Aerosol generating device including a vaporizer

Abstract

The aerosol generating device including a vaporizer includes a vaporizer that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating substance, a medium storage section for storing a medium through which the aerosol generated by the vaporizer can pass, a passage through which the aerosol generated by the vaporizer flows, and a chamber located between the passage and the medium storage section, having an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the passage, and transferring the aerosol supplied from the passage to the medium storage section.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer, and more particularly to an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer that increases the amount of aerosol delivered to a user. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of conventional media. For example, instead of generating aerosols by burning the media, there is an increasing demand for methods to generate aerosols by heating an aerosol generating material. As a result, research on heated aerosol generating devices has been actively conducted.

[0003] The aerosol generating device also includes a vaporizer capable of generating an aerosol, and the vaporizer also includes a storage tank in which the aerosol generating substance is stored, and an aerosol generating means for aerosolizing the aerosol generating substance.

[0004] The aerosol generating device must be able to sufficiently deliver the aerosol generated in the vaporizer to the user. However, conventional aerosol generating devices have a problem in that the aerosol generated in the aerosol generating means cannot be sufficiently delivered to the user.

[0005] Specifically, the shape, size, and arrangement of the space through which the generated aerosol is delivered to the user may prevent the aerosol from being delivered sufficiently to the user.

[0006] Therefore, in order to solve such problems, a technology is required that improves the aerosol transmission structure of an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol generating device that includes a vaporizer that can increase the amount of aerosol delivered to a user.

[0008] In addition, various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer that can prevent aerosol from being liquefied and leaking to the outside or contaminating components.

[0009] In addition, various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer that can prevent vortexes from occurring in the aerosol airflow and smoothly deliver the aerosol to a user.

[0010] 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]

[0011] An aerosol generating device including a vaporizer in one embodiment includes a vaporizer that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material, a medium storage section for storing a medium through which the aerosol generated by the vaporizer can pass, a passage through which the aerosol generated by the vaporizer flows, and a chamber located between the passage and the medium storage section, having an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the passage, and transmitting the aerosol supplied from the passage to the medium storage section, and the direction in which the passage extends can cross the direction in which the medium storage section extends. Effect of the Invention

[0012] An aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may increase the amount of aerosol delivered to a user.

[0013] In addition, the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may prevent the aerosol from being liquefied and leaking to the outside or contaminating components.

[0014] In addition, the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can prevent vortexes from occurring in the aerosol airflow, thereby efficiently delivering the aerosol to the user.

[0015] The effects of one or more embodiments 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 the embodiments belong from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer, according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] A cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to another embodiment. [Diagram 3] A cross-sectional view that diagrammatically illustrates an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view that diagrammatically illustrates an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to yet another embodiment. [Diagram 5] A cross-sectional view that diagrammatically illustrates an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 6] A cross-sectional view that diagrammatically illustrates an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to yet another embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer, according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The terms used in this embodiment are currently widely used and common terms as much as possible, taking into consideration the functions in this disclosure, but they may vary depending on the intentions of the engineers in this field, precedents, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, the meanings of the terms will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this disclosure must be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of this disclosure, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0018] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean excluding other components, but also means including other components, unless otherwise specified to the contrary. Furthermore, terms such as "module" and "unit" in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0019] As used herein, phrases such as "at least one of," when preceding an array of components, modify the entire array and not each individual component of the array. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted to include a, b, c, a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0020] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer is also a device that electrically heats a medium contained in the interior space to generate an aerosol.

[0021] The aerosol generating device including the vaporizer also includes a heater. In one embodiment, the heater is an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater may include a conductive track, and when a current is passed through the conductive track, the heater may be heated.

[0022] The heater may also include a tubular, plate, needle or rod evaporating element, and depending on the shape of the evaporating element, may heat the inside or outside of the medium.

[0023] The medium also includes tobacco rods and filter rods. The tobacco rods can be made of sheets, strands, or cut tobacco into finely divided tobacco sheets. The tobacco rods are also surrounded by a heat conductive material. For example, but not limited to, the heat conductive material can be a metal foil, such as aluminum foil.

[0024] The filter rod is also a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may be composed of at least one or more segments. For example, the filter rod may include a first segment for cooling the aerosol and a second segment for filtering a predetermined component contained in the aerosol.

[0025] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer is also a device that utilizes a cartridge that holds the aerosol generating material to generate the aerosol.

[0026] The aerosol generating device including the vaporizer also includes a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating material, and a main body that supports the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the main body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed integrally with or incorporated into the main body and fixed so as not to be detached by a user. The cartridge may be attached to the main body with the aerosol generating material contained therein. However, is not limited thereto, and the aerosol generating material may be injected into the cartridge while the cartridge is coupled to the main body.

[0027] The cartridge may hold an aerosol generating material having any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gas state, a gel state, etc. The aerosol generating material may include an aerosol generating means 112. For example, the aerosol generating means 112 may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco material.

[0028] The cartridge can perform a function of converting the phase of the aerosol generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase and generating an aerosol by being operated by an electric signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body. The aerosol can refer to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from the aerosol generating material and air are mixed.

[0029] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device including a vaporizer can heat the aerosol generating means 112 to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol can pass through a medium and be delivered to a user. That is, the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating means 112 can move along the passage 13 of the aerosol generating device including a vaporizer, and the passage 13 can be configured such that the aerosol passes through a medium and is delivered to a user.

[0030] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer is also a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material using an ultrasonic vibration method. In this case, the ultrasonic vibration method may mean a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol generating material with ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

[0031] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer is also a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer using an induction heating method.

[0032] The aerosol generating device including the vaporizer also includes a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil can apply a magnetic field to the susceptor. When power is supplied from the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer to the coil, a magnetic field can be formed inside the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is also a magnetic material that generates heat due to an external magnetic field. The susceptor is located inside the coil, and when a magnetic field is applied, the susceptor generates heat, thereby heating the aerosol product. Optionally, the susceptor can be located inside the aerosol product.

[0033] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer also includes a cradle.

[0034] The aerosol generating device including the vaporizer may constitute a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle may charge the battery of the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer. Alternatively, a heater may be heated when the cradle and the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer are combined.

[0035] In the following, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0037] 1 to 7 are diagrams for explaining an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Components related to the present embodiment are shown in the aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer shown in Figures 1 to 7. It would be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment that other components may be included in the aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer in addition to the components shown in Figures 1 to 7.

[0039] Prior to the description with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, directions will be defined as follows to aid understanding.

[0040] 1 to 6, based on the medium storage unit 12 of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer, the direction toward the chamber 14 can be referred to as downward, and the opposite direction can be referred to as upward.

[0041] In another respect, when the medium 20 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer, the direction in which the medium 20 is moved can be referred to as downward, and when the medium 20 is separated from the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer, the direction in which the medium 20 is moved can be referred to as upward.

[0042] In another respect, when using the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer, the direction in which the airflow flows through the medium 20 can be referred to as upward, and the opposite direction can be referred to as downward.

[0043] An aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer includes a vaporizer 11, a medium containing portion 12, a passage 13, and a chamber 14. A medium 20 can be inserted into the medium containing portion 12 disposed in the internal space of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11.

[0044] The vaporizer 11 is a component that generates an aerosol from an aerosol-generating substance.

[0045] The medium storage section 12 is a component for storing a medium 20 through which the aerosol generated in the vaporizer 11 can pass.

[0046] The passage 13 is a component through which the aerosol generated in the vaporizer 11 flows.

[0047] The chamber 14 is located between the passage 13 and the medium containing portion 12. The chamber 14 is a component for transmitting the aerosol supplied from the passage 13 to the medium containing portion 12. The inner diameter of the chamber 14 may be formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the passage 13.

[0048] FIG. 1 shows that the evaporator 11 and the medium accommodating section 12 are arranged in parallel with respect to the direction in which the medium accommodating section 12 extends, and that a passage 13 and a chamber 14 are arranged between the evaporator 11 and the medium accommodating section 12.

[0049] However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 1. As another example, the vaporizer 11 and the medium containing portion 12 may be arranged in a line with respect to the extension direction of the medium containing portion 12, and the passage 13 and the chamber 14 may be arranged therebetween.

[0050] The internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 is not limited to the contents described in this disclosure, and depending on the design, the arrangement of the vaporizer 11, the medium containing portion 12, the passage 13 and the chamber 14 may be changed.

[0051] The vaporizer 11 may be in fluid communication with a passageway 13 , the passageway 13 may be in fluid communication with a chamber 14 , and the chamber 14 may be in fluid communication with the medium containing portion 12 .

[0052] 1, air may flow from the outside to the inside of an aerosol-generating device 10 including a vaporizer 11 (see dotted arrow). The air flowing into the inside of the aerosol-generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 passes through the vaporizer 11, and is delivered to the chamber 14 via the aerosol-generating means 112 and the passage 13, and then delivered to the medium 20 contained inside the medium-containing part 12.

[0053] Therefore, an air flow can be formed from the air inlet through which external air of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 flows, through the vaporizer 11, the passage 13, and the chamber 14, to the medium 20. When the medium 20 is inserted into the medium receiving part 12, a user can inhale a part of the medium 20 through their mouth to generate the above-mentioned air flow.

[0054] The aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 may generate an aerosol by operating the vaporizer 11. The aerosol generated by the vaporizer 11 may flow in from the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11, and pass through the medium 20 contained in the medium containing unit 12 via the passage 13 and the chamber 14 together with air flowing into the medium containing unit 12, and be delivered to a user.

[0055] The vaporizer 11 may include, but is not limited to, a storage tank 111 in which the aerosol generating substance is stored, and an aerosol generating means 112 that aerosolizes the aerosol generating substance. For example, the storage tank 111 and the aerosol generating means 112 may be included in the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 as independent modules.

[0056] The vaporizer 11 is also called a cartomizer or an atomizer, but is not limited thereto.

[0057] The storage tank 111 can store an aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material can be in any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gas state, or a gel state.

[0058] The aerosol forming material may be a liquid that contains tobacco-containing material, including volatile tobacco flavor components, or a liquid that contains non-tobacco material.

[0059] For example, the aerosol generating material may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing material, including volatile tobacco flavor components, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco material. The storage tank 111 may be fabricated to be detachable / attachable to / from the vaporizer 11, or may be fabricated integrally with the vaporizer 11.

[0060] For example, the aerosol generating material may include water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract, fragrance, flavoring agent, or vitamin mixture. The fragrance may include, but is not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit fragrance components, etc. The flavoring agent may include components that can provide a variety of flavors or tastes to the user. The vitamin mixture may include, but is not limited to, at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The aerosol generating material may also include an aerosol forming agent such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

[0061] The aerosol generating means 112 also includes a mass transfer element (not shown) and a vaporization element (not shown). The mass transfer element is a component that absorbs the aerosol generating substance stored in the storage tank 111, and the vaporization element is a component that aerosolizes the aerosol generating substance absorbed by the mass transfer element.

[0062] The mass transfer element can absorb and transfer the aerosol generating material stored in the storage tank 111 to the vaporization element. For example, the mass transfer element can be a wick such as, but not limited to, cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic.

[0063] The vaporization element is an element for heating the aerosol generating means 112 transferred by the mass transfer element. For example, the vaporization element can be, but is not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate, a ceramic heater, etc. The vaporization element can also include a conductive filament such as a nichrome wire, which can be arranged in a structure wound around the mass transfer element. The vaporization element can be heated by a current supply and transfer heat to the liquid composition in contact with the vaporization element, heating the liquid composition. As a result, an aerosol can be generated.

[0064] As an example, the vaporization element can also be a heater (not shown) that heats the mass transfer element to aerosolize the aerosol-forming material and generate the aerosol.

[0065] The heater may be heated by power supplied from a battery, and thus the heated heater may heat the mass transfer element and increase the temperature of the aerosol generating material.

[0066] The heater may also be an electrically resistive heater, for example comprising a conductive track through which a current may be passed to heat the wick.

[0067] However, the heater is not limited to the above example, and may be any heater capable of heating to a desired temperature, which may be preset in the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 or may be set to a desired temperature by a user.

[0068] The aerosol generating means 112 may include a tube-type vaporizing element, a plate-type vaporizing element, a needle-type vaporizing element, or a rod-type vaporizing element, and may heat the inside or outside of the storage tank 111 depending on the shape of the vaporizing element.

[0069] As another example, the vaporizing element may be a vibrator (not shown). The vibrator may generate short-period vibrations to atomize the aerosol-generating material. The vibrations generated by the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations may be, but is not limited to, about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz.

[0070] When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the transducer, heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the transducer, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the transducer can be transferred to the aerosol generating substance absorbed in the substance transfer element. The aerosol generating substance absorbed in the substance transfer element can be converted into a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations transferred from the transducer, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

[0071] For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating material absorbed in the material transfer element is reduced by heat generated from the transducer, and the reduced-viscosity aerosol-generating material is broken down into fine particles by ultrasonic vibrations generated from the transducer, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not a limitation.

[0072] In addition, the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 may be provided with a plurality of aerosol generating means 112. In this case, the plurality of aerosol generating means 112 may be provided so as to be inserted inside the storage tank 111, or may be provided outside the storage tank 111. In addition, some of the plurality of aerosol generating means 112 may be provided so as to be inserted inside the storage tank 111, and the rest may be provided outside the storage tank 111.

[0073] The shape of the vaporizer 11 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 1, but may be made into various shapes.

[0074] The vaporizer 11 can generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol generating substance stored in the storage tank 111 via the aerosol generating means 112.

[0075] The aerosol generated by the vaporizer 11 can be delivered to a user through the passage 13, the chamber 14, and the medium 20 inserted in the medium storage unit 12. In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 11 can be moved along the passage 13 of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer. The passage 13 serves to deliver the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 11 to the chamber 14 so that the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 11 can pass through the chamber 14, the medium storage unit 12, and the medium 20 and be delivered to a user.

[0076] However, in the conventional aerosol generating device, if the inner diameter of the flow path that is connected to the medium storage section 12 and directly supplies the aerosol to the medium 20 is formed to be excessively small compared to the inner diameter of the medium storage section 12, the aerosol does not smoothly enter the end of the medium 20. In such a case, the flow rate of the aerosol delivered to the medium 20 becomes insufficient, and there is a problem that when the user inhales the aerosol, the supply amount of the aerosol delivered to the user via the medium 20 per unit time becomes insufficient.

[0077] Specifically, the smaller the inner diameter of the flow path (especially the inner diameter of the flow path adjacent to the medium storage section 12), the higher the pressure of the aerosol flowing inside the flow path. Therefore, when the aerosol enters the end of the medium 20, the aerosol may not be supplied evenly to the entire area of ​​the end of the medium 20, and the aerosol may be concentrated only in a part corresponding to the center of the medium 20.

[0078] 1, the chamber 14 may be disposed between the passage 13 and the medium containing portion 12. The inner diameter D2 of the chamber 14 is larger than the inner diameter D1 of the passage 13, so that the inner diameter of the chamber 14 is larger than the inner diameter of the passage 13.

[0079] In an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to one embodiment, the size of the chamber 14 that supplies the aerosol to the medium 20 is enlarged to have a sufficiently large inner diameter corresponding to the size of the end of the medium 20. Therefore, the aerosol can be smoothly and sufficiently supplied to the entire area of ​​the end of the medium 20.

[0080] Since the chamber 14 has an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the passage 13, when the aerosol having high pressure and flow rate in the passage 13 reaches the chamber 14, the pressure and flow rate of the aerosol can be reduced in the chamber 14 having an enlarged inner diameter. Therefore, the chamber 14 can act to buffer the aerosol on the upstream side of the end of the medium 20 by reducing the pressure and flow rate of the aerosol transmitted from the passage 13.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 1, the portion of the chamber 14 that is connected to the passage 13 and is open so that an aerosol can be transmitted therethrough can be referred to as the chamber inlet 141, and the portion of the chamber 14 that is connected to the medium containing portion 12 and is open so that an aerosol can be transmitted therethrough can be referred to as the chamber outlet 142.

[0082] Since the chamber 14 is a component that directly delivers the aerosol to the medium 20 inside the medium storage portion 12, by enlarging the inner diameter D2 of the chamber 14, the amount of aerosol delivered to the user per unit time can be increased.

[0083] The closer the inner diameter D2 of the chamber 14 is to the inner diameter D3 of the medium containing portion 12, the more aerosol can be transferred to the medium 20.

[0084] When the aerosol flows from the passage 13 to the chamber 14 , inside the chamber 14 , the pressure of the aerosol may be adjusted before the aerosol is supplied to the medium 20 .

[0085] The aerosol that reaches the chamber 14 may enter the medium 20 while being compressed in the chamber 14. That is, when the aerosol reaches the chamber 14, the pressure of the aerosol may be reduced in the chamber 14, which has an inner diameter larger than that of the passage 13, and the aerosol may accumulate inside the chamber 14. The aerosol accumulated in the chamber 14 may spread over the entire area inside the chamber 14 to form a uniform pressure corresponding to the entire area of ​​the end of the medium 20. Therefore, the aerosol may be uniformly supplied to the entire area of ​​the end of the medium 20.

[0086] The inner diameter of the chamber 14 is 70% or more of the inner diameter of the medium containing portion 12, in which case the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow passage of the chamber 14 is 49% or more of the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow passage of the medium containing portion 12. Desirably, the inner diameter of the chamber 14 is 90% or more of the inner diameter of the medium containing portion 12, in which case the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow passage of the chamber 14 is 81% or more of the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow passage of the medium containing portion 12.

[0087] Since the medium 20 must be disposed within the medium accommodation portion 12, the chamber 14 must be formed so that the medium 20 does not escape into the chamber 14. Specifically, when the diameter of the chamber 14 is constant regardless of the portion, if the inner diameter of the chamber 14 is smaller than the inner diameter of the medium 20, the upper side of the chamber 14 can support the medium 20 accommodated in the medium accommodation portion 12 so that the medium 20 does not escape into the chamber 14. When the diameter of the chamber 14 is different depending on the portion, if the inner diameter of the chamber outlet 142 formed at the upper portion of the chamber 14 is smaller than the inner diameter of the medium 20, the upper side of the chamber 14 can support the medium 20 accommodated in the medium accommodation portion 12 so that the medium 20 does not escape into the chamber 14 even if the inner diameter of the other portion of the chamber 14 excluding the chamber outlet 142 is larger than the inner diameter of the medium 20.

[0088] 1, the direction in which the passage 13 extends may cross the direction in which the medium containing portion 12 extends. The direction in which the passage 13 extends may form a predetermined angle α with the direction in which the medium containing portion 12 extends. For example, the predetermined angle α may be 70° to 120°, and preferably about 90°.

[0089] If the direction in which the passage 13 extends forms a predetermined angle α with the direction in which the medium containing section 12 extends, the direction of travel of the aerosol airflow moving along the passage 13 can be changed in the chamber 14 by an angle similar to the predetermined angle α.

[0090] The lower end of the medium storage unit 12 is connected to the chamber 14, and the upper end of the medium storage unit 12 can be connected to the outside of the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer. The aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 also includes a medium insertion port formed in an open position adjacent to the upper end of the medium storage unit 12.

[0091] The medium 20 can be inserted through the medium insertion port into the medium storage section 12 and stored therein.

[0092] When the medium 20 is inserted and accommodated in the medium accommodation unit 12 inside the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11, at least a portion of the medium 20 may protrude outward from the medium insertion port and be exposed to the outside of the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11. A user can inhale the aerosol through the medium 20 protruding to the outside of the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11.

[0093] The aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 further includes other components in addition to the vaporizer 11, the medium storage section 12, the passage 13, and the chamber 14. For example, the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 also includes a display capable of outputting visual information, and / or a motor for outputting tactile information. The aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 also includes at least one sensor (such as a puff detection sensor, a temperature detection sensor, or a medium insertion detection sensor).

[0094] In addition, the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 may be fabricated in a structure that allows external air to flow in or internal gas to flow out even in a state in which the medium 20 is inserted.

[0095] In the following, an example of the medium 20 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0096] The medium 20 allows the aerosol to pass through, is contained in the medium containing section 12, and is a component provided separately from the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11.

[0097] The diameter of the medium 20 is within the range of 5 mm to 9 mm and the length is also about 48 mm, but is not limited thereto.

[0098] The medium 20 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper. The wrapper may have at least one hole through which the outside air can flow in or the inside gas can flow out. As an example, the medium 20 may be wrapped by one wrapper. As another example, the medium 20 may be wrapped by two or more wrappers in a superimposed manner.

[0099] The medium 20 may also include an aerosol-generating material. For example, the medium 20 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 medium 20 may also include other additives, such as flavoring agents, humectants, and / or organic acids. A flavoring liquid, such as menthol or a humectant, may also be added to the medium 20.

[0100] The medium 20 may be similar to a general combustion-type medium. For example, the medium 20 may be divided into a first portion including an aerosol-generating material and a second portion including a filter or the like. Alternatively, the second portion of the medium 20 may also include an aerosol-generating material. For example, the aerosol-generating material in the form of granules or capsules may be inserted into the second portion.

[0101] The entire first portion of the medium 20 may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11, and the second portion of the medium 20 may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a portion of the first portion of the medium 20 may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11, or the entire first portion and a portion of the second portion may be inserted. A user can inhale the aerosol by holding the second portion in the mouth. At this time, the aerosol is generated by the passage of external air through the first portion, and the generated aerosol passes through the second portion and is delivered to the user's mouth.

[0102] As an example, the outside air may be introduced through at least one air inlet formed in the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11. For example, the opening and closing of the air inlet formed in the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 and / or the size of the air inlet may be adjusted by the user. As a result, the amount of atomization, smoking sensation, etc. may be adjusted by the user. As another example, the outside air may be introduced into the medium 20 through at least one hole formed in the surface of the medium 20.

[0103] Hereinafter, an aerosol generating apparatus including a vaporizer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 6. In order to avoid redundant description, in the description with reference to Figures 2 to 6, the contents that are redundant with the description of the aerosol generating apparatus including a vaporizer with reference to Figure 1 may be omitted.

[0104] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to another embodiment.

[0105] In the aerosol generating device including the vaporizer according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the direction in which the passage 13 extends may form a predetermined angle α with the direction in which the medium-containing portion 12 extends. The predetermined angle α is close to a right angle.

[0106] External air flowing into the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 may pass through the vaporizer 11 and flow together with the aerosol through the passage 13 into the chamber 14. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, if the angle α between the direction in which the passage 13 extends and the direction in which the medium-containing portion 12 extends is close to a right angle, the inner cross section opposite the airflow flowing into the chamber inlet 141 is also close to a right angle, and part of the airflow may abruptly change direction on the inner side opposite the chamber inlet 141, forming a vortex.

[0107] If an airflow vortex occurs on the inside opposite the chamber inlet 141, the overall air flow inside the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 will be disrupted, the user's inhalation of the aerosol will be disrupted, the amount of aerosol heading toward the medium containing portion 12 will be reduced, and more inhalation pressure will be required by the user to operate the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer.

[0108] In this way, in order to prevent the functionality of the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 from being impaired due to the air flow including the aerosol forming a vortex within the chamber 14, the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer according to the embodiment shown in Figure 2 may be formed with a chamber inclined surface 143 inclined at a predetermined angle on the inner side opposite the chamber inlet 141 inside the chamber 14.

[0109] The chamber inclined surface 143 allows the flow direction of the airflow passing through the inside of the chamber 14 to be gradually changed, rather than suddenly, on the inside opposite the chamber inlet 141. With such a structure, the airflow inside the chamber 14 is prevented from forming a vortex, so that the airflow inside the chamber 14 is not stagnated and can be guided toward the medium containing portion 12 via the chamber outlet 142.

[0110] Therefore, the chamber 14 has a structure including a chamber inclined surface 143 formed inside the chamber 14, which can minimize the phenomenon in which aerosol remains inside the chamber without being inhaled, thereby interfering with the user's inhalation of the aerosol.

[0111] 3 is a diagram for explaining an aerosol generating apparatus including a vaporizer according to another embodiment. In order to avoid repetitive explanations, the contents that are the same as those of the aerosol generating apparatus including a vaporizer shown in FIG. 2 may be omitted.

[0112] As mentioned in the description with reference to FIG. 1, the direction in which the passage 13 extends forms a predetermined angle α with the direction in which the medium containing portion 12 extends, and the predetermined angle α is close to a right angle.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 1, if the cross section of the opposite side of the airflow entering the chamber inlet 141 is close to a right angle, a portion of the airflow may suddenly change direction on the inside opposite the chamber inlet 141, forming a vortex.

[0114] In order to prevent the functionality of the aerosol generation device 10 including a vaporizer from being impaired due to a portion of the airflow including the aerosol forming a vortex within the chamber 14, the chamber 14 of the aerosol generation device 10 including a vaporizer according to the embodiment shown in Figure 3 also includes a curved chamber curved surface 144 on the inner side opposite the chamber inlet 141.

[0115] The chamber curved surface 144 can ensure that the flow direction of the airflow passing through the inside of the chamber 14 is gradually changed, rather than suddenly, on the inside opposite the chamber inlet 141. With such a structure, the airflow inside the chamber 14 is prevented from forming a vortex, so that the airflow inside the chamber 14 is not stagnated and can be guided toward the medium containing portion 12 via the chamber outlet 142.

[0116] Therefore, the chamber 14 has a structure including a chamber curved surface 144 formed inside the chamber 14, which can minimize the phenomenon in which aerosol remains inside the chamber without being inhaled and interferes with the user's inhalation of the aerosol.

[0117] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to yet another embodiment.

[0118] In the aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the direction in which the passage 13 extends forms a certain angle α with the direction in which the medium containing portion 12 extends, and the certain angle α is close to a right angle.

[0119] The outside air flowing into the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 may pass through the vaporizer 11 and flow into the chamber 14 through the passage 13 while containing the aerosol. At this time, the aerosol in the air passing through the chamber 14 may be partially liquefied inside the chamber 14.

[0120] Liquefied aerosol may remain in the passageway 13 and / or chamber 14, disrupting the air flow inside the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer, and disrupting the user's inhalation of the aerosol.

[0121] In this way, in order to prevent the functionality of the aerosol generation device 10 including a vaporizer from being impaired due to the aerosol being liquefied and remaining within the aerosol generation device 10 including a vaporizer 11, the aerosol generation device 10 including a vaporizer according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 also includes a lower chamber space 145 formed inside the chamber 14, opposite the chamber outlet 142.

[0122] When the angle α between the direction in which the passage 13 extends and the direction in which the medium storage section 12 extends is close to a right angle, the chamber inlet 141 can be arranged between the chamber outlet 142 and the lower chamber space 145 based on the direction in which the medium storage section extends.

[0123] In another aspect, the chamber lower space 145 may be located below the chamber outlet 142 and at a lower position than the chamber inlet 141 based on the extension direction of the medium containing portion.

[0124] Generally, a user of an aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer 11 uses the aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer 11 with the medium 20 and the medium storage section 12 positioned above the chamber 14, so that the aerosol liquefied inside the chamber 14 flows down into the lower chamber space 145 by gravity while the user is using the aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer.

[0125] Through such a structure, liquefied aerosol can remain and accumulate in the lower chamber space 145 while a user is using the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 .

[0126] When the medium 20 is separated from the medium storage unit 12, the outside of the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 can be communicated with the inside of the chamber 14. Therefore, after finishing using the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer, the user can turn the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 upside down and discharge the liquefied aerosol accumulated in the lower chamber space 145 to the outside of the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11.

[0127] As another example, the user can disassemble a part of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer and discharge the liquefied aerosol accumulated in the lower chamber space 145 to the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer.

[0128] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer 11 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0129] Referring to FIG. 5, the inner diameter D2 of the chamber 14 may be similar to or the same as the inner diameter D3 of the medium containing portion 12.

[0130] The larger the inner diameter of the chamber 14, the greater the amount of aerosol delivered to the user per unit time through the medium 20 when the user inhales the aerosol, and thus the amount of aerosol delivered to the user through such a structure can be maximized.

[0131] Additionally, as described with reference to FIG. 1, when the inner diameter of the chamber 14 and / or the chamber outlet 142 is smaller than the inner diameter of the medium 20, the upper surface of the chamber 14 can support the medium 20 to prevent the medium 20 from escaping into the chamber 14.

[0132] However, if the inner diameter D2 of the chamber 14 is formed to be the same as the inner diameter D3 of the medium accommodation portion 12, the upper surface of the chamber 14 cannot support the medium 20, and the medium 20 will leak out into the chamber 14.

[0133] In order to solve such a problem, according to this embodiment, the medium containing portion 12 also includes a locking projection 121 that projects from the inner surface of the medium containing portion 12 and supports the medium 20 .

[0134] Specifically, the locking protrusion 121 may be provided to protrude from the lowermost end of the inner surface of the medium accommodating portion 12 toward the center of the medium accommodating portion 12. One or more locking protrusions 121 may be formed.

[0135] In addition, since the locking protrusions 121 may block the airflow from the chamber 14 toward the medium 20 and impede the transmission of the aerosol, the number of the locking protrusions 121 may be minimized to the extent that the medium 20 can be supported.

[0136] The cross section of the engaging protrusion 121 can be modified into various shapes capable of supporting the medium 20, such as a square or a triangle.

[0137] According to the aerosol generating apparatus including a vaporizer of the above-mentioned embodiment, the amount of aerosol supplied through the aerosol generating apparatus 10 including the vaporizer 11 is maximized, while the medium 20 can be stably supported inside the medium storage section 12.

[0138] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer 11 according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0139] The aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer according to the embodiment with reference to FIG. 6 also includes an expansion chamber 15 disposed between the chamber 14 and the medium containing portion 12 .

[0140] Specifically, the expansion chamber 15 can be disposed such that a lower portion of the expansion chamber 15 is in communication with the chamber outlet 142 and an upper portion of the expansion chamber 15 is in communication with the lower end of the medium containing portion 12 .

[0141] In that case, the inner diameter D4 of the expansion chamber 15 may be formed to be larger than the inner diameter D2 of the chamber 14.

[0142] The inner diameter D4 of the expansion chamber 15 may be similar to or the same as the inner diameter D3 of the medium containing portion 12.

[0143] The expansion chamber 15 can be expanded once more at the lower end of the medium containing portion 12 so that the inner diameter of the space through which the airflow containing the aerosol passes becomes even larger than the inner diameter of the chamber 14 .

[0144] The larger the inner diameter of the space through which the airflow transmitted to the medium containing portion 12 passes, the greater the amount of aerosol delivered to the user per unit time through the medium 20 when the user inhales the aerosol, and therefore the amount of aerosol delivered to the user through such a structure can be maximized.

[0145] According to the aerosol generation device 10 including a vaporizer of this embodiment referring to Figure 6, the inner diameter D2 of the chamber 14 is formed smaller than the inner diameter D3 of the medium containing section 12, which has the advantage that the internal space of the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer can be utilized more efficiently.

[0146] In addition, since the inner diameter D4 of the expansion chamber 15, which is the space through which the airflow transmitted to the medium-containing portion 12 passes, is similar to or is formed to be the same as the inner diameter D3 of the medium-containing portion 12, the amount of aerosol flowing into the medium-containing portion 12 is maximized, and the amount of aerosol provided to the user per unit time can be increased.

[0147] Therefore, through such a structure, the internal space of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 can be efficiently utilized, and the amount of aerosol delivered to the user per unit time can be increased.

[0148] However, if the inner diameter D4 of the extension chamber 15 becomes the same as the inner diameter D3 of the medium accommodation portion 12, there is a concern that the medium 20 may leak into the extension chamber 15.

[0149] To solve such a problem, similar to the embodiment described in Fig. 5, the medium containing portion 12 also includes a locking protrusion 121 that protrudes from the inner surface toward the center of the medium containing portion 12 and supports the medium 20. To avoid repetitive description, the description of the embodiment with reference to Fig. 5 is used for a more detailed description of the locking protrusion 121.

[0150] 7 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. With reference to FIG. 7, the aerosol generating device 10 including a vaporizer according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described as follows.

[0151] The aerosol generation device 10 including a vaporizer also includes a vaporizer 11, a control unit 30, a battery 40, a sensing unit 50, an output unit 60, a communication unit 70, a memory 80 and a user input unit 90.

[0152] However, the internal structure of the aerosol-generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 7. That is, a person having ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment would understand that some of the components shown in Fig. 7 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol-generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11.

[0153] The sensing unit 50 may sense the state of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 or the state around the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11, and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 30. The control unit 30 may control the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the vaporizer 11, restricting smoking, determining whether or not to insert an aerosol product (such as a medium or a cartridge), and displaying notifications based on the sensed information.

[0154] The sensing unit 50 may include at least one of a temperature sensor 51, an insertion sensor 52, and a puff sensor 53, but is not limited thereto.

[0155] The temperature sensor 51 can sense the temperature to which the vaporizer 11 (or the aerosol generating material) is heated. The aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 can include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the vaporizer 11, or the vaporizer 11 itself can function as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 51 can be disposed around the battery 40 to monitor the temperature of the battery 40.

[0156] The insertion detection sensor 52 can detect the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product. For example, the insertion detection sensor 52 can 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, and can detect a signal change due to the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product.

[0157] The puff sensor 53 can detect a user's puff based on various physical changes in the passageway 13 or the airflow channel. For example, the puff sensor 53 can detect a user's puff based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

[0158] The sensing unit 50 may further include at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS)), a proximity sensor, and an RGB (red-green-blue) (illuminance) sensor in addition to the above-mentioned sensors (temperature sensor 51, insertion sensor 52, and puff sensor 53). A person skilled in the art can intuitively infer the function of each sensor from its name, so a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0159] The output unit 60 may output information related to the state of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 and provide it to a user. The output unit 60 may include at least one of a display unit 61, a haptic unit 62, and an audio output unit 63, but is not limited thereto. When the display unit 61 and the touch pad have a layered structure and are configured as a touch screen, the display unit 61 may be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

[0160] The display unit 61 may visually provide information related to the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 to a user. For example, the information related to the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11 may mean various information such as a charging / discharging state of the battery 40 of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11, a preheating state of the vaporizer 11, an insertion / removal state of an aerosol product, or a state in which the use of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer is restricted (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display unit 61 may output the information to the outside. The display unit 61 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), or the like. The display unit 61 may also be in the form of a light emitting element such as an LED (light-emitting diode).

[0161] The haptic unit 62 can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus and provide a user with tactile information related to the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer. For example, the haptic unit 62 can include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0162] The acoustic output unit 63 can provide audible information related to the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer to a user. For example, the acoustic output unit 63 can convert an electric signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0163] The battery 40 can supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer. The battery 40 can supply power so that the vaporizer 11 can be heated. The battery 40 can also supply power necessary for the operation of other components (e.g., the sensing unit 50, the output unit 60, the user input unit 90, the memory 80, and the communication unit 70) provided in the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer. The battery 40 can be a rechargeable battery or a one-time use battery. For example, the battery 40 can be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0164] The vaporizer 11 can receive power from the battery 40 and heat the aerosol-generating material. Although not shown in Fig. 7, the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer further includes a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC (direct current) / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 40 and supplies it to the vaporizer 11. In addition, when the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 generates an aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer 11 further includes a DC / AC (alternating current) converter that converts the DC power supply of the battery 40 into an AC power supply.

[0165] The control unit 30, the sensing unit 50, the output unit 60, the user input unit 90, the memory 80, and the communication unit 70 can perform their functions by receiving power from the battery 40. Although not shown in FIG 7, the device may further include a power conversion circuit, such as an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 40 and supplies it to each component.

[0166] In one embodiment, the vaporizer 11 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material, such as, but not limited to, metals or metal alloys including titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. Additionally, the heater 130 may be embodied by, but not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate with conductive tracks, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0167] In another embodiment, the vaporizer 11 is an inductive heater, for example one that includes a susceptor that generates heat via a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol generating material.

[0168] The user input unit 90 can receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 90 can be, but is not limited to, a key pad, a dome switch, a touch pad (contact type capacitance type, pressure type resistive film type, infrared sensing type, surface ultrasonic conduction type, integral type tension measurement type, piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 7, the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer can further include a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface, and can be connected to another external device through the connection interface such as the USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 40.

[0169] The memory 80 is hardware that stores various data processed in the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer, and may store data processed by the control unit 30 and data to be processed. The memory 80 may include at least one type of recording medium selected from the group consisting of flash memory type, hard disk type, multimedia card micro type, card type memory (e.g., SD (secure digital) memory or XD (extreme digital) memory), RAM (random access memory), SRAM (static random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), PROM (programmable read-only memory), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk. The memory 80 may store the operation time, maximum puff count, current puff count, at least one temperature profile, and data related to the user's smoking pattern of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer 11.

[0170] The communication unit 70 also includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 70 also includes a short-range wireless communication unit 71 and a wireless communication unit 72.

[0171] The short-range communication unit 71 may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a WLAN (wireless local area network) (Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity)) communication unit, a Zigbee (registered trademark) communication unit, an IrDA (infrared data association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultra-wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, and the like.

[0172] The wireless communication unit 72 may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 72 may also use subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) to identify and authenticate the aerosol generation device 10 including the vaporizer within the communication network.

[0173] The control unit 30 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer. In one embodiment, the control unit 30 also includes at least one processor. The processor may be realized by an array of a number of 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. It will be understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which this embodiment pertains that the processor may also be realized by other types of hardware.

[0174] The control unit 30 can control the temperature of the vaporizer 11 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 40 to the vaporizer 11. For example, the control unit 30 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of switching elements between the battery 40 and the vaporizer 11. In another example, the heating direct circuit can also control the power supply to the vaporizer 11 by a control command from the control unit 30.

[0175] The control unit 30 may analyze the results sensed by the sensing unit 50 and control the processes to be performed thereafter. For example, the control unit 30 may control the power supplied to the vaporizer 11 so that the operation of the vaporizer 11 is started or ended based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 50. As another example, the control unit 30 may control the amount of power supplied to the vaporizer 11 and the time for which the power is supplied so that the vaporizer 11 is heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 50.

[0176] The control unit 30 can control the output unit 60 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 50. For example, when the number of puffs counted through the puff sensor 53 reaches a preset number, the control unit 30 can notify the user through at least one of the display unit 61, the haptic unit 62, and the audio output unit 63 that the aerosol generating device 10 including the vaporizer will soon be shut down.

[0177] An embodiment may also be embodied in the form of a recording medium containing computer executable instructions such as a program module executed by a computer. A computer readable medium is any available medium that can be accessed by a computer, including both volatile and non-volatile media, and both separate and non-separate media. A computer readable medium also includes both a computer recording medium and a communication medium. The computer recording medium includes both volatile and non-volatile, separate and non-separate media embodied in any method or technology for storing information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. The communication medium typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal such as a program module, or other transmission mechanism, and includes any information delivery medium.

[0178] The above description of the embodiments is merely illustrative, and a person having ordinary skill in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention is defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to the contents described in the claims should be interpreted as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. a vaporizer for generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating material; a medium storage section for storing a medium through which the aerosol generated by the vaporizer can pass; a passage through which the aerosol generated by the vaporizer flows; a chamber located between the passage and the medium containing portion, the chamber having an inner diameter larger than an inner diameter of the passage, and configured to transmit the aerosol supplied from the passage to the medium containing portion; An aerosol generating device including a vaporizer, wherein the direction in which the passage extends is transverse to the direction in which the medium containing portion extends.

2. The aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to claim 1 , wherein the inner diameter of the chamber is 70% or more of the inner diameter of the medium containing portion.

3. the chamber has a chamber inlet to which the aerosol is delivered from the passage; 13. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, further comprising: a chamber inclined surface formed opposite the chamber inlet.

4. the chamber has a chamber inlet to which the aerosol is delivered from the passage; 2. An aerosol generating device including the vaporizer of claim 1 , further comprising: a chamber curved surface formed opposite the chamber inlet.

5. the chamber has a chamber inlet to which the aerosol is delivered from the passage; a chamber outlet for communicating the aerosol to the medium containing portion; a lower chamber space formed opposite the chamber outlet, The aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber inlet is disposed between the chamber outlet and the lower chamber space with respect to an extension direction of the medium containing portion.

6. the chamber includes a chamber inlet that receives the aerosol from the passageway; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the inner surface of the chamber inlet is connected to an inner surface of the passage along an extension direction of the passage.

7. the chamber includes a chamber outlet for communicating the aerosol to the media containing portion; The aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the chamber outlet is smaller than an inner diameter of the medium.

8. the chamber includes a chamber outlet for communicating the aerosol to the media containing portion; The aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to claim 1 , wherein the medium containing portion includes a locking protrusion protruding from an inner surface of the medium containing portion and supporting the medium.

9. an expansion chamber disposed between the chamber and the medium containing portion; the chamber includes a chamber outlet that communicates the aerosol to the expansion chamber; The aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the expansion chamber is larger than an inner diameter of the chamber outlet.

10. The medium may further include a medium insertion port into which the medium is inserted, The aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to claim 1 , wherein when the medium is contained in the medium containing portion, at least a portion of the medium protrudes outward from the medium insertion port.

Images