Aerosol generating device containing an oxidation catalyst

Abstract

The aerosol generating device according to the embodiment includes a vaporizer including a storage tank containing a liquid composition including nicotine and an acid, and a heater assembly that heats the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and an air flow passage through which the aerosol generated in the vaporizer is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device, and an oxidation catalyst is included in at least one of the inside of the air flow passage and the inside of the storage tank.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] An embodiment of the present invention relates to an aerosol generating device including an oxidation catalyst, and more particularly, to an aerosol generating device including an oxidation catalyst for forming a nicotine salt in at least one of an air flow passage and a storage tank. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes. For example, there has been an increasing demand for methods of generating aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating material, rather than by burning a cigarette. As a result, research into heated aerosol generators has been actively conducted.

[0003] Various research efforts have been conducted to further satisfy users' smoking satisfaction in heated aerosol generators that heat aerosol-generating substances rather than burning cigarettes. One such research effort involved adding nicotine and an acid to the aerosol-generating substance to form a nicotine salt through an acid-base reaction. However, despite these efforts, it was difficult to satisfy users' smoking satisfaction. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device that improves the user's smoking satisfaction.

[0005] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and unmentioned problems 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]

[0006] The aerosol generating device according to the embodiment includes a storage tank that stores a liquid composition containing nicotine and an acid, a vaporizer that includes a heater assembly that heats the liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and an air flow passage through which the aerosol generated in the vaporizer is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device, and an oxidation catalyst is included in at least one of the inside of the air flow passage and the inside of the storage tank. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the embodiment of the aerosol generating device, an oxidation catalyst for forming nicotine salt is included in at least one of the inside of the air flow passage of the aerosol generating device and the inside of the storage tank, thereby improving the user's smoking satisfaction.

[0008] The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the effects described above, and 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]

[0009] [Figure 1A] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example in which a cigarette is inserted into an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment. [Figure 1B] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example in which a cigarette is inserted into an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

[0010] [Figure 2A] 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. FIG.

[0011] [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 2A.

[0012] [Figure 3] 2B is a cross-sectional view of an example of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 2A.

[0013] [Figure 4A] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to an embodiment. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to an embodiment. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to an embodiment. [Figure 4D] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to an embodiment. [Figure 4E] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to an embodiment.

[0014] [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment.

[0015] [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment. [Figure 6B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment.

[0016] [Figure 7A] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment. [Figure 7C] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment. [Figure 7D] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment.

[0017] [Figure 8A] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment. [Figure 8B] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment.

[0018] [Figure 9] 2B is a cross-sectional view of an example of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 2A.

[0019] [Figure 10A] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a reservoir of a cartridge according to an embodiment. [Figure 10B] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a reservoir of a cartridge according to an embodiment. [Figure 10C] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a reservoir of a cartridge according to an embodiment. [Figure 10D] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a reservoir of a cartridge according to an embodiment. [Figure 10E] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a reservoir of a cartridge according to an embodiment. [Figure 10F] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a reservoir of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

[0020] [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The terms used in the embodiments are currently commonly used terms, and are selected as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions in the embodiments. However, this may vary depending on the intentions of engineers in the field, legal precedents, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, the meanings thereof will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the embodiments should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the embodiments, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0022] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean that it excludes other components and may further include other components, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "... unit" and "... module" used in the specification refer to 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.

[0023] As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one of" precedes an array of elements, it modifies the entire array and not each individual element in the array. 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.

[0024] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can easily understand and practice the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0025] Throughout the specification, the embodiments are arbitrary divisions for easily describing the present invention, and the embodiments are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, a configuration disclosed in one embodiment may be applied and / or embodied in another embodiment, and may be changed, applied and / or embodied within the scope of the present invention.

[0026] Furthermore, the terms used in the present invention are intended to describe the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present embodiments. In the present invention, the singular form includes the plural form unless otherwise specified.

[0027] The size and proportion of some elements in the drawings may be exaggerated, and elements shown in one drawing may not be shown in the other drawings.

[0028] Throughout the specification, "aerosol-producing article" means an article that is used for smoking.

[0029] Also, throughout this specification, the "longitudinal direction" of a component refers to the direction in which the component extends along one axis of the component, where the one axis of the component extends further than another axis that intersects the one axis. The "longitudinal direction of an aerosol product" refers to the direction in which the length of the aerosol product extends, or, if the aerosol product is combusted, the direction in which combustion proceeds.

[0030] The "longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device" refers to the direction in which the length of the aerosol-generating device extends. For example, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device refers to the z-axis direction in Figure 2A.

[0031] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0032] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of an aerosol generating device with a cigarette inserted therein.

[0033] 1A and 1B, the aerosol generating device 1 includes a battery 10, a control unit 20, a heater 30, and a vaporizer 40.

[0034] 1A and 1B show components according to this embodiment, and therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the aerosol generating device 1 may further include other general-purpose components in addition to the components shown in FIGS.

[0035] 1A and 1B show that the aerosol generating device 1 includes a heater 30, but the heater 30 may be omitted if necessary.

[0036] 1A shows that the battery 10, the control unit 20, the vaporizer 40, and the heater 30 are arranged in a line. Also, FIG. 1B shows that the vaporizer 40 and the heater 30 are arranged in parallel. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generation device 1 is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. In other words, the arrangement of the battery 10, the control unit 20, the heater 30, and the vaporizer 40 may be changed depending on the design of the aerosol generation device 1.

[0037] When the cigarette 2 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, the aerosol generating device 1 activates the heater 30 and / or the vaporizer 40 to generate aerosol. The aerosol generated by the heater 30 and / or the vaporizer 40 passes through the cigarette 2 and is delivered to the user.

[0038] If necessary, the aerosol generation device 1 can heat the heater 30 even when no cigarette 2 is inserted in the aerosol generation device 1.

[0039] The battery 10 supplies power used when the aerosol generation device 1 operates. For example, the battery 10 supplies power to heat the heater 30 or the vaporizer 40, and supplies power necessary for the operation of the control unit 20. The battery 10 also supplies power necessary for the operation of a display, a sensor, a motor, and the like provided in the aerosol generation device 1.

[0040] The control unit 20 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generation device 1. Specifically, the control unit 20 controls the operation of not only the battery 10, the heater 30, and the vaporizer 40, but also other components provided in the aerosol generation device 1. The control unit 20 can also check the state of each component of the aerosol generation device 1 to determine whether the aerosol generation device 1 is in an operable state.

[0041] The control unit 20 includes at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or 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.

[0042] The heater 30 is heated by power supplied from the battery 10. For example, when a cigarette is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1, the heater 30 is located outside the cigarette. Thus, the heated heater 30 increases the temperature of the aerosol generating material inside the cigarette.

[0043] The heater 30 may be an electric resistance heater. For example, the heater 30 has a conductive track, and current flows through the conductive track to heat the heater 30. However, the heater 30 is not limited to the above example, and any heater that can heat up to a desired temperature can be used without any restrictions. Here, the desired temperature may be preset in the aerosol generation device 1, or may be set to the desired temperature by the user.

[0044] Meanwhile, as another example, the heater 30 may be an induction heater. Specifically, the heater 30 includes an electrically conductive coil for heating the cigarette by induction heating, and the cigarette includes a susceptor that is heated by the induction heater.

[0045] For example, the heater 30 includes a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and heats the inside or outside of the cigarette 2 depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0046] Furthermore, a plurality of heaters 30 may be arranged in the aerosol generating device 1. In this case, the plurality of heaters 30 may be arranged so as to be inserted inside the cigarette 2, or may be arranged outside the cigarette 2. Furthermore, some of the plurality of heaters 30 may be arranged so as to be inserted inside the cigarette 2, and the rest may be arranged outside the cigarette 2. Furthermore, the shape of the heater 30 is not limited to the shapes shown in Figs. 1A and 1B, and various shapes may be produced.

[0047] The vaporizer 40 includes a cartridge and a heater assembly. The vaporizer 40 heats a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, which is then transmitted to the user through the cigarette 2. In other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 40 travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device 1, and the airflow passage is configured to allow the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 40 to be transmitted to the user through the cigarette 2.

[0048] For example, the vaporizer 40 may include, but is not limited to, a liquid storage unit, a liquid transfer means, and a heating element. For example, the liquid storage unit, the liquid transfer means, and the heating element may be provided in the aerosol generation device 1 as independent modules.

[0049] The liquid storage portion may be fabricated so as to be detachable from the vaporizer 40, or may be fabricated integrally with the vaporizer 40.

[0050] The liquid transfer means transfers the liquid composition in the liquid storage portion to the heating element, which is an element for heating the liquid composition transferred by the liquid transfer means.

[0051] The vaporizer 40 is called, but is not limited to, a cartomizer or an atomizer. Specific details regarding the vaporizer 40 will be described later.

[0052] Meanwhile, the aerosol generator 1 may further include general-purpose components in addition to the battery 10, the control unit 20, the heater 30, and the vaporizer 40. For example, the aerosol generator 1 includes a display capable of outputting visual information and / or a motor for outputting tactile information. The aerosol generator 1 also includes at least one sensor (such as a puff sensor, a temperature sensor, or a cigarette insertion sensor). The aerosol generator 1 is also constructed so that outside air can flow in or internal gas can flow out even when a cigarette 2 is inserted.

[0053] 1A and 1B, the aerosol generation device 1 may form a system together with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle is used to charge the battery 10 of the aerosol generation device 1. Alternatively, the heater 30 may be heated while the cradle and the aerosol generation device 1 are coupled together.

[0054] The cigarette 2 is similar to a typical combustion cigarette. For example, the cigarette 2 is divided into a first portion containing an aerosol-generating material and a second portion containing a filter or the like. Alternatively, the second portion of the cigarette 2 may also contain an aerosol-generating material. For example, the aerosol-generating material in the form of granules or capsules may be inserted into the second portion.

[0055] The entire first part is inserted into the aerosol generation device 1, and the second part is exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a part of the first part, or the entire first part and a part of the second part, may be inserted into the aerosol generation device 1. A user inhales the aerosol while holding the second part in their mouth. At this time, the aerosol is generated by outside air passing through the first part, and the generated aerosol passes through the second part and is delivered to the user's mouth.

[0056] As one example, outside air flows in through at least one air passage formed in the aerosol generation device 1. For example, the opening and / or closing of the air passage formed in the aerosol generation device 1 and / or the size of the air passage can be adjusted by the user. This allows the user to adjust the amount of atomization, smoking sensation, etc. As another example, outside air can flow into the cigarette 2 through at least one hole formed in the surface of the cigarette 2.

[0057] The aerosol generating device 1 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0058] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 2A, an aerosol generating device 1 according to one embodiment may include a cartridge 100, a heater assembly 200, and a main body 300.

[0060] An aerosol-generating substance is stored inside the cartridge 100, and the aerosol-generating substance stored in the cartridge 100 may be supplied to the heater assembly 200. Referring to FIG. 2A, the heater assembly 200 is disposed at a lower level of the cartridge 100 (e.g., in the −z direction of FIG. 2A), but is not limited thereto.

[0061] The heater assembly 200 is located between the cartridge 100 and the main body 300 and can generate an aerosol by converting the phase of the aerosol-generating material into a gas phase. For example, the heater assembly 200 heats the aerosol-generating material supplied from the cartridge 100 to generate vapor from the aerosol-generating material, and the vapor generated from the aerosol-generating material is mixed with outside air flowing into the heater assembly 200 to generate an aerosol.

[0062] In the embodiments, "aerosol" refers to particles produced by mixing air with vapor produced by heating an aerosol-forming substance, and this expression will be used in the same sense hereinafter.

[0063] According to one embodiment, the cartridge 100 may include a mouthpiece 100m for supplying aerosol to a user. For example, when the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled, the mouthpiece 100m may connect the interior of the heater assembly 200 to the exterior of the aerosol generation device 1, and the aerosol generated inside the heater assembly 200 may be discharged to the exterior of the aerosol generation device 1 through the mouthpiece 100m. In this case, the user may inhale the aerosol discharged to the exterior of the aerosol generation device 1 by contacting their mouth with the mouthpiece 100m.

[0064] Meanwhile, although FIG. 2A shows that the mouthpiece 100m is included in the cartridge 100, the mouthpiece 100m is included as a separate component from the cartridge 100.

[0065] The main body 300 is located at the lower end of the heater assembly 200 (e.g., in the -z direction in FIG. 2A ) and can support the heater assembly 200. Components for operating the aerosol generation device 1 can be disposed inside the main body 300. For example, a battery (not shown) for supplying power to the components of the aerosol generation device 1 and a processor (not shown) for controlling the overall operation of the aerosol generation device 1 can be disposed inside the main body 300.

[0066] However, the battery and processor are merely examples of components that may be placed inside the main body 300, and other components (e.g., a user interface, a sensor, etc.) may be placed inside the main body 300 in addition to the components described above.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include a cover 310 for protecting the components of the aerosol generating device 1 .

[0068] The cover 310 is arranged to surround at least a region of the cartridge 100, the heater assembly 200, and the main body 300, and can fix the positions of the cartridge 100, the heater assembly 200, and the main body 300 and protect the cartridge 100, the heater assembly 200, and the main body 300 from external impact or the intrusion of foreign matter.

[0069] According to one embodiment, the cover 310 may be, but is not limited to, integrally formed with the main body 300. In another embodiment, the cover 310 may be detachably coupled to the main body 300.

[0070] Although not shown in FIG. 2A, the aerosol generating device 1 according to one embodiment may also include a storage space for storing cigarettes.

[0071] The coupling relationship between the cartridge 100, the heater assembly 200, and the main body 300 will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 2B.

[0072] FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 2A.

[0073] 2B, an aerosol generating device 1 according to an embodiment may include a cartridge 100, a heater assembly 200, a main body 300, and a cover 310. The components of the aerosol generating device 1 are the same as or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 1 shown in FIG. 2A, and therefore, a redundant description will be omitted below. Furthermore, the components of the aerosol generating device 1 are not limited thereto, and at least one of the above-described components (e.g., the cover 310) may be omitted or other components may be added depending on the embodiment.

[0074] The cartridge 100 may include a storage reservoir 110 in which the aerosol-generating substance is stored and a mouthpiece 100m for delivering the aerosol generated by the heater assembly 200 to a user.

[0075] When the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are combined, the storage tank 110 is connected or fluidly connected to the internal space of the heater assembly 200, so that the aerosol-generating material stored in the storage tank 110 can flow into the internal space of the heater assembly 200.

[0076] In this case, the aerosol-forming material stored in the storage tank 110 may include a tobacco-containing substance containing a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid composition containing a non-tobacco substance.

[0077] According to one embodiment, the liquid composition may comprise nicotine and an acid, the nicotine being naturally occurring or synthetic, and having any suitable concentration by weight relative to the total solution weight of the liquid composition.

[0078] Furthermore, when a suitable acid, including an organic acid or an inorganic acid, is added to nicotine, a nicotine salt can be produced by an acid-base reaction. When a nicotine salt is produced by including an acid in the liquid composition, the satisfaction of smoking can be improved.

[0079] The acid for forming the nicotine salt may be appropriately selected taking into consideration the rate of nicotine absorption in the blood, the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device 1, the flavor or taste, solubility, etc. For example, the acid for forming the nicotine salt may be, but is not limited to, a single acid selected from the group consisting of benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, saccharinic acid, malonic acid, or malic acid, or a mixture of two or more acids selected from the group.

[0080] The liquid composition may also contain any one or a mixture of water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract, fragrance, flavoring agent, and vitamin mixture.

[0081] The flavoring agent may include, but is not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit flavoring ingredients. The flavoring agent may include ingredients that can provide the user with various flavors or tastes. The vitamin mixture may include, but is not limited to, a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E.

[0082] Liquid compositions may also contain aerosol forming agents such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

[0083] For example, the liquid composition may comprise a glycerin and propylene glycol solution in any weight ratio to which a nicotine salt has been added. The liquid composition may also comprise two or more nicotine salts.

[0084] The heater assembly 200 is removably coupled to the lower end surface of the cartridge 100 (e.g., the surface facing the -z direction in Figure 2B) and can heat the liquid composition supplied from the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 to generate an aerosol.

[0085] For example, the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are detachably connected in such a manner that a first connecting member (not shown) arranged in a region of the heater assembly 200 facing the cartridge 100 is connected to or separated from a second connecting member (not shown) arranged on the lower end surface of the cartridge 100, but the connecting method is not limited to this.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 may include a liquid inlet 201 for allowing a liquid composition to flow into the heater assembly 200, an air inlet 202 for allowing outside air to flow into the heater assembly 200, and an air outlet 203 for discharging aerosol and / or air generated inside the heater assembly 200 to the outside.

[0087] The liquid composition stored in the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 flows into the heater assembly 200 through the liquid inlet 201, and a heater (not shown) disposed inside the heater assembly 200 can heat the liquid composition supplied from the storage tank 110.

[0088] Outside air flows into the heater assembly 200 through the air inlet 202, and inside the heater assembly 200, the vapor generated by heating the liquid composition is mixed with the outside air to generate an aerosol.

[0089] The aerosol generated inside the heater assembly 200 moves from the heater assembly 200 toward the cartridge 100 through the air outlet 203 connecting the heater assembly 200 and the cartridge 100, and can then be discharged outside the aerosol generating device 1 through the mouthpiece 100m.

[0090] For example, when a user inhales into the mouthpiece 100m, the pressure inside the cartridge 100 decreases, causing the air and / or aerosol inside the heater assembly 200 to move from the heater assembly 200 toward the mouthpiece 100m of the cartridge 100, and the user can inhale the air and / or aerosol discharged through the mouthpiece 100m.

[0091] The main body 300 may be detachably coupled to a lower end surface (e.g., a surface facing the -z direction in FIG. 2B ) of the heater assembly 200 to support the heater assembly 200. For example, the main body 300 may be detachably coupled to the heater assembly 200 in such a manner that at least one region of the main body 300 is inserted into an insertion groove (not shown) formed in the lower end surface of the heater assembly 200 or separated from the insertion groove, but the coupling method between the heater assembly 200 and the main body 300 is not limited thereto.

[0092] According to one embodiment, components for operating the aerosol generation device 1 may be arranged inside the main body 300. For example, a battery (not shown) for power supply and a processor (not shown) for controlling the operation of the aerosol generation device 1 may be arranged inside the main body 300.

[0093] The battery can supply power used for operation of the aerosol generation device 1. For example, the battery can be electrically connected to the heater assembly 200 and supply power to heat the heater of the heater assembly 200. As another example, the battery can also supply power necessary for operation of other components of the aerosol generation device 1 (e.g., a processor, etc.).

[0094] The processor can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1. The processor may be realized by an array of multiple logic gates, or may be realized by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in which a program executed by the microprocessor is stored, but is not limited to this.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the processor may control the power supplied from the battery to the heater of the heater assembly 200. For example, the processor may control the amount of power supplied from the battery to the heater and the time for which power is supplied so that the heater of the heater assembly 200 heats up to or maintains a specified temperature.

[0096] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 1 allows replacement of the cartridge 100 and / or the heater assembly 200 through a structure in which the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are detachably connected and the heater assembly 200 and the main body 300 are detachably connected.

[0097] As one example, if the liquid composition stored in the reservoir 110 of the cartridge 100 is depleted, the user can continue smoking by replacing the existing cartridge 100 with a new cartridge 100. As another example, if the performance of a component (e.g., heater or wick) of the heater assembly 200 deteriorates such that a sufficient amount of aerosol is not produced, the user can replace the existing heater assembly 200 with a new heater assembly 200 to produce a sufficient amount of aerosol.

[0098] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an example of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 2A.

[0099] Specifically, FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the cartridge 100 and heater assembly 200 of the aerosol generating device 1 of FIG. 2A, and a duplicated description will be omitted below.

[0100] 3, the cartridge 100 includes the airflow passage 400, but the cartridge 100 and the airflow passage 400 may be formed separately. For example, the airflow passage 400 may be formed integrally with the main body 300 shown in FIG. 2A or 2B.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 3, a heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment may include a liquid inlet (not shown), an air inlet 202 and an air outlet 203 .

[0102] The liquid inlet of the heater assembly 200 may be disposed to connect or communicate the interior of the cartridge 100 with the interior of the heater assembly 200 when the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled together. Thus, the liquid composition supplied from the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 may flow into the heater assembly 200 through the liquid inlet.

[0103] For example, the liquid inlet may be located in an area where the heater assembly 200 and the cartridge 100 are connected, and the liquid composition stored in the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 may flow into the heater assembly 200 through the liquid inlet.

[0104] In the embodiments, the expression "arranged to be connected or in communication" means that components are connected and arranged so that a fluid (e.g., air) flows through them, and this expression may be used in the same meaning hereinafter.

[0105] The air inlet 202 may be arranged to connect or communicate the interior and exterior of the heater assembly 200. Air outside the heater assembly 200 (hereinafter referred to as "outside air") may flow into the interior of the heater assembly 200 through the air inlet 202.

[0106] For example, the air inlet 202 may be located in another region of the heater assembly 200 (e.g., on a side surface of the heater assembly 200) that is separated from the liquid inlet. Outside air may be introduced into the heater assembly 200 through the air inlet 202. The outside air introduced into the heater assembly 200 moves or flows along the chamber 210 disposed inside the heater assembly 200 and is heated by the heater 230. This will be described in detail later.

[0107] The air outlet 203 may be arranged to connect or communicate the inside and outside of the heater assembly 200. Aerosol and / or air generated inside the heater assembly 200 may be discharged to the outside of the heater assembly 200 or to the air flow passage 400 through the air outlet 203.

[0108] For example, the air outlet 203 may be disposed apart from the liquid inlet in an area where the heater assembly 200 and the airflow passage 400 are connected. Aerosol and / or air inside the heater assembly 200 may be discharged to the outside of the heater assembly 200 through the air outlet 203.

[0109] When the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are combined, the aerosol and / or air discharged to the outside of the heater assembly 200 through the air outlet 203 moves into the air flow passage 400 and can then be discharged to the outside of the air flow passage 400 through the mouthpiece by the user's inhalation.

[0110] The heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment may further include a recognition terminal (not shown) for recognizing whether or not the cartridge 100 is coupled. The recognition terminal is electrically connected to a processor of the main body (e.g., the main body 300 in FIG. 2A or 2B ) and can contact a region of the cartridge 100 when the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled.

[0111] When the recognition terminal comes into contact with the cartridge 100, it generates a signal indicating that contact has occurred, and the generated signal may be transmitted to a processor electrically connected thereto. The processor may detect whether the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled together based on the signal transmitted from the recognition terminal.

[0112] For example, if a signal is transmitted from the recognition terminal, the processor may determine that the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled, and if the signal transmission from the recognition terminal is interrupted, the processor may determine that the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are separated.

[0113] 3, the heater assembly 200 may include a chamber 210, a wick 220, and a heater 230. The chamber 210 is formed in the interior space of the heater assembly 200, and in the chamber 210, the liquid composition flowing from the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 may be heated by the heater 230 to generate an aerosol.

[0114] According to one embodiment, the chamber 210 is fluidly connected or fluidly communicated with the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 through a liquid inlet, and the liquid composition stored in the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 can flow into the chamber 210 through the liquid inlet.

[0115] Wick 220 is disposed in an area adjacent to the liquid inlet inside chamber 210 and can absorb the liquid composition that flows through the liquid inlet into chamber 210. For example, at least one area of ​​wick 220 is disposed opposite the liquid inlet and can absorb the liquid composition that flows through the liquid inlet into chamber 210.

[0116] According to one embodiment, wick 220 may include ceramic fiber or porous ceramic for absorbing the liquid composition. In other words, wick 220 may also be a ceramic wick. However, wick 220 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and depending on the embodiment, wick 220 may be formed of other materials (e.g., cotton or glass).

[0117] Heater 230 is disposed on one side of wick 220 (e.g., the side facing the +y direction) and can heat the liquid composition absorbed in wick 220. For example, heater 230 can heat the liquid composition absorbed in wick 220 using power supplied from a battery in the main body (e.g., main body 300 in FIG. 2A or 2B ).

[0118] The heater 230 may include a metal material that generates heat through electrical resistance. For example, the heater 230 may include stainless steel to prevent corrosion by the liquid composition absorbed in the wick 220, but the metal material of the heater 230 is not limited thereto. As another example, the heater 230 may include a metal material such as copper, nickel, or tungsten.

[0119] According to one embodiment, the heater 230 may include a conductive pattern printed on one side of the core 220. For example, the heater 230 may be formed by printing a metal material (e.g., stainless steel) in a predetermined pattern shape on the side of the core 220 facing the +y direction, but is not limited to this.

[0120] According to another embodiment, the heater 230 may include a conductive pattern that is insert-injected onto one side of the core 220. For example, the heater 230 may be formed by insert-injecting a metal material (e.g., stainless steel) into a predetermined pattern shape onto the side of the core 220. However, the method of forming the heater 230 or the shape of the heater 230 are not limited to the above-described embodiment. According to yet another embodiment (not shown), the heater 230 may include a conductive plate disposed on one side of the core 220.

[0121] The heater 230 is disposed on the side of the wick 220, so that vapor can be generated by heating the liquid composition in a region of the chamber 210 adjacent to the side of the wick 220. The vapor generated from the liquid composition can be mixed with outside air flowing into the chamber 210 through the air inlet 202.

[0122] In this case, the outside air may flow into the heater assembly 200 through the air inlet 202 and then move into the chamber 210. The chamber 210 may connect the air inlet 202 and the air outlet 203 to form a flow path through which the outside air and / or aerosol moves.

[0123] According to one embodiment, a region of the passage connecting the air inlet 202 and the chamber 210 may be formed inside the heater assembly 200 and extend along the edge of the heater assembly 200 .

[0124] The vapor generated by heating the liquid composition by heater 230 mixes with the outside air flowing into chamber 210, resulting in the generation of aerosol in a region adjacent to the side of wick 220 of chamber 210. The generated aerosol and / or outside air can be discharged to the outside of heater assembly 200 through air outlet 203.

[0125] The aerosol and / or outside air discharged to the outside of the heater assembly 200 can be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 1 through the airflow passage 400. The aerosol and / or outside air can be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 1 along the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400 (e.g., the +z direction).

[0126] An oxidation catalyst 500 may be disposed inside the airflow passage 400. As shown in Fig. 3, the oxidation catalyst 500 may be formed in a shape extending from the inner wall of the airflow passage 400. That is, it may be formed from the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 toward the center. The oxidation catalyst 500 may be formed in a mesh shape inside the airflow passage 400. The shape and arrangement of the oxidation catalyst 500 are not limited thereto. The airflow passage 400 and the oxidation catalyst 500 will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 4 to 7.

[0127] 4A to 4E are cross-sectional views showing airflow passages according to embodiments.

[0128] According to one embodiment, the airflow passage 400 may include an oxidation catalyst 500 therein. The oxidation catalyst 500 may be disposed within the airflow passage 400 and may form nicotine salts upon flow of aerosol through the airflow passage 400.

[0129] Specifically, nicotine contained in the aerosol flowing through the airflow passage 400 can form additional nicotine salt by contacting the oxidation catalyst 500. The oxidation catalyst 500 is intended to enhance the user's satisfaction with smoking by forming additional nicotine salt in addition to the nicotine salt contained in the liquid composition stored in the storage tank (110 in FIG. 3) of the cartridge (100 in FIG. 3).

[0130] The oxidation catalyst 500 may be selected from metal oxidation catalysts, chlorine-based catalysts, and combinations thereof.

[0131] For example, the metal oxidation catalyst is one or more selected from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), silver (Ag), gold (Au), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), vanadium (V), nickel (Ni), and tungsten (W). For example, the chlorine-based catalyst is Cl2, HClO, OC1 - , and ClO2 - and one or more selected from the group consisting of:

[0132] The oxidation catalyst 500 disposed inside the airflow passage 400 is made of the above-mentioned material, and is in the form of a structure such as plastic having the above-mentioned material coated on its surface.

[0133] In addition, the airflow passage 400 may include a vortex-forming member 420 therein. When aerosol flows along the airflow passage 400, the airflow moves too fast to allow a reaction between the aerosol and the oxidation catalyst 500 to occur. Therefore, by using the vortex-forming member 420 to form a vortex around the oxidation catalyst 500, the reaction rate with the oxidation catalyst 500 can be increased, thereby further improving the satisfaction of smoking.

[0134] The vortex-forming member 420 may include, but is not limited to, one or more selected from the group consisting of polyurethanes (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherimide (PEI), and polypropylene (PP).

[0135] In one embodiment, the vortex flow-forming member 420 may extend from the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400. Inside the airflow passage 400, the aerosol and / or air flows along the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400 and is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 1, and the vortex flow-forming member 420 is disposed in a direction transverse to this flow, thereby forming a vortex.

[0136] One or more vortex-forming members 420 may be included inside the airflow passage 400. The vortex-forming member 420 is a single, integrally formed member. When the vortex-forming member 420 is formed as a single member, it is plate-shaped and has holes through which the aerosol and / or air flows. Alternatively, the vortex-forming member 420 is spaced apart from the oxidation catalyst 500 at a regular interval, thereby forming a vortex around the oxidation catalyst 500. When multiple vortex-forming members 420 are included inside the airflow passage 400, the multiple vortex-forming members 420 are spaced apart from each other, thereby forming a vortex.

[0137] The airflow passage 400 and the vortex flow generating member 420 may be manufactured using a double shot injection molding method, so that the airflow passage 400 and the vortex flow generating member 420 may be manufactured integrally.

[0138] There are various ways to form vortices using the vortex-forming member 420. For example, the vortex-forming member 420 may have various shapes. Although the vortex-forming member 420 is shown as a bar in FIGS. 4A to 4E, it may have a shape with concaves and convexes on its surface. The vortex-forming member 420 may also be arranged in various ways inside the airflow passage 400. The vortex-forming member 420 may include a rotatable element for generating vortices.

[0139] 4A, for example, the vortex-forming member 420 is spaced apart from the oxidation catalyst 500 by a certain distance within the airflow passage 400, thereby forming a vortex around the oxidation catalyst 500. That is, a vortex is generated by the gap between the vortex-forming member 420 and the oxidation catalyst 500, thereby increasing the contact between the nicotine contained in the aerosol passing through the airflow passage 400 and the oxidation catalyst 500.

[0140] In FIG. 4A, the oxidation catalyst 500 and the vortex-forming member 420 are shown to be arranged one by one on one side of the inner wall of the airflow passage 400, but there may be multiple oxidation catalysts 500 and / or multiple vortex-forming members 420.

[0141] 4B, a plurality of oxidation catalysts 500 and a plurality of vortex-forming members 420 may be included in the airflow passage 400, and the plurality of oxidation catalysts 500 and the plurality of vortex-forming members 420 may be spaced apart from each other. A vortex may be generated between each of the spaced oxidation catalysts 500 and the spaced apart vortex-forming members 420.

[0142] 4C, a plurality of oxidation catalysts 500 and a plurality of vortex-forming members 420 are included in the airflow passage 400, and some of the oxidation catalysts 500 and the vortex-forming members 420 may contact each other. A vortex may be generated between the remaining oxidation catalysts 500 and the vortex-forming members 420 that are spaced apart from each other.

[0143] In Figures 4B and 4C, the oxidation catalyst 500 and the vortex-forming member 420 are shown to be arranged symmetrically, but as shown in Figures 4D and 4E, the oxidation catalyst 500 and the vortex-forming member 420 may be arranged asymmetrically.

[0144] 4D and 4E, the flow path through which the aerosol and / or air flows inside the airflow passage 400 does not have to be formed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400. In this case, vortices are further formed, but the shape, number, and arrangement of the oxidation catalyst 500 and the vortex-forming member 420 can be appropriately adjusted in consideration of smooth discharge of the aerosol.

[0145] Hereinafter, FIGS. 5 to 8 relate to an airflow passage 400 according to another embodiment, and redundant description of the airflow passage 400 and the oxidation catalyst 500 and / or vortex-forming member 420 disposed therein will be omitted.

[0146] 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment.

[0147] According to an embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the vortex-forming member 420 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400, with one surface of the vortex-forming member 420 facing the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 and the other surface of the vortex-forming member 420 facing the center of the airflow passage 400. The vortex-forming member 420 is a single member having a plurality of vortex-forming portions.

[0148] 5A and 5B, the longitudinal direction of the vortex-forming member 420 refers to the longest longitudinal direction of the vortex-forming member 420. The longest longitudinal direction of the vortex-forming member 420 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400. In addition, the one and other surfaces of the vortex-forming member 420 refer to the one and other surfaces that intersect with the longitudinal direction of the vortex-forming member 420.

[0149] 5A and 5B, one surface of the vortex-forming member 420 contacts the inner wall of the airflow passage 400, and the other surface may have a plurality of vortex-forming portions. One surface of the vortex-forming member 420 may be bonded to the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 using an adhesive, or may be formed integrally with the airflow passage 400 using a dual injection method.

[0150] However, although not shown, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and one surface of the vortex flow-forming member 420 may face the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 but may not be in contact with the inner wall. Therefore, the vortex flow-forming member 420 is cylindrical with an inner diameter smaller than that of the airflow passage 400, and the aerosol can flow inside the vortex flow-forming member 420 and between the vortex flow-forming member 420 and the airflow passage 400.

[0151] 5A and 5B, the vortex-forming members 420 are symmetrically arranged on the inner wall of the airflow passage 400, and are shown to include two vortex-forming members 420. However, without being limited thereto, the number of vortex-forming members 420 may be one or more, and may be arranged asymmetrically.

[0152] 5A and 5B, the other surface of the vortex-forming member 420 disposed toward the center of the airflow passage 400 may have a plurality of vortex-forming portions protruding toward the center of the airflow passage 400. The shape of the vortex-forming portions is not limited to the shapes shown in the drawings and may be various.

[0153] The oxidation catalyst 500 may be disposed between a plurality of vortex-forming portions. Since vortices are generated between the vortex-forming portions, when the oxidation catalyst 500 is disposed between a plurality of vortex-forming portions, contact between the nicotine in the aerosol and the oxidation catalyst 500 can be increased.

[0154] Although FIGS. 5A and 5B show that the oxidation catalyst 500 is disposed between each of the vortex generating portions, the amount and number of the oxidation catalyst 500 can be appropriately selected.

[0155] 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment.

[0156] The oxidation catalyst 500 may be contained in a mesh-like form inside the airflow passage 400. By disposing the oxidation catalyst 500 in a mesh-like form inside the airflow passage 400, it is possible to increase the contact between the oxidation catalyst 500 and the nicotine in the aerosol flowing through the airflow passage 400. Therefore, it is possible to increase the formation of nicotine salts and thereby improve the user's satisfaction with smoking.

[0157] The smaller the size of the holes in the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 through which the aerosol and / or air pass, the greater the contact area between the nicotine and the oxidation catalyst 500. However, the smaller the size of the holes, the more difficult it is for the aerosol and / or air to flow through. Therefore, the size of the holes can be appropriately set taking such influences into consideration.

[0158] 6A and 6B, the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 may be arranged in a direction crossing the extension direction of the airflow passage 400.

[0159] 6A, one mesh-type oxidation catalyst 500 may be arranged across the entire inner diameter of the airflow passage 400 in a direction transverse to the extension direction of the airflow passage 400. According to FIG. 6B, a plurality of mesh-type oxidation catalysts 500 may be arranged, and the plurality of mesh-type oxidation catalysts 500 may be spaced apart from each other. However, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0160] 7A to 7D are cross-sectional views showing airflow passages according to other embodiments.

[0161] According to one embodiment, the airflow passage 400 may include therein a mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 and a vortex-forming member 420. When aerosol flows through the airflow passage 400, it may come into contact with the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 disposed inside the airflow passage 400 to form nicotine salt.

[0162] In one embodiment, the vortex flow-forming member 420 may extend from the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400. Inside the airflow passage 400, the aerosol and / or air flows along the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400 and is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 1, and the vortex flow-forming member 420 is disposed in a direction transverse to such flow, thereby forming a vortex.

[0163] One or more vortex-forming members 420 may be included inside the airflow passage 400. The vortex-forming member 420 is a single, integrally formed member. When the vortex-forming member 420 is formed as a single member, it has a plate-like shape and includes holes through which the aerosol and / or air flows. When multiple vortex-forming members 420 are included inside the airflow passage 400, the multiple vortex-forming members 420 are spaced apart from each other, thereby forming vortices.

[0164] 7A, a plurality of vortex-forming members 420 may be included within the airflow passage 400, and the vortex-forming members 420 may be spaced apart from one another. Vortices may be generated between the spaced apart vortex-forming members 420. The mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 may be spaced apart from the plurality of vortex-forming members 420. The vortices generated between the plurality of vortex-forming members 420 may increase contact between the aerosol and the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500.

[0165] 7B, a plurality of vortex-forming members 420 may be included within the airflow passage 400, and the plurality of vortex-forming members 420 may be spaced apart from one another. Vortices may be generated between the spaced apart vortex-forming members 420. Some of the plurality of vortex-forming members 420 may come into contact with the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500. The vortices generated between the plurality of vortex-forming members 420 may increase contact between the aerosol and the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500.

[0166] 7A and 7B, the vortex-forming members 420 are shown as being symmetrically arranged, but as shown in Figures 7C and 7D, the vortex-forming members 420 may be arranged asymmetrically. Also, in Figures 7A and 7B, the oxidation catalyst 500 is shown as being integrally formed and arranged across the entire inner diameter of the airflow passage 400 in a direction transverse to the extension direction of the airflow passage 400, but as shown in Figures 7C and 7D, more than one oxidation catalyst 500 may be arranged asymmetrically. The shape, number, and arrangement of the vortex-forming members 420 and mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 may be modified in various ways other than those shown in the drawings.

[0167] 7C and 7D, the flow path through which the aerosol and / or air flows inside the airflow passage 400 may not be formed parallel to the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400. In this case, vortices are further formed, but the shape, number, and arrangement of the oxidation catalyst 500 and the vortex-forming member 420 may be appropriately adjusted in consideration of smooth discharge of the aerosol.

[0168] 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views showing an airflow passage according to another embodiment.

[0169] According to the embodiment, the vortex-forming member 420 may be arranged such that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400, with one surface of the vortex-forming member 420 facing the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 and the other surface of the vortex-forming member 420 facing the center of the airflow passage 400. The vortex-forming member 420 is a single member having a plurality of vortex-forming portions.

[0170] 8A and 8B, the longitudinal direction of the vortex-forming member 420 refers to the longest longitudinal direction of the vortex-forming member 420. The longest longitudinal direction of the vortex-forming member 420 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400. In addition, the one and other sides of the vortex-forming member 420 refer to the one and other sides of the vortex-forming member 420 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction.

[0171] 8A and 8B, one surface of the vortex-forming member 420 contacts the inner wall of the airflow passage 400, and the other surface may have a plurality of vortex-forming portions. One surface of the vortex-forming member 420 may be bonded to the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 using an adhesive, or may be formed integrally with the airflow passage 400 using a dual injection method.

[0172] However, although not shown, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and one surface of the vortex flow-generating member 420 may face the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 but may not be in contact with the inner wall. Therefore, the vortex flow-generating member 420 is cylindrical with an inner diameter smaller than that of the airflow passage 400, and the aerosol can flow inside the vortex flow-generating member 420 and between the vortex flow-generating member 420 and the airflow passage 400.

[0173] 8A and 8B, the vortex-forming members 420 are shown as being symmetrically arranged on the inner wall of the airflow passage 400 and including two vortex-forming members 420. However, without being limited thereto, the number of vortex-forming members 420 may be one or more, and may be arranged asymmetrically.

[0174] 8A and 8B, the other surface of the vortex-forming member 420 disposed toward the center of the airflow passage 400 may have a plurality of vortex-forming portions protruding toward the center of the airflow passage 400. The shape of the vortex-forming portions is not limited to the shapes shown in the drawings and may be various.

[0175] The oxidation catalyst 500 may be mesh-shaped and disposed between a plurality of vortex-forming portions. Because vortices are generated between the vortex-forming portions, when the oxidation catalyst 500 is disposed between the plurality of vortex-forming portions, contact between the nicotine in the aerosol and the oxidation catalyst 500 can be increased. That is, because the oxidation catalyst 500 has a mesh shape, vortices are smoothly generated even when the oxidation catalyst 500 is disposed between the vortex-forming portions, and the generated vortices flow through the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500, increasing the formation of nicotine salt. Referring to FIG. 8A , the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 may be disposed such that one side and the other side through which the aerosol and / or air flow do not come into contact with the vortex-forming member 420. That is, since only both sides of the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 are fixed to the vortex-forming member 420, contact between the nicotine in the aerosol and the oxidation catalyst 500 can be increased.

[0176] 8B, the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 may be arranged such that both sides thereof are fixed to the vortex-forming member 420 and only one of the two surfaces through which the aerosol and / or air flows is in contact with the vortex-forming member 420. However, the arrangement position of the oxidation catalyst 500 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0177] Although FIGS. 8A and 8B show that the oxidation catalyst 500 is disposed between each of the vortex generating portions, the amount and number of the oxidation catalyst 500 can be appropriately selected.

[0178] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an example of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 2A.

[0179] FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the cartridge 100 and heater assembly 200 of the aerosol generating device 1 of FIG. 2A, and a duplicated description will be omitted below.

[0180] 9, the cartridge 100 may include an airflow passage 400, but the cartridge 100 and the airflow passage 400 may be formed separately. For example, the airflow passage 400 may be formed integrally with the main body 300 shown in FIG. 2A or 2B. The airflow passage 400 is a passage through which the aerosol generated in the vaporizer flows and is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 1, and a user can inhale the aerosol through the mouthpiece 100m fluidly connected to the airflow passage 400.

[0181] 9, a cartridge 100 according to one embodiment may include a storage tank 110 for storing a liquid composition and a liquid outlet 111 for discharging the liquid composition to a heater assembly 200. When the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled together, the liquid outlet 111 of the cartridge 100 may be in fluid communication with the liquid inlet of the heater assembly 200.

[0182] Although not limited to the location shown in the figure, it is desirable that the liquid outlet 111 be located at the lower end of the longitudinal direction of the storage tank 110 so that the liquid composition contained in the storage tank 110 flows smoothly along the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating device 1 (e.g., the z direction in Figure 9) and is transmitted to the heater assembly 200.

[0183] According to the embodiment, the cartridge 100 may include an oxidation catalyst 500 inside. Specifically, the oxidation catalyst 500 may be included inside the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100.

[0184] 9, the oxidation catalyst 500 may be disposed so as to contact the inner wall of the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100. The oxidation catalyst 500 may be formed in a mesh shape inside the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100. The shape and arrangement of the oxidation catalyst 500 are not limited thereto. The cartridge 100 and the oxidation catalyst 500 will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10F.

[0185] Referring to FIG. 9, a heater assembly 200 according to one embodiment may include a liquid inlet (not shown), an air inlet 202 and an air outlet 203 .

[0186] The liquid inlet of the heater assembly 200 may be disposed to connect or communicate the interior of the cartridge 100 with the interior of the heater assembly 200 when the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled together. Thus, the liquid composition supplied from the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 may flow into the heater assembly 200 through the liquid inlet.

[0187] For example, the liquid inlet may be disposed in a region where the heater assembly 200 and the cartridge 100 are coupled. When the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled, the liquid outlet 111 of the cartridge 100 and the liquid inlet of the heater assembly 200 may be disposed so as to be connected or communicated with each other. Therefore, the liquid composition stored in the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 may flow into the heater assembly 200 through the liquid outlet 111 and the liquid inlet.

[0188] In the embodiments, the expression "arranged to be connected or in communication" means that components are connected and arranged so that a fluid (e.g., air) flows through them, and this expression may be used with the same meaning hereinafter. According to the embodiments, the liquid outlet 111 and the liquid inlet may be understood to mean that they are interconnected so that a fluid flows through them. For example, when the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are combined, the liquid outlet 111 and the liquid inlet (liquid inlet 201 in FIG. 2B) are not clearly distinguishable.

[0189] The air inlet 202 may be arranged to connect or communicate the interior and exterior of the heater assembly 200. Air outside the heater assembly 200 (hereinafter referred to as "outside air") may flow into the interior of the heater assembly 200 through the air inlet 202.

[0190] For example, the air inlet 202 may be located in another region of the heater assembly 200 (e.g., on a side surface of the heater assembly 200) that is separated from the liquid inlet. Outside air may pass through the air inlet 202 and enter the heater assembly 200. The outside air that enters the heater assembly 200 may move or flow along the chamber 210 located inside the heater assembly 200 and be heated by the heater 230. This will be described in detail later.

[0191] The air outlet 203 may be arranged to connect or communicate the inside and outside of the heater assembly 200. Aerosol and / or air generated inside the heater assembly 200 may be discharged to the outside of the heater assembly 200 or to the air flow passage 400 through the air outlet 203.

[0192] For example, the air outlet 203 may be disposed apart from the liquid inlet in an area where the heater assembly 200 and the airflow passage 400 are connected. Aerosol and / or air inside the heater assembly 200 may be discharged to the outside of the heater assembly 200 through the air outlet 203.

[0193] When the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are combined, the aerosol and / or air discharged to the outside of the heater assembly 200 through the air outlet 203 can move into the air flow passage 400 and be discharged to the outside of the air flow passage 400 through the mouthpiece 100m.

[0194] The heater assembly 200 according to an embodiment may further include a recognition terminal (not shown) for recognizing whether or not the cartridge 100 is coupled. The recognition terminal is electrically connected to a control unit of the main body (e.g., the main body 300 in FIG. 2A or 2B ) and may come into contact with a region of the cartridge 100 when the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled.

[0195] When the recognition terminal comes into contact with the cartridge 100, it generates a signal indicating that it has come into contact with the cartridge 100, and the generated signal may be transmitted to an electrically connected controller. The controller may detect whether the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are coupled together based on the signal transmitted from the recognition terminal.

[0196] For example, if a signal is transmitted from the recognition terminal, the control unit may determine that the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are connected, and if the signal transmission from the recognition terminal is interrupted, the control unit may determine that the cartridge 100 and the heater assembly 200 are separated.

[0197] 9, the heater assembly 200 may include a chamber 210, a wick 220, and a heater 230. The chamber 210 is formed in the interior space of the heater assembly 200, and in the chamber 210, the liquid composition flowing from the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 may be heated by the heater 230 to generate an aerosol.

[0198] According to one embodiment, the chamber 210 is fluidly connected or fluidly communicated with the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 through a liquid inlet, and the liquid composition stored in the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 can flow into the chamber 210 through the liquid inlet.

[0199] Wick 220 is disposed in a region adjacent to the liquid inlet inside chamber 210 and can absorb the liquid composition that flows through the liquid inlet into chamber 210. For example, at least a region of wick 220 is disposed opposite the liquid inlet and can absorb the liquid composition that flows through the liquid inlet into chamber 210.

[0200] According to one embodiment, wick 220 may include ceramic fibers or porous ceramic for absorbing the liquid composition. In other words, wick 220 is a ceramic wick. However, wick 220 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and according to embodiments, wick 220 may be formed of other materials (e.g., cotton, glass, etc.).

[0201] Heater 230 is disposed on one side of wick 220 (e.g., the side facing the +y direction) and can heat the liquid composition absorbed in wick 220. For example, heater 230 can heat the liquid composition absorbed in wick 220 using power supplied from a battery in the main body (e.g., main body 300 in FIG. 2A or 2B ).

[0202] The heater 230 may include a metal material that generates heat through electrical resistance. For example, the heater 230 may include stainless steel to prevent corrosion by the liquid composition absorbed in the wick 220, but the metal material of the heater 230 is not limited thereto. As another example, the heater 230 may include a metal material such as copper, nickel, or tungsten.

[0203] According to one embodiment, the heater 230 may include a conductive pattern printed on one side of the core 220. For example, the heater 230 may be formed by printing a metal material (e.g., stainless steel) in a predetermined pattern shape on the side of the core 220 facing the +y direction, but is not limited to this.

[0204] According to another embodiment, the heater 230 may include a conductive pattern that is insert-injected into one side of the core 220. For example, the heater 230 may be formed by insert-injecting a metal material (e.g., stainless steel) into a predetermined pattern shape into the side of the core 220. However, the method of forming the heater 230 or the shape of the heater 230 are not limited to those of the above-described embodiment. According to yet another embodiment (not shown), the heater 230 may include a conductive plate disposed on one side of the core 220.

[0205] The heater 230 is disposed on the side of the wick 220, so that vapor can be generated by heating the liquid composition in a region of the chamber 210 adjacent to the side of the wick 220. The vapor generated from the liquid composition can be mixed with outside air flowing into the chamber 210 through the air inlet 202.

[0206] In this case, the outside air may flow into the heater assembly 200 through the air inlet 202 and then move into the chamber 210. The chamber 210 may connect the air inlet 202 and the air outlet 203 to form a flow path through which the outside air and / or aerosol moves.

[0207] According to one embodiment, a region of the passage connecting the air inlet 202 and the chamber 210 may be formed inside the heater assembly 200 and extend along the edge of the heater assembly 200 .

[0208] The vapor generated by heating the liquid composition by heater 230 mixes with the ambient air flowing into chamber 210, resulting in the generation of aerosol in a region adjacent to the side of wick 220 of chamber 210. The generated aerosol and / or ambient air may be discharged to the outside of heater assembly 200 through air outlet 203.

[0209] The aerosol and / or outside air discharged to the outside of the heater assembly 200 can be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 1 through the airflow passage 400. The aerosol and / or outside air can be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 1 along the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage 400 (e.g., the +z direction).

[0210] 10A to 10F are enlarged cross-sectional views of the reservoir of the cartridge according to the embodiment.

[0211] 10A to 10F, the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 means the longest longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100. The longest longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generation device 1. The longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 means the z-axis direction in FIGS. 10A to 10F.

[0212] According to one embodiment, the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 may include therein an oxidation catalyst 500. The storage tank 110 may not only contain a liquid composition containing nicotine and an acid, but also include the oxidation catalyst 500. The oxidation catalyst 500 may be included in the storage tank 110 in various shapes, arrangements, and numbers.

[0213] The oxidation catalyst 500 is disposed inside the storage tank 110, and an additional nicotine salt can be formed by contacting the nicotine in the liquid composition with the oxidation catalyst 500. The liquid composition contains nicotine and an acid, and therefore the nicotine salt is already present in the liquid composition. However, the additional formation of the nicotine salt by the oxidation catalyst 500 can improve the user's satisfaction with smoking.

[0214] The oxidation catalyst 500 is selected from metal oxidation catalysts, chlorine-based catalysts, and combinations thereof.

[0215] For example, the metal oxidation catalyst is one or more selected from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), ruthenium (Ru), rhodium (Rh), silver (Ag), gold (Au), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), vanadium (V), nickel (Ni), and tungsten (W). For example, the chlorine-based catalyst is Cl2, HClO, OC1 - , and ClO2 - and one or more selected from the group consisting of:

[0216] The oxidation catalyst 500 disposed inside the storage tank 110 of the cartridge 100 is made of the above-mentioned material and is in the form of a structure such as plastic that is coated with the above-mentioned material.

[0217] 10A, at least a portion of the oxidation catalyst 500 may be disposed so as to contact the inner wall of the storage tank 110. The oxidation catalyst 500 may be bonded to the inner wall of the storage tank 110 or may be integrally formed with the storage tank 110. The storage tank 110 and the oxidation catalyst 500 may be integrally formed by insert molding.

[0218] The oxidation catalyst 500 can form a nicotine salt by contacting with the liquid composition contained inside the storage tank 110. The oxidation catalyst 500 can be disposed at the bottom of the storage tank 110 to form a nicotine salt even when a small amount of the liquid composition remains. Specifically, the oxidation catalyst 500 can be disposed at the bottom in the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 (e.g., the bottom in the z-axis direction).

[0219] 10A shows that one oxidation catalyst 500 is included, but it is possible to include a plurality of oxidation catalysts 500. Furthermore, the shape and arrangement position of the oxidation catalyst 500 are various.

[0220] 10B, the oxidation catalyst 500 contacts the inner wall of the storage tank 110, and the longitudinal direction of the oxidation catalyst 500 may be arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100. The longitudinal direction of the oxidation catalyst 500 refers to the longest longitudinal direction of the oxidation catalyst 500. The longitudinal direction of the oxidation catalyst 500 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100.

[0221] The oxidation catalyst 500 is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is in contact with the inner wall along the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100 , thereby allowing the liquid composition to smoothly flow out to the liquid outlet 111 .

[0222] Furthermore, by extending the oxidation catalyst 500 to the lower part of the cartridge 100 in the longitudinal direction (e.g., the lower part in the z-axis direction), nicotine salt can be formed even if a small amount of liquid composition remains.

[0223] However, the shape, arrangement position, number, etc. of the oxidation catalyst 500 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 10B, and may be variously set.

[0224] 10B, the oxidation catalyst 500 may be disposed apart from the liquid outlet passage 111a leading to the liquid outlet 111. This arrangement allows the liquid composition to smoothly flow out to the liquid outlet 111.

[0225] 10C, one side of the oxidation catalyst 500 faces the inner wall of the cartridge 100, and the other side of the oxidation catalyst 500 faces the center of the cartridge 100. The other side of the oxidation catalyst 500 may have a plurality of irregularities. The irregularities formed on the other side of the oxidation catalyst 500 may increase contact between the nicotine and the oxidation catalyst 500. The shape of the irregularities is not limited to the shape shown in the figure and may be formed in various ways.

[0226] 10C, the oxidation catalyst 500 may be disposed apart from the liquid outlet passage 111a leading to the liquid outlet 111. The liquid outlet passage 111a is a passage through which the liquid composition stored in the storage tank 110 flows toward the liquid outlet 111. This arrangement allows the liquid composition to smoothly flow out to the liquid outlet 111.

[0227] Referring to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 10D, the oxidation catalyst 500 may be disposed on the inner wall of the liquid outlet passage 111a of the storage tank 110.

[0228] By arranging the oxidation catalyst 500 on the inner wall of the liquid outlet passage 111a, even if a small amount of liquid composition remains, the oxidation catalyst 500 can come into contact with nicotine passing through the liquid outlet passage 111a and form a nicotine salt.

[0229] 10E, the oxidation catalyst 500 is at least partially mesh-shaped. Although the oxidation catalyst 500 is shown as being entirely mesh-shaped in FIG. 10E, only a portion of the oxidation catalyst 500 may be formed in a mesh shape.

[0230] The mesh-like formation of the oxidation catalyst 500 can increase the contact between the nicotine in the liquid composition contained in the storage tank 110 and the oxidation catalyst 500. Therefore, the increased formation of nicotine salt can improve the user's satisfaction with smoking.

[0231] The smaller the pore size of the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500, the greater the contact area between the nicotine and the oxidation catalyst 500. However, the smaller the pore size, the more difficult it is for the liquid composition to flow. Therefore, the pore size can be appropriately set taking into consideration the above-mentioned influences.

[0232] The mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500 may be arranged such that its longitudinal direction is transverse to the longitudinal direction of the cartridge 100. When the oxidation catalyst 500 is mesh-shaped, the liquid composition can flow smoothly even if the oxidation catalyst 500 is arranged in a direction transverse to the flow direction of the liquid composition, i.e., the direction in which the liquid is discharged to the heater assembly 200 through the liquid outlet 111 (e.g., the -z direction).

[0233] Referring to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 10F, the oxidation catalyst 500 may be at least partially mesh-shaped and may be arranged in a direction (eg, x-axis direction) transverse to the longitudinal direction (eg, z-axis direction) of the liquid outlet passage 111a.

[0234] By arranging the oxidation catalyst 500 in the liquid outlet passage 111a, even if a small amount of liquid composition remains, the oxidation catalyst 500 can come into contact with nicotine passing through the liquid outlet passage 111a to form a nicotine salt. Furthermore, by arranging the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst 500, the liquid composition can flow smoothly even if the oxidation catalyst 500 is arranged in a direction crossing the flow direction of the liquid composition (for example, the -z direction).

[0235] According to an embodiment, a plurality of oxidation catalysts 500 may be included in the storage tank 110. The arrangements and shapes of the oxidation catalysts 500 described above may be mixed.

[0236] Although FIGS. 10A to 10F show an embodiment in which one oxidation catalyst 500 is disposed inside the storage tank 110, the amount and number of oxidation catalysts 500 can be appropriately selected.

[0237] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0238] The aerosol generation device 1 includes a power supply 11, a control unit 20, a sensor 13, an output unit 14, an input unit 15, a communication unit 16, a memory 17, and at least one heater 18, 24. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generation device 1 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 11. That is, it is understandable to a person skilled in the art of the present embodiment that, depending on the design of the aerosol generation device 1, some of the components shown in Fig. 11 may be omitted or new components may be added.

[0239] The sensor 13 can sense the state of the aerosol generation device 1 or the state around the aerosol generation device 1 and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 20. Based on the sensed information, the control unit 20 can control the aerosol generation device 1 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18, restricting smoking, determining whether the stick S and / or the cartridge 19 is inserted, and displaying notifications.

[0240] The sensors 13 include at least one of a temperature sensor 131 , a puff sensor 132 , an insertion detection sensor 133 , a reuse detection sensor 134 , a cartridge detection sensor 135 , a cap detection sensor 136 , and a movement detection sensor 137 .

[0241] The temperature sensor 131 can sense the temperature to which the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 is heated. The aerosol generating device 1 may include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18, or the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 itself may function as a temperature sensor.

[0242] The temperature sensor 131 can output a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. For example, the temperature sensor 131 includes a resistive element whose resistance value changes in response to a change in temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. The temperature sensor 131 can be implemented using a thermistor, which is an element that utilizes the property of changing resistance depending on temperature. In this case, the temperature sensor 131 can output a signal corresponding to the resistance value of the resistive element as a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. For example, the temperature sensor 131 is configured with a sensor that detects the resistance value of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. In this case, the temperature sensor 131 can output a signal corresponding to the resistance value of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18 as a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18.

[0243] Temperature sensor 131 may be disposed around power supply 11 to monitor the temperature of power supply 11. Temperature sensor 131 may be disposed adjacent to power supply 11. For example, temperature sensor 131 may be attached to one side of a battery that is power supply 11. For example, temperature sensor 131 may be mounted on one side of a printed circuit board.

[0244] The temperature sensor 131 is disposed inside the main body and is capable of sensing the internal temperature of the main body.

[0245] The puff sensor 132 can detect a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow path. The puff sensor 132 can output a signal corresponding to the puff. For example, the puff sensor 132 can also be a pressure sensor. The puff sensor 132 can output a signal corresponding to the internal pressure of the aerosol generation device 1. Here, the internal pressure of the aerosol generation device 1 corresponds to the pressure of the airflow path through which the gas flows. The puff sensor 132 can be arranged in the aerosol generation device 1 corresponding to the airflow path through which the gas flows.

[0246] The insertion detection sensor 133 can detect the insertion and / or removal of the stick S. The insertion detection sensor 133 can detect a signal change caused by the insertion and / or removal of the stick S. The insertion detection sensor 133 can be installed around the insertion space. The insertion detection sensor 133 can detect the insertion and / or removal of the stick S based on a change in the dielectric constant inside the insertion space. For example, the insertion detection sensor 133 can be an inductive sensor and / or a capacitance sensor.

[0247] The inductive sensor includes at least one coil. The coil of the inductive sensor is disposed adjacent to the insertion space. For example, when a magnetic field changes around a coil through which a current flows, the characteristics of the current flowing through the coil may change according to Faraday's law. Here, the characteristics of the current flowing through the coil include the frequency, current value, voltage value, inductance value, impedance value, etc. of the alternating current.

[0248] An inductive sensor can output a signal corresponding to a characteristic of the current flowing through a coil, for example, the inductance value of the coil.

[0249] The capacitance sensor includes a conductor. The conductor of the capacitance sensor is disposed adjacent to the insertion space. The capacitance sensor can output a signal corresponding to the surrounding electromagnetic characteristics, for example, the capacitance around the conductor. For example, when a stick S including a metal wrapper is inserted into the insertion space, the wrapper of the stick S may change the electromagnetic characteristics around the conductor.

[0250] The reuse detection sensor 134 can detect whether the stick S has been reused. The reuse detection sensor 134 is also a color sensor. The color sensor can detect the color of the stick S. The color sensor can detect the color of a part of the wrapper surrounding the outside of the stick S. The color sensor can detect a value related to an optical characteristic corresponding to the color of an object based on light reflected from the object. For example, the optical characteristic can be the wavelength of light. The color sensor may be implemented as one component together with the proximity sensor, or as a separate component separate from the proximity sensor.

[0251] At least a portion of the bells constituting the stick S may change color due to the aerosol. The reuse detection sensor 134 may be disposed corresponding to a position where at least a portion of the bells, the color of which changes due to the aerosol, is disposed when the stick S is inserted into the insertion space. For example, before the stick S is used by a user, the color of at least a portion of the bells is a first color. In this case, while the aerosol generated by the aerosol generation device 1 passes through the stick S, at least a portion of the bells may be wetted by the aerosol, thereby changing the color of at least a portion of the bells to a second color. Meanwhile, after the color of at least a portion of the bells is changed from the first color to the second color, the color may be maintained at the second color.

[0252] The cartridge detection sensor 135 can detect the installation and / or removal of the cartridge 19. The cartridge detection sensor 135 can be implemented by an inductance-based sensor, a capacitance-type sensor, a resistance sensor, a hall sensor (hall IC) using the hall effect, or the like.

[0253] The cap detection sensor 136 can detect the attachment and / or removal of the cap. When the cap is separated from the body, the cartridge 19 and a part of the body that were covered by the cap may be exposed to the outside. The cap detection sensor 136 may be implemented by a contact sensor, a hall sensor (hall IC), an optical sensor, etc.

[0254] The motion detection sensor 137 can detect the motion of the aerosol generating device 1. The motion detection sensor 137 is implemented by at least one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

[0255] The sensor 13 may further include at least one of a humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a position sensor (GPS), and a proximity sensor in addition to the above-mentioned sensors 131 to 137. The function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred by an ordinary engineer from its name, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0256] The output unit 14 can output and provide to the user information about the status of the aerosol generation device 1. The output unit 14 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a display 141, a haptic unit 142, and an audio output unit 143. When the display 141 and the touchpad form a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display 141 is used as an input device in addition to an output device.

[0257] The display 141 can visually provide a user with information about the aerosol generation device 1. For example, the information about the aerosol generation device 1 can mean various information such as the charge / discharge status of the power supply 11 of the aerosol generation device 1, the preheating status of the heater 18, the insertion / removal status of the stick S and / or cartridge 19, the attachment / removal status of a cap, or a status that restricts the use of the aerosol generation device 1 (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display 141 can output the information to the outside. For example, the display 141 can be in the form of an LED light-emitting element. For example, the display 141 can be a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light-emitting display panel (OLED), etc.

[0258] The haptic unit 142 can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus and provide a user with tactile information about the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the haptic unit 142 generates a vibration corresponding to the completion of initial preheating when initial power is supplied to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 for a set time. The haptic unit 142 may include a vibration motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0259] The acoustic output unit 143 can audibly provide the user with information about the aerosol generation device 1. For example, the acoustic output unit 143 can convert an electric signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0260] The power source 11 can supply power used to operate the aerosol generation device 1. The power source 11 can supply power to heat the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18. The power source 11 can also supply power necessary for the operation of other components provided in the aerosol generation device 1, such as the sensor 13, the output unit 14, the input unit 15, the communication unit 16, and the memory 17. The power source 11 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the power source 11 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited to this.

[0261] 11, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include a power protection circuit. The power protection circuit is electrically connected to the power supply 11 and may include a switching element.

[0262] The power supply protection circuit can cut off the electrical path to the power supply 11 under predetermined conditions. For example, the power supply protection circuit can cut off the electrical path to the power supply 11 when the voltage level of the power supply 11 is equal to or higher than a first voltage corresponding to overcharging. For example, the power supply protection circuit can cut off the electrical path to the power supply 11 when the voltage level of the power supply 11 is lower than a second voltage corresponding to overdischarging.

[0263] Heater 18 can heat the medium or aerosol-generating substance in stick S by receiving power from power supply 11. Although not shown in Fig. 11, aerosol generation device 1 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter) that converts the power of power supply 11 and supplies it to cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18. Furthermore, when aerosol generation device 1 generates aerosol by induction heating, aerosol generation device 1 may further include a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power of power supply 11 into AC power.

[0264] The control unit 20, the sensor 13, the output unit 14, the input unit 15, the communication unit 16, and the memory 17 can function by receiving power from the power supply 11. Although not shown in FIG. 11 , the aerosol generating device 1 may further include a power conversion circuit, such as an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power from the power supply 11 and supplies it to each component. Also, although not shown in FIG. 11 , a noise filter may be provided between the power supply 11 and the heater 18. The noise filter may also be a low-pass filter. The low-pass filter may include at least one inductor and capacitor. The cutoff frequency of the low-pass filter corresponds to the frequency of the high-frequency switching current applied from the power supply 11 to the heater 18. The low-pass filter can prevent high-frequency noise components from being applied to the sensors 13, such as the insertion detection sensor 133.

[0265] In one embodiment, the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18 may be made 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 18 may be embodied by, but is not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate having a conductive track disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0266] In other embodiments, heater 18 is an induction heater. For example, heater 18 may include a susceptor that generates heat via a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol-generating material.

[0267] The input unit 15 can receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the input unit 15 can be a touch panel. The touch panel can include at least one touch sensor that detects a touch. For example, the touch sensor can include, but is not limited to, a capacitive touch sensor, a resistive touch sensor, a surface acoustic wave touch sensor, an infrared touch sensor, etc.

[0268] The display 141 and the touch panel may be implemented as a single panel. For example, the touch panel may be inserted (on-cell type or in-cell type) into the display 141. For example, the touch panel may be an add-on type on the display 141.

[0269] Meanwhile, the input unit 15 includes, but is not limited to, a button, a keypad, a dome switch, a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

[0270] The memory 17 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generation device 1 and can store data that has been processed by the control unit 20 and data to be processed by the control unit 20. The memory 17 includes at least one type of recording medium selected from the group consisting of flash memory, hard disk, micro multimedia card, 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 17 can store data related to the operation time of the aerosol generation device 1, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern.

[0271] The communication unit 16 includes at least one component for communicating with other electronic devices, such as at least one of a short-range communication unit and a wireless communication unit.

[0272] The short-range wireless communication unit includes, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, a Near Field Communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee 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, etc.

[0273] The wireless communication unit includes, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (eg, LAN or WAN) communication unit, and the like.

[0274] Although not shown in Figure 11, the aerosol generating device 1 further includes a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface, and can connect to other external devices through the connection interface such as the USB interface to send and receive information or charge the power source 11.

[0275] The control unit 20 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 1. In one embodiment, the control unit 20 includes at least one processor. The processor may be embodied as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be embodied by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. Those skilled in the art will understand that the controller 20 may also be embodied by other forms of hardware.

[0276] The control unit 20 can control the temperature of the heater 18 by controlling the supply of power from the power source 11 to the heater 18. The control unit 20 can control the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 based on the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 sensed by the temperature sensor 131. The control unit 20 can adjust the power supplied to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 based on the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18. For example, the control unit 20 can determine a target temperature for the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 based on a temperature profile stored in the memory 17.

[0277] The aerosol generating device 1 may include a power supply circuit (not shown) electrically connected to the power supply 11 between the power supply 11 and the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18. The power supply circuit may be electrically connected to the cartridge heater 24, the heater 18, or the induction coil. The power supply circuit includes at least one switching element. The switching element may be implemented by a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a field effect transistor (FET), or the like. The control unit 20 may control the power supply circuit.

[0278] The control unit 20 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of the switching elements of the power supply circuit. The power supply circuit also serves as an inverter that converts DC power output from the power source 11 into AC power. For example, the inverter is configured as a full-bridge circuit or a half-bridge circuit including multiple switching elements.

[0279] The control unit 20 can turn on the switching element so that power is supplied from the power source 11 to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18. The control unit 20 can turn off the switching element so that power supply to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 is cut off. The control unit 20 can adjust the frequency and / or duty ratio of the current pulse input to the switching element to adjust the current supplied from the power source 11.

[0280] The control unit 20 can control the voltage output from the power supply 11 by controlling the switching of the switching element of the power supply circuit. The power conversion circuit can convert the voltage output from the power supply 11. For example, the power conversion circuit includes a buck converter that reduces the voltage output from the power supply 11. For example, the power conversion circuit can be implemented using a buck-boost converter, a Zener diode, etc.

[0281] The control unit 20 controls the on / off operation of a switching element included in the power conversion circuit to adjust the level of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit. When the on state of the switching element is maintained, the level of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit corresponds to the level of the voltage output from the power source 11. The duty ratio of the on / off operation of the switching element corresponds to the ratio of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit to the voltage output from the power source 11. As the duty ratio of the on / off operation of the switching element decreases, the level of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit may decrease. The heater 18 may be heated based on the voltage output from the power conversion circuit.

[0282] The control unit 20 can control the supply of power to the heater 18 using at least one of a pulse width modulation (PWM) method and a proportional-integral-differential (PID) method.

[0283] For example, the control unit 20 can use a PWM method to control current pulses having a predetermined frequency and duty ratio to be supplied to the heater 18. The control unit 20 can adjust the frequency and duty ratio of the current pulses to control the power supplied to the heater 18.

[0284] For example, the control unit 20 can determine a target temperature based on the temperature profile, and can control the power supplied to the heater 18 using a PID method, which is a feedback control method that uses the difference between the temperature of the heater 18 and the target temperature, the value obtained by integrating the difference over time, and the value obtained by differentiating the difference over time.

[0285] The control unit 20 can prevent the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 from overheating. For example, the control unit 20 can control the operation of the power conversion circuit to interrupt the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 when the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 exceeds a predetermined limit temperature. For example, the control unit 20 can reduce the amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 by a certain percentage when the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 exceeds a predetermined limit temperature. For example, the control unit 20 can determine that the aerosol-generating material contained in the cartridge 19 has been consumed when the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 exceeds a predetermined limit temperature, and can interrupt the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24.

[0286] The control unit 20 can control the charging and discharging of the power supply 11. The control unit 20 can check the temperature of the power supply 11 based on the output signal of the temperature sensor 131.

[0287] When a power line is connected to the battery terminal of the aerosol generating device 1, the control unit 20 can check whether the temperature of the power source 11 is equal to or higher than a first limit temperature, which is a criterion for cutting off charging of the power source 11. When the temperature of the power source 11 is lower than the first limit temperature, the control unit 20 can control the power source 11 to be charged based on a predetermined charging current. When the temperature of the power source 11 is equal to or higher than the first limit temperature, the control unit 20 can cut off charging of the power source 11.

[0288] When the aerosol generating device 1 is powered on, the control unit 20 can check whether the temperature of the power source 11 is equal to or higher than a second limit temperature, which is a criterion for cutting off the discharge of the power source 11. If the temperature of the power source 11 is lower than the second limit temperature, the control unit 20 can control the power source 11 to use the power stored in the power source 11. If the temperature of the power source 11 is equal to or higher than the second limit temperature, the control unit 20 can stop the use of the power stored in the power source 11.

[0289] The control unit 20 may calculate the remaining capacity of the power stored in the power source 11. For example, the control unit 20 may calculate the remaining capacity of the power source 11 based on the voltage and / or current sensing value of the power source 11.

[0290] The control unit 20 can determine whether the stick S is inserted into the insertion space through the insertion detection sensor 133. The control unit 20 can determine that the stick S has been inserted based on the output signal of the insertion detection sensor 133. If it is determined that the stick S has been inserted into the insertion space, the control unit 20 can control the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 to supply power. For example, the control unit 20 can supply power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 based on the temperature profile stored in the memory 17.

[0291] The control unit 20 can determine whether the stick S has been removed from the insertion space. For example, the control unit 20 can determine whether the stick S has been removed from the insertion space through the insertion detection sensor 133. For example, the control unit 20 can determine that the stick S has been removed from the insertion space when the temperature of the heater 18 is equal to or higher than a limit temperature or when the temperature change gradient of the heater 18 is equal to or higher than a set gradient. When it is determined that the stick S has been removed from the insertion space, the control unit 20 can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18.

[0292] The control unit 20 can control the time and / or amount of power supply to the heater 18 depending on the state of the stick S sensed by the sensor 13. The control unit 20 can check the level range that includes the level of the signal from the capacitance sensor based on a lookup table. The control unit 20 can determine the amount of moisture in the stick S based on the checked level range.

[0293] When the stick S is in an over-humid state, the control unit 20 controls the time for which power is supplied to the heater 18, and can increase the pre-heating time of the stick S compared to when the stick S is in a normal state.

[0294] The control unit 20 can determine whether the stick S inserted into the insertion space is reused through the reuse detection sensor 134. For example, the control unit 20 can compare the sensing value of the signal from the reuse detection sensor 134 with a first reference range including a first color, and determine that the stick S has not been used if the sensing value is within the first reference range. For example, the control unit 20 can compare the sensing value of the signal from the reuse detection sensor 134 with a second reference range including a second color, and determine that the stick S has been used if the sensing value is within the second reference range. If it is determined that the stick S has been used, the control unit 20 can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18.

[0295] The control unit 20 can determine whether to connect and / or remove the cartridge 19 through the cartridge detection sensor 135. For example, the control unit 20 can determine whether to connect and / or remove the cartridge 19 based on the sensing value of the signal of the cartridge detection sensor 135.

[0296] The control unit 20 can determine whether the aerosol generating material in the cartridge 19 has been exhausted. For example, the control unit 20 can apply power to preheat the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, determine whether the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 exceeds a limit temperature during the preheating period, and determine that the aerosol generating material in the cartridge 19 has been exhausted if the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 exceeds the limit temperature. If the control unit 20 determines that the aerosol generating material in the cartridge 19 has been exhausted, it can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18.

[0297] The control unit 20 can determine whether the cartridge 19 can be used. For example, the control unit 20 can determine that the cartridge 19 cannot be used if the current number of puffs is equal to or greater than the maximum number of puffs set for the cartridge 19 based on the data stored in the memory 17. For example, the control unit 20 can determine that the cartridge 19 cannot be used if the total time that the cartridge heater 24 has been heated is equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum time, or if the total amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater 24 is equal to or greater than a predetermined maximum amount of power.

[0298] The control unit 20 can determine whether the user is inhaling through the puff sensor 132. For example, the control unit 20 can determine whether a puff has occurred based on the sensed value of the signal from the puff sensor 132. For example, the control unit 20 can determine the strength of the puff based on the sensed value of the signal from the puff sensor 132. If the number of puffs reaches a predetermined maximum number of puffs or if no puffs are sensed for a predetermined period of time or longer, the control unit 20 can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18.

[0299] The control unit 20 may determine whether the cap is attached and / or removed through the cap detection sensor 136. For example, the control unit 20 may determine whether the cap is attached and / or removed based on the sensing value of the signal of the cap detection sensor 136.

[0300] The control unit 20 can control the output unit 14 based on the results sensed by the sensor 13. For example, if the number of puffs counted by the puff sensor 132 reaches a predetermined number, the control unit 20 can notify the user through at least one of the display 141, the haptic unit 142, and the audio output unit 143 that the aerosol generating device 1 will soon be shut down. For example, the control unit 20 can notify the user through the output unit 14 based on the determination that the stick S is not present in the insertion space. For example, the control unit 20 can notify the user through the output unit 14 based on the determination that the cartridge 19 and / or the cap are not attached. For example, the control unit 20 can transmit information about the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or the heater 18 to the user through the output unit 14.

[0301] The control unit 20 can store and update a history of events that have occurred in the memory 17 based on the occurrence of a predetermined event. The events include, for example, detection of insertion of the stick S, start of heating of the stick S, detection of puffing, end of puffing, detection of overheating of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, detection of overvoltage application to the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, end of heating of the stick S, operations such as turning the power of the aerosol generation device 1 on / off, start of charging the power source 11, detection of overcharging of the power source 11, and end of charging the power source 11, which are performed in the aerosol generation device 1. The history of events includes the date and time when the event occurred, log data corresponding to the event, etc. For example, if the predetermined event is detection of insertion of the stick S, the log data corresponding to the event includes data on the sensing value of the insertion detection sensor 133, etc. For example, if a given event is the detection of overheating of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, the log data corresponding to the event may include data regarding the temperature of the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, the voltage applied to the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, the current flowing through the cartridge heater 24 and / or heater 18, etc.

[0302] The control unit 20 can control the establishment of a communication link with an external device such as a user's mobile terminal. When authentication-related data is received from the external device through the communication link, the control unit 20 can remove the restriction on the use of at least one function of the aerosol generation device 1. Here, the authentication-related data includes data indicating the completion of user authentication for the user corresponding to the external device. The user can perform user authentication through the external device. The external device can determine whether user data is valid based on the user's birthday, a unique number identifying the user, etc., and receive data regarding the usage authority of the aerosol generation device 1 from an external server. The external device can transmit data indicating the completion of user authentication to the aerosol generation device 1 based on the data regarding the usage authority. When user authentication is completed, the control unit 20 can remove the restriction on the use of at least one function of the aerosol generation device 1. For example, when user authentication is completed, the control unit 20 can remove the restriction on the use of the heating function that supplies power to the heater 18.

[0303] The control unit 20 can transmit data related to the status of the aerosol generation device 1 to the external device through a communication link formed with the external device. Based on the received status data, the external device can output the remaining capacity of the power source 11 of the aerosol generation device 1, the operation mode, etc. through a display of the external device.

[0304] The external device may transmit a location search request to the aerosol generation device 1 based on an input to start a location search of the aerosol generation device 1. When receiving a location search request from the external device, the control unit 20 may control at least one of the output devices to perform an operation corresponding to the location search based on the received location search request. For example, the haptic unit 142 may generate a vibration in response to the location search request. For example, the display 141 may output an object corresponding to the location search and the end of the search in response to the location search request.

[0305] The control unit 20 can control to perform a firmware update when it receives firmware data from an external device. The external device can check the current version of the firmware of the aerosol generation device 1 and determine whether a new version of the firmware exists. When the external device receives an input requesting a firmware download, it can receive firmware data of the new version and transmit the firmware data of the new version to the aerosol generation device 1. The control unit 20 can control to perform a firmware update of the aerosol generation device 1 by receiving the firmware data of the new version.

[0306] The control unit 20 may transmit data related to sensing values ​​of at least one sensor 13 to an external server (not shown) via the communication unit 16 and receive and store a learning model generated by learning the sensing values ​​through machine learning, such as deep learning, from the server. The control unit 20 may perform operations such as determining a user's inhalation pattern and generating a temperature profile using the learning model received from the server. The control unit 20 may store sensing value data of at least one sensor 13 and data for training an artificial neural network (ANN) in the memory 17. For example, the memory 17 may store a database related to each component included in the aerosol generation device 1, weights and biases constituting the artificial neural network (ANN) structure, for training the artificial neural network (ANN). The control unit 20 may learn data related to sensing values ​​of at least one sensor 13, a user's inhalation pattern, a temperature profile, and the like stored in the memory 17, and generate at least one learning model used for determining a user's inhalation pattern, generating a temperature profile, and the like.

[0307] The above-described embodiments of the present invention or other embodiments are not mutually exclusive or distinct, and the respective configurations or functions of the above-described embodiments of the present invention or other embodiments may be used together or combined.

[0308] For example, it means that a configuration A described in a particular embodiment and / or drawing can be combined with a configuration B described in another embodiment and / or drawing. In other words, even if a combination between components is not directly described, it means that the combination is possible unless it is described that the combination is impossible.

[0309] The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect, but should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent range of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. In the aerosol generating device, a vaporizer including a storage tank containing a liquid composition including nicotine and an acid, and a heater assembly for heating the liquid composition to generate an aerosol; an airflow passage through which the aerosol generated in the vaporizer is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device, An aerosol generating device, wherein an oxidation catalyst is contained in at least one of the inside of the air flow passage and the inside of the storage tank.

2. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the oxidation catalyst is selected from a metal oxidation catalyst, a chlorine-based catalyst, and a combination thereof.

3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the oxidation catalyst is in the form of a mesh.

4. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the airflow passage further includes a vortex forming member that contains an oxidation catalyst therein and forms a vortex around the oxidation catalyst.

5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 , wherein the vortex generating member extends from the inner wall of the airflow passage in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the airflow passage and is spaced apart from the oxidation catalyst by a predetermined distance to form a vortex.

6. The longitudinal direction of the vortex flow generating member is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the air flow passage, One surface of the vortex flow generating member faces the inner wall of the airflow passage, and the other surface faces the center of the airflow passage, The aerosol generating device according to claim 4 , wherein the other surface of the vortex generating member has a plurality of vortex generating portions.

7. The aerosol generating device according to claim 6 , wherein the oxidation catalyst is disposed between a plurality of the vortex forming portions.

8. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the airflow passage includes a mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst therein, and further includes a vortex forming member that forms a vortex around the oxidation catalyst.

9. 9. The aerosol generating device according to claim 8, wherein the vortex forming members are plural, extend from the inner wall of the air flow passage in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the air flow passage, and the plural vortex forming members are arranged spaced apart from each other.

10. The longitudinal direction of the vortex flow generating member is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the air flow passage, One surface of the vortex flow generating member faces the inner wall of the airflow passage, and the other surface faces the center of the airflow passage, The aerosol generating device according to claim 8 , wherein the other surface of the vortex generating member has a plurality of vortex generating portions.

11. The aerosol generating device according to claim 10 , wherein the oxidation catalyst is disposed between a plurality of the vortex forming portions.

12. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the airflow passage includes a mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst therein, the mesh-shaped oxidation catalyst being disposed in a direction crossing the extension direction of the airflow passage.

13. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the storage tank contains an oxidation catalyst therein, and at least a portion of the oxidation catalyst is arranged so as to contact an inner wall of the storage tank.

14. The aerosol generating device according to claim 13 , wherein the longitudinal direction of the oxidation catalyst is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the storage tank.

15. The aerosol generating device according to claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the oxidation catalyst is mesh-shaped, and the longitudinal direction of the oxidation catalyst is disposed in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the storage tank.

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