Control unit, aerosol generation device, method and program for controlling heater, and smoking article

Abstract

To provide an aerosol generation device that allows a user to be aware of in which of an initial period, a middle period, and an ending period of an inhalation possible period the user is located by sensation of inhaling aerosol.SOLUTION: An aerosol generation device includes: a heater which can heat the outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source; and a control unit which controls the heater. The control unit controls the heater such that a delivery profile of aerosol in a preset inhalation available period exhibits one or more maximum values between the starting point and the ending point of the inhalation available period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control unit, an aerosol generating device, a method and a program for controlling a heater, and a smoking article. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art As an alternative to conventional combustion cigarettes, non-combustion aerosol generating devices are known that inhale an aerosol generated by atomizing an aerosol-forming substrate (smoking article) with a heater (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an aerosol generating device having a smoking article containing a solid aerosol-forming substrate and a blade-type heater that is inserted into the aerosol-forming substrate during use, and that heats the aerosol-forming substrate from within.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses an aerosol generating device having a smoking article including a solid aerosol-forming substrate and a cylindrical heater disposed on the outer periphery of the aerosol-forming substrate during use. The heater heats the aerosol-forming substrate from the outer periphery.

[0005] Unlike conventional combustion cigarettes, the aerosol generating devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have little change in appearance in response to the user's inhalation action, so it can be difficult for the user to intuitively understand at what stage of the inhalation period they are. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-113016 A [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2018 / 019786 Summary of the Invention

[0007] A first feature is an aerosol generating device comprising a heater configured to heat the outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source, and a control unit configured to control the heater, wherein the control unit is configured to control the heater so that an aerosol delivery profile during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maximum values ​​between a start point and an end point of the inhalable period.

[0008] A second feature is the aerosol generating device according to the first feature, characterized in that the heater has a cylindrical shape surrounding an outer periphery of the columnar smoking article. A third feature is the aerosol generation device according to the second feature, characterized in that it further includes a cylindrical insulating material arranged radially outside the heater.

[0009] A fourth feature is an aerosol generating device in any of the first to third features, wherein the smoking article includes an aerosol presence region including an aerosol source and an aerosol-free region located downstream of the aerosol presence region in the flow direction of the generated aerosol, and the heating portion of the heater is arranged to extend from the aerosol presence region of the smoking article to the aerosol-free region of the smoking article.

[0010] A fifth feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the first to fourth features. The control unit is configured to control the temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first period, to control the temperature of the heater toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature during a second period after the first period, and to control the temperature of the heater toward a third target temperature lower than the second target temperature during a third period after the second period.

[0011] A sixth feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the first to fifth features, wherein an amount of aerosol delivered at the end point is greater than an amount of aerosol delivered at the start point.

[0012] A seventh feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the first to sixth features, wherein the delivery profile includes an initial period in which the delivery profile increases with a gradually increasing gradient against the time axis, an end period in which the delivery profile decreases with a gradually decreasing gradient against the time axis, and a middle period including one or more maximum values ​​between the initial period and the end period.

[0013] An eighth feature is the aerosol generating device according to the seventh feature, wherein a maximum value of the gradient at the end period is smaller than a maximum value of the gradient at the initial period. A ninth feature is the aerosol generating device according to the seventh or eighth feature, wherein a minimum value of the gradient at the end period is smaller than a minimum value of the gradient at the initial period.

[0014] A tenth feature is the aerosol generating device according to any one of the seventh to ninth features, wherein the middle period is longer than each of the initial period and the final period. An eleventh feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the seventh to tenth features, wherein the middle period is equal to or longer than the sum of the initial and final periods.

[0015] A twelfth feature is an aerosol generating device in any of the seventh to eleventh features, wherein the middle period includes a stable period in which the gradient is smaller than the minimum value of the gradient in the initial period and smaller than the minimum value of the gradient in the final period, and the stable period is longer than each of the initial period and the final period.

[0016] A thirteenth feature is summarized in a control unit including a control unit for controlling a heater configured to heat the outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source, wherein the control unit is configured to control the temperature of the heater so that an aerosol delivery profile during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maximum values ​​between a start point and an end point of the inhalable period.

[0017] A fourteenth feature is summarized as a method for controlling a heater that heats an outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source, comprising a step of controlling the heater so that an aerosol delivery profile during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maximum values ​​between a start point and an end point of the inhalable period.

[0018] A fifteenth feature is summarized as a program for causing a computer to execute the method in the fourteenth feature. A sixteenth feature is directed to a smoking article including an aerosol source, the delivery profile being configured to have one or more maxima between a starting point and an ending point when used with a device configured to heat the periphery of the smoking article to deliver an aerosol. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flavor inhaler according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flavor inhaler with a smoking article inserted therein. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an internal structure of the flavor inhaler shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the smoking article shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a flavor inhaler. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic enlarged view of region 5R in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a simplified positional relationship between a substrate of a smoking article and a heater and an inner cylindrical member of an aerosol generation device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows the heating profile of the heater and the delivery profile of the main aerosol components. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a heating profile of the heater. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic and the ratio of dimensions may differ from the actual ones.

[0021] Therefore, specific dimensions should be determined with reference to the following explanation. In addition, the drawings may of course include parts with different dimensional relationships and ratios.

[0022] [Disclosure Summary] In a conventional combustion cigarette, a user can easily recognize whether the user is in the initial, middle, or final stage of the inhalable period by visually checking the burning position of the cigarette. However, in many aerosol generating devices, the majority of the smoking article is hidden inside the heater or other components, so the heating state of the smoking article cannot be visually checked.

[0023] The delivery profile of the main aerosol component described in Patent Document 1 increases at the beginning of the heater operation and then remains constant until the heater is stopped. Therefore, it is difficult for a user to recognize whether the inhalable period is in the beginning, middle, or end period based on the sensation of inhaling the aerosol.

[0024] In this embodiment, a heater configured to heat the outer periphery of a smoking article containing an aerosol source is controlled so that the aerosol delivery profile during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maximum values ​​between the start and end points of the inhalable period.

[0025] That is, the aerosol delivery profile first increases, then has a maximum, then decreases, allowing the user to sense whether the aerosol is in the beginning, middle, or end of the inhalable period.

[0026] (flavor aspirator) A flavor inhaler according to one embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a flavor inhaler according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the flavor inhaler into which a smoking article is inserted. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the flavor inhaler shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the smoking article shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the flavor inhaler.

[0027] The flavor inhaler 100 may be a non-combustion type flavor inhaler for generating aerosol from a smoking article without combustion. The flavor inhaler 100 may be a portable device. The flavor inhaler 100 includes a smoking article 110 containing an aerosol source and a smoke detector 112 for detecting aerosol from the smoking article 110. and an aerosol generating device 120 that generates an aerosol.

[0028] The smoking article 110 is a replaceable cartridge that may contain an aerosol source and a flavor source, and has a cylindrical shape extending along a longitudinal direction. The smoking article 110 may be configured to generate an aerosol and flavor components by being heated while inserted into the aerosol generating device 120.

[0029] 4, the smoking article 110 has a substrate 11A including a filler 111 and a first cigarette paper 112 around which the filler 111 is wrapped, and a mouthpiece 11B forming an end portion opposite the substrate 11A. The substrate 11A and the mouthpiece 11B are connected by a second cigarette paper 113 that is different from the first cigarette paper 112. However, the second cigarette paper 113 may be omitted, and the substrate 11A and the mouthpiece 11B may be connected using the first cigarette paper 112.

[0030] The mouthpiece 11B in FIG. 4 has a paper tube 114, a filter 115, and a hollow segment 116 disposed between the paper tube 114 and the filter 115. The hollow segment 116 is composed of, for example, a packed bed having one or more hollow channels and a plug wrapper covering the packed bed. Since the packed bed has a high fiber packing density, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow channels during inhalation, and hardly flow through the packed bed. In the flavor-generating article 110, when it is desired to reduce the loss of aerosol components due to filtration in the filter 115, shortening the length of the filter 115 and replacing it with the hollow segment 116 is effective in increasing the amount of aerosol delivered.

[0031] 4 is composed of three segments, but in this embodiment, suction port portion 11B may be composed of one or two segments, or may be composed of four or more segments. For example, suction port portion 11B may be formed by omitting hollow segment portion 116 and arranging cardboard tube portion 114 and filter portion 115 adjacent to each other.

[0032] 4, the length of the smoking article 110 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 40 to 90 mm, more preferably 50 to 75 mm, and even more preferably 50 to 60 mm. The circumference of the smoking article 110 is preferably 15 to 25 mm, more preferably 17 to 24 mm, and even more preferably 20 to 23 mm. In addition, in the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 110, the length of the base material 11A may be 20 mm, the length of the first cigarette paper 112 may be 20 mm, the length of the hollow segment 116 may be 8 mm, and the length of the filter portion 115 may be 7 mm, but the lengths of these individual segments can be changed as appropriate depending on the manufacturing suitability, required quality, and the like.

[0033] In this embodiment, the filling 111 of the smoking article 110 may contain an aerosol source that generates an aerosol when heated at a predetermined temperature. The type of the aerosol source is not particularly limited, and various extracts from natural products and / or their constituents can be selected depending on the application. Examples of the aerosol source include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the aerosol source in the filling 111 is not particularly limited, and from the viewpoint of generating a sufficient aerosol and imparting a good smoking flavor, it is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and usually 50% by weight or less, preferably 20% by weight or less.

[0034] The filler 111 of the smoking article 110 in this embodiment may contain tobacco shreds as a flavor source. The material of the tobacco shreds is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina or backbone may be used. The content of the filler 111 in the smoking article 110 is in the range of, for example, 200 to 400 mg, preferably 250 to 320 mg, when the smoking article has a circumference of 22 mm and a length of 20 mm. It is preferable. The moisture content of the filler 111 is, for example, 8 to 18% by weight, and preferably 10 to 16% by weight. Such a moisture content suppresses the occurrence of rolling stains and improves the suitability for rolling during the manufacture of the base material portion 11A. There is no particular limitation on the size of the tobacco shreds used as the filler 111 or the preparation method thereof. For example, dried tobacco leaves shredded to a width of 0.8 to 1.2 mm may be used. Also, dried tobacco leaves may be crushed to an average particle size of about 20 to 200 μm, homogenized, processed into a sheet, and shredded to a width of 0.8 to 1.2 mm may be used. Furthermore, the above-mentioned sheet processed product may be gathered without being shredded and used as the filler 111. Also, the filler 111 may contain one or more flavorings. The type of the flavoring is not particularly limited, but menthol is preferable from the viewpoint of imparting a good smoking taste.

[0035] In this embodiment, the first and second cigarette papers 112, 113 of the smoking article 110 can be made from base paper having a basis weight of, for example, 20 to 65 gsm, preferably 25 to 45 gsm. The thickness of the cigarette papers 112, 113 is not particularly limited, but is 10 to 100 μm, preferably 20 to 75 μm, and more preferably 30 to 50 μm, from the viewpoints of rigidity, breathability, and ease of adjustment during papermaking.

[0036] In this embodiment, the cigarette papers 112, 113 of the smoking article 110 may contain a filler. The content of the filler may be 10% by weight or more and less than 60% by weight, preferably 15 to 45% by weight, based on the total weight of the cigarette papers 112, 113. In this embodiment, the content of the filler is preferably 15 to 45% by weight for a preferred basis weight range (25 to 45 gsm). Examples of the filler that can be used include calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, and kaolin. Paper containing such a filler exhibits a bright white color that is preferable from the viewpoint of appearance when used as cigarette paper for the smoking article 110, and can permanently maintain its whiteness. By including a large amount of such a filler, for example, the ISO whiteness of the cigarette paper can be 83% or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of practical use when used as cigarette paper for the smoking article 110, the first and second cigarette papers 112, 113 preferably have a tensile strength of 8N / 15mm or more. This tensile strength can be increased by reducing the content of the filler. Specifically, the tensile strength can be increased by reducing the filler content below the upper limit of the filler content shown in each of the above-exemplified ranges of basis weight.

[0037] 3, the aerosol generation device 120 has an insertion hole 130 into which the smoking article 110 can be inserted. That is, the aerosol generation device 120 has an internal cylindrical member 132 that constitutes the insertion hole 130. The internal cylindrical member 132 may be made of a heat conductive material such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS).

[0038] The aerosol generating device 120 may have a lid portion 140 that closes the insertion hole 130. The lid portion 140 may be configured to be slidable between a state in which the insertion hole 130 is closed (see FIG. 1) and a state in which the insertion hole 130 is exposed (see FIG. 2).

[0039] The aerosol generating device 120 may have an air flow path 160 that communicates with the insertion hole 130. One end of the air flow path 160 is connected to the insertion hole 130, and the other end of the air flow path 160 communicates with the outside of the aerosol generating device 120 (outside air) at a location separate from the insertion hole 130.

[0040] The aerosol generating device 120 may have a lid 170 that covers the end of the air flow path 160 that communicates with the outside air. The lid 170 may be in a state in which the end of the air flow path 160 that communicates with the outside air is covered, or may be in a state in which the air flow path 160 is exposed.

[0041] The lid 170 does not airtightly close the air flow path 160 even when the lid 170 covers the air flow path 160. That is, even when the lid portion 170 covers the air flow path 160, outside air can flow into the air flow path 160 via the vicinity of the lid portion 170.

[0042] With the smoking article 110 inserted into the flavor inhaler 100, the user holds one end of the smoking article 110, specifically, the mouthpiece portion 11B in FIG. 4, between his / her mouth and performs an inhalation action. When the user inhales, outside air flows into the air flow path 160. The air that flows into the air flow path 160 passes through the smoking article 110 in the insertion hole 130 and is guided into the user's mouth.

[0043] When the lid portion 140 does not cover the insertion hole 130 and the smoking article 110 is not inserted, i.e., when the internal space of the internal cylindrical member 132 and the air flow path 160 are exposed, the user can use a cleaning tool such as a brush to clean the inside of the air flow path 160 of the internal cylindrical member 132. This cleaning tool may be inserted into the air flow path 160 from the upper lid portion 140 side in FIG. 3, or may be inserted into the air flow path 160 from the lower lid portion 170 side.

[0044] The aerosol generating device 120 may have a temperature sensor in the air flow path 160 or on the outer surface of a wall portion constituting the air flow path 160. The temperature sensor may be, for example, a thermistor or a thermocouple. When a user inhales through the mouthpiece portion 11B of the smoking article 110, the internal temperature of the air flow path 160 or the temperature of the wall portion constituting the air flow path 160 decreases due to the influence of air flowing through the air flow path 160 toward the lid portion 170 side or the heater 30 side. The temperature sensor can detect the user's inhalation action by measuring this temperature decrease.

[0045] The aerosol generating device 120 includes a battery 10, a control unit 20, and a heater 30. The battery 10 stores power used in the aerosol generating device 120. The battery 10 may be a chargeable and dischargeable secondary battery. The battery 10 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery.

[0046] The heater 30 may be provided around the inner tubular member 132. The space accommodating the heater 30 and the space accommodating the battery 10 may be separated from each other by a partition wall 180. This makes it possible to prevent air heated by the heater 30 from flowing into the space accommodating the battery 10. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a rise in temperature of the battery 10.

[0047] The heater 30 is preferably in a cylindrical shape capable of heating the outer periphery of the columnar smoking article 110. The heater 30 may be, for example, a film heater. The film heater may have a pair of film-like substrates and a resistance heating element sandwiched between the pair of substrates. The film-like substrate is preferably made of a material having excellent heat resistance and electrical insulation properties, and is typically made of polyimide. The resistance heating element is preferably made of one or more metal materials such as copper, nickel alloy, chromium alloy, stainless steel, platinum-rhodium, etc., and may be formed, for example, by a stainless steel base material. Furthermore, the connection portion and the lead portion of the resistance heating element may be copper-plated in order to connect to a power source via a flexible printed circuit (FPC).

[0048] Fig. 6 is a schematic enlarged view of region 5R in Fig. 3, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the heater 30 and its surroundings. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the heater 30 is the above-mentioned film heater, and is wound around the outer periphery of the internal cylindrical member 132 capable of receiving the smoking article 110. That is, the heater 30 is wound in a cylindrical shape surrounding the internal cylindrical member 132. In this way, the heater 30 surrounds the outer periphery of the smoking article, and can heat the smoking article 110 from the outside.

[0049] Preferably, a heat shrink tube 136 may be provided on the outside of the heater 30. In other words, the heater 30 is preferably provided inside a heat shrink tube 136. The heat shrink tube 136 is a tube 136 that shrinks in the radial direction by heat, and may be made of, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer. The heater 30 is pressed against the inner cylindrical member 132 by the shrinking action of the heat shrink tube 136. This increases the adhesion between the heater 30 and the inner cylindrical member 132, thereby increasing the thermal conductivity from the heater 30 to the smoking article 110 via the inner cylindrical member 132.

[0050] The aerosol generating device 120 may have a cylindrical insulating material 138 on the radially outer side of the heater 30, preferably on the outer side of the heat shrink tube 136. The insulating material 138 preferably surrounds the outer periphery of the heater 30. The insulating material 138 can prevent the outer surface of the housing of the aerosol generating device 120 from reaching an excessively high temperature by blocking the heat of the heater 30. The insulating material 138 can be made of aerogels such as silica aerogel, carbon aerogel, and alumina aerogel. The aerogel as the insulating material 138 may typically be silica aerogel, which has high insulating performance and relatively low manufacturing costs. However, the insulating material 138 may be a fiber-based insulating material such as glass wool or rock wool, or a foam-based insulating material such as urethane foam or phenol foam. Alternatively, the insulating material 138 may be a vacuum insulating material.

[0051] The heat insulating material 138 may be provided between the inner tubular member 132 facing the smoking article 110 and the outer tubular member 134 outside the heat insulating material 138. The outer tubular member 134 may be made of a heat conductive material such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS). The heat insulating material 138 is preferably provided in a sealed space.

[0052] 7 is a diagram showing a simplified positional relationship in the axial direction between the substrate 11A of the smoking article 110 and the heater 30 and inner cylindrical member 132 of the aerosol generation device 120 in the flavor inhaler 100 of this embodiment. The axis here means the central axis of the insertion hole 130 in the aerosol generation device 120, and when the smoking article 110 is inserted into the insertion hole 130, the axis partially overlaps with the central axis of the smoking article 110 (see also FIG. 3).

[0053] The axial length D0 of the heater 30 can be made smaller than the axial length L0 of the base material portion 11A of the smoking article 110 (D0 < L0). Further, the ratio (D0 / L0) of the length D0 to the length L0 is 0.70 to 0.90, preferably 0.75 to 0.85, and typically may be 0.80. Thus, when the length L0 of the base material portion 11A is 20 mm, the length D0 of the heater 30 may be 14 to 18 mm, preferably 15 to 17 mm, and typically 16 mm.

[0054] The upstream end of the base material portion 11A may protrude by a length D1 upstream of the upstream end of the heater 30. Here, the upstream and downstream refer to the upstream and downstream of the air flow passing through the air flow path 160 by the user's suction operation, respectively (see also FIG. 3). Since the protruding portion of the base material portion 11A from the heater 30 does not have the heater 30 on its radially outer side, its internal temperature can be somewhat lower compared to other portions of the base material portion 11A. Thereby, aerosol generation at the upstream end of the base material portion 11A and in its vicinity can be suppressed, so that the aerosol generated there can be prevented from condensing in the air flow path 160 or flowing backward through the air flow path 160. The aerosol generated in other portions of the base material portion 11A can condense at the upstream end of the base material portion 11A and in its vicinity.

[0055] The ratio (D1 / L0) of the protruding length D1 to the total length L0 of the base material portion 11A is 0.25 to 0.40, preferably 0.30 to 0.35, and typically may be 0.325. Thus, when the total length L0 of the base material portion 11A is 20 mm, the protruding length D1 may be 5 to 8 mm, preferably 6 to 7 mm, and typically 6.5 mm.

[0056] The downstream end of the heater 30 may protrude downstream from the downstream end of the base portion 11A by a length D2. This allows the downstream end of the base portion 11A and its vicinity to be sufficiently heated, thereby preventing a shortage of aerosol generation or aerosol condensation there. The ratio (D2 / L0) of the protruding length D2 of the heater 30 to the length L0 of the base portion 11A may be 0.075 to 0.175, preferably 0.1 to 0.15, and typically 0.125. Thus, when the length L0 of the base portion 11A is 20 mm, the protruding length D2 of the heater 30 may be 1.5 to 3.5 mm, preferably 2 to 3 mm, and typically 2.5 mm.

[0057] The axial positions of the upstream end of the inner tubular member 132 and the upstream end of the substrate portion 11A may be approximately the same. Meanwhile, the downstream end of the inner tubular member 132 may protrude downstream from the downstream end of the substrate portion 11A by a length D3, similar to the downstream end of the heater 30. This allows the upstream end and its vicinity of the cardboard tube portion 114 to be heated in addition to the downstream end and its vicinity of the substrate portion 11A, so that the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 11A can be prevented from being excessively cooled and condensed at the upstream end and its vicinity of the cardboard tube portion 114. The ratio (D3 / D2) of the protruding length D3 of the inner tubular member 132 to the protruding length D2 of the heater 30 may be 2.6 to 3.4, preferably 2.8 to 3.2, and more preferably 3.0. Therefore, when the protruding length D2 of the heater 30 is 2.5 mm, the protruding length D3 of the inner tubular member 132 may be 6.5 to 8.5 mm, preferably 7.0 to 8.0 mm, and typically 7.5 mm.

[0058] 5, the control unit 20 may include a control board, a CPU, a memory, and the like. The CPU and the memory constitute a control unit 22 that controls a heater 30 that heats the aerosol source. The control unit 20 also has a notification unit 40 for notifying the user of various information. The notification unit 40 may be, for example, a light-emitting element such as an LED, a vibration element, or a combination of these.

[0059] When the control unit 22 detects a start-up request from the user, it starts supplying power from the battery 10 to the heater 30. The start-up request from the user is made, for example, by the user operating a push button or a slide switch, or by the user's inhalation action. In this embodiment, the start-up request from the user is made by pressing the push button 150. More specifically, the start-up request from the user is made by pressing the push button 150 with the lid unit 140 open. Alternatively, the start-up request from the user may be made by detecting the user's inhalation action. The user's inhalation action can be detected, for example, by a temperature sensor as described above.

[0060] Next, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component in the aerosol generating device will be described with reference to FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the heating profile is a graph showing the time change in the target temperature for controlling the heater 30. Also, the delivery profile is a graph showing the time change in the amount of the main aerosol component per inhalation delivered into the user's oral cavity when the user inhales on the smoking article 110. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the heating profile of the heater 30 and the delivery profile of the main aerosol component. The vertical axis of FIG. 8 indicates the heater temperature or the delivery amount of the main aerosol component. The horizontal axis of FIG. 8 indicates time.

[0061] Here, the "major aerosol components" refer to visible aerosol components that are generated when various aerosol sources contained in a smoking article are heated to a predetermined temperature or higher. The aerosol sources contained in a smoking article are typically propylene glycol and glycerin. In addition, when a smoking article contains a flavor source such as tobacco, the aerosol components derived from the flavor source are also included in the major aerosol components. On the other hand, in this specification, aerosol components derived from moisture contained in a smoking article are not considered to be major aerosol components.

[0062] The delivery profile of the main aerosol component can be measured by the following method. First, an aerosol generating device for measuring the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is prepared. Next, with a smoking article inserted in the aerosol generating device, an automatic smoking device (e.g., manufactured by Borgwaldt KC Inc.) is used to inhale from the mouthpiece of the smoking article. At this time, the heater 30 is heated by a control method specified for the prepared aerosol generating device. The inhalation conditions are those conforming to the HCI conditions (HCI; Health Canada Intense) defined by Health Canada. Specifically, the inhalation conditions are an inhalation volume of 27.5 ml / sec, an inhalation time of 2 seconds / inhalation, and an inhalation interval of 20 seconds.

[0063] The aerosol inhaled by the automatic smoking machine under the above-mentioned inhalation conditions is collected by a Cambridge filter (e.g., CM-133, manufactured by Borgwaldt KC Inc.). Specifically, the smoke that passed through the Cambridge filter was collected in 10 mL of methanol cooled to -70°C with dry ice-isopropanol refrigerant. 10 mL of the methanol solution in which the cigarette smoke was collected and 1 mL of the internal standard solution (d-32 pentadecane 0.05 mg / mL, d-1-ethanol 50 mL / L, anethole 2 mL / L, 1,3-butanediol 4 mL / L) were added to the Cambridge filter and shaken for 30 minutes to extract the content components.

[0064] Extraction of the content components is performed for each puff. This determines the amount of the main aerosol components delivered from the aerosol generating device to the automatic smoker for each puff. By plotting the amount of the main aerosol components delivered for each time each puff is taken, a delivery profile of the main aerosol components on the time axis is derived discretely. Note that in FIG. 8, the delivery profile derived discretely is continuously depicted by an approximation curve.

[0065] In this embodiment, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component has an initial period Q1, a middle period Q2, and an end period Q3. The initial period Q1 is a period in which the gradient of the main aerosol component with respect to time gradually increases. In other words, the initial period Q1 can be said to be a period in which the increase in the delivery amount of the main aerosol component per inhalation gradually increases.

[0066] Here, the gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is the absolute value of the slope of each point on the curve forming the delivery profile. The gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component can be defined, for example, by the following method. As described above, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component on the time axis is derived discretely. In this case, the gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component can be defined by the difference in the delivery profile of the main aerosol component between adjacent plots on the time axis divided by the time difference between the plots.

[0067] Alternatively, the gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may be derived, for example, by using an approximation curve derived based on a discrete plot. In this case, once the analytical expression of the approximation curve is determined, the gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component can be determined by calculating the differential value of the analytical expression. Such an approximation curve may be derived, for example, by a polynomial or a trigonometric function.

[0068] In this embodiment, the start point S0 of the delivery profile is determined by the start point of the aerosol inhalable period (inhalable period) (see FIG. 9). Specifically, the start point S0 of the delivery profile is determined by notification of the start of the inhalable period (timing T2 in FIG. 9), which will be described later.

[0069] The boundary S1 between the early Q1 and mid-Q2 is the gradient of the main aerosol components in the early Q1. The boundary S1 between the initial Q1 and the intermediate Q2 may be defined by the point where the gradient of the major aerosol component first begins to decrease throughout the delivery profile. When the delivery profile is approximated by a continuous approximation curve, the boundary S1 between the initial Q1 and the intermediate Q2 may be defined by an inflection point.

[0070] The terminal phase Q3 is a period in which the gradient of the main aerosol component with respect to time gradually decreases, or in other words, the terminal phase Q3 is a period in which the decrease in the amount of the main aerosol component delivered per inhalation gradually decreases.

[0071] In this embodiment, the end point S3 of the delivery profile is defined by the end point of the aerosol inhalable period (inhalable period) (see FIG. 9). Specifically, the end point S3 of the delivery profile can be defined by the timing at which the end of the inhalable period is notified (timing T7 in FIG. 9).

[0072] Also, the boundary S2 between the middle Q2 and the end Q3 may be defined by the point where the gradient of the main aerosol component in the end Q3 is maximum. In other words, the boundary S2 between the middle Q2 and the end Q3 may be defined as the point where the gradient of the main aerosol component finally starts to decrease throughout the entire delivery profile. When the delivery profile is approximated by a continuous approximation curve, the boundary S2 between the middle Q2 and the end Q3 may be defined by an inflection point.

[0073] The middle phase Q2 is the period between the initial phase Q1 and the final phase Q3. The middle phase Q2 contains one or more maxima that are greater than the beginning and end of the delivery profile. In the delivery profile shown in FIG. 8, the middle phase Q2 contains one maxima (maximum value).

[0074] According to the above-mentioned aerosol delivery profile, the amount of aerosol delivered increases from the initial period Q1 to the middle period Q2, has a maximum value in the middle period Q2, and decreases from the middle period Q2 to the end period Q3. This allows the user to be aware of which of the inhalable periods (initial period Q1, middle period Q2, or end period Q3) they are in by the sensation of inhaling the aerosol.

[0075] Furthermore, in the early stage Q1, the gradient of the main aerosol component with respect to time gradually increases, and the delivery profile has a convex shape. On the other hand, in the middle stage Q2, the delivery profile has an upward convex shape. Therefore, the amount of aerosol delivered may change relatively greatly when transitioning from the early stage Q1 to the middle stage Q2. Also, in the final stage Q3, the gradient of the main aerosol component with respect to time gradually decreases, and the delivery profile has a downward convex shape. Therefore, the amount of aerosol delivered may change relatively greatly when transitioning from the middle stage Q2 to the final stage Q3. This makes it easier for the user to recognize the transition from the early stage Q1 to the middle stage Q2 and the transition from the middle stage Q2 to the final stage Q3 by the sensation of inhaling the aerosol.

[0076] Preferably, the middle period Q2 is longer than the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3. More preferably, the middle period Q2 is longer than the total period of the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3. For example, the middle period Q2 may be 50 to 60% of the entire period, and the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3 may be 20 to 25% of the entire period. This makes the period during which the main aerosol component is delivered in a large amount relatively long, so that the user can inhale the main aerosol component for a relatively long period of time.

[0077] It is preferable that the amount of the main aerosol component delivered at the end point S3 of the end period Q3 is greater than the amount of the main aerosol component delivered at the start point S0. In this case, the amount of the aerosol delivered can be prevented from decreasing excessively at the end period Q3. This makes it possible to prevent the amount of the main aerosol component delivered from decreasing to a low level during the inhalable period, and in particular to maintain a high level of the amount delivered until the end of the end period Q3.

[0078] The maximum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is preferably smaller than the maximum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the initial stage Q1. In this case, the increase speed of the main aerosol component in the initial stage Q1 is relatively high, so that a high level of aerosol delivery can be achieved at a relatively early stage of the inhalable period. On the other hand, the gradient of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is small, so that the decrease speed of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is relatively small. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a sudden decrease in the aerosol delivery amount in the final stage Q3. This allows a high level of aerosol delivery amount to be maintained for a relatively long period of time.

[0079] The minimum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is preferably smaller than the minimum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the initial stage Q1. Since the minimum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is small, the speed of decrease of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is relatively small. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a rapid decrease in the amount of aerosol delivered in the final stage Q3.

[0080] The middle period Q2 may include a stable period SP during which the absolute value of the gradient of the major aerosol component is smaller than the minimum value of the gradient of the major aerosol component in the initial period Q1 and smaller than the minimum value of the gradient of the major aerosol component in the final period Q3, i.e., the stable period SP is a period during which the variation in the delivered amount of the major aerosol component from inhalation to inhalation is relatively small.

[0081] The stable period SP is preferably longer than the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3. In the stable period SP, the amount of the main aerosol component delivered is large, and the fluctuation in the delivered amount is small. Therefore, when the stable period SP is longer than the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3, the main aerosol component can be stably supplied for a relatively long period in the middle period Q2. In addition, the stable period SP is preferably 50 to 60% of the middle period Q2. This allows the main aerosol component to be stably supplied for a relatively long period in the middle period Q2.

[0082] It should be noted that the delivery profile described above, and its advantages, have been discovered by the present inventors as a result of extensive research. The control unit 22 of the aerosol generating device 120 may be configured to control the heater 30 to achieve the delivery profile of the main aerosol component described above. Here, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may depend primarily on the heating profile of the heater 30.

[0083] An example of a heating profile for the heater is shown in Figure 9. It should be noted that the heating profile shown in Figure 9 is an example suitable for achieving the delivery profile of the main aerosol components described above, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0084] As described above, the heating profile is a graph showing the time change of the target temperature for controlling the heater 30. The temperature control of the heater 30 can be realized by, for example, known feedback control. Specifically, the control unit 22 of the aerosol generating device 120 can supply power from the battery 22 to the heater 30 in the form of pulses by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In this case, the control unit 22 can control the temperature of the heater 30 by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulse.

[0085] In the feedback control, the control unit 22 measures or estimates the temperature of the heater 30, and controls the power supplied to the heater 30, for example, the above-mentioned duty ratio, based on the difference between the measured or estimated temperature of the heater 30 and the target temperature. The feedback control may be, for example, PID control. The temperature of the heater 30 can be quantified, for example, by measuring or estimating the electrical resistance value of the heating resistor constituting the heater 30. This is because the electrical resistance of the heating resistor This is because the resistance value of the heating resistor changes depending on the temperature. The electrical resistance value of the heating resistor can be estimated, for example, by measuring the voltage drop across the heating resistor. The voltage drop across the heating resistor can be measured by a voltage sensor that measures the potential difference applied to the heating resistor. In another example, the temperature of the heater 30 can be measured by a temperature sensor installed near the heater 30.

[0086] As described above, in this embodiment, the power supplied to the heater 30 is controlled so that the actual temperature of the heater 30 approaches the target temperature of the heating profile. However, the heating profile may include a portion where the target temperature changes suddenly, and in such a portion, the actual temperature of the heater 30 may temporarily deviate from the target temperature significantly. In the heating profile illustrated in FIG. 9, the portion where the actual temperature of the heater 30 deviates from the target temperature significantly is indicated by a dashed line.

[0087] 9, when power supply from the battery 10 to the heater 30 is started in response to a user's activation request, the control unit 22 first controls the temperature of the heater 30 toward the first target temperature TA1 during a first period P1. That is, the control unit 22 heats the heater 30 from an initial temperature toward the first target temperature TA1. In the first period P1, when the heater 30 reaches the first target temperature TA1, the control unit 22 controls the temperature of the heater 30 to maintain the first target temperature TA1.

[0088] The first target temperature TA1 is preferably 225 to 240°C, and may typically be 230°C. In the first period P1, the first target temperature TA1 is set relatively high, thereby increasing the rate at which the temperature of the heater 30 rises. By increasing the rate at which the temperature of the heater 30 rises, the period from when the supply of power to the heater 30 starts until when the aerosol can be inhaled can be shortened.

[0089] The control unit 22 may be configured to notify the user that the inhalation period has started during the first period P1 while the temperature of the heater 30 is maintained at the first target temperature TA1. The notification that the inhalation period has started can be performed by controlling the notification unit 40, and can be performed, for example, by changing the light emitting color of a light emitting element such as an LED, changing the light emitting pattern, driving a vibration element, or a combination of these.

[0090] 9, the notification that the inhalation period has started is made at timing T2. More specifically, the notification that the inhalation period has started may be made at the earlier of timing T2 when a predetermined period P1b has elapsed since the temperature of heater 30 reaches the first target temperature, or timing when a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of power supply to heater 30. The predetermined period P1b is preferably 20 to 26 seconds, and may typically be 23 seconds.

[0091] Preferably, the control unit 22 may be configured to notify that the inhalation enabled period has started in the latter half of the first period P1. The latter half of the first period P1 means a period after the middle of the first period P1.

[0092] The control unit 22 transitions to a second period P2, which will be described later, at a timing T3 when a predetermined period P1c has elapsed since the timing T2 when it was notified that the inhalation possible period had started. The predetermined period P1c is preferably 5 to 15 seconds, and may typically be 10 seconds. This increases the possibility that the user will perform the first inhalation operation during the first period P1. In this case, the user can be made to perform the first inhalation operation while the heater temperature is maintained near the first target temperature TA1, which is the maximum temperature of the heating profile.

[0093] The first period P1 varies depending on the heating state of the heater 30 and the smoking article 110, the ambient temperature, etc., but may typically be in the range of 35 to 55 seconds. However, the control unit 22 is preferably configured to be able to change the length of the first period P1 based on the rate of temperature rise of the heater 30 in the first period P1. More specifically, the initial temperature rise period P1a of the first period P1 may be configured to be able to change based on the rate of temperature rise of the heater 30. Specifically, the control unit 22 is preferably configured to change the length of the first period P1 to be shorter as the period from when the heater 30 starts heating until it reaches a predetermined temperature becomes shorter.

[0094] In this embodiment, the first period P1 ends when a predetermined period (P1b+P1c) has elapsed since the temperature of the heater 30 reaches the first target temperature TA1. That is, if the temperature of the heater 30 rises quickly, the period P1a from the time T0 when power supply to the heater 30 starts to the time when the temperature of the heater 30 reaches the first target temperature TA1 becomes shorter. The predetermined period (P1b+P1c) is preferably 25 to 41 seconds, and may typically be 33 seconds.

[0095] In this way, when the temperature of the heater 30 rises quickly, the power consumption used in the pre-heating period can be reduced by shortening the pre-heating period. It is preferable that the variable range of the first period P1, more specifically, the variable range of the period (P1a+P1b) until the start of the inhalation period is notified, has a predetermined upper limit. For example, the upper limit of the period (P1a+P1b) from the start of power supply T0 to the start of the inhalation period is preferably 40 to 60 seconds, typically 50 seconds. This prevents the control unit 22 from continuing preheating without transitioning to the second period P2 when the temperature of the heater 30 does not reach the first target temperature TA1.

[0096] Next, the control unit 22 controls the temperature of the heater 30 toward a second target temperature TA2 lower than the first target temperature TA1 during a second period P2 following the first period P1. That is, the control unit 22 controls the heater 30 to lower the temperature of the heater 30 from the first target temperature TA1 and maintain it at the second target temperature TA2.

[0097] The second target temperature TA2 is preferably in the range of 190 to 210°C, and may typically be 200°C. The second period P2 is preferably in the range of 105 to 160 seconds, and may typically be 130 seconds. The second period P2 is preferably longer than the first period P1 and the third period P3 described below. The second period is a period during which the temperature is maintained higher than the third period P3, and therefore is a period during which the aerosol can be stably supplied. This allows the period during which the aerosol can be stably supplied to be relatively long.

[0098] By lowering the target temperature in the second period P2, it is possible to reduce the power consumed in the second period P2. The control unit 22 may have a first off period in which the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped from the end of the first period P1 to the beginning of the second period P2. By providing the first off period, the temperature can be reduced from the first target temperature TA1 to the second target temperature TA2 in the shortest time. The control unit 22 can continue to measure the temperature of the heater 30 even during the first off period. In this case, the control unit 22 can be configured to resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the temperature of the heater 30 has decreased to near the second target temperature TA2.

[0099] The first off period is preferably a time interval that prevents a typical user from inhaling two or more times. If a user inhales two or more times during the off period, the temperature of the heater 30 may drop rapidly and fall significantly below the second target temperature TA2. In this case, the amount of aerosol generated from the smoking article 110 may decrease. Assuming that the time interval between normal inhalations by a typical user is about 20 seconds, the first off period is preferably in the range of, for example, 15 to 20 seconds. The first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 may be set to 0.5 to 1.0 s. The target temperature TA2 can be set so that the temperature drop from the first target temperature TA1 to the second target temperature TA2 by natural cooling during the first off period is performed within the above-mentioned time range. Alternatively, the control unit 22 can be configured to measure the time lapse of the first off period, and forcibly resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the first off period reaches a predetermined upper limit. In this case, the upper limit of the first off period is preferably 15 to 20 seconds.

[0100] Next, the control unit 22 controls the temperature of the heater 30 during the third period P3 after the second period P2 toward a third target temperature TA3 lower than the second target temperature TA2. That is, the control unit 22 controls the heater 30 so as to further lower the temperature of the heater 30 from the second target temperature TA1 and maintain the temperature at the third target temperature TA3. The third target temperature TA3 is preferably in the range of 175 to 190°C, and may typically be 185°C. The third period P3 is preferably in the range of 30 to 90 seconds, and may typically be 60 seconds. By further lowering the target temperature in the third period P3, the power consumed in the third period P3 can be further reduced.

[0101] The temperature difference (ΔT12) between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 is preferably larger than the temperature difference (ΔT23) between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3. Since the power consumption of the heater 30 is larger in the second period P2 than in the third period P3, it is more effective to make the temperature difference (ΔT12) at the transition from the first period P1 to the second period P2 larger than the temperature difference (ΔT23) at the transition from the second period P2 to the third period P3, which leads to a reduction in power consumption throughout the entire period. Therefore, it is preferable that ΔT12 / ΔT23 is larger than 1. On the other hand, if ΔT12 is made excessively large with respect to ΔT23, the target temperature TA2 for the second period P2 intended for stable supply of aerosol becomes relatively low, and there is a risk that aerosol generation in the second period P2 becomes unstable. Therefore, it is preferable that ΔT12 / ΔT23 has a predetermined upper limit value. The upper limit value of ΔT12 / ΔT23 may be, for example, 2.5. ΔT12 / ΔT23 is preferably 1.0 to 2.5, and may typically be 2.0.

[0102] The control unit 22 may have a second off period in which the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped from the end of the second period P2 to the beginning of the third period P3. By providing the second off period, the temperature can be reduced from the second target temperature TA2 to the third target temperature TA3 in the shortest time. The control unit 22 can continue to measure the temperature of the heater 30 during the second off period. In this case, the control unit 22 can be configured to resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the temperature of the heater 30 is reduced to the vicinity of the third target temperature TA3. The second off period is preferably a time interval such that a general user does not perform two or more suction operations, similar to the first off period, and is preferably in the range of, for example, 15 to 20 seconds. The second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3 can be set so that the temperature reduction from the second target temperature TA2 to the third target temperature TA3 by natural cooling during the second off period is performed within the above-mentioned time range. Alternatively, the control unit 22 can be configured to measure the time lapse of the second off period, and forcibly resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the second off period reaches a predetermined upper limit value.

[0103] As described above, it is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing power consumption that the temperature difference (ΔT12) between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 is larger than the temperature difference (ΔT23) between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3, but this relationship is also preferable from the viewpoint of making the first off period and the second off period as close as possible to each other. According to Newton's law of cooling, the temperature drop rate during natural cooling is faster in the high temperature zone than in the low temperature zone, so in order to make the first off period and the second off period as close as possible to each other, it is necessary to relatively increase the temperature difference (ΔT12) between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2, which belong to the high temperature zone. If the temperature difference (ΔT12) between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 is made equal to the temperature difference (ΔT23) between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3, or if the temperature difference (ΔT12) between the former is made smaller than the temperature difference (ΔT23) between the latter, the first off period will always be shorter than the second off period, so that the two In theory, it would be impossible to make the off periods of both devices the same.

[0104] In addition, the ratio of the difference between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 to the difference between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3 is preferably less than 2.5, in order to ensure that the difference between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 is not too large, thereby enabling stable generation of aerosol in the middle of the puffable period.

[0105] From the viewpoint of reducing power consumption, it may be preferable to control the heater 30 at the third target temperature TA3 without passing from the first target temperature TA1 to the second target temperature TA2. However, in that case, the period (second off period) during which the temperature of the heater 30 reaches the third target temperature TA3 from the first target temperature TA1 becomes relatively long. During the period during which the temperature of the heater 30 reaches the third target temperature TA3 from the first target temperature TA1, the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped, so if the user inhales multiple times during this period, the temperature of the heater 30 may fall significantly below the third temperature. By passing through the second target temperature TA2 between the first target temperature TA1 and the third target temperature TA2 before moving from the first target temperature TA1 to the third target temperature TA3, the period required for the transition from one target temperature to another target temperature can be shortened. As a result, the continuous off period during which the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped becomes relatively short, so that it is possible to prevent the temperature of the smoking article from excessively decreasing due to multiple inhalations, which results in unstable aerosol generation.

[0106] The control unit 22 stops the power supply to the heater 30 at the same time as the end of the third period P3. Next, the control unit 22 notifies the end of the inhalable period at timing T7, a predetermined period after the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped (timing T6). In other words, even after the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped, the user is prompted to inhale the aerosol until the predetermined period has elapsed, and the user can enjoy the aerosol due to the residual heat of the heater 30 and the smoking article 110. The notification of the end of the inhalable period can be performed by the notification unit 40, and can be performed, for example, by changing the light-emitting color of a light-emitting element such as an LED, changing the light-emitting pattern, driving a vibration element, or a combination of these.

[0107] After the heater 30 has passed through the first period P1, the second period P2, and the third period P3 of the heating profile, the heat of the heater 30 is sufficiently transferred to the inside of the smoking article 110. Therefore, during the period from the end of the third period P3 to the end of the inhalable period, that is, during the fourth period P4 in FIG. 8, a certain amount of aerosol can be generated only by the residual heat of the heater 30 and the smoking article 110. However, since the aerosol generation is likely to become unstable during the fourth period P4, as in the first off period and the second off period, it is preferable that the fourth period P4 is a time interval that does not cause the user to inhale two or more times. Therefore, the fourth period P4 is preferably 5 to 15 seconds, and may typically be 10 seconds.

[0108] Furthermore, the control unit 22 can notify the user that the end of the inhalation period is approaching at timing T5, which is a predetermined period Pe earlier than timing T7 at which the end of the inhalation period is notified. Such notification can be made, for example, 20 to 40 seconds before the end of the inhalation period. Such notification can be made by the notification unit 40, and can be made, for example, by changing the light emitting color of a light emitting element such as an LED, changing the light emitting pattern, driving a vibration element, or a combination of these.

[0109] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the control unit 22 stops the supply of power to the heater 30 at the end of the third period P3. In addition, the control unit 22 may stop the supply of power to the heater 30 even during the second period P2 or the third period P3 when the number of inhalation actions by the user exceeds a predetermined number. The puffing action by the user can be detected, for example, by the temperature sensor described above.

[0110] Referring again to Fig. 8, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may mainly depend on the heating profile of the heater 30. Specifically, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may basically be a profile corresponding to the temperature profile inside the smoking article 110. Since the temperature profile inside the smoking article 110 follows the heating profile of the heater 30, it generally tends to have a shape that lags behind the heating profile in time.

[0111] Therefore, by setting the first target temperature TA1 in the first period P1 to the highest temperature throughout the entire heating profile, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is likely to form a steeply ascending curve in the initial period Q1. Also, by maintaining the temperature of the heater 30 at the second target temperature TA2 for most of the second period P2 after the first period P1, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is likely to form a stable period SP with little variation from inhalation in the middle period Q2. Furthermore, by controlling the temperature of the heater 30 toward the third target temperature TA3 lower than the second target temperature TA2 during the third period P3 after the second period P2, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is likely to form a descending curve in the final period Q3. In particular, by reducing the temperature difference T23 between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is likely to form a more gentle descending curve in the final period Q3. As described above, by controlling the heating of the heater 30 according to the heating profile illustrated in Figure 8, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component tends to form an upwardly convex curve overall having a maximum point in the middle period Q2, tends to form a steeply ascending curve in the early period Q1, and tends to form a gently descending curve in the final period Q3.

[0112] As described above, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component mainly depends on the heating profile of the heater 30. However, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may vary depending on factors such as the shape of the heater 30, the presence and shape of the insulating material 138, the size of the smoking article 110, the degree of contact between the heater 30 and the smoking article 110, and the position of the heated portion of the heater 30 relative to the smoking article 110. Therefore, in order to achieve a desired delivery profile of the main aerosol component, the heating profile of the heater 30 may be appropriately combined with these factors.

[0113] For example, when the heater 30 has a cylindrical shape surrounding the outer circumference of the columnar smoking article, the heat transferred to the smoking article 110 is less likely to escape to the outside, so the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is more likely to follow the heating profile of the heater 30. Similarly, when a cylindrical insulating material 138 is arranged radially outside the heater 30, the heat transferred to the smoking article 110 is less likely to escape to the outside, so the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is more likely to follow the heating profile of the heater 30. In this case, the increase speed of the delivery profile in the initial period Q1 becomes relatively large, so the upward curve of the delivery profile in the initial period Q1 may be steeper overall. On the other hand, the decrease speed of the delivery profile in the final period Q3 becomes relatively small, so the downward curve of the delivery profile in the final period Q3 may be gentler overall.

[0114] Furthermore, the smaller the size of the smoking article 110, more specifically, the smaller the diameter of the smoking article 110, the easier it is for heat from the outside of the smoking article 110 to be transmitted to the inside of the smoking article 110. Thus, the smaller the diameter of the smoking article 110, the easier it is for the delivery profile of the main aerosol components to follow the heating profile of the heater 30.

[0115] Furthermore, the closer the contact between the heater 30 and the smoking article 110 during use, the easier it is for heat from the heater 30 to be transferred to the smoking article 110. In other words, when the smoking article 110 is inserted into the insertion hole 130, the smaller the gap between the smoking article 110 and the inner cylindrical member 132, the easier it is for the delivery profile of the main aerosol component to follow the heating profile of the heater 30.

[0116] The delivery profile of the main aerosol component may also depend on the positional relationship between the smoking article 110 and the heater 30. Referring again to FIG. 7, the heater 30 is preferably arranged so as to extend from the substrate 11A containing the aerosol source to the paper tube 114 not containing the aerosol source in the smoking article 110. This allows the heat from the heater 30 to be sufficiently transmitted to the downstream end face of the substrate 11A and its vicinity, so that the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is more likely to follow the heating profile of the heater 30. Furthermore, the inner tubular member 132, which contacts the smoking article 110 at its inner circumferential surface and contacts the heater 3 at its outer circumferential surface, is also preferably arranged so as to extend from the substrate 11A containing the aerosol source to the paper tube 114 not containing the aerosol source. In particular, it is preferable that the downstream end of the inner tubular member 132 protrudes downstream from the downstream end of the heater 30. This allows sufficient heating of not only the downstream end surface of the substrate portion 11A, but also the upstream end surface of the cardboard tube portion 114 and its vicinity, suppressing aerosol aggregation there, which contributes to an overall increase in the delivery profile. Note that the heated portion 31 of the heater 30 is the portion that is actively heated. In the case of a heater that includes a heating resistor, the heated portion 31 of the heater 30 refers to the heating resistor.

[0117] Furthermore, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may also be due to the components constituting the smoking article 110. More specifically, the amount of moisture contained in the smoking article 110 may affect the increase speed of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component in the initial Q1. For example, if the smoking article 110 contains a relatively large amount of moisture, the heat from the heater 30 may be used to vaporize the moisture instead of heating the aerosol source, which may cause the increase speed of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component to be slower. This may result in a delivery profile in the initial Q1 with a gentler slope overall. As described above, aerosol derived from moisture in the smoking article 110 is usually not included in the main aerosol components.

[0118] By appropriately setting the heating profile of the heater 30 while taking into consideration the factors that affect the delivery profile as described above, the desired delivery profile of the main aerosol components described above can be achieved.

[0119] (Programs and storage media) The control flow for realizing the above-mentioned heating profile and / or delivery profile of the main aerosol component can be executed by the control unit 22. That is, the present invention may also include a program for causing the flavor inhaler 100 and / or the aerosol generating device 120 to execute the above-mentioned method, and a storage medium on which the program is stored. Such a storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium.

[0120] [Other embodiments] Although the present invention has been described by the above-mentioned embodiment, the description and drawings forming a part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the present invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A heater configured to heat the outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source; A control unit that controls the heater, the control unit is configured to control the heater such that a delivery profile of the aerosol during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maxima between a start point and an end point of the inhalable period; The inhalable period is a period spanning multiple inhalations, and the delivery profile represents a discrete or curve-fitted continuous profile of the amount of aerosol inhaled in each inhalation plotted against the time each inhalation is taken across the multiple inhalations. Aerosol generating device.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the heater has a cylindrical shape surrounding an outer periphery of the columnar smoking article.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2 , further comprising a cylindrical insulating material arranged radially outside the heater.

4. The smoking article includes a substrate portion including an aerosol source and a tube portion not including an aerosol source, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the heating portion of the heater is positioned so as to heat the smoking article from the substrate portion of the smoking article to the tube portion of the smoking article.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 , wherein the tube portion is made of a paper tube.

6. The aerosol generating device of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit is configured to control the temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first period, to control the temperature of the heater toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature during a second period after the first period, and to control the temperature of the heater toward a third target temperature lower than the second target temperature during a third period after the second period.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 6 , wherein a difference between the first target temperature and the second target temperature is greater than a difference between the second target temperature and the third target temperature.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of aerosol delivered at the end point is greater than the amount of aerosol delivered at the start point.

9. The delivery profile comprises: An initial stage in which the gradient increases gradually with respect to the time axis; A terminal phase in which the gradient gradually decreases with respect to the time axis; a metaphase having one or more maxima between the initial and final phases; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , comprising:

10. The aerosol generating device according to claim 9 , wherein a maximum value of the gradient at the end of the period is smaller than a maximum value of the gradient at the beginning of the period.

11. The aerosol generating device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the minimum value of the gradient in the final period is smaller than the minimum value of the gradient in the initial period.

12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 9 , wherein the intermediate period is longer than each of the initial period and the final period.

13. The aerosol generating device according to claim 9 , wherein the intermediate period is equal to or longer than a total period of the initial period and the final period.

14. the intermediate period includes a stable period during which the gradient is smaller than the minimum value of the gradient in the initial period and smaller than the minimum value of the gradient in the final period; The aerosol generating device according to claim 9 , wherein the stable period is longer than each of the initial period and the final period.

15. A control unit including a control unit for controlling a heater configured to heat an outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source, the control unit is configured to control a temperature of the heater such that a delivery profile of the aerosol during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maxima between a start point and an end point of the inhalable period; The inhalable period is a period spanning multiple inhalations, and the delivery profile represents a discrete or curve-fitted continuous profile of the amount of aerosol inhaled in each inhalation plotted against the time each inhalation is taken across the multiple inhalations. Control unit.

16. 1. A method for controlling a heater that heats a periphery of a smoking article that includes an aerosol source, comprising: controlling the heater such that a delivery profile of the aerosol during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maxima between a start and an end of the inhalable period; The inhalable period is a period spanning multiple inhalations, and the delivery profile represents a discrete or curve-fitted continuous profile of the amount of aerosol inhaled in each inhalation plotted against the time each inhalation is taken across the multiple inhalations. method.

17. A program causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 16.

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