Aerosol generation device and operation method thereof

Abstract

To provide an aerosol generation device and an operation method of the aerosol generation device.SOLUTION: An aerosol generation device includes: an oscillation part for generating a microwave; a resonance part including a storage space for storing an aerosol product for resonating the microwave and heating the aerosol product; a power monitoring part for measuring a reflected microwave reflected from the resonance part and input to the oscillation part; and a processor for determining a type of the aerosol product on the basis of the reflected microwave measured by the power monitoring part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device capable of heating an aerosol product by a dielectric heating method and generating an aerosol, and a method of operating the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes, such as systems that utilize an aerosol generating device to generate an aerosol by heating a cigarette (or "aerosol-producing article") rather than by burning a cigarette to generate an aerosol.

[0003] Aerosol generating devices that generate aerosols by heating an aerosol generating substance using a resistance heating method or an induction heating method have been common, but recently, aerosol generating devices that use a dielectric heating method to heat an aerosol generating substance using microwaves have also been proposed.

[0004] A dielectric heating type aerosol generating device refers to a device that generates heat in a dielectric contained in the aerosol generating material through resonance of microwaves, and can heat the aerosol generating material via the heat generated in the dielectric.

[0005] Depending on the type of aerosol product inserted into the aerosol generating device, the power profile for maintaining optimal atomization performance may differ. If the dielectric heating type aerosol generating device includes a separate sensor for identifying the type of aerosol product, it will increase manufacturing costs and make it difficult to miniaturize the product. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an induction heating type aerosol generating device capable of identifying an aerosol product by itself without the addition of a separate insertion detection sensor.

[0007] Problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present embodiment pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present application includes an oscillator unit that generates microwaves, a resonator unit that includes a storage space for storing an aerosol product and resonates the microwaves to heat the aerosol product, a power monitoring unit that measures the reflected microwaves reflected from the resonator unit and input to the oscillator unit, and a processor that determines the type of the aerosol product based on the reflected microwaves measured by the power monitoring unit.

[0009] An operating method of an aerosol generating device of the present application includes an oscillator unit that generates microwaves and a storage space for storing an aerosol product product, and a resonator unit that resonates the microwaves and heats the aerosol product product, and includes the steps of identifying whether the aerosol product product is inserted into the storage space, generating incident microwaves that are output from the oscillator unit and input to the resonator unit when the insertion of the aerosol product product is detected, measuring reflected microwaves that are reflected from the resonator unit and input to the oscillator unit, and determining the type of the aerosol product product based on the measured reflected microwaves. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present application can independently identify an inserted aerosol product by using reflected microwaves reflected from a resonator to an oscillator without the addition of a separate insertion detection sensor.

[0011] The effects of this embodiment are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment pertains from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an internal block diagram of the dielectric heating unit in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to one embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a heater assembly according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 8A] 1 is a diagram illustrating a look-up table including power profiles corresponding to each of a number of aerosol product products. [Figure 8B] 1 is a diagram illustrating a look-up table including power profiles corresponding to each of a number of aerosol product products. [Figure 9] 1 is a flowchart for explaining an operation method of the dielectric heating type aerosol generation device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, the embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Regardless of the drawing symbols, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numbers and duplicate descriptions related thereto will be omitted.

[0014] The suffixes "module" and "section" used in the following description are used or mixed together solely for the ease of drafting the specification, and do not in themselves have any distinct meanings or roles.

[0015] In addition, in the description of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a specific description of related publicly known technology may make the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification unclear, the detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and it should be understood that the drawings include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives included in the ideas and technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0016] Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.

[0017] When a component is said to be "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but there may be other components in between. Furthermore, when a component is said to be "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0018] Any expression in the singular number includes a plural number unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0019] Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment also includes a housing 110 capable of housing an aerosol product 10, and a heater assembly 200 for heating the aerosol product 10 housed in the housing 110.

[0020] The housing 110 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 100, and the components of the aerosol generating device 100 may be disposed in the interior space (or "mounting space") of the housing 110. For example, the heater assembly 200, a battery, a processor and / or a sensor may be disposed in the interior space of the housing 110, but the components disposed in the interior space are not limited thereto.

[0021] An insertion port 110h is formed in a certain region of the housing 110, and at least a certain region of the aerosol product 10 can be inserted into the housing 110 through the insertion port 110h. For example, the insertion port 110h can be formed in a certain region of the upper end surface (e.g., the surface facing the z direction) of the housing 110, but the position where the insertion port 110h is generated is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the insertion port 110h can also be formed in a certain region of the side surface (e.g., the surface facing the x direction) of the housing 110.

[0022] The heater assembly 200 is disposed in the interior space of the housing 110 and can heat the aerosol product 10 inserted or housed inside the housing 110 through the insertion port 110h. For example, the heater assembly 200 can be disposed to surround at least a region of the aerosol product 10 inserted or housed inside the housing 110 and can heat the aerosol product 10.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 may heat the aerosol product 10 by a dielectric heating method. In this disclosure, the term "dielectric heating method" refers to a method of heating a dielectric material, which is a heated object, by utilizing microwaves and / or the resonance of an electric field (including a magnetic field) of microwaves. The microwaves are an energy source for heating the heated object, and are generated by high-frequency power, so that in the following description, the microwaves may be used in combination with microwave power.

[0024] Inside the heater assembly 200, microwave resonance causes the charges or ions of the dielectric contained inside the aerosol product 10 to vibrate or rotate, and frictional heat generated in the process of the charges or ions vibrating or rotating generates heat in the dielectric, causing the aerosol product 10 to be heated.

[0025] The aerosol production article 10 may be heated by the heater assembly 200 to generate an aerosol from the aerosol production article 10. In this disclosure, "aerosol" may refer to gas particles generated by mixing vapor generated by heating the aerosol production article 10 with air.

[0026] The aerosol generated from the aerosol production product 10 can be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100 through the aerosol production product 10 or through the empty space between the aerosol production product 10 and the insertion port 110h. A user can smoke by contacting the oral cavity with a region of the aerosol production product 10 exposed to the outside of the housing 110 and inhaling the aerosol discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100.

[0027] The aerosol generation device 100 according to an embodiment further includes a cover 111 movably disposed in the housing 110 for opening and closing the insertion opening 110h. For example, the cover 111 is slidably coupled to the upper end surface of the housing 110 to expose the insertion opening 110h to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100, or covers the insertion opening 110h so that the insertion opening 110h is not exposed to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100.

[0028] In one example, in the first position (or "open position"), the cover 111 allows the insertion port 110h to be exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device 100. When the aerosol generating device 100 is exposed to the outside, the aerosol product 10 can be inserted into the housing 110 through the insertion port 110h.

[0029] In another example, the cover 111 covers the insertion port 110h in the second position (or the "closed position"), thereby preventing the insertion port 110h from being exposed to the outside of the aerosol generation device 100. In this case, the cover 111 can prevent external foreign matter from entering the heater assembly 200 through the insertion port 110h when the aerosol generation device 100 is not in use.

[0030] Although FIG. 1 illustrates only an aerosol generating device 100 for heating a solid-state aerosol product article 10, the aerosol generating device 100 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0031] The aerosol generating device according to another embodiment may also generate aerosol by heating a liquid or gel-like aerosol generating material via the heater assembly 200, rather than the solid-state aerosol product 10.

[0032] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device also includes a heater assembly 200 for heating the aerosol product article 10, and a cartridge (or "vaporizer") for containing a liquid or gel aerosol generating substance and heating the aerosol generating substance. The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating substance travels along an airflow passageway communicating between the cartridge and the aerosol product article 10, to the aerosol product article 10, where it is mixed with the aerosol generated from the aerosol product article 10, and then passes through the aerosol product article 10 and can be delivered to a user.

[0033] FIG. 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0034] Referring to FIG. 2, the aerosol generating device 100 also includes an input section 102, an output section 103, a sensor section 104, a communication section 105, a memory 106, a battery 107, an interface section 108, a power conversion section 109 and a dielectric heating section 200.

[0035] The input unit 102 may receive a user input. For example, the input unit 102 may be provided as a single pressure-activated push button. As another example, the input unit 102 may be a touch panel including at least one touch sensor. The input unit 102 may transmit an input signal to the processor 101. Based on the user input, the processor 101 may supply power to the dielectric heating unit 200 or control the output unit 103 to output a user notification.

[0036] The output unit 103 may output information related to the status of the aerosol generating device 100. The output unit 103 may output the charging / discharging status of the battery 107, the heating / heating interruption status of the dielectric heating unit 200, the insertion status of the aerosol product 10, and error information of the aerosol generating device 100. To this end, the output unit 103 may transmit information related to the status of the aerosol generating device 100 to a user using any one of vision, hearing, and touch. For example, the output unit 103 may include a display, a haptic motor, and an audio output unit.

[0037] The sensor unit 104 may sense the state of the aerosol generating device 100 or the surrounding state of the aerosol generating device 100, and transmit the sensed information to the processor 101. The processor 101 may control the aerosol generating device 100 based on the sensed information so as to perform various functions, such as heating control of the dielectric heating unit 200, smoking restriction, determining whether or not to insert the aerosol product 10, and displaying notifications.

[0038] The sensor section 104 also includes a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, and an insertion detection sensor. The temperature sensor may sense the temperature inside the dielectric heating unit 200 in a non-contact manner, or may contact the dielectric heating unit 200 and directly obtain the temperature of the resonator. According to one embodiment, the temperature sensor may also sense the temperature of the aerosol product 10. The temperature sensor may also be disposed adjacent to the battery 107 and obtain the temperature of the battery 107. The processor 101 may control the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the temperature information of the temperature sensor.

[0039] The puff sensor may detect a puff by a user. The puff sensor may detect a puff by a user based on at least one of a temperature change, a flow change, a power change, and a pressure change. The processor 101 may control the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the puff information of the puff sensor. For example, the processor 101 may count the number of puffs, and cut off the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 when the number of puffs reaches a preset maximum number of puffs. As another example, the processor 101 may cut off the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 when no puffs are detected for a preset time or more.

[0040] The insertion detection sensor is disposed inside the storage space 220h (FIG. 4) or adjacent to the storage space 220h, and may detect the insertion and removal of the aerosol product 10 stored in the insertion port 110h. For example, the insertion detection sensor may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor. The processor 101 may supply power to the dielectric heating unit 200 when the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the insertion port 110h.

[0041] The insertion detection sensor may include an inductive sensor and / or a capacitance sensor. The processor 101 may provide power to the dielectric heating unit 200 when the aerosol production product 10 is inserted into the insertion port 110h.

[0042] According to an embodiment, the sensor unit 104 may additionally include a reuse sensor, a motion sensor, a humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a cover removal sensor, a position sensor (GPS (global positioning system)), a proximity sensor, etc. The function of each sensor may be intuitively inferred from its name, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0043] The communication unit 105 also includes at least one communication module for communication with an external electronic device. The processor 101 may control the communication unit 105 and transmit information related to the aerosol generating device 100 to the external electronic device. Alternatively, the processor 101 may receive information from the external electronic device via the communication unit 105 and control the components included in the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the information transmitted between the communication unit 105 and the external electronic device may include user authentication information, firmware update information, and user smoking pattern information.

[0044] The memory 106 is hardware that stores various data processed in the aerosol generating device 100, and may store data processed by the processor 101 and data to be processed. For example, the memory 106 may store the operation time of the aerosol generating device 100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data related to the smoking pattern of the user.

[0045] The battery 107 may supply power to the dielectric heating unit 200 so that the aerosol product 10 may be heated. The battery 107 may also supply power necessary for the operation of other components provided in the aerosol generating device 100. The battery 107 may be a rechargeable battery or a removable battery that can be detached.

[0046] The interface unit 108 also includes a connection terminal that can be physically connected to an external electronic device. The connection terminal may include at least one of a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connector, a universal serial bus (USB) connector, a secure digital (SD) card connector, and an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector), or a combination thereof. The interface unit 108 may transmit and receive information to and from the external electronic device or charge the power source through the connection terminal.

[0047] The power conversion unit 109 may convert the DC power supplied from the battery 107 into AC power. The power conversion unit 109 may also provide the converted AC power to the dielectric heating unit 200. The power conversion unit 109 is also an inverter including at least one switching element, and the processor 101 may control ON / OFF of the switching element included in the power conversion unit 109 to convert the DC power into AC power. The power conversion unit 109 may be configured as a full-bridge or a half-bridge.

[0048] The dielectric heating unit 200 can use a dielectric heating method to heat the aerosol production product 10. The dielectric heating unit 200 also has a configuration corresponding to the heater assembly 200 of FIG.

[0049] The dielectric heating unit 200 can heat the aerosol product 10 using microwaves and / or microwave electric fields (hereinafter, when no distinction is necessary, these will be referred to as microwaves or microwave power). The heating method of the dielectric heating unit 200 is not a method of radiating the microwaves using an antenna, but a method of heating the heated object by forming the microwaves in a resonant structure. The resonant structure will be described later with reference to FIG. 4 and subsequent figures.

[0050] The dielectric heating unit 200 can output microwaves, which are high frequency waves, to the resonator 220 (FIG. 3). The microwaves can be power in the ISM (industrial, scientific and medical equipment) band permitted for heating, but are not limited thereto. The resonator 220 can be designed taking into consideration the wavelength of the microwaves so that the microwaves can resonate within the resonator 220.

[0051] The aerosol product 10 is inserted into the resonator 220, and the dielectric material in the aerosol product 10 can be heated by the resonator 220. For example, the aerosol product 10 may include a polar material, and the molecules in the polar material may be polarized in the resonator 220. The molecules vibrate or rotate due to the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol product 10 may be heated by frictional heat generated in the process. The dielectric heating unit 200 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0052] The processor 101 may control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 100. The processor 101 may be realized by an array of multiple logic gates, or may be realized by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program that can be executed by the microprocessor is stored, or may be realized by other forms of hardware.

[0053] The processor 101 may control the DC power supplied from the battery 107 to the power conversion unit 109 and / or the AC power supplied from the power conversion unit 109 to the dielectric heating unit 200 according to the power required by the dielectric heating unit 200. In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 includes a converter that boosts or intensifies the DC power, and the processor 101 may control the converter to adjust the magnitude of the DC power. The processor 101 may also control the AC power supplied to the dielectric heating unit 200 by adjusting the switching frequency and duty ratio of a switching element included in the power conversion unit 109.

[0054] The processor 101 can control the heating temperature of the aerosol product 10 by controlling the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit 200 and the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200. Therefore, the oscillation unit 210, the isolation unit 240, the power monitoring unit 250, and the matching unit 260 in FIG. 3, which will be described later, are also part of the processor 101.

[0055] The processor 101 may control the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit 200 based on the temperature profile information stored in the memory 106. In other words, the temperature profile includes information related to the target temperature of the dielectric heating unit 200 over time, and the processor 101 may control the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit 200 over time.

[0056] The processor 101 may adjust the microwave frequency so that the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200 is constant. The processor 101 may track the change in the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit 200 due to the heating of the object to be heated in real time, and control the dielectric heating unit 200 so that a microwave frequency according to the changed resonant frequency is output. In other words, the processor 101 may change the microwave frequency in real time, regardless of the temperature profile stored in advance.

[0057] FIG. 3 is an internal block diagram of the dielectric heating unit in FIG.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 3, the dielectric heating unit 200 also includes an oscillation unit 210 , an isolation unit 240 , a power monitoring unit 250 , a matching unit 260 , a microwave output unit 230 and a resonance unit 220 .

[0059] The oscillator 210 can generate high-frequency microwave power by receiving AC power from the power converter 109. According to an embodiment, the power converter 109 is also included in the oscillator 210. The microwave power can be selected from among 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and 5.8 GHz frequency bands included in the ISM band.

[0060] The oscillator 210 may include a solid-state based radio frequency (RF) generator and generate microwave power using the solid-state based RF generator. The solid-state based RF generator may be implemented using a semiconductor. When the oscillator 210 is implemented using a semiconductor, it is possible to reduce the size of the dielectric heating unit 200 and the life of the device may be extended.

[0061] The oscillator 210 can output microwave power toward the resonator 220. The oscillator 210 includes a power amp that increases or decreases the microwave power, and the power amplifier can adjust the magnitude of the microwave power under the control of the processor 101. For example, the power amplifier can increase or decrease the amplitude of the microwave. The microwave power can be adjusted by adjusting the amplitude of the microwave.

[0062] The processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillation unit 210 based on a pre-stored power profile (or a temperature profile). For example, the power profile may include target temperature information according to a pre-heating section and a smoking section, and the oscillation unit 210 may supply microwave power at a first power in the pre-heating section and supply microwave power at a second power smaller than the first power in the smoking section.

[0063] The processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillation unit 210 based on the operation mode of the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the aerosol generating device 100 may operate in a standby mode and a heating mode. The standby mode refers to a state in which the aerosol generating device 100 is powered on but the heater assembly 200 (or the dielectric heating unit) is not performing a heating operation. The heating mode is a stage in which the heater assembly 200 performs a heating operation, and may be divided into a pre-heating section and a smoking section.

[0064] The oscillator 210 can supply microwave power at a first power in the standby mode, and can supply microwave power at a second power greater than the first power in the heating mode.

[0065] In the standby mode, the processor 101 may determine the type of aerosol product 10 .

[0066] In the heating mode, the oscillator 210 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillator 210 based on the power profile determined in the standby mode and corresponding to the type of the aerosol product 10. For example, the heating profile may include target temperature information according to the pre-heating section and the smoking section, and the oscillator 210 may supply microwave power with a 2-1 power in the pre-heating section and supply microwave power with a 2-2 power smaller than the 2-1 power in the smoking section.

[0067] The isolating unit 240 can block microwave power input from the resonator 220 toward the oscillator 210. Most of the microwave power output from the oscillator 210 is absorbed by the heated object, but depending on the heating state of the heated object, a part of the microwave power can be reflected by the heated object and further transmitted to the oscillator 210. This is because the impedance seen from the oscillator 210 to the resonator 220 changes due to the consumption of polar molecules caused by the heating of the heated object. The meaning of "the impedance seen from the oscillator 210 to the resonator 220 changes" is the same as the meaning of "the resonant frequency of the resonator 220 changes". If the microwave power reflected by the resonator 220 is input to the oscillator 210, not only will the oscillator 210 break down, but it will not be able to exhibit the expected output performance. The isolating unit 240 can guide the microwave power reflected by the resonator 220 in a predetermined direction and absorb it without returning it to the oscillator 210. To that end, the isolation unit 240 also includes a circulator and a dummy load.

[0068] The power monitoring unit 250 may monitor the microwave power output from the oscillation unit 210 and the reflected microwave power reflected by the resonator 220. The power monitoring unit 250 may transmit information related to the microwave power and the reflected microwave power to the matching unit 260.

[0069] In the resonator 220, the reflection characteristics of the microwave may vary depending on the permittivity in the resonator 220. The permittivity is an important characteristic value that indicates the electrical characteristics of a dielectric, i.e., a nonconductor. The permittivity does not indicate the electrical characteristics for a direct current (DC), but is directly related to the characteristics of an alternating current (AC), particularly, an alternating electromagnetic wave. Specifically, the magnitude of the reflected microwave reflected by the resonator 220 may vary depending on the complex dielectric constant in the resonator 220. In the resonator 220, the microwave absorption may be expressed by a loss tangent, which is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of the complex dielectric constant. In addition, the phase of the reflected microwave reflected by the resonator 220 may vary depending on the permittivity in the resonator 220. The aerosol product 10 inserted into the receiving space 220h of the resonator 220 may have different dielectrics depending on the type, and therefore may have different dielectric constants of the resonator 220. Therefore, by analyzing the microwaves reflected by the resonator 220, the type of the aerosol product 10 inserted into the receiving space of the resonator 220 may be determined.

[0070] The matching unit 260 may match the impedance seen from the oscillation unit 210 to the resonator unit 220 and the impedance seen from the resonator unit 220 to the oscillation unit 210, so that the reflected microwave power is minimized. The impedance matching has the same meaning as matching the frequency of the oscillation unit 210 to the resonant frequency of the resonator unit 220. Therefore, the matching unit 260 may vary the frequency of the oscillation unit 210 to match the impedance. In other words, the matching unit 260 may adjust the frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillation unit 210 so that the reflected microwave power is minimized. The impedance matching of the matching unit 260 may be performed in real time regardless of the temperature profile.

[0071] In addition, the above-mentioned oscillation unit 210, isolation unit 240, power monitoring unit 250, and matching unit 260 are separate components distinct from the microwave output unit 230 and resonator 220 described below, and may be embodied as a microwave source in the form of a chip. In addition, according to an embodiment, the above-mentioned oscillation unit 210, isolation unit 240, power monitoring unit 250, and matching unit 260 may be embodied as a part of the processor 101.

[0072] The microwave output unit 230 is a component for inputting microwave power to the resonator 220, and corresponds to the coupler in FIG. 3 and the following figures. The microwave output unit 230 may be implemented in the form of a SubMiniature Version A (SMA), SubMiniature Version B (SMB), Micro Coaxial (MCX), or Micro-Miniature Coaxial (MMCX) connector. The microwave output unit 230 connects a chip-type microwave source to the resonator 220, and transmits microwave power generated in the microwave source to the resonator 220.

[0073] The resonator 220 can heat the object to be heated by forming microwaves in the resonator structure. The resonator 220 includes a storage space in which the aerosol product 10 is stored, and the aerosol product 10 can be exposed to microwaves and dielectrically heated. For example, the aerosol product 10 can include a polar substance, and the molecules in the polar substance can be polarized by microwaves inside the resonator 220. The molecules vibrate or rotate due to the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol product 10 can be heated by frictional heat generated in this process.

[0074] The resonator 220 includes at least one internal conductor so that microwaves can be resonated. The microwaves can be resonated inside the resonator 220 depending on the arrangement, thickness, length, and the like of the internal conductor.

[0075] The resonator 220 may be designed in consideration of the wavelength of the microwave so that the microwave can resonate inside the resonator 220. In order for the microwave to resonate inside the resonator 220, the cross section must be a short end, and at least one region of the cross section must be an open end in the opposite direction to the short end. In addition, the length between the closed end and the open end must be set to an integral multiple of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength. The resonator 220 of the present disclosure is selected to be 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength in order to miniaturize the device. In other words, the length between the closed end and the open end of the resonator 220 may be set to 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength.

[0076] The resonator 220 also includes a dielectric accommodation space. The dielectric accommodation space is configured to be separated from the accommodation space of the aerosol product 10, and a material capable of changing the resonant frequency of the entire resonator 220 and miniaturizing the resonator 220 is disposed in the dielectric accommodation space. In one embodiment, a dielectric having low microwave absorption can be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space. This is to prevent a phenomenon in which the energy that should be transferred to the heated object is transferred to the dielectric and the dielectric itself is heated. The microwave absorption can be expressed as a loss tangent, which is the ratio of the imaginary part to the real part of a complex dielectric constant. In one embodiment, the dielectric accommodation space accommodates a dielectric having a loss tangent equal to or less than a preset size, and the preset size is 1 / 100. For example, the dielectric can be at least one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene, and aluminum oxide, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0077] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to one embodiment.

[0078] 4, the heater assembly 200 according to an embodiment includes an oscillation unit 210 and a resonance unit 220. Fig. 4 shows an embodiment of the heater assembly 200 and the dielectric heating unit 200 described above, and therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted below.

[0079] The oscillator 210 may generate microwaves in a specified frequency band when power is supplied to the oscillator 210. The microwaves generated by the oscillator 210 may be transmitted to the resonator 220 via a coupler (not shown).

[0080] The resonator 220 also includes a storage space 220h for storing at least a region of the aerosol product 10, and can heat the aerosol product 10 by a dielectric heating method by resonating the microwaves generated by the oscillator 210. For example, the charge of glycerin contained in the aerosol product 10 is vibrated or rotated by the resonance of the microwaves, and heat is generated in the glycerin due to frictional heat generated when the charge vibrates or rotates, and the aerosol product 10 can be heated. one

[0081] According to the embodiment, the resonator 220 may be made of a material with low microwave absorption rate in order to prevent the microwaves generated by the oscillator 210 from being absorbed by the resonator 220 .

[0082] A specific structure of the resonating portion 220 of the heater assembly 200 will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0083] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 shows a cross section of the heater assembly 200 of Fig. 4 taken along the AA' direction.

[0084] 5, the heater assembly 200 according to an embodiment also includes an oscillation unit 210, a resonance unit 220, and a coupler 230. The components of the heater assembly 200 may be the same as or similar to at least one of the components of the heater assembly 200 of FIG.

[0085] The oscillator 210 generates microwaves in a specified frequency band when an AC voltage is applied thereto, and the microwaves generated by the oscillator 210 can be transmitted to the resonator 220 via the coupler 230 .

[0086] According to an embodiment, the oscillation unit 210 may be fixed to the resonator unit 220 in a dimension that prevents the oscillation unit 210 from being separated from the resonator unit 220 during use of the aerosol generating device. In one example, the oscillation unit 210 may be fixed on the resonator unit 220 by being supported by a bracket 220b protruding along the x direction in one region of the resonator unit 220. In another example, the oscillation unit 210 may be fixed on the resonator unit 220 in a manner of being attached to one region of the resonator unit 220 without the bracket 220b.

[0087] Although only an embodiment in which the oscillation unit 210 is fixed to one region of the resonator 220 facing the x direction is illustrated in the drawings, the position of the oscillation unit 210 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. In other embodiments, the oscillation unit 210 may be fixed to another region of the resonator 220 facing the -z direction.

[0088] The resonator 220 is disposed so as to surround at least a region of the aerosol product 10 inserted inside the aerosol generating device, and can heat the aerosol product 10 via microwaves generated by the oscillator 210. For example, a dielectric contained in the aerosol product 10 can generate heat due to an electric field generated inside the resonator 220 by microwaves, and the aerosol product 10 can be heated by the heat generated by the dielectric.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the aerosol product 10 also includes a tobacco rod 11 and a filter rod 12 .

[0090] The tobacco rod 11 includes an aerosol-generating material and may be made of a sheet or strand, or may be made of cut tobacco in which the tobacco sheet is finely shredded. For example, the aerosol-generating material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. The tobacco rod 11 may also include other additives, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. A flavoring liquid, such as menthol or a humectant, may be added to the tobacco rod 11 by spraying the liquid onto the tobacco rod 11.

[0091] The filter rod 12 is also a cellulose acetate filter. The shape of the filter rod 12 is not limited. For example, the filter rod 12 may be a cylindrical type rod or a tube type rod having a hollow inside. The filter rod 12 may also be a recess type rod. If the filter rod 12 is composed of multiple segments, at least one of the multiple segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

[0092] At least a portion of the aerosol generating material contained in the aerosol product 10 (e.g., glycerin) is also a dielectric that has a polarity in an electric field, and at least a portion of such aerosol generating material can generate heat by dielectric heating and heat the aerosol product 10.

[0093] According to one embodiment, the resonator unit 220 also includes an outer conductor 221 , a first inner conductor 223 and a second inner conductor 225 .

[0094] The outer conductor 221 forms the overall appearance of the resonator unit 220 and is formed in a hollow shape with an open interior, and the components of the resonator unit 220 can be disposed inside the outer conductor 221. The outer conductor 221 also includes a storage space 220h in which the aerosol product 10 can be stored, and the aerosol product 10 can be inserted into the outer conductor 221 through the storage space 220h.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the outer conductor 221 also includes a first surface 221a, a second surface 221b arranged to face the first surface 221a, and a side surface 221c surrounding an empty space between the first surface 221a and the second surface 221b. At least some of the components of the resonator unit 220 (e.g., the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225) may be arranged in an internal space of the resonator unit 220 formed by the first surface 221a, the second surface 221b, and the side surface 221c.

[0096] The first inner conductor 223 may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending from the first surface 221 a of the outer conductor 221 toward the internal space of the outer conductor 221 .

[0097] According to an embodiment, a region of the first inner conductor 223 may be in contact with the coupler 230 connected to the oscillator 210, and microwaves generated in the oscillator 210 may be transmitted to the first inner conductor 223 via the coupler 230. For example, the coupler 230 may be disposed to pass through the outer conductor 221, with one end in contact with the oscillator 210 and the other end in contact with a region of the first inner conductor 223, and microwaves generated in the oscillator 210 may be transmitted to the first inner conductor 223 via the coupler 230.

[0098] In this case, the coupler 230 may be arranged to penetrate the outer conductor 221 without contacting the outer conductor 221 for the transmission of microwaves, but as long as the microwaves generated in the oscillation unit 210 can be transmitted to the first inner conductor 223, the arrangement structure of the coupler 230 is not limited thereto.

[0099] The first region formed between the outer conductor 221 and the first inner conductor 223 can operate as a "first resonator" that generates an electric field through the resonance of microwaves. The first region refers to a space formed by the first surface 221a and the side surface 221c of the outer conductor 221 and the first inner conductor 223, and inside the first region, microwaves transmitted via the coupler 230 can resonate to generate an electric field.

[0100] The second inner conductor 225 may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending from the second surface 221b of the outer conductor 221 toward the internal space of the outer conductor 221. The second inner conductor 225 may be disposed in the internal space of the outer conductor 221 at a predetermined distance from the first inner conductor 223, and a gap 226 may be formed between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225.

[0101] The second region formed between the outer conductor 221 and the second inner conductor 225 may act as a "second resonator" that generates an electric field through microwave resonance. The second inner conductor 225 may be coupled (e.g., capacitively coupled) with the first inner conductor 223, and when an electric field is generated inside the first region due to the coupling relationship, an induced electric field may also be generated inside the second region. In the present disclosure, "capacitive coupling" may refer to a coupling relationship in which energy can be transferred by electrostatic capacitance between two conductors.

[0102] For example, an electric field may be generated within the first region due to resonance caused by the microwaves generated from the oscillator 210 being transmitted to the first internal conductor 223, and an induced electric field may be generated within the second region formed by the outer conductor 221 and the second internal conductor 225 coupled to the first internal conductor 223.

[0103] According to one embodiment, the first and second regions of the resonator 220 may operate as a resonator having a length of ¼ wavelength (λ) of microwaves.

[0104] In one example, one end (e.g., -z direction end) of the first region may be formed as a short end by closing the cross section of the first region by the first surface 221a of the outer conductor 221, and the other end (e.g., z direction end) of the first region may be formed as an open end by opening the cross section without the first surface 221a. In another example, one end (e.g., -z direction end) of the second region may be formed as an open end by opening the cross section, and the other end (e.g., z direction end) of the second region may be formed as a closed end by closing the cross section of the second region by the second surface 221b of the outer conductor 221.

[0105] That is, the first region and the second region include a closed end and an open end when viewed in the xz plane, and are formed into an overall U-shape, and via the above-mentioned structure, the first region and the second region can operate as a resonator having a quarter wavelength length of microwaves.

[0106] According to one embodiment, the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 may be formed to have the same length based on the z-axis, and the first region and the second region may be arranged symmetrically to each other, but are not limited thereto.

[0107] The aerosol product 10 inserted into the inner space of the outer conductor 221 through the receiving space 220h is surrounded by the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 and can be heated by a dielectric heating method.

[0108] At least a part of the electric field generated by the resonance of the microwave in the first region and / or the second region propagates through the gap 226 between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 toward the inside of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225, and the aerosol product 10 surrounded by the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 may be heated by the propagated electric field. For example, a dielectric material included in the aerosol product 10 may generate heat due to the electric field propagated through the gap 226, and the aerosol product 10 may be heated by the heat generated from the dielectric material.

[0109] The heater assembly 200 according to an embodiment may prevent the electric field propagated inside the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 from leaking outside the heater assembly 200 or the resonator 220 by making the diameters of the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 less than a specified value. In the present disclosure, the "specified value" may refer to a diameter value at which the electric field starts to leak outside the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225. For example, if the diameters of the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 are equal to or greater than a specified value, a situation may occur in which a part of the electric field flowing inside the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 leaks outside the resonator 220. In addition, the heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment prevents the electric field from propagating outside the resonating unit 220 through a structure in which the diameters of the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225 are less than a specified value, and as a result, the electric field can be prevented from leaking outside the heater assembly 200 or the resonating unit 220 even without a separate shielding member.

[0110] According to one embodiment, when the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the interior of the resonator 220 through the accommodating space 220h, the tobacco rod 11 of the aerosol product 10 can be positioned at a position corresponding to the gap 226 between the first inner conductor 223 and the second inner conductor 225.

[0111] The electric field generated in the first region and the electric field generated in the second region flow into the first inner conductor 223 and / or the second inner conductor 225 through the gap 226, so that the strongest electric field can be generated in the internal region of the resonator 220, in the region surrounding the gap 226.

[0112] In one embodiment of the heater assembly 200, the heating efficiency (or "dielectric heating efficiency") of the heater assembly 200 can be improved by positioning the tobacco rod 11, which contains a dielectric that generates heat in response to an electric field, at a position corresponding to the gap 226 where the electric field is strongest.

[0113] According to one embodiment, the resonator 220 further includes a closing portion 224 located inside the first inner conductor 223, closing a cross section of the first inner conductor 223, and restricting a flow direction of the aerosol generated from the aerosol production product 10. For example, the closing portion 224 may close a cross section of the first inner conductor 223 and block the flow of the aerosol generated from the aerosol production product 10 in the -z direction.

[0114] If the aerosol generated from the aerosol product 10, or droplets generated by liquefying the aerosol, flows in the -z direction and enters other components of the aerosol generating device (e.g., aerosol generating device 100 (FIG. 1)), it may cause malfunction or damage to the components of the aerosol generating device. On the other hand, the heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment may prevent malfunction or damage to the components of the aerosol generating device due to the aerosol or droplets by restricting the flow direction of the aerosol through the closing portion 224.

[0115] According to an embodiment, the resonator 220 further includes a dielectric receiving space 227 for receiving a dielectric. The dielectric receiving space 227 refers to an empty space between the outer conductor 221, the first inner conductor 223, and the second inner conductor 225, and a dielectric having low microwave absorption may be received in the dielectric receiving space 227. For example, the dielectric may be at least one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene, and aluminum oxide, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0116] The heater assembly 200 according to an embodiment can generate the same electric field as the resonator unit 220 that does not include a dielectric while reducing the overall size of the resonator unit 220 by disposing a dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 227. That is, the heater assembly 200 according to an embodiment can reduce the size of the resonator unit 220 via the dielectric disposed inside the dielectric accommodating space 227, and reduce the mounting space of the resonator unit 220 in the aerosol generation device, thereby enabling the aerosol generation device to be miniaturized.

[0117] FIG. 6 is a perspective view that diagrammatically illustrates a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0118] The heater assembly 300 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 also includes a resonator 320 that generates microwave resonance, and a coupler 311 that supplies microwaves to the resonator 320.

[0119] The resonator unit 320 also includes a case 321; a plurality of plates 323a, 323b; and a connecting unit 322 that connects the plurality of plates 323a, 323b to the case 321.

[0120] The coupler 311 can supply microwaves to at least one of the multiple plates 323a and 323b so as to generate microwave resonance in the resonator 320.

[0121] The resonator 320 may surround at least a region of the aerosol product 10 inserted inside the aerosol generating device. The coupler 311 may supply microwaves generated in an oscillator (not shown) to the resonator 320. When microwaves are supplied to the resonator 320, microwave resonance occurs in the resonator 320, and the resonator 320 may heat the aerosol product 10. For example, a dielectric included in the aerosol product 10 may generate heat due to an electric field generated inside the resonator 220 by the microwaves, and the aerosol product 10 may be heated by the heat generated by the dielectric.

[0122] The case 321 of the resonator 320 functions as an “outer conductor.” The case 321 is formed in a hollow shape with an open interior, so that the components of the resonator 320 can be disposed inside the case 321.

[0123] The case 321 also includes a storage space 320h in which the aerosol product 10 can be stored, and an opening 321a into which the aerosol product 10 can be inserted. The opening 321a is connected to the storage space 320h. Since the opening 321a opens toward the outside of the case 321, the storage space 320h is connected to the outside via the opening 321a. Therefore, the aerosol product 10 can be inserted into the storage space 320h of the case 321 via the opening 321a of the case 321.

[0124] Although the case 321 shown in the drawings has a square cross-sectional shape, the shape of the case 321 may be modified into various shapes. For example, the structure of the case 321 may be modified to have various cross-sectional shapes such as a rectangle, an ellipse, or a circle. The case 321 may be elongated in one direction.

[0125] Inside the case 321, a plurality of plates 323a and 323b capable of functioning as the “internal conductor” of the resonator 320 can be arranged.

[0126] The plates 323a, 323b may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the aerosol product 10 contained in the containing space 320h. The plates 323a, 323b may include a first plate 323a arranged to surround one region of the aerosol product 10 and a second plate 323b arranged to surround another region of the aerosol product 10.

[0127] The multiple plates 323a, 323b may be connected to the case 321 by a connecting portion 322. Furthermore, one end of the first plate 323a and one end of the second plate 323b of the multiple plates 323a, 323b may be connected to each other by the connecting portion 322. Therefore, a closed end may be formed by the connecting portion 322 at one end of the multiple plates 323a, 323b.

[0128] The other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b may be opened by being spaced apart from each other. Since the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b are spaced apart from each other, an open end may be formed at the other ends of the plurality of plates 323a, 323b.

[0129] A resonator assembly can be completed by connecting the multiple plates 323a, 323b to the connecting portion 322. The cross-sectional shape of the resonator assembly taken along the longitudinal direction includes a "horseshoe shape."

[0130] The plates 323a, 323b extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10. At least a portion of the plates 323a, 323b may be curved so as to protrude outward from the center of the aerosol product 10 in the longitudinal direction.

[0131] For example, when the aerosol product 10 is manufactured in a cylindrical shape, the plates 323a, 323b may be formed to be curved in the circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product 10. The cross-sectional radius of curvature of the plates 323a, 323b may be the same as the radius of curvature of the aerosol product 10. The cross-sectional radius of curvature of the plates 323a, 323b may be variously modified. For example, the cross-sectional radius of curvature of the plates 323a, 323b may be larger or smaller than the radius of curvature of the aerosol product 10.

[0132] According to a structure in which multiple plates 323a, 323b are formed so as to be curved circumferentially along the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol product 10, a more uniform electric field is formed in the resonating portion 320, thereby enabling the heater assembly 300 to heat the aerosol product 10 uniformly.

[0133] The other open ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be positioned toward the opening 321a of the case 321. The opening 321a of the case 321 may be positioned away from the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b.

[0134] The other open ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be aligned with the opening 321a of the case 321. Therefore, when the aerosol product 10 is inserted through the opening 321a of the case 321 and positioned in the receiving space 320h, a portion of the aerosol product 10 positioned in the receiving space 320h may be surrounded by the plates 323a and 323b.

[0135] The plates 323a, 323b are arranged in pairs at positions opposite to the center of the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10. This embodiment is not limited by the number of the plates 323a, 323b, and the number of the plates 323a, 323b may be, for example, three or four or more.

[0136] The plates 323a, 323b may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol product 10, that is, the central axis in the direction in which the aerosol product 10 extends.

[0137] At least one of the plates 323a and 323b may be in contact with the coupler 311 connected to the oscillation unit (not shown). Specifically, at least a portion of the first plate 323a may be in contact with the coupler 311. When microwaves are transmitted to the first plate 323a through the coupler 311, microwave resonance is generated between the plates 323a and 323b. In addition, microwave resonance is generated between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the case 321, and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the case 321. Therefore, electric fields may be generated between the plates 323a and 323b and the connecting unit 322, between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the case 321, and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the case 321.

[0138] Coupler 311 may penetrate case 321, one end of coupler 311 may contact an oscillation unit (not shown), and the other end of coupler 311 may contact a region of first plate 323a. Microwaves generated in the oscillation unit (not shown) may be transmitted to multiple plates 323a and 323b and connecting unit 322 via coupler 311, so that an electric field may be generated within an assembly of multiple plates 323a and 323b and connecting unit 322.

[0139] In addition, according to the structure of the resonator 320 of the heater assembly 300, a triple resonant mode can be formed in the resonator 320. A microwave TEM mode (transverse electric & magnetic mode) resonance is formed between the multiple plates 323a and 323b. A TEM mode resonance different from the resonance formed between the multiple plates 323a and 323b is formed between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the case 321 and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the case 321, respectively. The resonator 320 of FIG. 6 can resonate in the TEM mode by the multiple plates 323a and 323b, so it can be manufactured in a smaller size than the resonator 220 of FIG. 5 which can only resonate in the TE (transverse electric) mode and the TM (transverse magnetic) mode.

[0140] The triple resonance in the resonating portion 320 of the heater assembly 300 may result in more efficient and uniform heating of the aerosol product 10 .

[0141] The resonator 320 according to the above-described embodiment includes a short end whose cross section is closed to have a length of 1 / 4 (λ / 4) of the wavelength (λ) of the microwave, and an open end located in the opposite direction to the short end and in which at least a region of the cross section is open.

[0142] In Fig. 6, the region at one end of resonator unit 320 corresponding to the region on the left side forms a closed end that is closed by a structure in which one ends of multiple plates 323a, 323b and connecting portion 322 are connected to case 321. In Fig. 6, the region at the other end of resonator unit 320 corresponding to the region on the right side forms an open end by opening 321a of case 321 being open to the outside. With such a structure of resonator unit 320, resonator unit 320 can operate as a resonator having a ¼ wavelength length of microwaves.

[0143] Due to the above-described resonant structure of the resonant unit 320, the electric field is not propagated to an external region of the resonant unit 320. Therefore, the heater assembly 300 can prevent the electric field from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly 300 without a separate shielding member for shielding the electric field.

[0144] The aerosol product 10 inserted into the receiving space 320h of the case 321 is surrounded by the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b and can be heated by a dielectric heating method. For example, a part of the aerosol product 10 inserted into the receiving space 320h of the case 321, including a medium, can be disposed in the space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b. The dielectric contained in the aerosol product 10 can be heated by an electric field generated in the space between the first plate 323a and the second plate 323b.

[0145] In addition, a secondary heating effect can be achieved on the aerosol product 10 by the action of an electric field due to a resonant mode formed between the first plate 323a and the upper plate of the case 321, and between the second plate 323b and the lower plate of the case 321, respectively. workman

[0146] When the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the resonator unit 320 through the receiving space 320h, the tobacco rod 11 of the aerosol product 10 can be positioned between the plates 323a and 323b. Ta

[0147] The length L4 of the baco rod 11 can be longer than the length L1 of the plates 323a, 323b. Therefore, the front end 11f of the tobacco rod 11 that contacts the filter rod 12 is located at a position that protrudes further in the direction toward the opening 321a of the case 321 than the other end 323af of the first plate 323a and the other end 323bf of the second plate 323b.

[0148] At the other end of the multiple plates 323a, 323b operating as a resonator, a resonance peak is formed, and a stronger electric field can be generated compared to other regions. When the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the heater assembly 300, the tobacco rod 11 including a dielectric that can generate heat by an electric field is arranged to correspond to the region where the electric field is strongest, thereby improving the heating efficiency (or "dielectric heating efficiency") of the heater assembly 300.

[0149] 6, the length L1 of the plates 323a and 323b may be set to be shorter than the length (L1+L2) of the internal space of the case 321. Therefore, the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be located inside the case 321 with respect to the opening 321a. That is, the other ends of the plates 323a and 323b may be located to be spaced apart from the rear end of the opening 321a by a distance L2.

[0150] The length from the rear end of opening 321a, where opening 321a is connected to case 321, to the front end of opening 321a where opening 321a is opened is also L3. The overall length of case 321 along the longitudinal direction of case 321 is also L. The overall length L of case 321 can be determined by the sum of the length L1 of multiple plates 323a, 323b, the length L2 by which multiple plates 323a, 323b are separated from the rear end of opening 321a, and the length L3 by which opening 321a protrudes from case 321.

[0151] In order to prevent leakage of microwaves, the front end of opening 321a where opening 321a is opened is positioned to protrude by a length of L3 from case 321. By opening 321a of case 321 protruding from case 321, opening 321a can perform the function of preventing microwaves inside case 321 of resonator 320 from leaking to the outside of case 321.

[0152] The resonator unit 320 further includes a dielectric accommodating space 327 for accommodating a dielectric. The dielectric accommodating space 327 may be formed in an empty space between the case 321 and the plurality of plates 323a and 323b. A dielectric having low microwave absorption may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodating space 327.

[0153] The heater assembly 300 can generate an electric field of the same level as that generated in a resonator that does not include a dielectric, while reducing the overall size of the resonator 320, by disposing a dielectric inside the dielectric accommodating space 327. That is, the size of the resonator 320 can be reduced via the dielectric disposed inside the dielectric accommodating space 327, and the mounting space of the resonator 320 in the aerosol generating device can be reduced, resulting in a miniaturization of the aerosol generating device.

[0154] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. Figures 8A and 8B are diagrams illustrating a look-up table including power profiles corresponding to a number of aerosol product products.

[0155] 7 illustrates only the configuration for adjusting the magnitude and frequency of microwave power at the output of the oscillator 210 among the configurations of FIGS. 2 to 4 included in the aerosol generating device 100. Therefore, in the following, the description overlapping with FIGS. 2 to 4 will be omitted.

[0156] 3 and 5 to 7, the aerosol generating device 100 also includes an oscillation unit 210, a power monitoring unit 250, a resonating unit 220 and a processor 101.

[0157] The oscillator 210 may output microwaves having a frequency in a preset range and a power of a preset magnitude under the control of the processor 101. The oscillator 210 includes at least one switching element, and the processor 101 may vary the output frequency of the microwaves by adjusting the on / off of the switching element. For example, the processor 101 may control the oscillator 210 to output microwaves having any one output frequency selected from a range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz or a range of 5.7 GHz to 5.9 GHz.

[0158] Furthermore, the oscillator 210 includes a power amplifier, which can adjust the power level of the output microwave by increasing or decreasing the amplitude of the microwave under the control of the processor 101. For example, the processor 101 can control the oscillator 210 to output a microwave having any one power level selected from a range of 3W to 20W.

[0159] The microwave output from the oscillation unit 210 can be output to the resonance unit 220 .

[0160] The resonator 220 accommodates the aerosol product 10 and resonates the microwaves provided from the oscillator 210 to heat the aerosol product 10. The internal structure of the resonator 220 is the same as that shown in FIGS.

[0161] The power monitoring unit 250 may measure the incident microwave W1 output from the oscillation unit 210, or the reflected microwave W2 reflected from the resonator 220 and input to the oscillation unit 210. In one embodiment, the magnitude of the incident microwave W1 may correspond to the magnitude of the power output from the oscillation unit 210 and input to the resonator 220, and the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 may correspond to the magnitude of the power reflected from the resonator 220 and input to the oscillation unit 210.

[0162] The aerosol product 10 includes a tobacco rod 11 and a filter rod 12, and the tobacco rod 11 also includes an aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material is in the form of a sheet, a strand, or cut tobacco, and the aerosol-generating material includes at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. The tobacco rod 11 also includes at least one of a flavoring agent, a humectant, an organic acid, and a flavoring liquid.

[0163] The aerosol product 10 includes dielectrics such as an aerosol generating material, a flavoring agent, a humectant, an organic acid, and a flavoring liquid, and the dielectric constant of the dielectric included in the tobacco rod 11 may differ depending on the type of the aerosol product 10. Therefore, the dielectric constant of the dielectric of the resonator 220 differs depending on the type of the aerosol product 10 inserted into the resonator 220. That is, the impedance of the resonator 220 may differ depending on the type of the aerosol product 10 inserted into the resonator 220. Even if the incident microwave W1 incident on the resonator 220 is the same, if the impedance of the resonator 220 is different, the degree of reflection differs, and therefore the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 may differ.

[0164] When the oscillation unit 210 is controlled with a fixed output, even though the impedance of the resonance unit 220 is different, the first impedance Zeq1 seen from the oscillation unit 210 looking down on the resonance unit 220 does not match the second impedance Zeq2 seen from the resonance unit 220 looking down on the oscillation unit 210. In other words, the first impedance Zeq1 and the second impedance Zeq2 do not match each other. Furthermore, since impedance matching is related to the maximum power transmission condition, the maximum power transmission condition is not satisfied. If the maximum power transmission condition is not satisfied, the aerosol generating device 100 cannot exhibit optimal atomization performance.

[0165] A configuration for adjusting the magnitude of the microwave power output to the oscillator 210 based on a power profile that differs depending on the type of the aerosol product 10 will be described in detail below.

[0166] First, in the standby mode, the aerosol generating device 100 can identify whether or not the aerosol product 10 has been inserted into the receiving space 220h (FIG. 4).

[0167] According to an embodiment, the processor 101 may use the insertion detection sensor of the sensor unit 104 (FIG. 2) to determine whether the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the receiving space 220h (FIG. 4). In this case, the insertion detection sensor may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor.

[0168] According to another embodiment, the processor 101 may determine whether the aerosol product 10 is inserted based on the reflected microwave. If the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 is smaller than a first critical value, the processor 101 may determine that the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the receiving space 220h of the resonator 220. In this case, the first critical value may be determined according to the dielectric constant of the dielectric material contained in the aerosol product 10 and the amount of the dielectric material. For example, if the dielectric constant of the aerosol product 10 is high, the aerosol product 10 absorbs most of the incident microwave W1, so the first critical value may be inversely proportional to the dielectric constant of the aerosol product 10. The first critical value may be calculated experimentally. The first critical value may be stored in advance in the memory 106 (FIG. 2).

[0169] When the processor 101 detects the insertion of the aerosol product 10, the processor 101 may output an incident microwave W1 using the oscillator 210, and may measure a reflected microwave W2 reflected from the resonator 220 and input to the oscillator 210 using the power monitoring unit 250. In this case, the processor 101 may be provided with the measured incident microwave W1 and reflected microwave W2 from the power monitoring unit 250.

[0170] The processor 101 may then determine the type of aerosol product 10 based on the measured reflected microwaves W2. In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 also includes a memory 106 (FIG. 2) that stores a relationship between a plurality of reflected microwaves W2 and the aerosol product 10 in the form of a look-up table.

[0171] Each of the plurality of aerosol production articles 10 may have a fixed dielectric permittivity due to the composition of the tobacco rod 11. Thus, each of the plurality of aerosol production articles 10 may respond to the same magnitude of incident microwaves W1 and have a different magnitude of reflected microwaves W2.

[0172] For example, referring to FIG. 8A, the aerosol product 10 may include a first aerosol product, a second aerosol product, and a third aerosol product. In this case, the dielectric constant of the dielectric material included in the aerosol product 10 may increase in the order of the third aerosol product, the second aerosol product, and the first aerosol product (i.e., the first aerosol product has the lowest dielectric constant, and the third aerosol product has the highest dielectric constant). The higher the dielectric constant of the aerosol product 10, the more incident microwaves W1 it absorbs, so that the reflected microwaves W2 for the same magnitude of incident microwaves W1 may increase in the order of the first aerosol product, the second aerosol product, and the third aerosol product (i.e., the reflected microwaves W2 for the first aerosol product are the highest, and the reflected microwaves W2 for the third aerosol product are the lowest).

[0173] Next, in the heating mode, the processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillator 210 based on the power profile corresponding to the type of aerosol product 10 determined in the standby mode.

[0174] The aerosol generating device 100 according to one embodiment also includes a memory 106 (FIG. 2) that stores a relationship between a plurality of aerosol product items 10 (or the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2) and a power profile in the form of a lookup table. That is, the lookup table stored in the memory 106 (FIG. 2) may be configured by a first lookup table including the aerosol product items 10 corresponding to the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2, and a second lookup table including the power profile corresponding to the aerosol product item 10. However, the lookup table is not limited thereto, and may be configured only by a lookup table including the power profile corresponding to the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2.

[0175] 8A, a first heating profile corresponding to a first aerosol product may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to a pre-heating section PR1 and a smoking section PR2, and the oscillator 210 may supply microwave power at a 2-11 power in the pre-heating section PR1 and supply microwave power at a 2-21 power lower than the 2-11 power in the smoking section PR2. The processor 101 may progressively increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

[0176] In addition, the second heating profile corresponding to the second aerosol product may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to a preheating section PR1 and a smoking section PR2, and the oscillator 210 may supply microwave power at a 2-12 power in the preheating section PR1 and supply microwave power at a 2-22 power lower than the 2-12 power in the smoking section PR2. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

[0177] Similarly, a third heating profile corresponding to a third aerosol product may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to a preheating section PR1 and a smoking section PR2, and the oscillator 210 may supply microwave power at a 2-13 power in the preheating section PR1 and at a 2-23 power lower than the 2-13 power in the smoking section PR2. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

[0178] In this case, the higher the dielectric constant of the heated object (or the aerosol product 10), the higher the temperature at which it needs to be heated, so the magnitudes of the 2-13 power, the 2-12 power, and the 2-11 power can be set to be larger in this order, and the magnitudes of the 2-23 power, the 2-22 power, and the 2-21 power can be set to be larger in this order.

[0179] However, the heating profile is not limited to adjusting the target temperature through the power magnitude adjustment. For example, as shown in FIG. 8B, the heating profile can also adjust the target temperature through the pre-heat time adjustment.

[0180] 8B, the first heating profile corresponding to the first aerosol product includes target temperature information (or target power information) according to a pre-heating section PR1 and a smoking section PR2, and the oscillator 210 may supply microwave power with a 2-11 power in the pre-heating section PR1 and supply microwave power with a 2-21 power lower than the 2-11 power in the smoking section PR2. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

[0181] A second heating profile corresponding to a second aerosol product also includes target temperature information (or target power information) for a pre-heating section (PR1-1) and a smoking section (PR2-1), except that the pre-heating section (PR1-1) of the second heating profile is longer than the pre-heating section PR1 of the first heating profile.

[0182] The oscillator 210 may supply microwave power at 2-11 power in the preheating section (PR1-1) which is the same as the preheating section PR1 of the first heating profile, and may supply microwave power at 2-21 power in the smoking section (PR2-1) which is the same as the smoking section PR2 of the first heating profile. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section (PR2-1).

[0183] Similarly, a third heating profile corresponding to a third aerosol product also includes target temperature information (or target power information) with a pre-heating section (PR1-2) and a smoking section (PR2-2), except that the pre-heating section (PR1-2) of the third heating profile is longer than the pre-heating section (PR1-1) of the second heating profile.

[0184] The oscillator 210 may supply microwave power at 2-11 power in the preheating section (PR1-2) the same as in the preheating section PR1 of the first heating profile, and may supply microwave power at 2-21 power in the smoking section (PR2-1) the same as in the smoking section PR2 of the first heating profile. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section (PR2-2).

[0185] In this case, the higher the dielectric constant of the object to be heated (or the aerosol product 10), the longer the preheating time is required, so the preheating sections PR1-2, PR1-1 and PR1 can be set to be longer in that order.

[0186] In addition, the processor 101 can also determine whether or not to reuse the aerosol product 10 based on the reflected microwave W2 measured in the standby mode.

[0187] Specifically, the processor 101 may stop the generation of microwaves in the oscillator 210 when the reflected microwaves W2 measured in the standby mode are equal to or greater than a preset critical value. That is, the reused aerosol product 10 may have a significantly lower dielectric constant than that of an unused aerosol product 10 because the aerosol-generating material contained in the tobacco rod 11 has been consumed. As a result, the reflected microwaves W2 of the reused aerosol product 10 may be greater than the reflected microwaves W2 of an unused aerosol product 10. In this case, the preset critical value may be calculated experimentally and statistically and stored in advance in the memory 106.

[0188] According to one embodiment, the power monitoring unit 250 can track the change in resonant frequency of the resonating unit 220 in real time during the heating mode.

[0189] More specifically, the impedance of the resonator 220 may be varied by the dielectric material contained in the aerosol product 10 being heated and consumed by the microwave. When the oscillator 210 is controlled with a fixed output despite the impedance of the resonator 220 being varied, the first impedance Zeq1 seen from the oscillator 210 looking down on the resonator 220 does not match the second impedance Zeq2 seen from the oscillator 220 looking down on the resonator 210. In other words, the first impedance Zeq1 and the second impedance Zeq2 do not match each other. Furthermore, since impedance matching is related to the maximum power transfer condition, the maximum power transfer condition is not satisfied. In the heating mode, the power monitoring unit 250 may measure the power output from the oscillator 210 and input to the resonator 220, and the power reflected from the resonator 220 and input to the oscillator 210, in order to match such first impedance Zeq1 and second impedance Zeq2.

[0190] The processor 101 may adjust the output frequency of the oscillator 210 so that the difference between the power output from the oscillator 210 and input to the resonator 220 and the power reflected from the resonator 220 and input to the oscillator 210 is included in a preset reference power range. For example, the reference power range may be between 0w and 1w, but is not limited thereto.

[0191] The processor 101 may control the oscillator 210 so that the difference between the power output from the oscillator 210 and input to the resonator 220 and the power reflected from the resonator 220 and input to the oscillator 210 is included in the preset range while sweeping the output frequency output from the oscillator 210 within a preset reference band range. For example, the reference band range may be a range of 2.4 Ghz to 2.5 Ghz or a range of 5.7 Ghz to 5.9 Ghz, but is not limited thereto.

[0192] The adjustment of the output frequency of the processor 101 may be performed in real time. In other words, the processor 101 may adjust the output frequency of the oscillator 210 independently of the adjustment of the power magnitude of the oscillator 210. That is, the processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillator 210 according to a power profile corresponding to the type of the aerosol product 10, regardless of the adjustment of the output frequency of the oscillator 210.

[0193] Fig. 9 is a flow chart for explaining an operation method of the dielectric heating type aerosol generating apparatus. At this time, it goes without saying that not only the embodiment shown in Fig. 9 but also the embodiments explained in Fig. 1 to Fig. 8B can be applied to the operation method of the aerosol generating apparatus.

[0194] 1 to 9, an operating method of the aerosol generating device 100 including an oscillator 210 for generating microwaves and a storage space 220h for storing an aerosol product 10, and a resonator 220 for resonating microwaves to heat the aerosol product 10, includes a step (S10) of identifying whether the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the storage space 220h in a standby mode, a step (S20) of generating an incident microwave W1 output from the oscillator 210 and input to the resonator 220 when the insertion of the aerosol product 10 is detected, and a step (S30) of measuring a reflected microwave W2 reflected from the resonator 220 and input to the oscillator 210, and determining the type of the aerosol product based on the measured reflected microwave W2, and in a heating mode, a step (S40) of adjusting the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillator 210 according to a power profile corresponding to the aerosol product 10 determined in the standby mode.

[0195] The processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillation unit 210 based on the operation mode of the aerosol generating device 100. For example, the aerosol generating device 100 may operate in a standby mode and a heating mode. The standby mode refers to a state in which the aerosol generating device 100 is powered on but the heater assembly 200 (or the dielectric heating unit) is not performing a heating operation. The heating mode is a stage in which the heater assembly 200 performs a heating operation, and may be divided into a pre-heating section and a smoking section.

[0196] The oscillator 210 can supply microwave power at a first power in the standby modes (eg, S10, S20, and S30), and can supply microwave power at a second power greater than the first power in the heating mode (eg, S40).

[0197] Specifically, in the standby mode, the processor 101 may use the insertion detection sensor of the sensor unit 104 (FIG. 2) to determine whether the aerosol product 10 is inserted into the receiving space 220h (FIG. 4) (S10). At this time, the insertion detection sensor may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor.

[0198] Thereafter, in the standby mode, when the processor 101 detects the insertion of the aerosol product 10, it may output the incident microwave W1 using the oscillator 210 (S20).

[0199] Thereafter, the processor 101 may use the power monitoring unit 250 in the standby mode to measure the reflected microwave W2 reflected from the resonator 220 and input to the oscillator 210, and determine the type of the aerosol product 10 based on the measured reflected microwave W2 (S30). The aerosol generating device 100 according to an embodiment also includes a memory 106 (FIG. 2) in which the relationship between the magnitude of the reflected microwave W2 and the power profile is stored in the form of a look-up table. Each of the multiple aerosol product 10 may have a fixed dielectric permittivity due to the composition of the tobacco rod 11. Thus, each of the multiple aerosol product 10 may respond to the same magnitude of the incident microwave W1 and have a different magnitude of the reflected microwave W2.

[0200] Next, in the heating mode, the processor 101 may adjust the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillator 210 based on the power profile corresponding to the type of aerosol product 10 determined in the standby mode (S40).

[0201] The aerosol generating device 100 according to an embodiment also includes a memory 106 (FIG. 2) that stores a relationship between a plurality of aerosol product products 10 and power profiles in the form of a look-up table. For example, referring to FIG. 8A, a first heating profile corresponding to a first aerosol product product includes target temperature information (or target power information) according to a pre-heating section PR1 and a smoking section PR2, and the oscillator 210 may supply microwave power with a 2-11 power in the pre-heating section PR1 and supply microwave power with a 2-21 power lower than the 2-11 power in the smoking section PR2. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

[0202] In addition, the second heating profile corresponding to the second aerosol product may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to a preheating section PR1 and a smoking section PR2, and the oscillator 210 may supply microwave power at a 2-12 power in the preheating section PR1 and supply microwave power at a 2-22 power lower than the 2-12 power in the smoking section PR2. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

[0203] Similarly, a third heating profile corresponding to a third aerosol product may include target temperature information (or target power information) according to a preheating section PR1 and a smoking section PR2, and the oscillator 210 may supply microwave power at a 2-13 power in the preheating section PR1 and at a 2-23 power lower than the 2-13 power in the smoking section PR2. The processor 101 may gradually increase the magnitude of the microwave power in the smoking section PR2.

[0204] In this case, the higher the dielectric constant of the heated object (or the aerosol product 10), the higher the temperature at which it needs to be heated, so the magnitudes of the 2-13 power, the 2-12 power, and the 2-11 power can be set to be larger in this order, and the magnitudes of the 2-23 power, the 2-22 power, and the 2-21 power can be set to be larger in this order.

[0205] In addition, the processor 101 can also determine whether or not to reuse the aerosol product 10 based on the reflected microwave W2 measured in the standby mode.

[0206] Specifically, the processor 101 may stop the generation of microwaves in the oscillator 210 when the reflected microwaves W2 measured in the standby mode are equal to or greater than a preset critical value. That is, the reused aerosol product 10 may have a dielectric constant significantly lower than that of an unused aerosol product 10 because the aerosol-generating material contained in the tobacco rod 11 has been consumed. As a result, the reflected microwaves W2 of the reused aerosol product 10 may be greater than the reflected microwaves W2 of an unused aerosol product 10. In this case, the preset critical value may be calculated experimentally and statistically and stored in advance in the memory 106 (FIG. 2).

[0207] Any of the embodiments of the present disclosure described above or other embodiments are not mutually exclusive or distinct. Any of the embodiments of the present disclosure described above or other embodiments may be used together or combined with each other in terms of their respective configurations or functions. For example, it means that a specific embodiment and / or configuration A illustrated in the drawings can be combined with a different embodiment and / or configuration B illustrated in the drawings, that is, even if the combination between the components is not directly described, it means that the combination is possible unless it is described that the combination is not possible.

[0208] The above detailed description should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0209] 10 Aerosol products 100 Aerosol Generator 200 Heater Assembly 210 Oscillator 220 Resonance section W1 Incident microwave W2 Reflected microwave

Claims

1. In the aerosol generating device, An oscillator for generating microwaves; a resonator that includes a storage space for storing an aerosol product and resonates the microwave to heat the aerosol product; a power monitoring unit that measures a reflected microwave that is reflected from the resonator and input to the oscillator; and a processor that determines a type of the aerosol product based on the reflected microwaves measured by the power monitoring unit.

2. 10. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing a relationship between a plurality of aerosol product items and power profiles in the form of a look-up table.

3. The aerosol generating device of claim 2 , wherein the processor adjusts the magnitude of the microwave power output from the oscillator according to a power profile corresponding to the determined aerosol product based on the lookup table.

4. 2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, further comprising an insertion detection sensor for detecting whether the aerosol product is inserted into the receiving space.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 , wherein the processor outputs incident microwaves at the oscillator when the insertion detection sensor detects the insertion of the aerosol product.

6. The aerosol generating device of claim 4 , wherein the insertion detection sensor includes at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor.

7. 2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol producing article comprises a tobacco rod and a filter rod, the tobacco rod including an aerosol generating substance and a dielectric material such as a flavoring liquid.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 7 , wherein the reflected microwaves differ depending on the dielectric constant of the dielectric material.

9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor interrupts the generation of the microwaves in the oscillator when the reflected microwaves are equal to or greater than a preset critical value.

10. An output unit that transmits information related to a state of the aerosol generating device to a user using any one of a visual sense, an auditory sense, and a tactile sense, The aerosol generating device of claim 9 , wherein the processor notifies the user via the output section of the determined type of aerosol product and / or the interruption of the microwave generation.

11. The resonator unit includes: a first internal conductor having a hollow cylindrical shape surrounding one region of the aerosol product; and a second internal conductor having a hollow cylindrical shape, spaced a predetermined distance from the first internal conductor and surrounding another region of the aerosol product, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the microwaves are resonated by the first inner conductor and the second inner conductor.

12. The resonator unit includes: a first plate surrounding one area of ​​the aerosol product product, and a second plate spaced apart from the first plate along a circumferential direction of the aerosol product product and surrounding another area of ​​the aerosol product product, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the microwaves are resonated by the first plate and the second plate.

13. A method for operating an aerosol generating device including an oscillator for generating microwaves and a resonator for resonating the microwaves and heating the aerosol generating device, the method comprising: identifying whether the aerosol product has been inserted into the receiving space; generating an incident microwave output from the oscillator and input to the resonator when the insertion of the aerosol product is detected; measuring a reflected microwave reflected from the resonator and input to the oscillator; and determining a type of the aerosol product based on the measured reflected microwaves.

14. A method for operating an aerosol generating device as described in claim 13, comprising a step of adjusting the magnitude of microwave power output from the oscillator according to a power profile corresponding to the determined aerosol product based on a lookup table containing power profiles corresponding to multiple aerosol product products.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the adjusting step comprises stopping generation of the microwaves in the oscillator when the reflected microwaves are equal to or greater than a preset critical value.

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