Aerosol generator power supply unit

Abstract

A power supply unit (10) for an aerosol inhaler (1) comprises: a power supply (BAT); a positive-electrode-side discharge terminal (41a) and a negative-electrode-side discharge terminal (41b), each having connected thereto either a heater (21) that consumes electric power supplied from the power supply (BAT) and generates an aerosol from an aerosol source (22) or a coil that feeds electric power to a load by electromagnetic induction; and an MCU mounting substrate (7) including a main surface (7a) on which the positive-electrode-side discharge terminal (41a) is installed and an auxiliary surface (7b) on which the negative-electrode-side discharge terminal (41b) is installed.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device. [Background technology]

[0002] In the power supply units of the aerosol generation devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the discharge terminal connected to the heater is indirectly connected to the circuit board via a wire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] China Patent Publication No. 111096480 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 6633788 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the power supply units of the aerosol generation devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the discharge terminals are connected to a circuit board via wiring, which is an obstacle to miniaturization.

[0005] The present invention provides a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device that can be miniaturized. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device of the present invention comprises: Power supply, a load that consumes the power supplied from the power source to generate an aerosol from an aerosol source, or a positive discharge terminal and a negative discharge terminal to which a coil that transmits power to the load by electromagnetic induction is connected; a circuit board including a first surface on which the positive electrode side discharge terminal is mounted, and a second surface which is a surface opposite to the first surface and on which the negative electrode side discharge terminal is mounted; a cylindrical housing that houses the power supply and the circuit board; Equipped with the circuit board is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the direction in which the center line of the housing extends; When viewed from the extension direction, the circuit board is disposed inside the housing so as to pass through the center line, An imaginary line connecting the center of the positive discharge terminal and the center of the negative discharge terminal passes through the center line, When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface, the positive discharge terminal and the negative discharge terminal are arranged on the circuit board so as not to overlap each other, Electronic components are mounted on the circuit board, The electronic component is mounted so as to at least partially overlap, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the circuit board, a positive electrode side discharge terminal projection area of ​​the second surface onto which the positive electrode side discharge terminal is projected, or a negative electrode side discharge terminal projection area of ​​the first surface onto which the negative electrode side discharge terminal is projected. . Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, since the positive discharge terminal and the negative discharge terminal are mounted on a circuit board, the power supply unit of the aerosol generation device can be made smaller. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol inhalator 1. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the aerosol inhalator 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the aerosol inhalator 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the power supply unit 10. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the power supply unit 10. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a power supply unit 10. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the power supply unit 10 with the case 11 removed. [Figure 8] 2 is a diagram showing a main surface layer 71a of the MCU mounted board 7. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a diagram showing a second wiring layer 74a of the MCU mounted board 7. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a diagram showing a secondary surface layer 71b of the MCU mounted board 7. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing a fourth wiring layer 74b of the MCU mounted board 7. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the MCU mounted board 7 and a discharge terminal 41. FIG. [Figure 13] 2 is a cross-sectional view of an MCU mounting board 7. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] The power supply unit of the aerosol generation device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, the aerosol generation device equipped with the power supply unit (hereinafter referred to as an aerosol inhaler) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0010] (Aerosol inhaler) The aerosol inhaler 1 is a device for inhaling flavored aerosol without combustion, and has a rod shape extending along a predetermined direction (hereinafter referred to as the X direction). As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the aerosol inhaler 1 includes a power supply unit 10, a first cartridge 20, and a second cartridge 30, which are provided in this order along the X direction. The first cartridge 20 may be detachable from the power supply unit 10, and the second cartridge 30 is detachable from the first cartridge 20. In other words, the first cartridge 20 and the second cartridge 30 are each replaceable with respect to the power supply unit 10. The second cartridge 30 is also replaceable with respect to the first cartridge 20. The first cartridge 20 may be fitted and fixed to the power supply unit 10, so that the user cannot easily attach or detach it.

[0011] (Power supply unit) As shown in Figures 3 to 5 and 7, the power supply unit 10 of this embodiment is configured by accommodating a battery pack BP, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 50, an MCU mounted board 7, a receptacle mounted board 8, etc. inside a cylindrical case 11.

[0012] The power source BAT contained in the battery pack BP is a rechargeable secondary battery, an electric double layer capacitor, etc., and is preferably a lithium ion secondary battery. The electrolyte of the power source BAT may be one of a gel electrolyte, an electrolytic solution, a solid electrolyte, and an ionic liquid, or a combination of these.

[0013] A discharge terminal 41 is provided on a top portion 11a located on one end side (first cartridge 20 side) of the case 11 in the X direction. The discharge terminal 41 is composed of a positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and a negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b. In this specification, the "positive electrode side" means a side having a higher potential than the "negative electrode side". In other words, the "negative electrode side" means a side having a lower potential than the "positive electrode side". Therefore, the term "positive electrode side" in the following description may be read as "high potential side" and the term "negative electrode side" may be read as "low potential side", respectively.

[0014] The positive electrode discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode discharge terminal 41b are provided so as to protrude from the top portion 11a toward the first cartridge 20, and are configured to be electrically connectable to the heater 21 of the first cartridge 20. In addition, a low floor portion 11b that is lower in height than the top portion 11a is provided around the top portion 11a.

[0015] A charging opening 43 (see FIG. 2) that allows access to the charging terminal 42 is provided in the peripheral wall on the bottom portion 11c side located at the other end side in the X direction of the case 11 (opposite side to the first cartridge 20). The charging terminal 42 is electrically connected to an external power source such as an outlet or a mobile battery to receive power, and in this embodiment is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C shaped receptacle, but is not limited to this. The charging opening 43 may be provided on the bottom surface of the bottom portion 11c side instead of on the peripheral wall on the bottom portion 11c side.

[0016] The charging terminal 42 may include, for example, a power receiving coil and may be configured to be able to contactlessly receive power transmitted from an external power source. In this case, the method of power transmission (Wireless Power Transfer) may be an electromagnetic induction type, a magnetic resonance type, or a combination of the electromagnetic induction type and the magnetic resonance type. As another example, the charging terminal 42 may be connectable to various USB terminals and may include the above-mentioned power receiving coil. With such a configuration, the opportunities for charging the power source BAT can be increased.

[0017] In addition, the case 11 is provided with an operation unit 14 that can be operated by the user, on the peripheral wall of the top part 11a, facing the opposite side to the charging opening 43. The operation unit 14 is composed of a button-type switch, and is used to start / shut off the MCU 50 and various sensors depending on the user's intention. The operation unit 14 may be composed of a touch panel or the like.

[0018] The aerosol inhaler 1 is also provided with a notification unit that notifies various information. The notification unit may be composed of a light-emitting element, a vibration element, or a sound output element. The notification unit may also be a combination of two or more elements among a light-emitting element, a vibration element, and a sound output element. The notification unit may be provided in any of the power supply unit 10, the first cartridge 20, and the second cartridge 30, but is preferably provided in the power supply unit 10 in order to shorten the conductor (i.e., the wiring distance) from the power supply BAT. The notification unit of this embodiment is composed of an LED window 13 provided around the operation unit 14, and LED_L1 and LED_L2 (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 8) described later. The internal configuration of the power supply unit 10 will be described later.

[0019] (1st cartridge) As shown in FIG. 3, the first cartridge 20 is provided with a reservoir 23 for storing the aerosol source 22 inside a cylindrical cartridge case 27, a heater 21 for atomizing and / or vaporizing (hereinafter simply referred to as atomization) the aerosol source 22, a wick 24 for drawing the aerosol source from the reservoir 23 to the heater 21, an aerosol flow path 25 through which the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source 22 flows toward the second cartridge 30, and an end cap 26 for accommodating a portion of the second cartridge 30.

[0020] The reservoir 23 is partitioned so as to surround the periphery of the aerosol flow path 25, and stores the aerosol source 22. The reservoir 23 may contain a porous body such as a resin web or cotton, and the porous body may be impregnated with the aerosol source 22. The reservoir 23 may not contain a resin web or a porous body on the cotton, and may store only the aerosol source 22. The aerosol source 22 includes a liquid such as glycerin, propylene glycol, water, etc. The amount of the aerosol source 22 stored in the reservoir 23 can be visually confirmed through a remaining amount confirmation window 28 (see Figs. 1 and 2) provided in the first cartridge 20. A gap (not shown) serving as an air intake port is formed between the remaining amount confirmation window 28 and the cartridge case 27, and outside air is taken into the inside of the cartridge case 27 through this gap. The air intake port does not necessarily have to be provided around the remaining amount confirmation window 28. For example, a gap may be formed between operation section 14 provided on the power supply unit and LED window 13, and outside air may be taken into case 11 from the gap, or charging opening 43 may be used. Also, a communication hole that communicates between the inside and the outside may be provided in cartridge case 27 or the wall surface of case 11.

[0021] The wick 24 is a liquid retention member that draws the aerosol source 22 from the reservoir 23 to the heater 21 by utilizing capillary action, and is made of, for example, glass fiber or porous ceramic.

[0022] Heater 21 atomizes aerosol source 22 without combustion by power supplied from power source BAT via discharge terminal 41. Heater 21 is composed of an electric heating wire (coil) wound at a predetermined pitch. Heater 21 is an example of a load capable of atomizing aerosol source 22 to generate aerosol, and the load is, for example, a heating element or an ultrasonic generator. Examples of heating elements include a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, and an induction heating heater.

[0023] The aerosol flow path 25 is provided downstream of the heater 21 and on the center line L of the power supply unit 10 (case 11). Note that this center line L is a line that continuously connects in the X direction the center points of the power supply unit 10 (case 11) when the power supply unit 10 (case 11) is cut along a plane perpendicular to the X direction.

[0024] The end cap 26 includes a cartridge accommodating portion 26a that accommodates a portion of the second cartridge 30, and a communication passage 26b that connects the aerosol flow path 25 with the cartridge accommodating portion 26a.

[0025] (2nd cartridge) The second cartridge 30 stores a flavor source 31. The second cartridge 30 is removably housed in a cartridge housing portion 26a provided in the end cap 26 of the first cartridge 20. The end of the second cartridge 30 opposite to the first cartridge 20 side is a mouthpiece 32 for the user. The mouthpiece 32 is not limited to being inseparably formed with the second cartridge 30, but may be configured to be detachable from the second cartridge 30. By configuring the mouthpiece 32 separately from the power supply unit 10 and the first cartridge 20 in this way, the mouthpiece 32 can be kept hygienic.

[0026] The second cartridge 30 imparts flavor to the aerosol by passing the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source 22 by the heater 21 through the flavor source 31. The raw material pieces constituting the flavor source 31 may be cut tobacco or a molded product obtained by molding a tobacco raw material into a granular shape. The flavor source 31 may be made of a plant other than tobacco (e.g., mint, Chinese medicine, herbs, etc.). The flavor source 31 may be imparted with a flavoring such as menthol.

[0027] In the aerosol inhalator 1 of the present embodiment, aerosol with flavor added can be generated by the aerosol source 22, the flavor source 31, and the heater 21. In other words, the aerosol source 22 and the flavor source 31 can be said to be an aerosol generation source that generates aerosol.

[0028] The configuration of the aerosol generation source used in the aerosol inhaler 1 may be a configuration in which the aerosol source 22 and the flavor source 31 are separate entities, a configuration in which the aerosol source 22 and the flavor source 31 are formed integrally, a configuration in which the flavor source 31 is omitted and a substance that can be contained in the flavor source 31 is added to the aerosol source 22, a configuration in which a drug or the like is added to the aerosol source 22 instead of the flavor source 31, etc.

[0029] In the aerosol inhalator 1 configured in this manner, the heater 21 atomizes the aerosol source 22 drawn or moved from the reservoir 23 by the wick 24. The aerosol generated by atomization flows through the aerosol flow path 25 together with air flowing in from a gap (not shown) serving as an air intake formed between the remaining amount confirmation window 28 and the cartridge case 27, and is supplied to the second cartridge 30 via the communication path 26b. The aerosol supplied to the second cartridge 30 is flavored by passing through the flavor source 31, and is supplied to the mouthpiece 32.

[0030] (Circuit configuration of power supply unit 10) Next, the circuit configuration of the power supply unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 6, the electronic components illustrated within the area surrounded by the dashed line are electronic components mounted on the receptacle mounted board 8. That is, the receptacle mounted board 8 includes, as main electronic components, a charging terminal 42 which is a receptacle into which a USB Type-C plug (hereinafter also simply referred to as a USB plug) can be inserted, and a receptacle mounted board side connector Cn1 to which one end of a board connection cable Cb1 which connects the receptacle mounted board 8 and the MCU mounted board 7 is connected. In this embodiment, the board connection cable Cb1 is an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) cable having six printed wirings, but is not limited to this.

[0031] 6, the electronic components illustrated within the range surrounded by the two-dot chain line are electronic components mounted on the MCU mounting board 7. That is, the MCU mounting board 7 includes, as main electronic components, an MCU mounting board side connector Cn2 to which the other end of the board connection cable Cb1 is connected, an MCU 50 that controls the entire aerosol inhaler 1 including the power supply unit 10, a charging IC (Integrated Circuit) 55 that charges the power supply BAT, a protection IC 61 that protects the charging IC 55, an LDO (Low Dropout) regulator 62 that supplies a predetermined voltage to the MCU 50, etc., an inhalation sensor 15 for detecting a puff (inhalation) operation of the user, a discharge terminal 41 (41a, 41b) to which the heater 21 is connected, a DC / DC converter 63 that can supply power to the discharge terminal 41, and a battery connector Cn3 to which a battery connection cable Cb2 that connects the battery pack BP including the power supply BAT and the MCU mounting board 7 is connected.

[0032] The MCU 50, the charging IC 55, the protection IC 61, the LDO regulator 62, the suction sensor 15, and the DC / DC converter 63 are, for example, configured by forming a plurality of circuit elements into chips, and are provided with pins as terminals for electrically connecting the inside and outside of the device. Details of the pins provided in each of these chipped electronic components will be described later. Note that this specification and the like describes only the main pins among the pins provided in each of these chipped electronic components.

[0033] The battery pack BP includes a power source BAT, a fuse FS connected to the positive terminal of the power source BAT, and a thermistor TH connected to the negative terminal of the power source BAT and disposed close to the power source BAT. The thermistor TH is mainly composed of an element having NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) characteristics or PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristics, that is, an element having a correlation between an electric resistance value and a temperature. In this embodiment, the battery connection cable Cb2 connecting the battery pack BP and the MCU mounting board 7 is an FPC cable having three printed patterns, but is not limited to this. The battery connection cable Cb2 may be connected by three wires.

[0034] 6, the wiring indicated by the thick solid line is a wiring connected to a ground provided in the power supply unit 10 (for example, a wiring configured by a ground pattern 78 shown in FIGS. 9 and 11 described later) In other words, this wiring is a wiring having the same potential as the reference potential (ground potential) in the power supply unit 10, and hereinafter is also referred to as a ground line.

[0035] In addition, the power supply unit 10 is provided with a VBUS line Ln1, a VBAT line Ln2, a D+ line Ln3a, a D- line Ln3b, a Power-Path line Ln4, a VSYS line Ln5, and a VHEAT line Ln6 as main wiring other than the ground line. Each of these lines (wiring) is mainly composed of a conductive pattern formed on the MCU mounting board 7. The electronic components connected to each of these lines will be described later.

[0036] In the following, the board connecting cable Cb1, the receptacle mounting board side connector Cn1, and the MCU mounting board side connector Cn2, which are electronic components that connect the receptacle mounting board 8 and the MCU mounting board 7, are collectively referred to as the board connection part CN.

[0037] (Charging terminal and protection IC) The charging terminal 42 includes pins (terminals) connected to the A1 pin, A4 pin, A5 pin, A6 pin, A7 pin, A8 pin, A9 pin, A12 pin, B1 pin, B4 pin, B5 pin, B6 pin, B7 pin, B8 pin, B9 pin, and B12 pin of the inserted USB plug. In this specification, the pin of the charging terminal 42 that corresponds to the An pin (where n=1 to 12) of the USB plug is also referred to as the An pin of the charging terminal 42. Similarly, the pin of the charging terminal 42 that corresponds to the Bn pin of the USB plug is also referred to as the Bn pin of the charging terminal 42.

[0038] The A1 pin, A12 pin, B1 pin, and B12 pin of the charging terminal 42, which correspond to the GND (ground) pin of the USB plug, are connected to the ground line.

[0039] The A4 pin, A9 pin, B4 pin, and B9 pin of the charging terminal 42 corresponding to the VBUS pin of the USB plug are connected to the VBUS pin, which is the high-potential power supply terminal of the charging IC 55, via the board connection part CN, the VBUS line Ln1, and the protection IC 61. This allows power (e.g., USB bus power) from an external power supply input to the power supply unit 10 via the A4 pin, A9 pin, B4 pin, or B9 pin of the charging terminal 42 to be supplied to the charging IC 55, making it possible to charge the power supply BAT by the charging IC 55 using this power, and to supply power to the MCU 50.

[0040] Describing in more detail the protection IC 61 provided between the charging terminal 42 and the charging IC 55, the protection IC 61 includes an IN pin which is a high potential side power supply terminal, a VSS pin which is a low potential side power supply terminal, a GND pin which is grounded, an OUT pin which is an output terminal from which a first system voltage Vs1 described below is output, a CE pin for turning the operation of the protection IC 61 on and off (hereinafter also referred to as turning on / off), and a VBAT pin for detecting the connection state of the power supply BAT.

[0041] The A4 pin and the B9 pin and the A9 pin and the B4 pin of the charging terminal 42 are connected in parallel to the IN pin of the protection IC 61 via the board connection part CN and the VBUS line Ln1. In other words, the IN pin of the protection IC 61 is connected to the A4 pin and the B9 pin and the A9 pin and the B4 pin of the charging terminal 42, respectively. The VSS pin, the GND pin, and the CE pin of the protection IC 61 are connected to the ground line. The OUT pin of the protection IC 61 is connected to the VBUS pin of the charging IC 55. The VBAT pin of the protection IC 61 is connected to the positive terminal (i.e., the high potential side) of the power supply BAT via the VBAT line Ln2, the battery connector Cn3, the battery connection cable Cb2, and the fuse FS. The negative terminal (i.e., the low potential side) of the power supply BAT is connected to the ground line via the battery connection cable Cb2 and the battery connector Cn3.

[0042] The protection IC 61 operates when a power supply voltage is supplied based on the difference between the potential of the IN pin and the potential of the VSS pin and the input to the CE pin is at a low level, outputting a predetermined first system voltage Vs1 from the OUT pin and detecting whether the power supply BAT is connected based on the input voltage to the VBAT pin. The charging IC 55 in this embodiment operates in negative logic since it is enabled by inputting a low level to the CE pin. Alternatively, a protection IC 61 that operates in positive logic and is enabled by inputting a high level to the CE pin may be used. In this case, it is preferable that the CE pin is connected to the IN pin so that a high level is input to the CE pin.

[0043] More specifically, when a USB plug is inserted into the charging terminal 42 and a USB cable including this USB plug is connected to an external power supply, a predetermined USB voltage (e.g., 5 [V]) is supplied from the external power supply to the A4 pin, A9 pin, B4 pin, and B9 pin of the charging terminal 42. This USB voltage is then supplied to the protection IC 61 as a power supply voltage. In addition, since the CE pin of the protection IC 61 is grounded, the input voltage to this CE pin is always at a low level. Therefore, in response to the supply of the USB voltage from the external power supply via the charging terminal 42, the protection IC 61 outputs the first system voltage Vs1 to the charging IC 55.

[0044] The first system voltage Vs1 output by the protection IC 61 has a voltage value included in the range of the recommended input voltage of the charging IC 55 (for example, a range of 4.35 to 6.4 [V]).

[0045] For example, when the input voltage to the IN pin (in other words, the potential of the IN pin) is within the range of the recommended input voltage of the charging IC 55, the protection IC 61 outputs the input voltage to the IN pin as it is from the OUT pin as the first system voltage Vs1. On the other hand, when the input voltage to the IN pin exceeds the maximum value of the recommended input voltage of the charging IC 55, the protection IC 61 converts the input voltage to the IN pin to a predetermined voltage (e.g., 5.5±0.2 [V]) within the range of the recommended input voltage of the charging IC 55, and outputs the converted voltage from the OUT pin as the first system voltage Vs1. As a result, even if a high voltage exceeding the maximum value of the recommended input voltage of the charging IC 55 is input to the protection IC 61, it is possible to prevent the high voltage from being output from the protection IC 61 to the charging IC 55 and protect the charging IC 55 from the high voltage.

[0046] In addition, when a high voltage exceeding the maximum recommended input voltage of the charging IC 55 is input to the IN pin, the protection IC 61 may prevent the high voltage input to the IN pin from being output from the OUT pin by opening a circuit (not shown) within the protection IC 61 that connects the IN pin and OUT pin.

[0047] As described above, the protection IC 61 can detect whether the power supply BAT is connected based on the input voltage to the VBAT pin. The protection IC 61 may use the detection result of whether the power supply BAT is connected in its own device, or may output the result to the outside of its own device (e.g., the MCU 50 or the charging IC 55). Furthermore, in addition to the function of protecting the charging IC 55 described above, the protection IC 61 may have various protection functions for protecting the electric circuit of the power supply unit 10, such as an overcurrent detection function or an overvoltage detection function.

[0048] 6, a capacitor (also called a smoothing capacitor or a bypass capacitor) Cd1 for stabilizing (smoothing) the input to the IN pin of the protection IC 61 is connected to the VBUS line Ln1 as needed. Similarly, a capacitor Cd2 for stabilizing the input to the VBUS pin of the charging IC 55 (i.e., the first system voltage Vs1 output from the protection IC 61) is connected between the OUT pin of the protection IC 61 and the VBUS pin of the charging IC 55 as needed.

[0049] Incidentally, the A4 pin, A9 pin, B4 pin, and B9 pin of the charging terminal 42, which are connected to the IN pin of the protection IC 61, are also connected to the ground line via a varistor (variable resistor: non-linear resistance element) VR1. By connecting the A4 pin, A9 pin, B4 pin, and B9 pin of the charging terminal 42 to the ground line via the varistor VR1 in this way, even if static electricity is generated in the A4 pin, A9 pin, B4 pin, or B9 pin of the charging terminal 42 due to friction between them when a USB plug is inserted into the charging terminal 42, the static electricity can be released to the ground line via the varistor VR1. Therefore, it is possible to protect the protection IC 61 from static electricity generated in the A4 pin, A9 pin, B4 pin, or B9 pin of the charging terminal 42.

[0050] The A6 pin and B6 pin of the charging terminal 42 corresponding to the Dp (also called D+) 1 pin or the Dp2 pin of the USB plug are connected to the PA11 pin of the MCU 50 via the board connection part CN and the D+ line Ln3a. The A7 pin and B7 pin of the charging terminal 42 corresponding to the Dn (also called D-) 1 pin or the Dp2 pin of the USB plug are connected to the PA12 pin of the MCU 50 via the board connection part CN and the D- line Ln3b. This enables serial communication using, for example, two signal lines, the D+ line Ln3a and the D- line Ln3b, between the MCU 50 and an external device (hereinafter simply referred to as the external device) to which a USB cable including a USB plug inserted into the charging terminal 42 is connected. Note that a communication method other than serial communication may be adopted for communication between the external device and the MCU 50.

[0051] Furthermore, the A6 and B6 pins of the charging terminal 42, which are connected to the PA11 pin of the MCU 50, are also connected to the ground line via the varistor VR2. As a result, even if static electricity occurs in the A6 or B6 pin of the charging terminal 42, this static electricity can be released to the ground line via the varistor VR2. Therefore, it is possible to protect the MCU 50 from static electricity occurring in the A6 or B6 pin of the charging terminal 42.

[0052] 6, if a resistor R11 is provided between the A6 pin and the B6 pin of the charging terminal 42 and the PA11 pin of the MCU 50, the resistor R11 can also suppress input of a large current to the PA11 pin of the MCU 50. In this specification and the like, a resistor is an element having a predetermined electrical resistance value, which is composed of a resistive element, a transistor, or the like.

[0053] Furthermore, the A7 pin and B7 pin of the charging terminal 42, which are connected to the PA12 pin of the MCU 50, are also connected to the ground line via the varistor VR3. As a result, even if static electricity occurs in the A7 pin or B7 pin of the charging terminal 42, this static electricity can be released to the ground line via the varistor VR3. Therefore, it is possible to protect the MCU 50 from static electricity generated in the A7 pin or B7 pin of the charging terminal 42.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, by providing a resistor R12 between the A7 pin and the B7 pin of the charging terminal 42 and the PA12 pin of the MCU 50, it is possible to suppress a large current from being input to the PA12 pin of the MCU 50 by the resistor R12.

[0055] Furthermore, in the power supply unit 10, no problem occurs even if the MCU 50 does not recognize whether the USB plug is inserted into the charging terminal 42 in the upside-up or upside-down orientation. Therefore, the A5 pin and the B5 pin of the charging terminal 42 corresponding to the CC1 pin or the CC2 pin of the USB plug are connected to the ground line. Furthermore, the A8 pin and the B8 pin of the charging terminal 42 corresponding to the SBU1 pin or the SBU2 pin of the USB plug are not connected to the electric circuit of the power supply unit 10. In other words, these pins of the charging terminal 42 are not used in the power supply unit 10, and therefore can be omitted as appropriate. In this way, the circuit configuration of the power supply unit 10 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0056] (Charging IC) The charging IC 55 includes a VBUS pin which is one of the power supply terminals on the high potential side, a GND pin which is a power supply terminal on the low potential side, a BAT_1 pin and a BAT_2 pin which are input / output terminals used for power transfer between the charging IC 55 and the power supply BAT, a BAT_SNS pin which is a detection terminal for detecting an input to the power supply BAT or an output from the power supply BAT, SYS_1, SYS_2 pins, SW_1 pin, and SW_2 pins which are output terminals from which a second system voltage Vs2 described later is output, and a CE pin for turning on / off the operation of the charging IC 55. The BAT_1 pin and the BAT_2 pin can also function as power supply terminals on the high potential side in the charging IC 55.

[0057] The VBUS pin of the charging IC 55 is connected to the OUT pin of the protection IC 61 as described above. The BAT_1 pin, the BAT_2 pin, and the BAT_SNS pin of the charging IC 55 are connected to the positive terminal of the power supply BAT via the VBAT line Ln2, the battery connector Cn3, the battery connection cable Cb2, and the fuse FS. The SYS_1 pin, the SYS_2 pin, the SW_1 pin, and the SW_2 pin of the charging IC 55 are connected to the IN pin, which is the high-potential power supply terminal of the LDO regulator 62, and the VIN pin, which is the high-potential power supply terminal of the DC / DC converter 63, via the power path line Ln4. The SW_1 pin and the SW_2 pin are connected to the power path line Ln4 via the reactor Rc1. The CE pin of the charging IC 55 is connected to the PB14 pin of the MCU 50.

[0058] The charging IC 55 is supplied with a power supply voltage based on the difference between the potential of the VBUS pin, the BAT_1 pin, or the BAT_2 pin and the potential of the GND pin, and operates when the input to the CE pin is at a high level to charge the power supply BAT and supply the power discharged from the power supply BAT to the LDO regulator 62, the DC / DC converter 63, etc. The charging IC 55 in this embodiment operates in positive logic because it is enabled by inputting a high level to the CE pin. Alternatively, a charging IC 55 that operates in negative logic and is enabled by inputting a low level to the CE pin may be used.

[0059] More specifically, when the first system voltage Vs1 is input to the VBUS pin, the charging IC 55 outputs a voltage (for example, the first system voltage Vs1) for charging the power supply BAT from the BAT_1 pin and the BAT_2 pin to the power supply BAT. On the other hand, when the power supply BAT is discharged, the output voltage (terminal voltage) of the power supply BAT is input to the BAT_1 pin and the BAT_2 pin. In this case, the charging IC 55 outputs a second system voltage Vs2 according to the input voltage to the BAT_1 pin and the BAT_2 pin from the SYS_1 pin, the SYS_2 pin, the SW_1 pin, and the SW_2 pin to the LDO regulator 62, the DC / DC converter 63, etc. The second system voltage Vs2 is, for example, the output voltage of the power supply BAT itself, and specifically, can be a voltage of about 3 to 4 [V].

[0060] The charging IC 55 further includes an SCL pin connected to a PB8 pin of the MCU 50, and an SDA pin connected to a PB9 pin of the MCU 50. This allows, for example, I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication between the charging IC 55 and the MCU 50. Using this communication, the charging IC 55 transmits, for example, battery information related to the power supply BAT to the MCU 50. Here, the battery information is, for example, information indicating the charging state of the power supply BAT by the charging IC 55 (for example, charging or charging stopped) and the remaining capacity (SOC: State Of Charge) of the power supply BAT. Note that a communication method other than I2C communication may be adopted for the communication between the charging IC 55 and the MCU 50.

[0061] 6, the charging IC 55 may further include an ISET pin, an ILIM pin, a TS pin, and the like. When the charging IC 55 includes an ISET pin, the electric resistance value of a resistor connected between the ISET pin and a ground line can set the value of a current output from the charging IC 55 to the power supply BAT. When the charging IC 55 includes an ILIM pin, the electric resistance value of a resistor connected between the ILIM pin and a ground line can set the upper limit of the value of a current output from the charging IC 55 to the LDO regulator 62, the DC / DC converter 63, and the like. When the charging IC 55 includes a TS pin, the charging IC 55 can detect the electric resistance value and temperature of a resistor connected to the TS pin based on the input voltage to the TS pin.

[0062] 6, a capacitor Cd3 for stabilizing the input to the BAT_SNS pin of the charging IC 55 is appropriately connected to the VBAT line Ln2 as needed. In addition, a capacitor Cd4 for stabilizing the second system voltage Vs2 output from the charging IC 55 and a capacitor Cd5 for stabilizing the input to the IN pin of the LDO regulator 62 are appropriately connected to the power path line Ln4 as needed.

[0063] (LED circuit) The power path line Ln4, to which the second system voltage Vs2 output from the charging IC 55 is supplied, is further connected to a first LED circuit Cc1 for operating (e.g., lighting) LED_L1 and a second LED circuit Cc2 for operating LED_L2.

[0064] The first LED circuit Cc1 is configured by connecting in series an LED_L1 and a switch Sw1 that switches the first LED circuit Cc1 between conduction and interruption. One end of the first LED circuit Cc1 is connected to the power path line Ln4, and the other end is connected to the ground line. The switch Sw1 of the first LED circuit Cc1 is turned on in response to an on command from the MCU 50, and is turned off in response to an off command from the MCU 50. When the switch Sw1 is turned on, the first LED circuit Cc1 is brought into a conducting state, and the second system voltage Vs2 output from the charging IC 55 is supplied to the LED_L1, causing the LED_L1 to light up.

[0065] As the switch Sw1, for example, a switch formed of a MOSFET can be used. In this embodiment, as an example, a gate terminal of the MOSFET forming the switch Sw1 is connected to the PA0 pin of the MCU 50, and the MCU 50 controls the output from the PA0 pin to change the gate voltage applied to the gate terminal of the switch Sw1 and turn the switch Sw1 on or off. Note that the switch Sw1 is not limited to a MOSFET, and may be any switch that is turned on / off according to the control of the MCU 50.

[0066] The second LED circuit Cc2 is configured by connecting the LED_L2 and a switch Sw2 that switches the second LED circuit Cc2 between conduction and cutoff in series. One end of the second LED circuit Cc2 is connected to the power path line Ln4, and the other end is connected to the ground line. The switch Sw2 of the second LED circuit Cc2 is turned on in response to an on command from the MCU 50, and is turned off in response to an off command from the MCU 50. When the switch Sw2 is turned on, the second LED circuit Cc2 is brought into a conductive state, and the second system voltage Vs2 output from the charging IC 55 is supplied to the LED_L2, causing the LED_L2 to light up.

[0067] As with the switch Sw1, the switch Sw2 may be, for example, a switch configured with a MOSFET. In the present embodiment, as an example, a gate terminal of the MOSFET configuring the switch Sw2 is connected to the PB3 pin of the MCU 50, and the MCU 50 controls the output from the PB3 pin to change the gate voltage applied to the gate terminal of the switch Sw2 and turn the switch Sw2 on or off. Note that the switch Sw2 is not limited to a MOSFET, and may be any switch that is turned on / off according to the control of the MCU 50.

[0068] (LDO regulator) The LDO regulator 62 has an IN pin which is a high-potential power supply terminal, a GND pin which is a low-potential power supply terminal, an OUT pin which is an output terminal from which a third system voltage Vs3 described below is output, and an EN pin for turning the operation of the LDO regulator 62 on / off.

[0069] As described above, the IN pin of the LDO regulator 62 is connected to the SYS_1 pin, SYS_2 pin, etc. of the charging IC 55 via the power path line Ln4. The GND pin of the LDO regulator 62 is connected to the ground line. The OUT pin of the LDO regulator 62 is connected to the VDD pin, which is the high-potential power supply terminal of the MCU 50, and the VDD pin, which is the high-potential power supply terminal of the suction sensor 15, via the VSYS line Ln5. The EN pin of the LDO regulator 62 is connected to the power path line Ln4.

[0070] The LDO regulator 62 operates when a power supply voltage is supplied based on the difference between the potential of the IN pin and the potential of the GND pin and when the input voltage to the EN pin is at a high level, generating a predetermined third system voltage Vs3 and outputting it from the OUT pin. The LDO regulator 62 in this embodiment operates in positive logic since it is enabled when a high level is input to the EN pin. Alternatively, an LDO regulator 62 that operates in positive logic and is enabled when a low level is input to the EN pin may be used. In this case, it is preferable that the EN pin is connected to the ground line so that a low level is always input to the EN pin.

[0071] More specifically, in response to the second system voltage Vs2 being output from the charging IC 55, the second system voltage Vs2 is supplied as a power supply voltage to the LDO regulator 62. Furthermore, when the second system voltage Vs2 is being output from the charging IC 55, the input voltage to the EN pin of the LDO regulator 62 becomes the second system voltage Vs2 (i.e., high level). Therefore, when the second system voltage Vs2 is output from the charging IC 55, the LDO regulator 62 generates a third system voltage Vs3 and outputs the generated third system voltage Vs3 to the MCU 50, the suction sensor 15, etc.

[0072] The third system voltage Vs3 output by the LDO regulator 62 has a voltage value suitable for operating the MCU 50, the suction sensor 15, etc. Specifically, the third system voltage Vs3 is a voltage lower than the second system voltage Vs2, and can be set to, for example, 2.5 [V].

[0073] (Operation switch circuit) The VSYS line Ln5, to which the third system voltage Vs3 output from the LDO regulator 62 is supplied, is further connected to an operation switch circuit Cc3 for detecting a user's operation of the operation switch OPS, and a power supply temperature detection circuit Cc4 for detecting the temperature of the power supply BAT.

[0074] The operation switch circuit Cc3 is composed of resistors R1, R2, R3, and an operation switch OPS. One end of the resistor R1 is connected to the VSYS line Ln5, and the other end is connected to one end of each of the resistors R2 and R3. The other end of the resistor R2 is connected to the PC4 pin of the MCU 50, and the other end of the resistor R3 is connected to one end of the operation switch OPS. The other end of the operation switch OPS is connected to the ground line.

[0075] When the operation switch OPS is not operated by the user, a voltage obtained by stepping down the third system voltage Vs3 supplied to the VSYS line Ln5 by resistors R1 and R2 is input to the PC4 pin of the MCU 50. On the other hand, when the operation switch OPS is operated by the user, a voltage obtained by dividing the third system voltage Vs3 supplied to the VSYS line Ln5 by resistors R1 and R3 and then stepping down the voltage by resistor R2 is input to the PC4 pin of the MCU 50. Therefore, the MCU 50 can detect whether the user has operated the operation switch OPS based on the input voltage to the PC4 pin.

[0076] (Power supply temperature detection circuit) The power supply temperature detection circuit Cc4 is configured by connecting in series a thermistor TH, a resistor R4, and a switch Sw3 that switches the power supply temperature detection circuit Cc4 between conduction and interruption. One end of the power supply temperature detection circuit Cc4 on the switch Sw3 side is connected to the VSYS line Ln5, and the other end of the power supply temperature detection circuit Cc4 on the thermistor TH side is connected to the ground line. The PC1 pin of the MCU 50 is connected to a connection point CP between the resistor R4 and the thermistor TH in the power supply temperature detection circuit Cc4.

[0077] The switch Sw3 of the power supply temperature detection circuit Cc4 is turned on in response to an on command from the MCU 50, and is turned off in response to an off command from the MCU 50. When the switch Sw3 is turned on, the power supply temperature detection circuit Cc4 is brought into a conductive state, and a voltage obtained by dividing the third system voltage Vs3 supplied to the VSYS line Ln5 by the electric resistance value of the resistor R4 and the electric resistance value of the thermistor TH is input to the PC1 pin of the MCU 50. As described above, since the thermistor TH has a correlation between the electric resistance value and the temperature, the input voltage to the PC1 pin when the switch Sw3 is turned on varies depending on the temperature of the thermistor TH. Therefore, the MCU 50 can detect the temperature of the thermistor TH (i.e., the temperature of the power supply BAT) based on the input voltage to the PC1 pin when the switch Sw3 is turned on.

[0078] As with the switches Sw1 and the like, the switch Sw3 may be, for example, a switch made of a MOSFET. In this embodiment, as an example, a gate terminal of the MOSFET constituting the switch Sw3 is connected to the PA8 pin of the MCU 50, and the MCU 50 controls the output from the PA8 pin to change the gate voltage applied to the gate terminal of the switch Sw3 and turn the switch Sw3 on or off. The switch Sw3 is not limited to a MOSFET, and may be any switch that is turned on / off according to the control of the MCU 50.

[0079] (DC / DC converter) The DC / DC converter 63 includes a VIN pin which is a high potential power supply terminal, a GND pin which is a low potential power supply terminal, a SW pin to which a voltage is input, a VOUT pin which is an output terminal from which a fourth system voltage Vs4 described below is output, an EN pin for turning the operation of the DC / DC converter 63 on / off, and a MODE pin for setting the operating mode of the DC / DC converter 63.

[0080] As described above, the VIN pin of the DC / DC converter 63 is connected to the SYS_1 pin, SYS_2 pin, etc. of the charging IC 55 via the power path line Ln4. The GND pin of the DC / DC converter 63 is connected to the ground line. The SW pin of the DC / DC converter 63 is connected to the power path line Ln4 via the reactor Rc2. The VOUT pin of the DC / DC converter 63 is connected to the positive side discharge terminal 41a, which is the positive terminal (i.e., the high potential side) of the discharge terminal 41, via the VHEAT line Ln6. The EN pin of the DC / DC converter 63 is connected to the PB2 pin of the MCU 50. The MODE pin of the DC / DC converter 63 is connected to the power path line Ln4. In addition, the negative side discharge terminal 41b, which is the negative terminal (i.e., the low potential side) of the discharge terminal 41, is connected to the ground line.

[0081] The DC / DC converter 63 operates when a power supply voltage is supplied based on the difference between the potential of the VIN pin and the potential of the GND pin and when the input voltage to the EN pin is at a high level, boosting the input voltage and outputting it from the VOUT pin. The DC / DC converter 63 in this embodiment operates on positive logic since it is enabled when a high level is input to the EN pin. Alternatively, a DC / DC converter 63 that operates on negative logic and is enabled when a low level is input to the EN pin may be used.

[0082] More specifically, in response to the second system voltage Vs2 being output from the charging IC 55, the second system voltage Vs2 is supplied as a power supply voltage to the DC / DC converter 63. Furthermore, when the MCU 50 determines to heat the heater 21 in response to an aerosol generation request or the like, it inputs a high-level voltage signal to the EN pin of the DC / DC converter 63. As a result, the DC / DC converter 63 outputs the fourth system voltage Vs4 obtained by boosting the voltage input to the DC / DC converter 63 to the discharge terminal 41 (i.e., the heater 21).

[0083] The fourth system voltage Vs4 output by the DC / DC converter 63 has a voltage value suitable for heating the heater 21. Specifically, the fourth system voltage Vs4 is a voltage higher than the third system voltage Vs3, and may be, for example, a voltage of about 4.2 [V].

[0084] The DC / DC converter 63 is, for example, a switching regulator, and can take a pulse width modulation mode (hereinafter also referred to as PWM mode) and a pulse frequency modulation mode (hereinafter also referred to as PFM mode) as operation modes. In this embodiment, by connecting the MODE pin of the DC / DC converter 63 to the power path line Ln4, the input voltage to the MODE pin when the DC / DC converter 63 is operable becomes a high level, so that the DC / DC converter 63 operates in the PWM mode.

[0085] 6, the VHEAT line Ln6 is provided with a switch Sw4 that switches the VHEAT line Ln6 between conductive and cut-off. The switch Sw4 is turned on in response to an on command from the MCU 50, and is turned off in response to an off command from the MCU 50. When the switch Sw4 is turned on, the VHEAT line Ln6 is brought into a conductive state, and the fourth system voltage Vs4 output from the DC / DC converter 63 is supplied to the discharge terminal 41 (specifically, the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a), thereby heating the heater 21. This allows the aerosol source to be atomized or vaporized, and the aerosol can be generated.

[0086] The switch Sw4 may be, for example, a switch made of a MOSFET. More specifically, the switch Sw4 is preferably a power MOSFET with a high switching speed. In the present embodiment, as an example, a gate terminal of the MOSFET constituting the switch Sw4 is connected to the PB4 pin of the MCU 50, and the MCU 50 controls the output from the PB4 pin to change the gate voltage applied to the gate terminal of the switch Sw4 and turn the switch Sw4 on or off.

[0087] (Other electronic components connected to VHEAT line Ln6) If the voltage supplied to the discharge terminal 41 becomes unstable, the amount of aerosol generated by the heater 21 may vary, which may lead to deterioration of the flavor and aroma. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a capacitor for stabilizing the fourth system voltage Vs4 output from the DC / DC converter 63 is connected to the VHEAT line Ln6.

[0088] More specifically, in the power supply unit 10, three capacitors, capacitor Cd61, capacitor Cd62, and capacitor Cd63, are provided in parallel as capacitors for stabilizing the fourth system voltage Vs4 output from the DC / DC converter 63. In this way, by stabilizing (smoothing) the voltage using multiple capacitors, the heat generated by the voltage stabilization can be distributed to the multiple capacitors. Therefore, compared to the case where the voltage is stabilized using one capacitor, it is possible to prevent the capacitors from becoming too hot, and to suppress deterioration and failure of the capacitors.

[0089] In particular, a high voltage value is required for the fourth system voltage Vs4 in order to ensure the amount of aerosol generated by the heater 21. If such a high voltage were to be stabilized by a single capacitor, it is expected that the capacitor would become extremely hot. As a result, not only would the hot capacitor be significantly deteriorated, but other electronic components arranged around the capacitor may also be adversely affected. Therefore, as described above, it is desirable to stabilize the fourth system voltage Vs4 by using multiple capacitors.

[0090] Among the capacitors Cd61, Cd62, and Cd63, the capacitor Cd61 has a relatively small capacitance and, accordingly, a relatively small physical size. On the other hand, the capacitors Cd62 and Cd63 have a relatively large capacitance and, accordingly, a relatively large physical size. As a specific example, the capacitance of the capacitor Cd61 can be 0.1 [μF], and the capacitance of the capacitors Cd62 and Cd63 can be 50 [μF]. In this way, by using a plurality of capacitors having different capacitances, even if various pulsating components (ripples) are included in the fourth system voltage Vs4, these can be removed.

[0091] 6, in this embodiment, a varistor VR4 is provided in the VHEAT line Ln6 between the discharge terminal 41 and the switch Sw4. More specifically, one end of the varistor VR4 is connected to the VHEAT line Ln6, and the other end is connected to the ground line. By providing such a varistor VR4, even if static electricity noise occurs in the discharge terminal 41 due to, for example, the attachment or detachment of the first cartridge 20, this noise can be released to the ground line via the varistor VR4. Therefore, it is possible to protect the system of the power supply unit 10, such as the switch Sw4 and the DC / DC converter 63, from noise such as static electricity generated in the discharge terminal 41.

[0092] 6, a capacitor Cd7 for stabilizing the voltage supplied to the discharge terminal 41 via the switch Sw4 is also connected between the discharge terminal 41 and the switch Sw4 in the VHEAT line Ln6. The capacitor Cd7 can also function as a protection component for protecting the system of the power supply unit 10, such as the switch Sw4 and the DC / DC converter 63, from noise such as static electricity generated at the discharge terminal 41. Therefore, the capacitor Cd7 can also protect the system of the power supply unit 10, such as the switch Sw4 and the DC / DC converter 63, from noise such as static electricity generated at the discharge terminal 41. In addition to when the first cartridge 20 is attached or detached, noise such as static electricity can also be generated at the discharge terminal 41 when a user touches the discharge terminal 41 or when stress is applied to the discharge terminal 41.

[0093] (Suction sensor) The suction sensor 15 includes a VDD pin which is a high potential power supply terminal, a GND pin which is a low potential power supply terminal, and an OUT pin which is an output terminal.

[0094] As described above, the VDD pin of the suction sensor 15 is connected to the OUT pin of the LDO regulator 62 via the VSYS line Ln5. The GND pin of the suction sensor 15 is connected to the ground line. The OUT pin of the suction sensor 15 is connected to the PC5 pin of the MCU 50.

[0095] The suction sensor 15 operates when a power supply voltage is supplied based on the difference between the potential of the VDD pin and the potential of the GND pin. Specifically, the suction sensor 15 operates when the third system voltage Vs3 output from the LDO regulator 62 is supplied as a power supply voltage, and functions as a sensor device that detects the user's puffing action. For example, the suction sensor 15 is mainly composed of a condenser microphone and a pressure sensor, and outputs a signal indicating the value of the pressure (internal pressure) change in the power supply unit 10 caused by the user's inhalation as a detection result from the OUT pin to the MCU 50. Note that a sensor device other than a condenser microphone or a pressure sensor may be used for the suction sensor 15.

[0096] (MCU) The MCU 50 has a VDD pin which is a high-potential power supply terminal, a VSS pin which is a low-potential power supply terminal, and a number of pins which function as input or output terminals (hereinafter also referred to as input / output pins). The MCU 50 operates when a power supply voltage is supplied based on the difference between the potential of the VDD pin and the potential of the VSS pin.

[0097] Since the MCU 50 has the aforementioned PA11 pin and PA12 pin as input / output pins, it can use these pins to communicate with external devices, for example, to obtain firmware update data, etc. from the external devices. In addition, since the MCU 50 has the aforementioned PB8 pin and PB9 pin as input / output pins, it can use these pins to communicate with the charging IC 55, and can obtain the aforementioned battery information, etc. from the charging IC 55.

[0098] Furthermore, since the MCU 50 has the aforementioned PB14 pin and PB2 pin as input / output pins, it can control the on / off of the charging IC 55 by output from the PB14 pin, and the on / off of the DC / DC converter 63 by output from the PB2 pin.

[0099] In addition, since MCU 50 has the aforementioned PA0 pin, PB3 pin, PA8 pin, and PB4 pin as input / output pins, switch Sw1 can be turned on / off by output from PA0 pin, switch Sw2 by output from PB3 pin, switch Sw3 by output from PA8 pin, and switch Sw4 by output from PB4 pin.

[0100] And since MCU50 has the aforementioned PC5 pin, PC4 pin, and PC1 pin as input / output pins, it can detect the user's puffing action based on the input to the PC5 pin, the user's operation of the operating switch OPS based on the input to the PC4 pin, and the temperature of thermistor TH (i.e., the temperature of the power supply BAT) based on the input to the PC1 pin when switch Sw3 is turned on.

[0101] (Internal structure of the power supply unit) Next, the internal configuration of the power supply unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 5, and FIGS. An insulating chassis 12 is provided in the internal space of the case 11, and a charging terminal 42 (see FIG. 3), a receptacle mounting board 8, a battery pack BP including a power source BAT, and an MCU mounting board 7 are held in this order by the chassis 12 from the bottom part 11c to the top part 11a. The case 11 is provided with the above-mentioned charging opening 43 that allows access to the charging terminal 42, an operation opening that exposes the operation part 14 to the outside, and a pair of discharging openings that expose the discharge terminal 41 to the outside from the top part 11a.

[0102] (MCU mounted board) The MCU mounting board 7 is mounted with a plurality of electronic components described in the circuit configuration of the power supply unit 10 (see FIG. 6, etc.). The MCU mounting board 7 is a multi-layer board formed by stacking a plurality of layers, and has a substantially rectangular shape. The MCU mounting board 7 is disposed so that its longitudinal direction is along the extension direction (X direction) of the center line L of the case 11, and the element mounting surface on one side faces the operation unit 14. In the following description, the X direction may be referred to as the longitudinal direction, and in the X direction, the top part 11a side is referred to as the X1 direction, and the bottom part 11c side is referred to as the X2 direction. In addition, on the MCU mounting board 7, a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X is referred to as the short side direction Y, and in the short side direction Y, one side (the left side of FIG. 7, the upper side of FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, and the lower side of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11) is referred to as the Y1 direction, and the other side (the right side of FIG. 7, the lower side of FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, and the upper side of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11) is referred to as the Y2 direction. The center line of the MCU mounted board 7 coincides with the center line L extending in the X direction of the power supply unit 10 (case 11). The center line of the MCU mounted board 7 is a line that continuously connects in the longitudinal direction X the center points in the width direction (short side direction) and thickness direction of the MCU mounted board 7 when the MCU mounted board 7 is cut along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X.

[0103] 7, the MCU mounted board 7 is made up of a rectangular portion 81 that occupies most of the MCU mounted board 7, and a protruding portion 82 that protrudes in the X1 direction from the rectangular portion 81. Both ends of the protruding portion 82 in the short side direction Y are cut out, and the X1 direction end of the protruding portion 82 faces the top portion 11a of the case 11, and the X1 direction end of the rectangular portion 81 where the protruding portion 82 is not provided faces the low floor portion 11b of the case 11.

[0104] If the surface of the MCU board 7 facing the operation unit 14 is referred to as the main surface 7a and the opposite surface is referred to as the sub-surface 7b, the MCU board 7 is a double-sided mounting board in which electronic components are mounted on both the main surface 7a and the sub-surface 7b.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 8, a battery connector Cn3, an MCU 50, an operation switch OPS, an LED_L1, an LED_L2, a DC / DC converter 63, a reactor Rc2 of the DC / DC converter 63, a switch Sw4, and a positive electrode discharge terminal 41a are mounted on a main surface side surface layer 71a of the main surface 7a (hereinafter simply referred to as the main surface 7a).

[0106] More specifically, a button-type operation switch OPS is mounted approximately in the center of the main surface 7a so as to face the operation unit 14. This allows a user to press down the operation switch OPS via the operation unit 14 of the case 11. In addition, a pair of LEDs_L1 and LED_L2 are mounted near the operation switch OPS so as to sandwich the operation switch OPS in the short-side direction Y. This allows a user to visually recognize the light emitted from the LEDs_L1 and LEDs_L2 through an LED window 13 provided around the operation unit 14.

[0107] Further, a battery connector Cn3 is mounted on the main surface 7a at the end in the X2 direction, and a positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a is mounted on a protruding portion 82 which is the end in the X1 direction. The end in the X2 direction is located close to the power source BAT, and as shown in Fig. 7, a battery connection cable Cb2 extending from the power source BAT is connected to the battery connector Cn3. The end in the X1 direction is located close to the first cartridge 20, and a heater 21 is connected to the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a.

[0108] The positive electrode discharge terminal 41a is mounted on the Y2 direction side of the center line L on the protruding portion 82. A switch Sw4 is mounted on the Y1 direction side of the center line L on the protruding portion 82. In addition, a DC / DC converter 63 and a reactor Rc2 of the DC / DC converter 63 are mounted on the main surface 7a in the X direction between the operation switch OPS and the switch Sw4.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 10, a charging IC 55, a reactor Rc1 of the charging IC 55, a protection IC 61, an MCU mounted board side connector Cn2, a suction sensor 15, and a negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b are mounted on a secondary surface layer 71b of the secondary surface 7b (hereinafter simply referred to as the secondary surface 7b).

[0110] More specifically, an MCU-mounted board side connector Cn2 is mounted approximately in the center of the secondary surface 7b, and a board connection cable Cb1 extending from a receptacle-mounted board 8 on which a charging terminal 42 is mounted is connected to the MCU-mounted board side connector Cn2.

[0111] Further, on the sub-surface 7b, the charging IC 55 is mounted on the X2 side of the MCU-mounted-board connector Cn2, and between the charging IC 55 and the MCU-mounted-board connector Cn2 in the X direction, the reactor Rc1 of the charging IC 55 is mounted on the Y1 side in the Y direction, and the protection IC 61 is mounted on the Y2 side. Further, on the sub-surface 7b, the suction sensor 15 is mounted on the X1 side of the MCU-mounted-board connector Cn2, and the negative electrode discharge terminal 41b is mounted on the protruding portion 82 which is the end in the X1 direction. As described above, the end in the X1 direction is located close to the first cartridge 20, and the heater 21 is connected to the negative electrode discharge terminal 41b.

[0112] The negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b is disposed on the Y1 direction side of the protruding portion 82 across the center line L. In this manner, the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a is mounted on the main surface 7a of the MCU mounting board 7, and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b is mounted on the sub-surface 7b. The arrangement of the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b will be described in detail later.

[0113] 13, the MCU mounting substrate 7 includes a first wiring layer 72a, a main surface insulating layer 73a, and a second wiring layer 74a in this order from the base layer 70 toward the main surface layer 71a, and further includes a third wiring layer 72b, a sub-surface insulating layer 73b, and a fourth wiring layer 74b in this order from the base layer 70 toward the sub-surface surface layer 71b. The MCU mounting substrate 7 is not limited to this, and various configurations can be adopted. For example, a plurality of the second wiring layers 74a and / or the fourth wiring layers 74b may be provided, or only one of the first wiring layer 72a and the third wiring layer may be provided.

[0114] The second wiring layer 74a and the fourth wiring layer 74b are provided with conductive patterns made of copper foil or the like. Here, if the conductive patterns constituting the power supply line and the signal line are referred to as wiring patterns 77 and the conductive patterns constituting the ground line are referred to as ground patterns 78, the ground patterns 78 are provided so as to surround the wiring patterns 77 as shown in Figs. 9 and 11. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing the second wiring layer 74a of the MCU mounting board 7, and Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the fourth wiring layer 74b of the MCU mounting board 7. In Figs. 9 and 11, the parts indicated by hatching with diagonal lines are the wiring patterns 77, and the parts indicated by hatching with dots are the ground patterns 78. Please note that Figs. 9 and 11 show only some of the wiring patterns among the multiple wiring patterns.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 13, the via V1 is made of a conductor penetrating from the second wiring layer 74a to the fourth wiring layer 74b, and the conductive patterns formed in the first wiring layer 72a, the second wiring layer 74a, the third wiring layer 72b, and the fourth wiring layer 74b that are electrically connected to the via V1 are set to the same potential. For example, the wiring pattern 77 of the second wiring layer 74a and the wiring pattern 77 of the fourth wiring layer 74b are electrically connected to each other through the via V1. The via V2 is made of a conductor penetrating from the second wiring layer 74a to the first wiring layer 72a, and the conductive patterns formed in the first wiring layer 72a and the second wiring layer 74a that are electrically connected to the via V2 are set to the same potential. The via V3 is made of a conductor penetrating from the third wiring layer 72b to the fourth wiring layer 74b, and the conductive patterns formed in the third wiring layer 72b and the fourth wiring layer 74b that are electrically connected to the via V3 are set to the same potential. For example, the ground pattern 78 of the second wiring layer 74a and a part of the conductive pattern of the first wiring layer 72a are electrically connected to each other through the via V2, and the ground pattern 78 of the fourth wiring layer 74b and a part of the conductive pattern of the third wiring layer 72b are electrically connected to each other through the via V3. The via V4 is made of a conductor penetrating from the first wiring layer 72a to the third wiring layer 72b, and the wiring electrically connected to the via V4 among the conductive patterns formed in the first wiring layer 72a and the third wiring layer 72b is made to have the same potential. For example, a part of the conductive pattern of the first wiring layer 72a and a part of the conductive pattern of the third wiring layer 72b are electrically connected to each other through the via V4. As a result, the part of the conductive pattern of the first wiring layer 72a and the part of the conductive pattern of the third wiring layer 72b, and the ground pattern 78 of the second wiring layer 74a and the ground pattern 78 of the fourth wiring layer 74b connected thereto can be made into a ground line having a common reference potential.

[0116] The main surface side surface layer 71a and the sub-surface side surface layer 71b are made of a resist film, cover the second wiring layer 74a and the fourth wiring layer 74b, and protect the wiring patterns 77 from short-circuiting to each other and to the wiring patterns 77 and the ground pattern 78. The base layer 70, the main surface side insulating layer 73a, and the sub-surface side insulating layer 73b are made of an insulator containing, for example, glass or epoxy resin, and bond the upper and lower layers while preventing short-circuiting.

[0117] (Positive and negative discharge terminals) As described above, the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b are directly mounted on the MCU mounting board 7. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary to connect the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b to a heater connector formed on the MCU mounting board 7 by wiring, and the power supply unit 10 can be made smaller.

[0118] The positive discharge terminal 41a is mounted on the main surface 7a of the MCU mounting substrate 7, and the negative discharge terminal 41b is mounted on the sub-surface 7b of the MCU mounting substrate 7, which is the surface opposite to the main surface 7a. Since the positive discharge terminal 41a and the negative discharge terminal 41b are separately mounted on the main surface 7a and the sub-surface 7b, a sufficient space can be secured on both sides of the MCU mounting substrate 7, compared with the case where the positive discharge terminal 41a and the negative discharge terminal 41b are mounted only on one side of the MCU mounting substrate 7. That is, when both the positive discharge terminal 41a and the negative discharge terminal 41b are mounted on, for example, the main surface 7a of the MCU mounting substrate 7, a large space can be secured on the sub-surface 7b, but the space on the main surface 7a becomes narrow, making it impossible to arrange electronic components on both sides in a balanced manner. According to this embodiment, many electronic components can be mounted on both sides of the MCU mounting substrate 7.

[0119] 7, the MCU-mounted board 7 is housed in the case 11 with its longitudinal direction aligned with the extension direction of the center line L of the case 11, so that a wide area can be secured for the MCU-mounted board 7. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12, when viewed from the extension direction of the center line L, the MCU-mounted board 7 passes through the center line L of the case 11, so that a wide space can be secured between the MCU-mounted board 7 and the case 11 on both sides of the MCU-mounted board 7.

[0120] In particular, when the case 11 is cylindrical as in this embodiment, the MCU mounting board 7 passes through the center line L of the case 11, so that the width (length in the Y direction) of the MCU mounting board 7 can be secured to be long. Furthermore, since a margin in the height direction is created on both sides of the MCU mounting board 7, electronic components taller than the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a can be arranged on the main surface 7a, and electronic components taller than the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b can be arranged on the sub surface 7b. In this embodiment, examples of tall electronic components include the operation unit 14, the suction sensor 15, and the reactor Rc2 of the DC / DC converter 63. The operation unit 14 is used in combination with the operation switch OPS, and requires space to move between a close position where it contacts the operation switch OPS and a distant position where it does not contact the operation switch OPS. The suction sensor 15 has a diaphragm inside that vibrates due to the suction of the user, so that it is easy to increase in size. The reactor Rc2 of the DC / DC converter 63 is easy to increase in size so that it can supply a large boosted current to the heater 21. In this embodiment, as described above, the operation switch OPS is mounted on the main surface 7a, the operation unit 14 is mounted on the main surface 7a so as to face the operation switch OPS, and the reactor Rc2 of the DC / DC converter 63 is also mounted on the main surface 7a. On the other hand, the suction sensor 15 is mounted on the sub-surface 7b.

[0121] In this way, tall electronic components can be mounted in the spaces secured on both sides of the MCU mounting board 7, so that the power supply unit 10 can be made highly functional. In particular, since the operation unit 14 and the suction sensor 15 occupy a large area on the board, by mounting the operation unit 14 and the suction sensor 15 on different sides, the power supply unit 10 can be made highly functional while suppressing an increase in size or cost of the power supply unit 10. The reactor Rc2 of the DC / DC converter 63 is also tall and occupies a large area on the board, so it is mounted on a different side from the suction sensor 15. Although it is preferable that the reactor Rc2 of the DC / DC converter 63 is mounted on a different side from the operation unit 14, it is necessary to mount it on the same side as either the operation unit 14 or the suction sensor 15, so it is mounted on the main surface 7a on which the switch Sw4 is mounted. This allows the wiring pattern 77 of the high-voltage system connected to the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a, the DC / DC converter 63, and the reactor Rc2 of the DC / DC converter 63 to be mounted together on the main surface 7a. Therefore, the wiring pattern 77 can be made thicker without increasing the cost or size of the MCU mounted board 7, so that heat and noise are less likely to be generated even if a large current is supplied to the positive discharge terminal 41a.

[0122] Here, the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b have thin needle-shaped probes at their tips exposed from the top part 11a of the case 11. As shown in FIG. 12, when viewed from the extending direction (X direction) of the center line L of the case 11, a virtual line P connecting the center Pa of the probe of the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the center Pb of the probe of the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b is arranged to pass through the center line L. In other words, the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b are mounted so that the center Pa of the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the center Pb of the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b are located on a circle Q centered on the center line L. This allows an appropriate gap to be provided between the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b, so that unintended short-circuiting between the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b can be suppressed without increasing the size of the power supply unit 10.

[0123] 8 and 10, the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a mounted on the main surface 7a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b mounted on the sub-surface 7b are arranged so as not to overlap when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surfaces 7a, 7b of the MCU mounting board 7. If an area obtained by projecting the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a mounted on the main surface 7a onto the sub-surface 7b is referred to as a positive electrode side discharge terminal projection area 41az and an area obtained by projecting the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b mounted on the sub-surface 7b onto the main surface 7a is referred to as a negative electrode side discharge terminal projection area 41bz, the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal projection area 41bz do not overlap on the main surface 7a, and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b and the positive electrode side discharge terminal projection area 41az do not overlap on the sub-surface 7b. Therefore, a more appropriate gap can be provided between the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b without increasing the size of the power supply unit 10, thereby further preventing unintentional short-circuiting between the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b.

[0124] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, the switch Sw4 is mounted on the main surface 7a so as to overlap at least a part of the negative electrode side discharge terminal projection area 41bz. By mounting electronic components such as the switch Sw4 in the area generated by separately mounting the positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a and the negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b on both sides of the MCU mounting board 7, the area of ​​the MCU mounting board 7 can be used more effectively. This prevents the size of the MCU mounting board 7 from increasing, and the size or cost of the power supply unit 10 can be reduced. Note that electronic components may also be arranged in the positive electrode side discharge terminal projection area 41az of the sub-surface 7b. The electronic components arranged in the negative electrode side discharge terminal projection area 41bz or the positive electrode side discharge terminal projection area 41az are not particularly limited, and may be arranged not only by one but by two or more electronic components.

[0125] As described above, the switch Sw4 is disposed on the VHEAT line Ln6 connecting the VOUT pin of the DC / DC converter 63 and the positive discharge terminal 41a. A large current flows through the wiring pattern 77 connected to the positive discharge terminal 41a. It is preferable that the wiring pattern 77 is thick so that heat and noise generated in the wiring pattern 77 can be reduced even when such a large current flows. However, if the wiring pattern 77 is configured to extend over both sides of the MCU mounting board 7, a large number of vias must be used to electrically connect the surfaces, which may increase the cost and size of the MCU mounting board 7. Therefore, by disposing the switch Sw4 on the same main surface 7a as the positive discharge terminal 41a, the wiring pattern 77 can be concentrated on the main surface 7a side, and heat and noise are less likely to be generated even when a large current is supplied to the positive discharge terminal 41a without increasing the cost or size of the MCU mounting board 7.

[0126] The switch Sw4 may be disposed on the ground line connecting the ground and the negative discharge terminal 41b, and may be mounted in the positive discharge terminal projection area 41az on the secondary surface 7b. In this case, the wiring patterns 77 connected to the positive discharge terminal 41a can be concentrated on the primary surface 7a, and the same effect can be obtained.

[0127] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components in the above-mentioned embodiments may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the invention.

[0128] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the heating unit that consumes power supplied from the power source BAT to generate an aerosol from the aerosol source is the heater 21, and power is supplied to the heater 21 from the discharge terminal 41 of the power supply unit 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the heating unit that generates the aerosol can be configured by a susceptor built into the first cartridge 20 or the like, and an induction heating coil that transmits power to the susceptor by electromagnetic induction. When the heating unit is configured by a susceptor and an induction heating coil, the discharge terminal 41 of the power supply unit 10 is connected to the induction heating coil and supplies power to the induction heating coil.

[0129] This specification describes at least the following items. Note that, in parentheses, components corresponding to those in the above-mentioned embodiment are shown, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0130] (1) Power supply (power supply BAT), a load (heater 21) that consumes the power supplied from the power source to generate aerosol from an aerosol source (aerosol source 22) or a positive electrode side discharge terminal (positive electrode side discharge terminal 41a) and a negative electrode side discharge terminal (negative electrode side discharge terminal 41b) to which a coil that transmits power to the load by electromagnetic induction is connected; and a circuit board (MCU mounting board 7) including a first surface (main surface 7a) on which the positive electrode side discharge terminal is mounted, and a second surface (sub-surface 7b) which is a reverse surface of the first surface and on which the negative electrode side discharge terminal is mounted. A power supply unit (power supply unit 10) of an aerosol generating device (aerosol inhaler 1).

[0131] According to (1), since the positive and negative discharge terminals are mounted on the circuit board, the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device can be made smaller than when the positive and negative discharge terminals are not mounted on the circuit board. Also, since the positive and negative discharge terminals are separately mounted on the first and second sides of the circuit board, sufficient space can be secured on both sides of the circuit board compared to when the positive and negative discharge terminals are mounted on one side of the circuit board. This allows many electronic components to be mounted on the circuit board.

[0132] (2) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1), a cylindrical housing (case 11) that houses the power supply and the circuit board; a first electronic component that is separate from the positive discharge terminal and is mounted on the first surface; a second electronic component that is separate from the negative discharge terminal and is mounted on the second surface, The circuit board is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the extension direction of the center line (center line L) of the housing, When viewed from the extension direction, the circuit board passes through the center line. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0133] According to (2), the longitudinal direction of the circuit board is aligned with the extension direction of the center line of the housing, so that the area of ​​the circuit board can be secured widely. Also, when viewed from the extension direction, the circuit board passes through the center line of the housing, so that the space formed between the circuit board and the housing can be secured widely on both sides of the circuit board. This allows more electronic components to be mounted on the circuit board.

[0134] (3) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (2), A virtual line (virtual line P) connecting the center (center Pa) of the positive electrode side discharge terminal and the center (center Pb) of the negative electrode side discharge terminal passes through the center line. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0135] According to (3), an appropriate gap can be provided between the positive discharge terminal and the negative discharge terminal, thereby preventing unintentional short-circuiting between the positive discharge terminal and the negative discharge terminal without increasing the size of the power supply unit.

[0136] (4) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (3), When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface, the positive discharge terminal and the negative discharge terminal are arranged on the circuit board so as not to overlap each other. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0137] According to (4), an appropriate gap can be provided between the positive discharge terminal and the negative discharge terminal without increasing the size of the power supply unit, thereby further preventing unintentional short-circuiting between the positive discharge terminal and the negative discharge terminal.

[0138] (5) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (4), An electronic component (switch Sw4) is mounted on the circuit board, The electronic component is mounted on a positive electrode side discharge terminal projection area of ​​the second surface onto which the positive electrode side discharge terminal is projected, or on a negative electrode side discharge terminal projection area of ​​the first surface onto which the negative electrode side discharge terminal is projected, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface of the circuit board. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0139] According to (5), the positive and negative discharge terminals are separately mounted on the first and second surfaces of the circuit board, and electronic components are mounted in the resulting area, which allows the area of ​​the circuit board to be used more effectively. This prevents the size of the circuit board from increasing, and allows the size or cost of the aerosol generating device to be reduced.

[0140] (6) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (5), The electronic component is a switch (switch Sw4) arranged on a power transmission path between the power supply and the positive discharge terminal, and is mounted in the negative discharge terminal projection area of ​​the first surface. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0141] According to (6), the positive and negative discharge terminals are separately mounted on the first and second surfaces of the circuit board, and the switch is mounted in the negative discharge terminal projection area on the first surface, which results in more effective use of the area of ​​the circuit board. This prevents the size of the circuit board from increasing, and reduces the size or cost of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

[0142] (7) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (6), The power supply further includes a voltage converter (DC / DC converter 63) having an input terminal (VIN pin) connected to the power supply and an output terminal (VOUT pin) connected to the positive electrode discharge terminal and mounted on the first surface, The switch is disposed on a power transmission path between the output terminal of the voltage converter and the positive discharge terminal. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0143] A large current flows through the conductive pattern connected to the positive discharge terminal. It is preferable that the conductive pattern is thick so that heat and noise generated in the conductive pattern can be reduced even when such a large current flows. However, if the conductive pattern is configured to extend over both sides of the circuit board, a large number of vias must be used to electrically connect the sides, which may increase the cost and size of the circuit board. According to (7), the conductive pattern can be concentrated on the first side, so that heat and noise are less likely to be generated even when a large current is supplied to the positive discharge terminal without increasing the cost or size of the circuit board.

[0144] (8) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (5), With grounds, the electronic component is a switch connected between the ground and the negative discharge terminal, and is mounted in the positive discharge terminal projection area of ​​the second surface; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0145] According to (8), the positive and negative discharge terminals are separately mounted on the first and second surfaces of the circuit board, and the switch is mounted in the positive discharge terminal projection area on the second surface, which allows the area of ​​the circuit board to be used more effectively. This prevents the size of the circuit board from increasing, and allows the size or cost of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device to be reduced.

[0146] (9) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1), a first electronic component (an operation unit 14, a suction sensor 15) that is higher than the positive electrode side discharge terminal and is mounted on the first surface; and a second electronic component (operation unit 14, suction sensor 15) that is higher than the negative electrode side discharge terminal and is mounted on the second surface. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0147] According to (9), tall electronic components can be mounted in the space provided on both sides of the circuit board, thereby making it possible to enhance the functionality of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

[0148] (10) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (9), a suction sensor (suction sensor 15) capable of detecting suction by a user; and a user-operable button (operation unit 14). the first electronic component is one of the suction sensor and the button, The second electronic component is the other of the suction sensor and the button. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0149] According to (10), the suction sensor and button, which are tall and occupy a large area on the board, can be mounted on different sides of the circuit board in the space reserved on both sides of the circuit board, thereby making it possible to enhance the functionality of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device while suppressing an increase in size or cost of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

[0150] (11) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (9), a suction sensor (suction sensor 15) capable of detecting suction by a user; a voltage converter (DC / DC converter 63) having an input terminal (VIN pin) connected to the power supply and an output terminal (VOUT pin) connected to the positive electrode discharge terminal; A reactor (reactor Rc2) connected to the voltage converter, the first electronic component is one of the suction sensor and the reactor, The second electronic component is the other of the suction sensor and the reactor. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0151] According to (11), the suction sensor and reactor, which are tall and occupy a large area on the board, can be mounted on different sides of the circuit board in the space secured on both sides of the circuit board, thereby enabling the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device to have high functionality while suppressing an increase in size or cost of the power supply unit.

[0152] (12) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (11), the voltage converter is mounted on the first surface; the first electronic component is the reactor, The second electronic component is the suction sensor. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0153] According to (12), the conductive pattern connected to the positive discharge terminal, the voltage conversion device, and the reactor of the voltage conversion device can be mounted together on the first surface. This allows the conductive pattern connected to the positive discharge terminal to be made thicker without increasing the cost or size of the circuit board, making it difficult for heat and noise to be generated even when a large current is supplied to the positive discharge terminal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0154] 1. Aerosol aspirator (aerosol generating device) 7 MCU mounting board (circuit board) 7a Main surface (first surface) 7b Side side (second side) 10 Power supply unit 11 Case (Housing) 14 Operation unit (first electronic component, second electronic component, button) 15 Suction sensor (first electronic component, second electronic component) 21 Heater (load) 22 Aerosol Sources 41a Positive discharge terminal 41b Negative discharge terminal BAT power supply 63 DC / DC converter (voltage converter) P Virtual line Pa center (center of positive discharge terminal) Pb center (center of negative discharge terminal) VIN pin Input terminal VOUT pin Output terminal Sw4 Switch (electronic component) L center line

Claims

1. Power supply, a load that consumes the power supplied from the power source to generate an aerosol from an aerosol source, or a positive discharge terminal and a negative discharge terminal to which a coil that transmits power to the load by electromagnetic induction is connected; a circuit board including a first surface on which the positive electrode side discharge terminal is mounted, and a second surface which is a surface opposite to the first surface and on which the negative electrode side discharge terminal is mounted; a cylindrical housing that houses the power supply and the circuit board; the circuit board is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the direction in which the center line of the housing extends; When viewed from the extension direction, the circuit board is disposed inside the housing so as to pass through the center line, An imaginary line connecting the center of the positive discharge terminal and the center of the negative discharge terminal passes through the center line, When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface, the positive discharge terminal and the negative discharge terminal are arranged on the circuit board so as not to overlap each other, Electronic components are mounted on the circuit board, The electronic component is mounted on the circuit board so as to at least partially overlap a positive electrode side discharge terminal projection area of ​​the second surface onto which the positive electrode side discharge terminal is projected, or a negative electrode side discharge terminal projection area of ​​the first surface onto which the negative electrode side discharge terminal is projected, when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the first surface. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

2. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, The electronic component is a switch that is disposed on a power transmission path between the power source and the positive discharge terminal, and is mounted in the negative discharge terminal projection area of ​​the first surface. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

3. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 2, a voltage converter mounted on the first surface, the voltage converter having an input terminal connected to the power supply and an output terminal connected to the positive discharge terminal; The switch is disposed on a power transmission path between the output terminal of the voltage converter and the positive discharge terminal. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

4. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, With grounds, the electronic component is a switch connected between the ground and the negative discharge terminal, and is mounted in the positive discharge terminal projection area of ​​the second surface; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

5. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, a first electronic component mounted on the first surface and higher than the positive discharge terminal; a second electronic component mounted on the second surface and higher than the negative electrode discharge terminal; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

6. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 5, A suction sensor capable of detecting suction by a user; and a user operable button, the first electronic component is one of the suction sensor and the button, the second electronic component is the other of the suction sensor and the button; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

7. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 5, A suction sensor capable of detecting suction by a user; a voltage converter having an input terminal connected to the power supply and an output terminal connected to the positive discharge terminal; a reactor connected to the voltage converter; the first electronic component is one of the suction sensor and the reactor, the second electronic component is the other of the suction sensor and the reactor; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

8. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 7, the voltage converter is mounted on the first surface; the first electronic component is the reactor, The second electronic component is the suction sensor. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

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