter that converts DC from an inverter 61 or the like (see FIG. 6 ) that is mounted on a charging cable connected to charging terminal 43 and converts AC to DC, into DC of a different magnitude, a voltmeter, an ammeter, a processor, and the like.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 50 is connected to an inhalation sensor 15 for detecting a puff (inhalation) operation, a voltage sensor 16 for measuring the voltage of the power source 12, various sensor devices such as a temperature sensor 17, an operation unit 14, and a memory 18 for storing the number of puff operations or the time of current application to the load 21, and performs various controls of the aerosol inhaler 1. The inhalation sensor 15 may be composed of a condenser microphone, a pressure sensor, etc. The control unit 50 is specifically a processor (computer). More specifically, the structure of this processor is an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements. The control unit 50 will be described in detail later.

[0019] In addition, an air intake port (not shown) for taking in outside air is provided in power supply unit case 11. The air intake port may be provided around operation unit 14 or around charging terminal 43.

[0020] (1st cartridge) As shown in Figure 3, the first cartridge 20 is provided with a reservoir 23 for storing an aerosol source 22, an electrical load 21 for atomizing the aerosol source 22, a wick 24 for drawing the aerosol source from the reservoir 23 to the load 21, an aerosol flow path 25 through which the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source 22 flows toward the second cartridge 30, and an end cap 26 for accommodating a portion of the second cartridge 30, all inside a cylindrical cartridge case 27.

[0021] Reservoir 23 is partitioned and formed so as to surround the periphery of aerosol flow path 25, and stores aerosol source 22. Reservoir 23 may contain a porous body such as a resin web or cotton, and the porous body may be impregnated with aerosol source 22. Aerosol source 22 contains a liquid such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or water.

[0022] The wick 24 is a liquid retention member that draws the aerosol source 22 from the reservoir 23 into the load 21 by utilizing capillary action, and is made of, for example, glass fiber or porous ceramic.

[0023] Load 21 atomizes aerosol source 22 without combustion by power supplied from power source 12 via discharge terminal 41. Load 21 is composed of an electric heating wire (coil) wound at a predetermined pitch. Note that load 21 may be any element capable of atomizing aerosol source 22 to generate aerosol, and is, for example, a heating element or an ultrasonic generator. Examples of heating elements include a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, and an induction heating heater.

[0024] The aerosol flow path 25 is provided downstream of the load 21 and on the center line L of the power supply unit 10.

[0025] The end cap 26 includes a cartridge accommodating portion 26a that accommodates a portion of the second cartridge 30, and a communication passage 26b that connects the aerosol flow path 25 with the cartridge accommodating portion 26a.

[0026] (2nd cartridge) The second cartridge 30 stores a flavor source 31. The end of the second cartridge 30 on the first cartridge 20 side is removably housed in a cartridge housing section 26a provided in the end cap 26 of the first cartridge 20. The end of the second cartridge 30 opposite to the first cartridge 20 side is a mouthpiece 32 for the user. The mouthpiece 32 is not limited to being integrally and inseparably formed with the second cartridge 30, but may be configured to be removably attached to the second cartridge 30. By configuring the mouthpiece 32 separately from the power supply unit 10 and the first cartridge 20 in this way, the mouthpiece 32 can be kept hygienic.

[0027] The second cartridge 30 imparts flavor to the aerosol by passing the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source 22 by the load 21 through the flavor source 31. The raw material pieces constituting the flavor source 31 may be cut tobacco or a molded product obtained by molding a tobacco raw material into a granular shape. The flavor source 31 may be made of a plant other than tobacco (e.g., mint, Chinese medicine, herbs, etc.). The flavor source 31 may be imparted with a flavoring such as menthol.

[0028] In the aerosol inhalator 1 of the present embodiment, aerosol to which flavor has been added can be generated by the aerosol source 22, the flavor source 31, and the load 21. In other words, the aerosol source 22 and the flavor source 31 can be said to be an aerosol generation source that generates aerosol.

[0029] The configuration of the aerosol generation source used in the aerosol inhaler 1 may be a configuration in which the aerosol source 22 and the flavor source 31 are separate entities, a configuration in which the aerosol source 22 and the flavor source 31 are formed integrally, a configuration in which the flavor source 31 is omitted and a substance that can be contained in the flavor source 31 is added to the aerosol source 22, a configuration in which a drug or the like is added to the aerosol source 22 instead of the flavor source 31, etc.

[0030] In the aerosol inhaler 1 configured in this manner, as shown by arrow B in Fig. 3, air flowing in from an inlet (not shown) provided in the power supply unit case 11 passes through the vicinity of the load 21 of the first cartridge 20 from the air supply unit 42. The load 21 atomizes the aerosol source 22 drawn in from the reservoir 23 by the wick 24. The atomized aerosol flows through the aerosol flow path 25 together with the air flowing in from the inlet, and is supplied to the second cartridge 30 via the communication passage 26b. The aerosol supplied to the second cartridge 30 is flavored by passing through the flavor source 31, and is supplied to the mouthpiece 32.

[0031] The aerosol inhaler 1 is also provided with a notification unit 45 that notifies various pieces of information (see FIG. 5). The notification unit 45 may be configured with a light-emitting element, a vibration element, or a sound output element. The notification unit 45 may also be a combination of two or more elements among a light-emitting element, a vibration element, and a sound output element. The notification unit 45 may be provided in any of the power supply unit 10, the first cartridge 20, and the second cartridge 30, but is preferably provided in the power supply unit 10. For example, the periphery of the operation unit 14 is configured to be translucent and emit light using a light-emitting element such as an LED.

[0032] (Electrical Circuit) Next, the electric circuit of the power supply unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. The power supply unit 10 includes a power supply 12, a positive-side discharge terminal 41a and a negative-side discharge terminal 41b constituting a discharge terminal 41, a positive-side charging terminal 43a and a negative-side charging terminal 43b constituting a charging terminal 43, a control unit 50 connected between the positive side of the power supply 12 and the positive-side discharge terminal 41a and between the negative side of the power supply 12 and the negative-side discharge terminal 41b, a voltage sensor 16 for measuring the voltage of the power supply 12, a charger 13 disposed on a power transmission path between the charging terminal 43 and the power supply 12, and a switch 19 disposed on a power transmission path between the power supply 12 and the discharge terminal 41. The switch 19 is, for example, a MOSFET, and is controlled to open and close by the control unit 50 adjusting the gate voltage. The control unit 50 can determine that an external power supply 60 has been connected to the charging terminal 43, for example, by a change in a weak current flowing through the control unit 50.

[0033] In the electrical circuit diagram of the power supply unit 10 shown in Fig. 6, the control unit 50 and the voltage sensor 16 are separate. Alternatively, the control unit 50 may have a function of measuring the voltage of the power supply 12. Furthermore, in the electrical circuit of the power supply unit 10 shown in Fig. 6, the switch 19 is provided between the positive side of the power supply 12 and the positive electrode discharge terminal 41a. Instead of such a so-called positive control, the switch 19 may be a negative control provided between the negative electrode discharge terminal 41b and the negative electrode of the power supply 12.

[0034] (Control unit) Next, the configuration of the control unit 50 will be described in more detail. As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 50 includes an aerosol generation request detection unit 51, a power supply status diagnosis unit 52, a power control unit 53, and a notification control unit .

[0035] The aerosol generation request detection unit 51 detects a request for aerosol generation based on the output result of the inhalation sensor 15. The inhalation sensor 15 is configured to output a value of a pressure change in the power supply unit 10 caused by the user's inhalation through the suction port 32. The inhalation sensor 15 is, for example, a pressure sensor that outputs an output value (for example, a voltage value or a current value) corresponding to the air pressure that changes according to the flow rate of air inhaled from an intake port (not shown) toward the suction port 32 (i.e., the user's puffing operation).

[0036] The power supply state diagnostic unit 52 acquires the state of health or fault state of the power supply 12. The power supply state diagnostic unit 52 can acquire the state of charge of the power supply 12 in addition to the state of health or fault state of the power supply 12. Degradation diagnosis control and fault diagnosis control in the power supply state diagnostic unit 52 will be described later.

[0037] The notification control unit 54 controls the notification unit 45 to notify various information. For example, the notification control unit 54 may control the notification unit 45 to notify the timing of replacing the power source 12 based on a deterioration diagnosis of the power source 12 from the power source status diagnosis unit 52, or may control the notification unit 45 to notify the timing of charging the power source 12 based on a charge amount diagnosis of the power source 12 from the power source status diagnosis unit 52. The notification control unit 54 may also control the notification unit 45 to notify the timing of replacing the second cartridge 30 in response to detection of the timing of replacing the second cartridge 30. The notification control unit 54 notifies the timing of replacing the second cartridge 30 based on the number of puffing operations or the accumulated time of current supply to the load 21 stored in the memory 18.

[0038] The power control unit 53 controls the discharge of the power source 12 via the discharge terminal 41 by turning the switch 19 on / off when the aerosol generation request detection unit 51 detects a request for aerosol generation.

[0039] The power control unit 53 controls the air generated by atomizing the aerosol source by the load 21. The power control unit 53 controls the amount of electrosol to fall within a desired range, in other words, the amount of power supplied from the power source 12 to the load 21 to be within a certain range. Specifically, the power control unit 53 controls the on / off of the switch 19, for example, by PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control. Alternatively, the power control unit 53 may control the on / off of the switch 19 by PFM (Pulse Frequency Modulation) control.

[0040] The power control unit 53 may stop the power supply from the power source 12 to the load 21 when a predetermined period has elapsed since the power supply to the load 21 was started. In other words, the power control unit 53 stops the power supply from the power source 12 to the load 21 when the puff period exceeds the predetermined period even during the puff period during which the user is actually performing the puffing action. The predetermined period is determined to suppress the variation in the puff period of the user. The power control unit 53 controls the on / off duty ratio of the switch 19 in one puffing action according to the amount of stored power in the power source 12. For example, the power control unit 53 controls the interval (pulse interval T1, see FIG. 12) of the on time during which the power source 12 supplies power to the load 21, or the length (pulse width T2, see FIG. 12) of the on time during which the power source 12 supplies power to the load 21.

[0041] Furthermore, the power control unit 53 detects the electrical connection between the charging terminal 43 and the external power source 60 , and controls the charging of the power source 12 via the charging terminal 43 .

[0042] Here, in the power source 12 used in the aerosol inhalator 1, the internal resistance increases due to repeated discharging and charging, which deteriorates the power source 12. When the power source 12 deteriorates, the full charge capacity of the power source 12 decreases, and there is a risk that the power source 12 will not be able to store enough power to inhale the aerosol. Therefore, it is necessary to properly grasp the deterioration state of the power source 12.

[0043] (Deterioration diagnosis control) Therefore, the power supply status diagnostic unit 52 acquires the degradation state of the power supply 12 through the degradation diagnostic control described below. In general, the degradation state of the power supply 12 is often expressed as a ratio of the full charge capacity of a degraded product to the full charge capacity of a new power supply. However, since it is difficult to accurately acquire the full charge capacity of the power supply 12, the degradation diagnostic control by the power supply status diagnostic unit 52 acquires the degradation state of the power supply 12 based on the internal resistance of the power supply 12. Note that the degradation diagnostic control described below and the like may be loaded into the power supply unit 10 as an executable program and executed by the power supply unit 10.

[0044] First, the internal resistance R of the power source 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10, taking as an example a case where the power source 12 is a lithium ion battery.

[0045] 7 is a simplified electrical circuit diagram of the aerosol inhalator 1 of FIG. 6 when the switch 19 is in the off state. The measured value of the voltage sensor 16 when the switch 19 is in the off state, i.e., the open circuit voltage OCV, is the electromotive force E of the power source 12. Batt is equal to.

[0046] FIG. 8 is an equivalent circuit diagram of the electric circuit of the aerosol inhalator 1 of FIG. 6 when the switch 19 is in the on state (when the electric circuit forms a closed circuit). Batt is a capacitor with an electromotive force equal to that of the power source 12, and is denoted by R imp is the internal resistance between the electrodes that lithium ions experience when moving between the electrodes, and is denoted by C EDL is the capacitance of the electric double layer at the electrode interface, and R EDL is the reaction resistance when lithium ions move across the interface between the electrode and the electrolyte. EDL and electric double layer capacitor C EDL But the capacitor C Batt and the internal resistance between the electrodes R imp By installing it in parallel downstream of imp constitutes the direct current (DC) component, and the reactive resistance R EDL One It constitutes the next lag (AC) component.

[0047] The measurement value of the voltage sensor 16 when the switch 19 is in the on state, i.e., the closed circuit voltage CCV (Closed Circuit Voltage), is calculated by multiplying the electromotive force of the power source 12 by the internal resistance R between the electrodes. imp Losses and reaction resistance R EDL This figure is calculated by subtracting the loss from the

[0048] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, even if the remaining capacity of the power source 12 is the same, the relationship of open circuit voltage OCV>closed circuit voltage CCV is established. FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the open circuit voltage OCV and the closed circuit voltage CCV of a spinel-type Li 1+x This shows the relationship between the open circuit voltage OCV and closed circuit voltage CCV associated with the discharge of a lithium-ion secondary battery that uses Co2O4 as the positive electrode active material. The vertical axis shows the voltage values ​​of the open circuit voltage OCV and closed circuit voltage CCV, with the voltage values ​​increasing as you move up the axis. The horizontal axis shows the amount of lithium in the positive electrode active material, with the amount increasing as you move to the right. In other words, the further to the right you move, the less remaining storage capacity there is, and the more accumulated discharged power there is.

[0049] This relationship is shown in the graph of Figure 10, with voltage on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis. From the equivalent circuit shown in Figure 8, the change in closed circuit voltage CCV over time can be expressed by the following equations (1) and (2).

number

[0050] Immediately after the switch 19 is turned on, the reaction resistance R EDLIn other words, immediately after the switch 19 is turned on, that is, at t=0, the difference between the open circuit voltage OCV and the closed circuit voltage CCV is equal to the internal resistance R imp It depends on the voltage drop due to

[0051] This can be expressed by equation (3) based on equations (1) and (2).

number

[0052] On the other hand, t is the relaxation time (time constant) of the first-order lag components of equations (1) and (2), R EDL and C. EDL When the difference between the open circuit voltage OCV and the closed circuit voltage CCV is sufficiently larger than the product of the internal resistance R imp Voltage drop and reaction resistance R EDL This is due to the sum of the voltage drop due to

[0053] This can be expressed by equation (4) based on equations (1) and (2).

number

[0054] Generally, R EDL and C. EDL is a sufficiently small value. Therefore, it should be noted that the relationship in equation (4) is approximately established at a relatively short time after switch 19 is closed.

[0055] The power supply status diagnosis unit 52 obtains the internal resistance R based on the open circuit voltage OCV of the power supply 12 and the closed circuit voltage CCV of the power supply 12. The closed circuit voltage CCV is an actual measurement value obtained by the voltage sensor 16, for example.

[0056] The closed-loop voltage CCV may be the measured value after a sufficient amount of time has elapsed after closing the circuit (t = t1), or may be the measured value before a sufficient amount of time has elapsed after closing the circuit (t < t1). By setting the closed-loop voltage CCV to the measured value before a sufficient amount of time has elapsed after closing the circuit (t < t1), the closed-loop voltage CCV can be obtained earlier. In this case, the power state diagnosis unit 52 uses, as the threshold value to be compared with the obtained internal resistance R, the inter-electrode internal resistance R EDL which is a DC component without considering the reaction resistance R imp which is the primary delay component of the closed-loop voltage CCV. In the present embodiment, as an example, the closed-loop voltage CCV immediately after closing the circuit may be used.

[0057] On the other hand, by setting the closed-loop voltage CCV to the measured value after a sufficient amount of time has elapsed after closing the circuit (t = t1), the closed-loop voltage CCV can be obtained with high accuracy. In this case, the power state diagnosis unit 52 uses, as the threshold value to be compared with the obtained internal resistance R, the sum of the voltage drop due to the inter-electrode internal resistance R EDL considering the reaction resistance R imp which is the primary delay component of the closed-loop voltage CCV, and the voltage drop due to the reaction resistance R EDL to set the threshold value. Note that the closed-loop voltage CCV is not limited to the measured value, and an estimated value may be used. By estimating the closed-loop voltage CCV, the measurement of the closed-loop voltage CCV can be made unnecessary. Since the closed-loop voltage CCV exhibits a first-order lag behavior, it takes a very long time to settle to a complete steady state. For convenience, in the present embodiment, the closed-loop voltage CCV after the relaxation time has elapsed after closing the circuit or after the time obtained by adding a predetermined value to the relaxation time may be used.

[0058] Furthermore, when acquiring the closed circuit voltage CCV, the power supply status diagnosis unit 52 may acquire the closed circuit voltage CCV using a current smaller than the current when discharging to the load 21 to generate aerosols, and may use the current value as a constant when deriving the internal resistance R. When the current value is an actual measurement value, it can be measured using a current sensor (not shown). If a small current is used to acquire the closed circuit voltage CCV, it is possible to reduce the deviation between the actual current value and I treated as a constant in equations (3) and (4). Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the generation of aerosols when acquiring the closed circuit voltage CCV.

[0059] When acquiring the closed circuit voltage CCV, a minute current smaller than the current when discharging to the load 21 to generate an aerosol is passed, thereby reducing the power consumption when acquiring the closed circuit voltage CCV. In addition, by making the current value constant when deriving the internal resistance R, it is possible to eliminate the need to actually measure the current value. For example, a constant can be used as the current value by acquiring the closed circuit voltage CCV during constant current control. As a result, a current sensor is no longer necessary, and the size, weight, and cost of the aerosol inhaler 1 can be reduced.

[0060] Next, the control flow of the deterioration diagnosis control will be described with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. First, the aerosol generation request detection unit 51 detects a request for aerosol generation based on the output result of the intake sensor 15 (step S1). By acquiring the deterioration state of the power source 12 in response to a request for aerosol generation from the user, the user can be made aware of the result of the deterioration determination.

[0061] When the aerosol generation request detection unit 51 detects a request for aerosol generation, an open circuit voltage O CV is acquired (step S2), and if the aerosol generation request detection unit 51 does not detect a request for aerosol generation, the process of step S1 is repeated. After the open circuit voltage OCV is acquired in step S2, the switch 19 is turned on (step S3), the closed circuit voltage CCV is acquired (step S4), and then the current value is acquired (step S5). Note that step S4 may be executed after step S5.

[0062] After obtaining the current value, the internal resistance R (R imp、 Or R imp +R EDL ) and compares the derived internal resistance R with a threshold value Th1 (step S6). As a result, when the internal resistance R is smaller than the threshold value Th1 (Yes in step S6), the power supply status diagnostic unit 52 determines that the power supply 12 is in a normal state (step S7), and the power control unit 53 performs PWM control to generate an aerosol (step S8). On the other hand, when the internal resistance R is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th1 (No in step S6), it is determined that the power supply 12 has deteriorated (step S9), and the notification control unit 54 notifies the user that the power supply 12 needs to be replaced (step S10).

[0063] In step S4, if the acquired closed circuit voltage CCV is immediately after the switch 19 is turned on, that is, when t=0, the internal resistance R is the inter-electrode internal resistance R imp Therefore, the threshold value Th1 is the internal resistance R imp On the other hand, if the acquired closed circuit voltage CCV has passed the relaxation time, that is, after t=t1, the internal resistance R is equal to or smaller than the inter-electrode internal resistance R imp and reaction resistance R EDL Since the threshold value Th1 is the sum of the internal resistance R imp Voltage drop and reaction resistance R EDL This is a threshold value that is set based on the sum of the voltage drop due to

[0064] In this way, by performing deterioration diagnosis control of power supply 12 before aerosol generation in response to a request for aerosol generation from a user, it is possible to avoid using a deteriorated power supply 12. Note that turning on switch 19 for acquiring closed circuit voltage CCV in step S3 can be used for another purpose, in this case, for PWM control when discharging closed circuit voltage CCV to load 21, thereby making it possible to avoid flowing current through the circuit only for deterioration diagnosis of power supply 12.

[0065] A modification of the above-mentioned deterioration diagnosis control will be described below, but a description of the same steps as those in FIG. 11 will be omitted.

[0066] (Deterioration diagnosis control of the first modified example) Furthermore, the power supply status diagnosis unit 52 can use the current value as a constant when deriving the internal resistance R as described above. When the current value is used as a constant, as shown in Fig. 13, after acquiring the closed circuit voltage CCV in step S4, the process can proceed to the next process (step S6a) without performing step S5 of acquiring the current value. Note that when the current value is not acquired, the internal resistance R may or may not be derived.

[0067] When deriving the internal resistance R, the internal resistance R is derived based on the difference between the open circuit voltage OCV and the closed circuit voltage CCV divided by a constant, and the derived internal resistance R is compared with the threshold value Th1 in the same manner as in step S6 of FIG.

[0068] On the other hand, when the internal resistance R is not derived, the difference between the open circuit voltage OCV and the closed circuit voltage CCV may be compared with a threshold value Th2 obtained by multiplying this current value by the threshold value Th1. In this manner, even if the internal resistance R is not derived, the deterioration state of the power source 12 may be obtained based on the difference between the electrical parameter (closed circuit voltage CCV) when the power source 12 is discharging and the electrical parameter (open circuit voltage OCV) when the power source 12 is not discharging. This also makes it possible to appropriately grasp the deterioration state of the power source 12. Note that the current value discharged by the power source 12 when the closed circuit voltage CCV is obtained may be measured in advance and used as a constant.

[0069] The threshold value Th2 may be a value obtained by multiplying a value that the internal resistance R can take only when the power supply 12 is in a deteriorated state by a constant regarded as a current value. If the threshold value Th2 set in this way is recorded in advance in the memory 18, the division process in step S6 becomes unnecessary, and the process of step S6a can be speeded up.

[0070] (Deterioration diagnosis control of the second modified example) In addition, since the internal resistance R has temperature dependency, the power supply status diagnosis unit 52 may obtain the temperature of the power supply 12 from the temperature sensor 17 and set the threshold value based on the temperature information of the power supply 12. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 14, after obtaining the open circuit voltage OCV in step S2, the temperature T Batt (step S21). Note that acquisition of the temperature of the power supply 12 is not limited to this and can be performed at any time. After acquiring the temperature of the power supply 12, in step S6b, the derived internal resistance R is compared with a threshold value Th3 set based on the temperature of the power supply 12. That is, when the temperature of the power supply 12 is low, the internal resistance R also increases, so the lower the temperature of the power supply 12, the larger the threshold value Th3 is set. By taking into account the temperature dependency of the internal resistance R in this way, it is possible to more appropriately acquire the deterioration of the power supply 12.

[0071] In this embodiment, the temperature T Batt The threshold value Th3 is corrected using the above formula. Alternatively, the internal resistance R derived in step S6b may be corrected. As an example, when the temperature of the power source 12 is low, a correction may be performed in which the current value I is increased, or the internal resistance R is multiplied by a predetermined coefficient smaller than 1. It is preferable that the correction amount of the internal resistance R is larger as the temperature of the power source 12 is lower. In other words, it is preferable that the current value I is increased or the predetermined coefficient by which the internal resistance R is multiplied is reduced as the temperature of the power source 12 is lower.

[0072] The temperature sensor 17 is preferably disposed near the power source 12, but may be disposed away from the power source 12. In this case, the temperature T BattAs such, the measurement value of the temperature sensor 17 may be corrected taking into account the distance between the power source 12 and the temperature sensor 17.

[0073] (Deterioration diagnosis control of the third modified example) The power supply status diagnosis unit 52 may use at least one of the acquired open circuit voltage OCV and closed circuit voltage CCV for other purposes. Here, a case where the acquired open circuit voltage OCV and closed circuit voltage CCV are used to determine the state of charge (SOC) of the power supply 12 is illustrated. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 15, after the open circuit voltage OCV is acquired in step S2, the acquired open circuit voltage OCV is compared with a threshold value Th4 (see FIG. 9) that is a value at which charging is required (step S20). As a result, when the open circuit voltage OCV is equal to or lower than the threshold value Th4 (No in step S20), the notification control unit 54 notifies the user that charging of the power supply 12 is required (step S11).

[0074] After acquiring the closed circuit voltage CCV in step S4, the acquired closed circuit voltage CCV is compared with a threshold value Th5 (see FIG. 9) that is a value at which charging is required (step S40). As a result, when the open circuit voltage OCV is equal to or lower than the threshold value Th5 (No in step S40), the notification control unit 54 notifies the user that charging of the power source 12 is required (step S11). This makes it possible to determine the amount of stored power as well as the deterioration of the power source 12. Note that, although the embodiment shown in FIG. 15 illustrates a case in which the acquired open circuit voltage OCV and closed circuit voltage CCV are used to determine the amount of stored power in the power source 12, only one of them may be used to determine the amount of stored power in the power source 12, or may be used for other purposes.

[0075] As another example of use, the obtained open circuit voltage OCV and closed circuit voltage CCV may be used to set the duty ratio in the above-mentioned PWM control or the off time in the above-mentioned PFM control.

[0076] (Fault diagnosis control) Furthermore, the power supply status diagnostic unit 52 may diagnose not only the deterioration of the power supply 12 but also a failure. As described above, the internal resistance value increases as the deterioration of the power supply 12 progresses. However, when the power supply 12 fails, the internal resistance of the power supply 12 may exhibit an extremely large or small value. As one example, when the power supply 12 is short-circuited, an excessively large current may flow, and therefore the internal resistance exhibits an extremely small value. As another example, when the electrolyte of the power supply 12 is reduced or depleted, almost no current flows, and therefore the internal resistance of the power supply 12 exhibits an extremely large value.

[0077] Using this phenomenon, the power supply status diagnostic unit 52 may detect a failure of the power supply 12 due to a short circuit or the like when it detects an internal resistance value smaller than the possible internal resistance value of a new power supply 12. Furthermore, the power supply status diagnostic unit 52 may detect a failure of the power supply 12 due to a decrease or depletion of the electrolyte or the like when it detects an internal resistance value sufficiently larger than the threshold value for detecting deterioration.

[0078] The notification control unit 54 may control the notification unit 45 to notify the timing of replacing the power supply 12 based on the detection of a failure in the power supply 12 by the power supply status diagnosis unit 52.

[0079] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and modifications and improvements are possible.

[0080] This specification describes at least the following items. Note that, in parentheses, components corresponding to those in the above-mentioned embodiment are shown, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0081] (1) A power source (power source 12) capable of discharging from an aerosol source (aerosol source 22) to a load (load 21) for generating an aerosol; A power supply unit (power supply unit 10) for an aerosol inhalator (aerosol inhalator 1) comprising: The control unit is A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that obtains the deterioration or failure state of the power supply based on the internal resistance (internal resistance R) of the power supply.

[0082] According to (1), by utilizing the fact that the internal resistance of a power supply increases as the power supply deteriorates, the internal resistance of the power supply can be obtained, thereby making it possible to appropriately grasp the deterioration or failure state of the power supply in a shorter period of time.

[0083] (2) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (1), The control unit is a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that obtains the internal resistance based on an open circuit voltage (open circuit voltage OCV) of the power supply and a closed circuit voltage (closed circuit voltage CCV) of the power supply.

[0084] According to (2), the internal resistance of the power supply can be easily derived by obtaining the open circuit voltage of the power supply and the closed circuit voltage of the power supply.

[0085] (3) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (2), The closed circuit voltage is an actual measured value of the power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler.

[0086] According to (3), since the closed circuit voltage of the power supply obtained by a voltmeter is used, the accuracy of deriving the internal resistance can be improved compared to the case where an estimated value is used.

[0087] (4) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (3), The closed circuit voltage is the actual measured value after a predetermined time (relaxation time) has elapsed since the circuit was closed.

[0088] According to (4), by measuring the closed circuit voltage after it has stabilized, the closed circuit voltage can be obtained with high accuracy.

[0089] (5) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (3), The control unit of this power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler obtains the degradation or failure state of the power supply based on a comparison between a threshold value set without taking into account the first-order lag component of the closed circuit voltage and the internal resistance.

[0090] According to (5), by setting a threshold value for determining deterioration or failure without taking into account the first-order lag component of the closed circuit voltage even before the closed circuit voltage stabilizes, the deterioration or failure state of the power supply can be obtained more quickly and accurately.

[0091] (6) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (3), The control unit of this power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler obtains the degradation or failure state of the power supply based on a comparison between the internal resistance and a threshold value set based only on the DC component of the internal resistance.

[0092] According to (6), by determining degradation or failure based on a comparison of the internal resistance with a threshold value that is set based only on the DC component of the internal resistance, the degradation or failure state of the power supply can be obtained more quickly and accurately.

[0093] (7) A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler according to any one of (3) to (6), The control unit is a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that obtains the closed circuit voltage using a current smaller than the current discharged to the load to generate the aerosol.

[0094] According to (7), it is possible to reduce power consumption when acquiring the closed circuit voltage using a minute current, and to suppress the generation of aerosols when acquiring the closed circuit voltage.

[0095] (8) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (2), The closed circuit voltage is an estimated value of a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler.

[0096] According to (8), by estimating the closed circuit voltage, it is possible to eliminate the need to actually measure the closed circuit voltage, thereby reducing power consumption and suppressing the generation of aerosols when acquiring the closed circuit voltage.

[0097] (9) A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler according to any one of (2) to (8), The control unit is deriving the internal resistance based on a value obtained by dividing a difference between the open circuit voltage and the closed circuit voltage by a constant; Or, a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that obtains the degradation or failure state of the power supply based on a comparison of the difference between the open circuit voltage and the closed circuit voltage with a value obtained by multiplying the value that the internal resistance can take only when the power supply is in a degraded or failed state by a constant.

[0098] According to (9), by setting the current value as a constant when deriving the internal resistance, it is possible to eliminate the need to actually measure the current value. This makes a current sensor unnecessary, thereby reducing the weight, cost, and size of the aerosol inhaler. Furthermore, it is possible to perform the derivation of the internal resistance, etc., more quickly.

[0099] (10) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (9), A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, wherein the constant is set based on the current value discharged by the power supply when obtaining the closed circuit voltage.

[0100] According to (9), the constant is set based on the current value discharged from the power supply when the closed circuit voltage is obtained, so that the internal resistance can be derived more accurately.

[0101] (11) A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler according to any one of (1) to (10), The control unit is a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that acquires the deterioration state or the failure state in response to a request for aerosol generation.

[0102] According to (11), by acquiring the deterioration state of the power supply in response to a request for aerosol generation from a user, the result of the deterioration judgment can be made known to the user. In addition, the deterioration judgment can be made at an appropriate timing while suppressing power consumption that may occur due to excessive deterioration judgment.

[0103] (12) A power supply unit for an aerosol inhalator according to any one of (1) to (11), The control unit is a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that acquires the deterioration state or the failure state before generating an aerosol.

[0104] According to (12), by obtaining the degradation or failure state before aerosol generation, the use of a degraded power source can be avoided.

[0105] (13) A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler according to any one of (1) to (12), The control unit of the power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler obtains the degradation or failure state of the power supply based on a comparison between the internal resistance and a threshold value set based on the temperature of the power supply, or a comparison between the threshold value and the internal resistance of the power supply corrected based on the temperature of the power supply.

[0106] According to (13), by taking into account the temperature dependency of the internal resistance, the degradation or failure state of the power supply can be obtained more appropriately.

[0107] (14) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (13), A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, in which the threshold value set based on the temperature of the power supply or the correction amount for correcting the internal resistance of the power supply based on the temperature of the power supply is larger the lower the temperature of the power supply.

[0108] According to (14), by increasing the threshold value or correction amount for determining degradation or failure as the temperature of the power supply decreases, it is possible to more appropriately obtain the degradation or failure state of the power supply by taking into account the increase in internal resistance at low temperatures.

[0109] (15) A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler according to any one of (2) to (9), The control unit is a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that uses at least one of the open circuit voltage and the closed circuit voltage for other purposes.

[0110] According to (14), by using the acquired open circuit voltage and / or closed circuit voltage for other purposes, it is possible to avoid passing a current through the circuit only for determining deterioration or failure of the power supply.

[0111] (16) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (15), The other use is a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, in which the charge storage capacity of the power supply is determined.

[0112] According to (16), by using the acquired open circuit voltage and / or closed circuit voltage to determine the amount of stored electricity in the power source, it is possible to determine the amount of stored electricity as well as the deterioration of the power source.

[0113] (17) A power supply unit for the aerosol inhaler according to (15), Another application is a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, which is PWM or PFM controlled when discharging to the load to generate the aerosol.

[0114] According to (17), by using the closed circuit voltage for PWM control or PFM control when discharging to a load, it is possible to avoid flowing a current through the circuit just for determining deterioration or failure of the power supply.

[0115] (18) A method for controlling a power supply unit (power supply unit 10) for an aerosol inhalator (aerosol inhalator 1) having a power supply (power supply 12) capable of discharging from an aerosol source (aerosol source 22) to a load (load 21) for generating an aerosol, comprising: A control method for a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, which obtains a deterioration or failure state of the power supply based on the internal resistance of the power supply.

[0116] According to (18), by utilizing the fact that the internal resistance of a power supply increases as the power supply deteriorates, the internal resistance of the power supply can be derived, thereby making it possible to appropriately grasp the deterioration or failure state of the power supply in a shorter time.

[0117] (19) A control program for a power supply unit (power supply unit 10) for an aerosol inhalator (aerosol inhalator 1) having a power supply (power supply 12) capable of discharging from an aerosol source (aerosol source 22) to a load (load 21) for generating an aerosol, comprising: A control program for a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, which causes a computer to execute a control step of acquiring a deterioration or failure state of the power supply based on the internal resistance of the power supply.

[0118] According to (19), the internal resistance of a power supply increases as the power supply deteriorates or fails. By deriving the internal resistance of the power supply, the deterioration state or The fault condition can be properly understood.

[0119] (20) A power source (power source 12) capable of discharging from an aerosol source (aerosol source 22) to a load (load 21) for generating an aerosol; A power supply unit (power supply unit 10) for an aerosol inhalator (aerosol inhalator 1) comprising: The control unit is A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that obtains the degradation or failure state of the power supply based on the difference between an electrical parameter (closed circuit voltage CCV) when the power supply is discharging and an electrical parameter (open circuit voltage OCV) when the power supply is not discharging.

[0120] According to (20), by obtaining the degradation or failure state of the power supply based on the difference between the electrical parameters when the power supply is discharging and the electrical parameters when the power supply is not discharging, the degradation or failure state of the power supply can be appropriately grasped.

[0121] (twenty one) A method for controlling a power supply unit (power supply unit 10) for an aerosol inhaler having a power supply (power supply 12) capable of discharging from an aerosol source (aerosol source 22) to a load (load 21) for generating an aerosol, comprising: A control method for a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, which obtains the degradation or failure state of the power supply based on the difference between an electrical parameter (closed circuit voltage CCV) when the power supply is discharging and an electrical parameter (open circuit voltage OCV) when the power supply is not discharging.

[0122] According to (21), by obtaining the degradation or failure state of the power supply based on the difference between the electrical parameters when the power supply is discharging and the electrical parameters when the power supply is not discharging, the degradation or failure state of the power supply can be appropriately grasped.

[0123] (twenty two) A control program for a power supply unit (power supply unit 10) for an aerosol inhalator (aerosol inhalator 1) having a power supply (power supply 12) capable of discharging from an aerosol source (aerosol source 22) to a load (load 21) for generating an aerosol, comprising: A control program for a power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, which causes a computer to execute a control step of acquiring the degradation or failure state of the power supply based on the difference between an electrical parameter (closed circuit voltage CCV) when the power supply is discharging and an electrical parameter (open circuit voltage OCV) when the power supply is not discharging.

[0124] According to (22), the degradation or failure state of the power supply can be obtained based on the difference between the electrical parameters when the power supply is discharging and the electrical parameters when the power supply is not discharging, thereby making it possible to appropriately grasp the degradation or failure state of the power supply.

[0125] According to (1) and (18) to (22), the degraded or failed state of the power supply can be properly understood by acquiring the degraded or failed state of the power supply based on the internal resistance of the power supply, or by acquiring the degraded or failed state of the power supply based on the difference between the electric parameters when the power supply is discharging and the electric parameters when the power supply is not discharging. Therefore, since the user can be prompted to replace the power supply at an appropriate timing, there is an energy saving effect that the period during which the power supply can be used without replacing it with a new one can be maximized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0126] 1 Aerosol Aspirator 10 Power supply unit 12 Power supply 21 Load 22 Aerosol Sources 50 Control section

Claims

[Claim 1] a power source capable of discharging from an aerosol source to a load for generating an aerosol; A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler, comprising: The control unit is A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler that obtains the deterioration or failure state of the power supply based on the internal resistance of the power supply.

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