Aerosol generating device and aerosol generating system including the same

Abstract

The aerosol generating device includes a housing having an air inlet through which air flows in, and a heater module disposed inside the housing for heating the aerosol product. The heater module includes a storage section having a storage space for storing the aerosol product, one or more coils for generating a magnetic field, a passage structure disposed on one side of the storage section and including one air flow passage for transmitting external air through the air inlet to the storage section, and a pressure sensor for generating a signal related to the pressure inside the air flow passage.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device and a system thereof, and more particularly to an aerosol generating device capable of efficiently heating a miniaturized heating element. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods that overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes. For example, rather than generating aerosols by burning cigarettes, there has been an increasing demand for systems that generate aerosols by heating cigarettes or aerosol-generating substances using an aerosol generator. This has led to active research into heated aerosol generators.

[0003] Recently, an induction heating aerosol generator has been proposed that generates an aerosol by heating a cigarette or an aerosol-generating material with an alternating magnetic field. In particular, the induction heating aerosol generator includes a coil that generates an alternating magnetic field when power is supplied, and a heating element that generates heat when the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil is applied. The aerosol-generating material is heated by the heat generated by the heating element, and an aerosol is generated from the aerosol-generating material. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An induction heating aerosol generator includes a heating element and a coil, and the heating element is heated by a magnetic field generated by the coil, thereby transferring thermal energy to the aerosol product. Recently, there have been increasing attempts to miniaturize aerosol generators in order to improve portability and user convenience of the aerosol generators.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device that is compact and has improved space efficiency, and an aerosol generating system including the same.

[0006] Another problem to be solved by various embodiments of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating system including the same, which have improved heating efficiency by increasing the heating area of ​​the heating element.

[0007] Another problem to be solved by various embodiments of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device and an aerosol generating system including the same, which have improved sensing performance of physical quantities such as air pressure, temperature, and humidity inside the device.

[0008] The problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present invention 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 embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes a housing having an air inlet through which air flows, and a heater module disposed inside the housing for heating an aerosol product, the heater module including a storage section having a storage space for storing the aerosol product, one or more coils for generating a magnetic field, a passage structure disposed on one side of the storage section and including one air flow passage for transmitting external air through the air inlet to the storage section, and a pressure sensor for generating a signal related to the pressure inside the air flow passage.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generating system includes a housing having an air inlet through which air flows in, and a heater module disposed inside the housing for heating an aerosol product, the heater module including an aerosol generating device having a storage section having a storage space for storing the aerosol product, one or more coils for generating a magnetic field, a passage structure disposed on one side of the storage section and including one air flow passage for transmitting external air to the storage section through the air inlet, and a pressure sensor for generating a signal related to the pressure inside the air flow passage, and an aerosol product including one or more thin films that generate heat due to the magnetic field, and the one or more coils can apply a magnetic field to the thin films when the aerosol product is stored in the storage section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating system including the same according to various embodiments of the present invention can improve space efficiency and reduce the size of the aerosol generating device by including a heating element in the aerosol product.

[0012] The aerosol generating device and the aerosol generating system including the same according to various embodiments of the present invention may include a heating element in the form of a thin film, thereby increasing the heating area of ​​the heating element and improving heating efficiency.

[0013] The aerosol generating device according to various embodiments of the present invention and the aerosol generating system including the same include one air flow passage, and the position of the sensor that senses physical quantities such as air pressure, temperature, and humidity can be improved, thereby improving the sensing performance of the physical quantities.

[0014] The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the effects described above, and any unmentioned effects will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments pertain from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generation system according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view for explaining each component of the aerosol generation system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating components arranged inside a heater module of the aerosol generating device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating components arranged outside the heater module of the aerosol generating device. [Figure 5] 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the housing and coil of the heater module of the aerosol generating device and the direction of the magnetic field. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a circuit board formed integrally with a sensor. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating components arranged outside the heater module of the aerosol generating device from another angle. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a heat insulating pipe surrounding a housing portion of a heater module of the aerosol generating device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating the heat insulating pipe surrounding the housing of the heater module of the aerosol generating device from another angle. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a top view illustrating the heat insulating pipe surrounding the housing of the heater module of the aerosol generating device from another angle. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The terms used in the embodiments are generally used in the present invention, taking into consideration their functions in the present invention. However, these terms may change depending on the intentions of those skilled in the art, legal precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply by their names.

[0017] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain element, this does not mean that it excludes other elements and may further include other elements, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "module" and "unit" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and this may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0018] As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one of," precedes an element in an arrangement, it modifies the entire element and not each individual element in the arrangement. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, and c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0019] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette contained in an internal space.

[0020] The aerosol generating device comprises a heater, in one embodiment the heater is an electrically resistive heater, for example the heater comprises a conductive track, and when an electric current is passed through the conductive track the heater is heated.

[0021] The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the cigarette depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0022] Cigarettes include tobacco rods and filter rods. Tobacco rods can be made in sheet or strand form, or can be made from shredded tobacco, which is a tobacco sheet. The tobacco rod can also be surrounded by a thermally conductive material, such as, but not limited to, a metal foil, such as aluminum foil.

[0023] The filter rod may also be a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may be composed of at least one or more segments. For example, the filter rod may have a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters out certain components contained in the aerosol.

[0024] In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol using a cartridge that contains an aerosol generating substance.

[0025] The aerosol generating device includes a cartridge containing an aerosol-generating substance and a body supporting the cartridge. The cartridge is detachably connected to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed integrally with the body, incorporated therein, or fixed so as not to be detachable by a user. The cartridge is attached to the body with the aerosol-generating substance contained therein. However, is not limited thereto, and the aerosol-generating substance may be injected into the cartridge while the cartridge is connected to the body.

[0026] The cartridge contains an aerosol-forming material in any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid, solid, gas, or gel. The aerosol-forming material includes a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance that includes a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance.

[0027] The cartridge is activated by an electrical signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body to convert the phase of the aerosol-generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase, thereby generating an aerosol. The aerosol refers to a gas mixture of vaporized particles generated from the aerosol-generating material and air.

[0028] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device heats a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which is then transmitted to the user through the cigarette, i.e., the aerosol generated from the liquid composition travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, which is configured to transmit the aerosol through the cigarette to the user.

[0029] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may be a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material using an ultrasonic vibration method, which refers to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material using ultrasonic vibrations generated by a vibrator.

[0030] The aerosol generating device includes a vibrator that generates short-period vibrations to atomize the aerosol generating material. The vibrations generated by the vibrator are ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations is, but is not limited to, about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz.

[0031] The aerosol generating device further includes a wick that absorbs the aerosol-generating substance, for example, the wick is positioned to surround or contact at least a region of the vibrator.

[0032] When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the vibrator, heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the vibrator, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator are transferred to the aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick. The aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick is converted into a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations transferred from the vibrator, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

[0033] For example, the heat generated from the vibrator reduces the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed in the core, and the ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator break the reduced viscosity aerosol-generating substance into fine particles, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not limiting.

[0034] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device by induction heating.

[0035] The aerosol generating device includes a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil applies a magnetic field to the susceptor. When power is supplied from the aerosol generating device to the coil, a magnetic field is formed inside the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is a magnetic material that generates heat in response to an external magnetic field. When the susceptor is located inside the coil and a magnetic field is applied, the aerosol product can be heated by generating heat. Alternatively, the susceptor may be located inside the aerosol product.

[0036] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises a cradle.

[0037] The aerosol generating device may be combined with a separate cradle to form a system. For example, the cradle may charge a battery of the aerosol generating device. Alternatively, the heater may heat the aerosol generating device when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are combined.

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in a form that can be implemented in the aerosol generating device of the various embodiments described above, or may be embodied in various different forms, but is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0039] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0040] 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generation system 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol generation system 1000 includes an aerosol generation device 100 and an aerosol product 200.

[0041] The aerosol generating device 100 generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol producing product 200. The aerosol producing product 200 contains an aerosol generating substance.

[0042] The aerosol production product 200 can be detachably connected to the aerosol generating device 100 and can be replaced. The aerosol production product 200 is accommodated in a separate container provided in the aerosol generating device 100.

[0043] The cross section of the aerosol product 200 viewed in the longitudinal direction (+y or -y) may be circular, but the shape of the cross section of the aerosol product 200 is not limited to this. For example, the cross section of the aerosol product 200 viewed in the longitudinal direction may be elliptical or polygonal, such as rectangular.

[0044] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product 200 contained in the aerosol generating device 100 using an induction heating method. The induction heating method refers to a method of generating heat from a magnetic material by applying an alternating magnetic field.

[0045] When an alternating magnetic field is applied to a magnetic material, energy loss due to eddy current loss and hysteresis loss may occur in the magnetic material. The lost energy is thermal energy, which is released from the magnetic material. The greater the amplitude or frequency of the alternating magnetic field, the more thermal energy is released from the magnetic material.

[0046] The aerosol generating system 1000 for generating aerosol by induction heating includes a heating element and a coil. The heating element emits thermal energy when a magnetic field is applied. The heating element is disposed inside the aerosol generating product 200. When power is supplied to the coil, the coil generates a magnetic field, which is applied to the heating element.

[0047] The heating element may be a thin film. The aerosol product 200 includes one or more thin films that generate heat in response to a magnetic field and function as a heating element. For example, a thin film that generates heat in response to a magnetic field is disposed inside the aerosol product 200. The thin film is a magnetic material that generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied. Alternatively, the thin film may be a non-magnetic metal.

[0048] The thin film includes a metal or carbon. The thin film includes at least one of ferrite, a ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al). The thin film may also include at least one of graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, niobium, a nickel alloy, a metal film, a ceramic such as zirconia, a transition metal such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co), or a metalloid such as boron (B) or phosphorus (P). The thickness of the thin film is about 1 μm or more and about 100 μm or less.

[0049] The coil applies a magnetic field to the thin film when the aerosol product 200 is accommodated in the accommodation unit of the aerosol generation device 100. When the magnetic field is applied to the thin film inside the aerosol product 200, the thin film generates heat, and the thin film heats the aerosol-generating material inside the aerosol product 200, thereby generating an aerosol.

[0050] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating each component of the aerosol generation system 1000 shown in Fig. 1. Some of the components of the aerosol generation system 1000 are the same as or similar to some of the components of the aerosol generation system 1000 shown in Fig. 1, and therefore, redundant explanations will be omitted below.

[0051] The aerosol generating device 100 includes a housing 110 that forms the exterior and has a space inside, a heater module 120 that is arranged inside the housing 110 and heats the aerosol product 200, a battery 130 that supplies power to components of the aerosol generating device 100 that require power, and a control unit 140 that controls the components of the aerosol generating device 100 and sends and receives information from the components.

[0052] The housing 110 includes an air inlet 111 through which air outside the aerosol generating device 100 flows in. The air inlet 111 transfers the air outside the aerosol generating device 100 to the components of the heater module 120. The air inlet 111 includes a hole formed on the outer surface of the housing 110 and includes a flow path for transferring the air that has flowed in to other components.

[0053] The heater module 120 is disposed inside the housing 110 and includes a storage section 121 for storing the aerosol product 200, a coil (not shown) for generating a magnetic field, and a passage structure 122 for transmitting external air to the storage section 121.

[0054] The container 121 includes a storage space for storing the aerosol product. The inner peripheral surface of the container 121 facing the storage space has a shape corresponding to the shape of the aerosol product 200. For example, if the cross section of the aerosol product 200 viewed in the longitudinal direction (+y or -y) is a circle or an ellipse, the inner peripheral surface of the container 121 facing the storage space is a curved surface with a shape corresponding to the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol product 200. As another example, if the cross section of the aerosol product 200 viewed in the longitudinal direction (+y or -y) is a polygon such as a square, the inner peripheral surface of the container 121 facing the storage space includes a flat surface corresponding to the outer peripheral surface of the aerosol product 200.

[0055] The coil (not shown) is a component that generates a magnetic field to heat the thin film, and specific details regarding the shape, structure, and function of the coil will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0056] The passage structure 122 is disposed on one side of the receiving part 121. For example, the passage structure 122 is disposed in the axial direction (+x or -x) from the receiving part 121, but the position of the passage structure 122 is not limited thereto. As another example, the passage structure 122 may be disposed in the upward direction (+y) or downward direction (-y) from the receiving part 121.

[0057] The passage structure 122 is a component that receives the external air of the aerosol generating device 100 through the air inlet 111 and transfers it to the receiving part 121. The passage structure 122 has one airflow passage 1221 formed therein.

[0058] The shape of the airflow passage 1221, the flow of external air through the airflow passage 1221, etc. will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG.

[0059] The aerosol product article 200 includes an identifying mark 210 disposed on at least a region of the outer periphery of the aerosol product article 200. The identifying mark 210 surrounds at least a region of the outer periphery of the aerosol product article 200.

[0060] Each type of aerosol product 200 contains a different flavor of aerosol-generating material. Identification indicia 210 provides different visual information depending on the type of aerosol-generating material contained in aerosol product 200. As another example, identification indicia 210 provides different visual information depending on the amount of aerosol-generating material contained in aerosol product 200.

[0061] That is, the identification mark 210 provides visual information to identify the type of the aerosol product 200. For example, the identification mark 210 has one color. For example, the identification mark 210 shows one of red, green, blue, and yellow. However, the color of the identification mark 210 is not limited to these.

[0062] As another example, the identification mark 210 may represent a QR code (registered trademark). As yet another example, the identification mark 210 may represent a barcode. However, examples in which the identification mark 210 provides visual information are not limited to those described above, and the identification mark 210 may provide visual information that can distinguish the type of aerosol product 200 in a manner different from that described above.

[0063] The item detection sensor 124 senses the visual information provided by the identification marker 210 and generates different signals depending on the sensed visual information.

[0064] For example, if the identification marker 210 exhibits a hue, the item detection sensor 124 senses light of the hue reflected by the identification marker 210 and generates a different signal depending on the hue of the sensed light.

[0065] As another example, if the identification mark 210 indicates a QR code (registered trademark), the item detection sensor 124 reads the information in the QR code (registered trademark) and generates different signals according to the information in the detected QR code (registered trademark).

[0066] As yet another example, if the identification mark 210 represents a barcode, the item detection sensor 124 reads the information in the barcode and generates different signals depending on the information in the sensed barcode.

[0067] However, examples of visual information that the item detection sensor 124 can sense are not limited to those described above, and the item detection sensor 124 can sense visual information that can distinguish the type of aerosol product 200 provided by the identification mark 210 and generate a signal, even in a manner different from that described above.

[0068] The control unit 140 distinguishes the identification mark 210 of the aerosol product 200 based on the signal generated by the item detection sensor 124, determines what aerosol-generating material the aerosol product 200 contains that has been inserted into the receptacle 121, distinguishes the type of aerosol-generating material contained in the aerosol product 200, and controls the operation of other components of the aerosol generating device 100 based on the distinction and determination. For example, the control unit 140 notifies the user of the type of aerosol product 200 based on a pre-stored algorithm corresponding to the type of aerosol product 200. As another example, the control unit 140 controls a coil based on a pre-stored algorithm corresponding to the type of aerosol product 200 to select a heating method for the aerosol product 200.

[0069] The article detection sensor 124 is disposed at a position corresponding to the position where the identification mark 210 is disposed when the aerosol product 200 is fully inserted into the container 121 .

[0070] For example, when the aerosol product 200 is fully inserted into the container 121, the identification mark 210 is positioned above (+y) the container 121, and the item detection sensor 124 is also positioned above (+y) the container 121. However, the positions of the identification mark 210 and / or the item detection sensor 124 are not limited to these.

[0071] The optical window 125 is a component for protecting the article detection sensor 124 and improving the color sensing performance of the article detection sensor 124. The optical window 125 is made of a transparent material. For example, the optical window 125 is made of glass or plastic, but the material of the optical window 125 is not limited to these.

[0072] The optical window 125 is positioned in the space between the identification mark 210 and the item detection sensor 124 when the aerosol-producing item 200 is fully inserted into the receptacle 121 .

[0073] The optical window 125 is formed to have a curvature and acts as a lens, thereby suitably adjusting the focal position of light directed toward the article detection sensor 124, thereby improving the performance of the article detection sensor 124 in detecting visual information.

[0074] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating components arranged inside the heater module 120 of the aerosol generating device.

[0075] The heater module 120 will now be described with reference to FIG.

[0076] Some of the components of the heater module 120 are the same as or similar to some of the components of the heater module 120 shown in FIG. 2, and therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted below.

[0077] Referring to FIG. 3, the heater module 120 includes a receiving portion 121 , a passage structure 122 , a first sealing member 123 a , a second sealing member 123 b , an article detection sensor 124 , an optical window 125 , and a temperature sensor 126 .

[0078] The storage unit 121 includes a storage space 1211 formed therein, and an aerosol product (not shown) is detachably coupled to the storage space 1211. An insertion opening for inserting the aerosol product is formed at the upper end (+y) of the storage unit 121. The storage unit 121 includes a cylindrical component surrounding the storage space 1211. For example, the storage unit 121 includes a columnar component with a space formed therein.

[0079] The accommodation portion 121 further includes an extension portion 1212. The extension portion 1212 transfers air transferred from the air flow passage 1221 of the passage structure 122 to the accommodation space 1211. The accommodation space 1211, the extension portion 1212, and the air flow passage 1221 are fluidly connected. The extension portion 1212 is disposed between the air flow passage 1221 and the accommodation space 1211 and has an inner diameter larger than that of the air flow passage 1221. Specifically, the extension portion 1212 has an inner diameter larger than that of the air flow passage 1221 but smaller than that of the accommodation space 1211. For example, the inner diameter of the extension portion 1212 is about 85% to about 95% of the inner diameter of the accommodation space 1211. In this case, the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the extension portion 1212 is about 70% to about 90% of the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path of the accommodation space 1211.

[0080] The inner diameter of each component is the length of the interior space of each component in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of each component. In other words, the inner diameter of each component is the length of the interior space of each component in a direction perpendicular to the direction of aerosol flow through the interior space of each component.

[0081] 3 shows that the passage structure 122 is arranged in parallel with the accommodating portion 121 in the axial direction (+x), and the extension portion 1212 is arranged between the downstream of the airflow path 1221 and the accommodating space 1211. However, the internal structure of the heater module 120 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 3. As another example, the passage structure 122 is arranged in series with the accommodating portion 121, the accommodating space 1211 and the airflow path 1221 are arranged in a line in the extension direction (+y or -y) of the accommodating portion 121, and the extension portion 1212 is arranged between the accommodating space 1211 and the airflow path 1221. The internal structures of the accommodating portion 121 and the passage structure 122 are not limited to those described in the present invention, and the arrangement of the components may vary depending on the design.

[0082] Air flows from the outside to the inside of the aerosol generating device through the air inlet 111 (see FIG. 2). The air that flows into the inside of the aerosol generating device passes through the air flow passage 1221 of the passage structure 122, is delivered to the extension part 1212, and is delivered to the aerosol product accommodated inside the accommodation part 121.

[0083] Therefore, a single air flow can be formed, from the air inlet into which external air of the aerosol generating device flows, through the air flow passage 1221 and the extension part 1212, to the aerosol product in the receiving space 1211. When the aerosol product 200 is inserted into the receiving part 121, the user can generate the air flow by inhaling a part of the aerosol product 200 into the mouth.

[0084] The aerosol generating device supplies an electric current to the coil to heat the aerosol generating material inside the aerosol generating product, generating an aerosol. The aerosol generated by the aerosol generating product is delivered to the user along with the air flowing in from outside the aerosol generating device.

[0085] 3, the extension part 1212 is disposed between the downstream of the airflow passage 1221 and the receiving part 121. As shown in FIG. 3, the inner diameter of the extension part 1212 is formed to be larger than the inner diameter of the airflow passage 1221.

[0086] In an aerosol generating device including a vaporizer according to one embodiment, the extension portion 1212 that supplies air to the aerosol product product 200 has an inner diameter that is large enough to correspond to the size of the end of the aerosol product product 200. Therefore, air can be smoothly and sufficiently supplied to the entire area of ​​the end of the aerosol product product 200.

[0087] Since the inner diameter of the extension part 1212 is larger than the inner diameter of the air flow passage 1221, the pressure and flow velocity of the air passing through the extension part 1212 are reduced compared to the pressure and flow velocity of the air passing through the air flow passage 1221. The extension part 1212 reduces the pressure and flow velocity of the air transmitted from the air flow passage 1221, thereby preventing excessive air flow occurring upstream of the receiving part 121.

[0088] Furthermore, the expansion part 1212 is a component that directly delivers air to the aerosol production product 200 inside the container 121, and since the amount of air delivered to the aerosol production product 200 is proportional to the amount of aerosol generated, the amount of aerosol delivered to the user per unit time increases as the inner diameter of the expansion part 1212 expands. The closer the inner diameter of the expansion part 1212 is to the inner diameter of the container 121, the greater the amount of air delivered to the aerosol production product 200 and the greater the amount of aerosol generated.

[0089] The extension part 1212 can adjust the pressure of the air flowing from the air flow passage 1221 to the receiving space 1211 to supply air to the aerosol production product 200 .

[0090] The air that reaches the extension portion 1212 enters the receiving space 1211 while its pressure is reduced in the extension portion 1212. The air that reaches the extension portion 1212 expands inside the extension portion 1212 while its pressure is reduced in the extension portion 1212, which has a wider inner diameter than the air flow passage 1221. The expanded air spreads throughout the entire interior area of ​​the extension portion 1212 to form uniform pressure over the entire area of ​​the downward (-y direction) end of the aerosol product 200, thereby allowing air to be supplied more uniformly over the entire area of ​​the end of the aerosol product 200.

[0091] The passage structure 122 includes an airflow passage 1221 through which external air is transmitted from the air inlet 111, and a pressure sensor that generates a signal related to the pressure inside the airflow passage 1221. The pressure sensor will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

[0092] Only one airflow passage 1221 is formed in the passage structure 122. A pressure sensor (not shown) communicates with a part of the airflow passage 1221 to measure the pressure inside the airflow passage 1221.

[0093] The first sealing member 123a is disposed between the air inlet 111 (see FIG. 2) and the passage structure 122. The first sealing member 123a is a component for preventing air flowing in through the air inlet 111 from leaking to any structure or space other than the air flow passage 1221 inside the passage structure 122.

[0094] For example, the first sealing member 123a is disposed in close contact with and encloses at least a portion of the air inlet 111 and / or the passage structure 122. The first sealing member 123a prevents air flowing in through the air inlet 111 from leaking to components or spaces other than the air flow passage 1221 inside the passage structure 122.

[0095] The first sealing member 123a is made of a flexible material such as silicone, rubber and / or plastic, but the material of the first sealing member 123a is not limited to these.

[0096] The second sealing member 123b is disposed between the passage structure 122 and the accommodating portion 121. The second sealing member 123b is a component for preventing air transmitted through the air flow passage 1221 of the passage structure 122 from leaking to a structure or space other than the accommodating portion 121.

[0097] For example, the second sealing member 123b is disposed in close contact with and encloses at least a portion of the accommodation portion 121. The air flowing through the airflow passage 1221 via the second sealing member 123b is prevented from leaking into components or spaces other than the accommodation space 1211 inside the accommodation portion 121 and the extension portion 1212.

[0098] The second sealing member 123b is made of a flexible material such as silicon, rubber, or plastic, but the material of the second sealing member 123b is not limited to these.

[0099] The temperature sensor 126 is a component that generates a signal related to temperature. For example, the temperature sensor 126 senses the temperature to which the aerosol product 200 is heated and generates a signal related to the temperature. The temperature sensor 126 includes, but is not limited to, a thermocouple. Specific locations of the temperature sensor 126 are described below.

[0100] The control unit (see FIG. 2) senses the temperature of the aerosol product through a signal generated by the temperature sensor 126 and controls the operation of other components of the aerosol generating device based on the sensed temperature. For example, the control unit controls the heating temperature of the aerosol product by controlling the coil according to a pre-stored algorithm in response to the temperature of the aerosol product.

[0101] 4 is a front view illustrating components arranged outside the heater module 120 of the aerosol generating device. Some of the components of the heater module 120 are the same as or similar to some of the components of the heater module 120 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, and therefore, redundant description will be omitted below.

[0102] The pressure sensor 1222 is disposed on one side of the passage structure 122. The passage structure 122 includes a passage (not shown) for connecting the pressure sensor 1222 to the airflow passage 1221 (see FIG. 3), and further includes a configuration such as a groove in which the pressure sensor 1222 is disposed.

[0103] The pressure sensor 1222 generates a signal related to the pressure inside the airflow passage 1221 (see FIG. 3) based on various physical changes inside the airflow passage 1221. For example, the pressure sensor 1222 generates a signal related to the pressure inside the airflow passage based on any one of a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, and a pressure change.

[0104] On the other hand, when there are multiple air currents flowing in from the outside, the pressure of one of the air currents is measured, which causes a problem of reduced accuracy and sensitivity of pressure measurement.

[0105] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the passage structure 122 includes one airflow passage, and only one flow of air flows in from the outside, thereby improving the accuracy and sensitivity of pressure measurement inside the airflow passage.

[0106] The control unit (see FIG. 2) senses the user's puff through a signal generated by the pressure sensor 1222 and controls the operation of other components of the aerosol generating device based on the sensed user's puff.

[0107] The first sealing member 123a prevents air flowing in through the air inlet 111 from leaking to any structure or space other than the airflow passage inside the passage structure 122, and the passage structure 122 includes only one airflow passage, thereby further improving the accuracy and sensitivity of pressure measurement inside the airflow passage by the pressure sensor 1222.

[0108] Meanwhile, as described above, the heater module 120 further includes a second sealing member (see FIG. 3) disposed between the passage structure 122 and the receiving portion 121, and the second sealing member prevents air flowing in through the airflow passage from leaking into components or spaces other than the receiving space and the extension portion inside the receiving portion 121. With this structure, a single air flow passing through the airflow passage, the extension portion, and the receiving space can be generated, further improving the accuracy and sensitivity of the pressure measurement inside the airflow passage of the pressure sensor 1222.

[0109] The coil 127 is a component that generates a magnetic field. The coil 127 is arranged along the outer circumferential surface of the housing 121. The coil 127 generates a magnetic field in a direction transverse to the extension direction (+y or -y) of the housing 121. For example, the coil 127 generates a magnetic field in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the housing 121. The direction of the magnetic field generated by the coil 127 and the housing 121 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 5.

[0110] One or more coils 127 are arranged. For example, three coils 127 are arranged surrounding the accommodating portion 121, but the number is not limited to this.

[0111] 4, the coil 127 is formed in a shape in which a current-carrying conductor is wound multiple times. Unlike a solenoid-shaped coil in which an imaginary cylinder is wound multiple times with the same diameter, the coil 127 of this embodiment is formed in a shape in which the diameter gradually increases as the coil is wound multiple times around an imaginary central axis. The coil 127 forms a curved surface. The coil 127 is disposed so as to wrap at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the receiving portion 121.

[0112] The coil 127 is curved to a shape corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating portion 121, and wraps around a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating portion 121. The coil 127 is positioned so that any point on the coil 127 maintains a constant distance from the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating portion 121. The center point of the coil 127 is positioned at one point on the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating portion 121.

[0113] The heater module 120 includes a plurality of coils 127, which are electrically connected to one another. The coils 127 are electrically connected to a battery and receive current from the battery. An alternating current is applied to the coils 127 to generate a magnetic field. The resonant frequency of the alternating current applied to the coils 127 is approximately 1 MHz or more and approximately 10 MHz or less.

[0114] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the housing and coil of the heater module of the aerosol generation device and the direction of the magnetic field.

[0115] Components such as the accommodating portion 121 and the coil 127 are the same as or similar to some of the components shown in FIG. 4, and therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted below.

[0116] The coil 127 is disposed along the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating portion 121. The coil 127 includes a first coil 1271 and a second coil 1272. The first coil 1271 and the second coil 1272 are disposed at a predetermined interval along the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating portion 121. The coil 127 is disposed such that the imaginary central axis around which the coil 127 is wound intersects the direction (+y or -y) in which the accommodating portion 121 extends. For example, the coil 127 is disposed such that the imaginary central axis around which the coil 127 is wound faces a direction (+z or -z direction) perpendicular to the direction (+y or -y) in which the accommodating portion 121 extends, but the arrangement of the coil 127 is not limited thereto.

[0117] In this arrangement, according to Ampere's Law, the magnetic field M generated by coil 127 passes through housing 121 across the extension direction of housing 121. According to Ampere's Law, the direction of magnetic field M formed by coil 127 is the same as the direction of the imaginary central axis around which coil 127 is wound. The angle between the direction in which magnetic field M passes through the interior of housing 121 and the extension direction of housing 121 is approximately right angle.

[0118] An alternating current is applied to the coil 127 so that the coil 127 generates the magnetic field M. The resonance frequency of the alternating current applied to the coil 127 is equal to or greater than 1 MHz and equal to or less than 10 MHz.

[0119] 5 indicates a state in which current flows in the cross section of the conductor forming coil 127, and a "·" indicates a state in which current flows out the cross section. When an alternating current is applied to coil 127, the direction of the current flowing through coil 127 continues to change depending on the cycle of the alternating current, so the direction of the current shown in FIG. 5 can be said to indicate a temporary state at a specific point in time.

[0120] The magnetic field M formed by the coil 127 passes through the space inside the storage unit 121 in a direction transverse to the extension direction of the storage unit 121. This magnetic field M passes through a thin film contained in an aerosol product (not shown) stored in the storage space 1211 inside the storage unit 121, heating the thin film. At least a portion of the magnetic field M generated by the coil 127 is applied in a direction perpendicular to at least one surface of the thin film.

[0121] If a thin film is used as a heating element for the magnetic field M of the coil 127, the heating area relative to the mass is increased, maximizing the heating efficiency and improving the power efficiency. Also, since a separate heating element can be included in the aerosol product without being included in the aerosol generator, the internal space of the aerosol generator can be secured and used more efficiently.

[0122] The aerosol product is placed in the storage space 1211 so that the direction in which the thin film extends is the same as the direction in which the storage section 121 extends. In this arrangement, the direction of the magnetic field M generated by the coil 127 crosses the direction in which the thin film extends, so the density of the magnetic field M passing through the thin film is increased compared to when a solenoid-shaped coil is used, and the heating efficiency of the thin film is improved.

[0123] At least a portion of the thin film is disposed at a position corresponding to the position of the coil 127 when the aerosol product is completely contained in the container 121 .

[0124] According to this embodiment, even when the thin film is thinly spread in the longitudinal direction of the storage section 121, the magnetic field M generated by the coil 127 can pass through all of the wide area of ​​the thin film, so that a magnetic field M of sufficient density is applied to the thin film, and the thin film can heat the aerosol product 200 to a sufficient temperature.

[0125] The plurality of coils 127 have the same size and shape, and at least some of the plurality of coils 127 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the housing portion 121 .

[0126] At least some of the plurality of coils 127 are arranged to face each other across the accommodating portion 121. At least some of the plurality of coils 127 are arranged to be spaced apart from each other at regular intervals.

[0127] FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining a circuit board formed integrally with the sensor.

[0128] The aerosol generating device 100 described in Figures 1 to 3 includes a circuit board 128. The circuit board 128 is formed in a structure in which conductors and insulators are laminated in the form of a board. The circuit board 128 electrically connects multiple components. The circuit board 128 may be a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

[0129] Circuit board 128 includes an inductance sensor 1281 that generates a signal related to a change in inductance, a capacitance sensor 1282 that generates a signal related to a change in capacitance, and circuit connections 1283 .

[0130] The circuit board 128 is integrally formed with an inductance sensor 1281 and a capacitance sensor 1282. The inductance sensor 1281 and / or the capacitance sensor 1282 are electrically connected to other components of the aerosol generation device via a circuit connection 1283. For example, the inductance sensor 1281 and / or the capacitance sensor 1282 are supplied with power from a battery (not shown) via the circuit connection 1283.

[0131] The inductance sensor 1281 has a curved shape. The inductance sensor 1281 generates a signal related to a change in inductance within the curved surface. When a specific object approaches or moves away from the inductance sensor 1281, a change in inductance occurs, and the inductance change is used to detect whether the object is approaching or moving away.

[0132] The capacitance sensor 1282 includes two plates. The two plates are made of conductive material, and each plate includes a thin film material such as a polymer that acts as a dielectric. The capacitance between the two plates changes with changes in the relative humidity of the air surrounding the capacitance sensor 1282.

[0133] By measuring the capacitance between two plates contained in the capacitance sensor 1282, the relative humidity of the air surrounding the capacitance sensor 1282 is determined.

[0134] The accuracy and reliability of the humidity measurement of the capacitance sensor 1282 can be further improved when used in conjunction with other techniques such as the inductance measurement of the inductance sensor 1281 or RC (Resistor-Capacitor) oscillation.

[0135] The two plates included in the capacitance sensor 1282 are called one channel. As an example, the capacitance sensor 1282 may have multiple channels to simultaneously measure the capacitance of multiple areas. The multiple channels improve the resolution or accuracy of capacitance sensing. For example, if the capacitance sensor 1282 has two channels, it can sense the relative humidity of two areas.

[0136] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating components arranged outside the heater module of the aerosol generating device from another angle.

[0137] The heater module 120 includes the same or similar components as the circuit board 128 previously described in FIG.

[0138] The inductance sensor 1281 included in the circuit board 128 can have a curved surface, and the receiving portion 121 is disposed inside the curved surface.

[0139] The inductance sensor 1281 generates a signal related to a change in inductance inside the storage portion 121, and the control unit senses the signal related to the change in inductance inside the storage portion 121 to determine the insertion or removal of the aerosol product 200 into the storage space 1211.

[0140] The control unit controls the operation of the components of the aerosol generation device 100 based on the signal generated by the inductance sensor 1281. For example, when the control unit determines based on the signal generated by the inductance sensor 1281 that the aerosol product 200 has been removed from the storage space 1211, it suspends the operation of the aerosol generation device 100, and when the control unit determines that the aerosol product 200 has been inserted into the storage space 1211, it starts the operation of the aerosol generation device 100.

[0141] The capacitance sensor 1282 generates a signal related to a change in capacitance inside the accommodating unit 121, and the control unit senses the signal related to the change in capacitance inside the accommodating unit 121 to sense the humidity inside the accommodating space 1211. The capacitance sensor 1282 generates a signal based on the amount of humidity change inside the accommodating space 1211 by measuring a change in capacitance and / or a change in dielectric constant between the two plates.

[0142] At least a portion of the aerosol generated in the storage space 1211 is liquefied, and the liquefied aerosol contains some moisture. In one embodiment, the capacitance sensor 1282 generates a signal based on the amount of aerosol (or moisture) that wets or adheres to the aerosol product 200. The signal related to the moisture sensed by the capacitance sensor 1282 is provided to the control unit, thereby enabling the control unit to sense information related to the moisture and / or humidity inside the storage space 1211.

[0143] In addition to the capacitance sensor 1282, the heater module 120 may also include a humidity sensor that measures the humidity of the receiving space 1211 and / or the aerosol product 200 using other principles.

[0144] Meanwhile, the service life of the aerosol product 200 is set in advance. Whether the aerosol product 200 has exceeded its service life is determined by measuring the humidity (or moisture) of the aerosol product 200. For example, the capacitance sensor 1282 detects the amount of humidity (or moisture) of the aerosol product 200, and if the value detected by the capacitance sensor 1282 exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined that the service life of the aerosol product 200 has exceeded its service life.

[0145] Meanwhile, the heater module 120 includes two or more coils 127. For example, the coils 127 include a first coil 1271 and a second coil 1272. The first coil 1271 and the second coil 1272 are disposed along the outer circumferential surface of the receiving portion 121 at a predetermined interval.

[0146] A first groove 1213 is recessed and formed on the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating portion 121. Specifically, the first groove 1213 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating portion 121 between the first coil 1271 and the second coil 1272. An inductance sensor 1281 or a capacitance sensor 1282 is disposed in the first groove 1213.

[0147] For example, the capacitance sensor 1282 is coupled to the first groove 1213 formed between the first coil 1271 and the second coil 1272 and comes into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the accommodating portion 121.

[0148] As another example, the inductance sensor 1281 may be coupled to the first groove 1213 formed between the first coil 1271 and the second coil 1272 and come into contact with the outer circumferential surface of the receiving portion 121 .

[0149] Second groove 1214 is recessed and formed in the outer circumferential surface of accommodating portion 121. Similar to first groove 1213, second groove 1214 is also formed in the outer circumferential surface of accommodating portion 121 between first coil 1271 and second coil 1272.

[0150] For example, the above-described temperature sensor 126 is disposed in the second groove 1214. However, without being limited thereto, an inductance sensor 1281 or a capacitance sensor 1282 may be disposed in the second groove 1214.

[0151] In summary, the coil 127 includes a first coil 1271 and a second coil 1272, which are arranged along the outer circumferential surface of the receiving space 121 but spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The temperature sensor 126, the inductance sensor 1281, and / or the capacitance sensor 1282 are arranged between the first coil 1271 and the second coil 1272, and the sensors are arranged in a first groove 1213 and / or a second groove 1214 recessed into the receiving space 121. With this structure, the sensors are arranged closer to the receiving space 1211, so that various physical quantities such as humidity, temperature, capacitance, and inductance inside the receiving space 1211 can be measured more sensitively and accurately.

[0152] Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the thermal insulation pipe 129 surrounding the housing portion of the heater module 120. Fig. 9 is a front view illustrating the thermal insulation pipe 129 surrounding the housing portion of the heater module 120 from another angle. Fig. 10 is a top view illustrating the thermal insulation pipe 129 surrounding the housing portion of the heater module 120 from another angle. Hereinafter, the thermal insulation pipe 129 will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 8 to 10.

[0153] According to one embodiment, the heater module 120 includes a thermal insulation pipe 129. The thermal insulation pipe 129 is a component for minimizing the amount of heat transferred from inside the accommodation space 1211 to the housing of the aerosol generating device. The thermal insulation pipe 129 is made of a material such as a vacuum tube or metal. For example, the thermal insulation pipe 129 includes a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel. The thermal insulation pipe 129 protects a user from dangers such as burns that may occur when the user holds the aerosol generating device.

[0154] The shape of the thermal insulation pipe 129 is formed to correspond to the external appearance of the accommodating portion 121. For example, the thermal insulation pipe 129 may be formed to resemble a hollow cylinder or a rectangular parallelepiped, but the shape of the thermal insulation pipe 129 is not limited thereto.

[0155] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

[0156] The aerosol generating device 10 includes a control unit 1000, a sensing unit 2000, an output unit 3000, a battery 4000, a heater 5000, a user input unit 6000, a memory 7000, and a communication unit 8000. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 11. That is, a person skilled in the art would understand that some of the components shown in Fig. 11 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 10.

[0157] The sensing unit 2000 senses the state of the aerosol generation device 10 or the state around the aerosol generation device 10, and transmits the sensed information to the control unit 1000. Based on the sensed information, the control unit 1000 controls the aerosol generation device 10 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 5000, restricting smoking, determining whether or not to insert an aerosol product (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.), and displaying notifications.

[0158] The sensing unit 2000 includes at least one of a temperature sensor 2100, an insertion sensor 2200, and a puff sensor 2300, but is not limited thereto.

[0159] The temperature sensor 2100 senses the temperature to which the heater 5000 (or the aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 10 may include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the heater 5000, or the heater 5000 itself may function as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 2100 may be disposed around the battery 4000 so as to monitor the temperature of the battery 4000.

[0160] The insertion detection sensor 2200 detects the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product. For example, the insertion detection sensor 2200 may include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and detects a change in signal due to the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product.

[0161] The puff sensor 2300 detects a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or channel, such as a temperature change, a flow rate change, a voltage change, or a pressure change.

[0162] The sensing unit 2000 further includes at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., GPS), a proximity sensor, and an RGB (illuminance) sensor in addition to the above-described sensors 2100 to 2300. The function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred by a skilled artisan from its name, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0163] The output unit 3000 outputs and provides to a user information about the status of the aerosol generating device 10. The output unit 3000 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a display unit 3100, a haptic unit 3200, and an audio output unit 3300. When the display unit 3100 and a touchpad are layered to form a touch screen, the display unit 3100 can be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

[0164] The display unit 3100 visually provides a user with information about the aerosol generation device 10. For example, the information about the aerosol generation device 10 refers to various information such as the charge / discharge status of the battery 4000 of the aerosol generation device 10, the preheating status of the heater 5000, the insertion / removal status of an aerosol product, or a status that restricts the use of the aerosol generation device 10 (e.g., detection of an abnormal item), and the display unit 3100 outputs the information to the outside. The display unit 3100 is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), etc. The display unit 3100 may also be in the form of an LED light emitting element.

[0165] The haptic unit 3200 converts an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus to tactilely provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 10. For example, the haptic unit 3200 includes a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0166] The acoustic output unit 3300 audibly provides the user with information about the aerosol generation device 10. For example, the acoustic output unit 3300 converts an electric signal into an acoustic signal and outputs it to the outside.

[0167] The battery 4000 supplies power used to operate the aerosol generation device 10. The battery 4000 supplies power to heat the heater 5000. The battery 4000 also supplies power necessary for the operation of other components provided within the aerosol generation device 10 (e.g., the sensing unit 2000, the output unit 3000, the user input unit 6000, the memory 7000, and the communication unit 8000). The battery 4000 is a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 4000 is a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0168] The heater 5000 receives power from the battery 4000 and heats the aerosol-generating material. Although not shown in Fig. 11, the aerosol generation device 10 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 4000 and supplies it to the heater 5000. Furthermore, when the aerosol generation device 10 generates aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol generation device 10 may further include a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power supply of the battery 4000 into AC power supply.

[0169] The control unit 1000, the sensing unit 2000, the output unit 3000, the user input unit 6000, the memory 7000, and the communication unit 8000 function by receiving power from a battery 4000. Although not shown in Fig. 11, the aerosol generation device 10 further includes a power conversion circuit, such as an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 4000 and supplies it to each component.

[0170] In one embodiment, the heater 5000 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials include, but are 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 5000 may be embodied as, but is not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate having conductive tracks disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0171] In another embodiment, heater 5000 is an induction heater, for example, heater 5000 includes a heating element that generates heat through a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol-generating material.

[0172] The user input unit 6000 receives information input by a user or outputs information to a user. For example, the user input unit 6000 may be, but is not limited to, a keypad, a dome switch, a touchpad (such as a contact-type capacitance type, a pressure-type resistive film type, an infrared sensing type, a surface ultrasonic conduction type, an integral tension measurement type, or a piezoelectric effect type), a jog wheel, or a jog switch. Although not shown in FIG. 11 , the aerosol generating device 10 may further include a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface, through which the aerosol generating device 10 can connect to other external devices to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 4000.

[0173] The memory 7000 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generation device 10, and stores data that has been processed by the control unit 1000 and data to be processed by the control unit 1000. The memory 7000 includes 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 or XD memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, magnetic disk, and optical disk. The memory 7000 stores the operating time of the aerosol generation device 10, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data regarding the user's smoking pattern.

[0174] The communication unit 8000 includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 8000 includes a short-range wireless communication unit 8100 and a wireless communication unit 8200.

[0175] The short-range communication unit 8100 includes, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication unit, a short-range wireless communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a ZigBee communication unit, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, etc.

[0176] The wireless communication unit 8200 includes, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 8200 can identify and authenticate the aerosol generation device 10 within the communication network using subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).

[0177] The control unit 1000 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 10. In one embodiment, the control unit 1000 includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executed by the microprocessor. Those skilled in the art will understand that the processor may also be implemented as other types of hardware.

[0178] The control unit 1000 controls the temperature of the heater 5000 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 4000 to the heater 5000. For example, the control unit 1000 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching element between the battery 4000 and the heater 5000. In another example, a heating direct circuit may control the power supply to the heater 5000 in response to a control command from the control unit 1000.

[0179] The control unit 1000 analyzes the results sensed by the sensing unit 2000 and controls subsequent processes. For example, the control unit 1000 controls the power supplied to the heater 5000 so that the operation of the heater 5000 starts or ends based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 2000. As another example, the control unit 1000 controls the amount of power supplied to the heater 5000 and the time for which the power is supplied so that the heater 5000 can be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintain an appropriate temperature based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 2000.

[0180] The control unit 1000 controls the output unit 3000 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 2000. For example, when the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 2300 reaches a predetermined number, the control unit 1000 can notify the user through at least one of the display unit 3100, the haptic unit 3200, and the audio output unit 3300 that the aerosol generating device 10 will soon be finished.

[0181] 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. Computer-readable media are any available media accessible by a computer, including both volatile and nonvolatile media, and detachable and non-detachable media. Computer-readable media also include both computer recording media and communication media. Computer recording media include both volatile and non-volatile, detachable and non-detachable media embodied in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically include computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, or other transmission mechanism, and include any information delivery media.

[0182] The above description of the embodiments is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention should be determined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope of the claims should be construed as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. a housing including an air inlet through which air flows; a heater module disposed within the housing for heating the aerosol product; The heater module includes a container having a container space for containing the aerosol product; one or more coils that generate a magnetic field; a passage structure disposed at one side of the receiving portion and including one air flow passage for receiving external air through the air inlet and delivering the air to the receiving portion; a pressure sensor that generates a signal related to the pressure within the airflow passage.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more coils are arranged along the outer circumferential surface of the container and generate a magnetic field in a direction transverse to the extension direction of the container.

3. 2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the heater module further comprises a first sealing member disposed between the air inlet and the passage structure to prevent air transmitted through the air inlet from leaking to spaces other than the interior of the air flow passage.

4. 2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the heater module further comprises a second sealing member disposed between the passage structure and the storage unit to prevent air moving through the air flow passage from leaking into spaces other than the interior of the storage unit.

5. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the storage section is disposed between the air flow passage and the storage space, has an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the air flow passage and smaller than the inner diameter of the storage space, and includes an extension section that transfers air transferred from the air flow passage to the storage space.

6. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the heater module further includes a thermal insulation pipe that surrounds the container and includes a metal material.

7. the heater module further includes a circuit board; the circuit board includes an inductance sensor that generates a signal related to a change in inductance inside the housing; 2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, which is integrally formed to include a capacitance sensor that generates a signal related to a change in capacitance inside the storage portion.

8. The housing portion has a first groove formed in at least one region of the outer circumferential surface, The aerosol generating device according to claim 7 , wherein the capacitance sensor is coupled to the first groove and contacts the container.

9. the one or more coils include a first coil and a second coil disposed along an outer circumferential surface of the receiving portion, The aerosol generating device according to claim 8 , wherein the first groove is formed between the first coil and the second coil.

10. The housing portion has a second groove recessed in at least one region of the outer circumferential surface, 10. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the heater module further comprises a temperature sensor coupled to a second groove of the container and in contact with the container, the temperature sensor generating a signal related to the temperature of the aerosol product.

11. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10; an aerosol-producing article including one or more thin films that are heated by a magnetic field; An aerosol generation system, wherein the one or more coils apply a magnetic field to the one or more thin films of the aerosol product contained in the container.

12. The aerosol generation system according to claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more thin films are positioned at positions corresponding to the positions of the one or more coils.

13. The aerosol generation system of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the magnetic field generated by the one or more coils is applied in a direction transverse to the extension direction of one surface of the one or more thin films.

14. the aerosol product article includes an identifying mark disposed on at least a region of the outer periphery of the aerosol product article to provide visual information; The aerosol generating system of claim 11 , wherein the heater module further includes an item detection sensor that senses visual information provided by the identification mark and generates a signal based on the sensed visual information.

15. 15. The aerosol generating system of claim 14, wherein the heater module further comprises an optical window disposed in a space between the aerosol product and the article sensing sensor.

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