Aerosol generator power supply unit

Abstract

An aerosol generating device capable of improving control accuracy is provided. [Solution] The inhaler (100) includes a switch (S4) connected in series to a heater connector (Cn) on the positive electrode side, a resistor (Rs) connected in series to the heater connector (Cn) on the positive electrode side, a receptacle mounting board (162) on which the switch (S4) is mounted, and an MCU (1) configured to execute predetermined control based on the voltage applied to the heater connector (Cn) when the switch (S4) is ON. A distance (D1) between a first mounting area (162e) on the receptacle mounting board (162) where the switch (S4) is mounted and a nearest edge (162em) of the receptacle mounting board (162) that is the edge closest to the switch (S4) is shorter than a distance (D2) between the first mounting area and the center of the receptacle mounting board (162).

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a control device for an aerosol inhaler, which includes an operational amplifier that heats an aerosol source and outputs a voltage corresponding to a voltage applied to a load whose temperature and electrical resistance value are correlated, a control unit configured to perform processing based on the voltage corresponding to the output, and a first circuit and a second circuit electrically connected in parallel between a power source and the load, the first circuit and the second circuit including a first switch and a second switch, respectively. This control device is configured to obtain a voltage corresponding to the output of the operational amplifier while the second switch is in an on state.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes a non-combustion inhaler comprising a heating element having a predetermined resistance value, a power source that supplies power to the heating element, a plurality of resistors connected in parallel with the heating element, a control unit, a first switch that controls the on / off of the heating element, a second switch connected between the power source and the plurality of resistors, and a third switch connected between wiring between the plurality of resistors and the control unit, wherein when measuring the resistance value of the heating element, the control unit executes switch control to turn on the second switch and the third switch and turn off the first switch. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6613008 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2020 / 217949 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In an aerosol generating device configured to be able to inhale an aerosol, a predetermined control such as heating control of the heater may be performed using the resistance value of the heater. To measure the resistance value of the heater, as in the conventional technology, a switching element such as a bipolar transistor or a MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor) is used. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to consider where these switching elements should be mounted.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device capable of improving the accuracy of control. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a power supply, a positive pole and a negative pole, a heater connector to which a heater that consumes power supplied from the power supply to heat an aerosol source is connected, a switch connected in series to either the positive pole or the negative pole, a fixed resistor connected in series to either the positive pole or the negative pole and controlling the supply of power to the heater connector, a circuit board on which the switch is mounted, and a controller configured to execute predetermined control based on a voltage applied to the fixed resistor or the heater connector when the switch is ON, wherein a distance between a first mounting area, which is an area on the circuit board where the switch is mounted, and a first closest edge, which is the edge of the circuit board closest to the switch, is shorter than a distance between the first mounting area and a center of the circuit board, and a first closest edge on the circuit board closest to the first closest edge is shorter than a distance between the first mounting area and a center of the circuit board. A separate part from the circuit board mounted at the position The electronic component is the switch, the switch and the fixed resistor are connected in series, and a transistor is disposed on the circuit board between the switch and the heater connector, which controls the ON / OFF of the switch under the control of the controller. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an aerosol generating device capable of improving control accuracy. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a non-combustion type inhaler. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the non-combustion type inhaler with a rod attached. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the non-combustion type inhaler. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a non-combustion type inhaler. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the internal unit of the non-combustion inhaler. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the internal unit of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the internal unit with the power supply and chassis removed. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is another perspective view of the internal unit with the power supply and chassis removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an operation mode of the inhaler. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric circuit of an internal unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric circuit of an internal unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric circuit of an internal unit. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit in a sleep mode. [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit in an active mode. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit in a heating initial setting mode. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when the heater is heated in a heating mode. [Figure 17] 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit when detecting the temperature of a heater in a heating mode. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit in a charging mode. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit when the MCU is reset (restarted). [Figure 20] FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of a main portion of the electric circuit shown in FIG. 10, showing main electronic components used for heating a heater and detecting temperature. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of changes in voltage input to the gate terminals of switches S3 and S4 in a heating mode. [Figure 22] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a current flow during heating control in a heating mode. [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a current flow during temperature detection control in a heating mode. [Figure 24] FIG. 22 is a diagram showing the flow of current when the switch S3 and the switch S4 are both on in Driving Example EX2 of FIG. 21. [Diagram 25] 2 is a plan view of a receptacle mounting board as viewed from the main surface side. FIG. [Figure 26] 1 is a plan view of a receptacle mounting board as viewed from the minor surface side. FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 26 is an enlarged view of a range H shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, a suction system, which is an embodiment of the aerosol generating device of the present invention, will be described with reference to the drawings. This suction system includes a non-combustion type aspirator 100 (hereinafter, simply referred to as the aspirator 100) which is an embodiment of the power supply unit of the present invention, and a rod 500 heated by the aspirator 100. In the following description, an example will be described in which the aspirator 100 houses a heating unit in an undetachable manner. However, the heating unit may be configured to be detachable from the aspirator 100. For example, the rod 500 and the heating unit may be integrated and configured to be detachable from the aspirator 100. In other words, the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device may be configured not to include a heating unit as a component. Note that the term "undetachable" refers to a mode in which the unit cannot be removed within the scope of the intended use. Alternatively, the heating unit may be configured by cooperation between an induction heating coil provided in the aspirator 100 and a susceptor built into the rod 500.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the aspirator 100. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the aspirator 100 showing a state in which the rod 500 is attached. Fig. 3 is another perspective view of the aspirator 100. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the aspirator 100. In the following description, an orthogonal coordinate system in a three-dimensional space is used, in which three mutually orthogonal directions are defined as the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction for convenience. In the drawings, the front is indicated as Fr, the rear as Rr, the right side as R, the left side as L, the upper side as U, and the lower side as D.

[0012] The inhaler 100 is configured to generate aerosol containing a flavor by heating an elongated, generally cylindrical rod 500 (see FIG. 2), which is an example of a flavor ingredient generating substrate having an aerosol source and a filling containing a flavor source.

[0013] <Flavor component generating base material (rod)> The rod 500 includes a fill containing an aerosol source that is heated to a predetermined temperature to produce an aerosol.

[0014] The type of aerosol source is not particularly limited, and various extracts from natural products and / or their components can be selected depending on the application. The aerosol source may be a solid or a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water. The aerosol source may contain a flavor source such as a tobacco raw material or an extract derived from a tobacco raw material that releases a flavor component when heated. The gas to which the flavor component is added is not limited to an aerosol, and for example, invisible steam may be generated.

[0015] The filling of the rod 500 may contain tobacco shreds as a flavor source. The material of the tobacco shreds is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina and backbone can be used. The filling may contain one or more flavorings. The type of flavor is not particularly limited, but menthol is preferable from the viewpoint of imparting a good smoking taste. The flavor source may contain plants other than tobacco (e.g., mint, Chinese medicine, herbs, etc.). Depending on the application, the rod 500 may not contain a flavor source.

[0016] <Overall configuration of non-combustion type aspirator> Next, the overall configuration of the inhaler 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. The inhaler 100 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 110 having a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface. The case 110 includes a cylindrical case body 112 having a bottom and an integrally formed front surface, a rear surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a bottom surface, and a bottom surface, an outer panel 115 and an inner panel 118 that seal an opening 114 (see FIG. 4) of the case body 112 and form the left surface, and a slider 119.

[0017] The inner panel 118 is fixed to the case body 112 with bolts 120. The outer panel 115 is fixed to the case body 112 so as to cover the outer surface of the inner panel 118 by magnets 124 held by a chassis 150 (see FIG. 5 ), which will be described later and is housed in the case body 112. Since the outer panel 115 is fixed by the magnets 124, the user can replace the outer panel 115 according to preference.

[0018] The inner panel 118 is provided with two through holes 126 formed so that the magnet 124 can pass through. The inner panel 118 is further provided with a vertically long hole 127 and a circular hole 128 between the two through holes 126 arranged vertically. The long hole 127 is for transmitting light emitted from eight LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) L1 to L8 built into the case body 112. The circular hole 128 is provided with a hole 127 for passing light emitted from eight LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) L1 to L8 built into the case body 112. A built-in button-type operation switch OPS penetrates through the hole. This allows the user to detect light emitted from the eight LEDs L1 to L8 through the LED window 116 of the outer panel 115. In addition, the user can press down the operation switch OPS through the pressing portion 117 of the outer panel 115.

[0019] 2, an opening 132 into which a rod 500 can be inserted is provided on the upper surface of the case body 112. The slider 119 is coupled to the case body 112 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction between a position where the opening 132 is closed (see FIG. 1) and a position where the opening 132 is opened (see FIG. 2).

[0020] The operation switch OPS is used to perform various operations of the inhaler 100. For example, the user operates the operation switch OPS via the pressing unit 117 while the rod 500 is inserted into the opening 132 and attached as shown in FIG. 2. This causes the heating unit 170 (see FIG. 5) to heat the rod 500 without burning it. When the rod 500 is heated, an aerosol is generated from the aerosol source contained in the rod 500, and the flavor of the flavor source contained in the rod 500 is added to the aerosol. The user can inhale the aerosol containing the flavor by holding the mouthpiece 502 of the rod 500 protruding from the opening 132 in their mouth and inhaling.

[0021] 3, a charging terminal 134 is provided on the bottom surface of the case body 112 for electrically connecting to an external power source such as an outlet or a mobile battery to receive power. In this embodiment, the charging terminal 134 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Type-C receptacle, but is not limited to this. Hereinafter, the charging terminal 134 is also referred to as a receptacle RCP.

[0022] The charging terminal 134 may be configured to include, for example, a power receiving coil and to be capable of receiving power transmitted from an external power source in a non-contact manner. The charging method 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 134 may be connectable to various USB terminals and may have the above-mentioned receiving coil.

[0023] The configuration of the inhaler 100 shown in Figures 1 to 4 is merely an example. The inhaler 100 can be configured in various forms such that, by holding the rod 500 and applying an action such as heating, the rod 500 generates gas imparted with flavor components, and the user can inhale the generated gas.

[0024] <Internal structure of non-combustion type aspirator> The internal unit 140 of the inhaler 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the internal unit 140 of the inhaler 100. Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the internal unit 140 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the internal unit 140 with the power supply BAT and the chassis 150 removed. Fig. 8 is another perspective view of the internal unit 140 with the power supply BAT and the chassis 150 removed.

[0025] The internal unit 140 housed in the internal space of the case 110 includes a chassis 150, a power supply BAT, a circuit section 160, a heating section 170, a notification section 180, and various sensors.

[0026] The chassis 150 is made up of a plate-shaped chassis main body 151 that is disposed approximately at the center of the internal space of the case 110 in the front-rear direction and extends in the up-down and front-rear directions, and a plate-shaped front-rear dividing wall 15 that is disposed approximately at the center of the internal space of the case 110 in the front-rear direction and extends in the up-down and left-right directions. 2, a plate-shaped upper and lower dividing wall 153 extending forward from approximately the center of the front and rear dividing wall 152 in the up-down direction, a plate-shaped chassis upper wall 154 extending rearward from upper edges of the front and rear dividing wall 152 and the chassis main body 151, and a plate-shaped chassis lower wall 155 extending rearward from lower edges of the front and rear dividing wall 152 and the chassis main body 151. The left surface of the chassis main body 151 is covered by the inner panel 118 and outer panel 115 of the case 110 described above.

[0027] The internal space of the case 110 is defined by a chassis 150, with a heating unit accommodating area 142 defined at the upper front portion, a board accommodating area 144 defined at the lower front portion, and a power supply accommodating space 146 defined vertically at the rear.

[0028] The heating unit 170 accommodated in the heating unit accommodation area 142 is composed of a plurality of cylindrical members, which are arranged concentrically to form a cylindrical body as a whole. The heating unit 170 has a rod accommodation section 172 capable of accommodating a part of the rod 500 therein, and a heater HTR (see Figs. 10 to 19) that heats the rod 500 from the outer periphery or the center. It is preferable that the rod accommodation section 172 is composed of a heat insulating material, or that a heat insulating material is provided inside the rod accommodation section 172, so that the surface of the rod accommodation section 172 and the heater HTR are insulated from each other. The heater HTR may be any element capable of heating the rod 500. The heater HTR is, for example, a heating element. Examples of the heating element include a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, and an induction heating type heater. For example, a heater HTR having a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristic in which the resistance value increases with increasing temperature is preferably used as the heater HTR. Instead, NTC (Negative Temperature Capacitor) transistors, whose resistance decreases as the temperature increases, are used. A heater HTR having a thermal coefficient characteristic may be used. The heating unit 170 has a function of defining a flow path of air to be supplied to the rod 500 and a function of heating the rod 500. The case 110 is formed with an air vent (not shown) for allowing air to flow in, and is configured to allow air to flow in to the heating unit 170.

[0029] The power source BAT accommodated in the power source accommodation space 146 is a rechargeable secondary battery, an electric double layer capacitor, or the like, 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.

[0030] The notification unit 180 notifies the user of the SOC (State Of Charge) indicating the charging state of the power supply BAT, It notifies various information such as preheat time, suction possible period, etc. The notification unit 180 of this embodiment includes eight LEDs L1 to L8 and a vibration motor M. The notification unit 180 may be composed of light-emitting elements such as the LEDs L1 to L8, may be composed of a vibration element such as the vibration motor M, or may be composed of a sound output element. The notification unit 180 may be a combination of two or more elements selected from the light-emitting elements, vibration elements, and sound output elements.

[0031] The various sensors include an intake sensor that detects the user's puffing action (inhalation action), a power supply temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the power supply BAT, a heater temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater HTR, a case temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the case 110, a cover position sensor that detects the position of the slider 119, and a panel detection sensor that detects the attachment / detachment of the outer panel 115.

[0032] The intake sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T2 arranged near the opening 132. The power supply temperature sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T1 arranged near the power supply BAT. The heater temperature sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T3 arranged near the heater HTR. As described above, it is preferable that the rod accommodating portion 172 is insulated from the heater HTR. In this case, it is preferable that the thermistor T3 contacts or is close to the heater HTR inside the rod accommodating portion 172. If the heater HTR has a PTC characteristic or an NTC characteristic, the heater HTR itself may be used as the heater temperature sensor. The case temperature sensor is mainly composed of a thermistor T4 arranged near the left surface of the case 110. The cover position sensor is mainly composed of a Hall IC 14 including a Hall element arranged near the slider 119. The panel detection sensor is mainly composed of a Hall IC 13 including a Hall element arranged near the inner surface of the inner panel 118.

[0033] The circuit section 160 includes four circuit boards, a plurality of ICs (Integrated Circuits), and a plurality of elements. The four circuit boards mainly include the MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 1 and The board is equipped with an MCU mounted board 161 on which a charging IC 2 is arranged, a receptacle mounted board 162 on which mainly the charging terminal 134 is arranged, an LED mounted board 163 on which an operation switch OPS, LEDs L1 to L8, and a communication IC 15 described below are arranged, and a Hall IC mounted board 164 on which a Hall IC 14 described below including a Hall element that constitutes a cover position sensor is arranged.

[0034] The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are arranged parallel to each other in the board housing area 144. More specifically, the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are arranged such that their element mounting surfaces are aligned in the left-right and up-down directions, and the MCU mounting board 161 is arranged forward of the receptacle mounting board 162. An opening is provided in each of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162. The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are fastened to the board fixing part 156 of the front and rear dividing walls 152 by the bolts 136 with a cylindrical spacer 173 interposed between the peripheries of the openings. That is, the spacer 173 fixes the positions of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 inside the case 110, and mechanically connects the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162. This makes it possible to prevent the MCU mounted board 161 and the receptacle mounted board 162 from coming into contact with each other and causing a short circuit current between them.

[0035] For convenience, the forward facing surfaces of MCU mounting board 161 and receptacle mounting board 162 are referred to as main surfaces 161a and 162a, respectively, and the opposite surfaces of main surfaces 161a and 162a are referred to as sub-surfaces 161b and 162b, respectively, so that sub-surface 161b of MCU mounting board 161 and main surface 162a of receptacle mounting board 162 face each other with a predetermined gap between them. Main surface 161a of MCU mounting board 161 faces the front surface of case 110, and sub-surface 162b of receptacle mounting board 162 faces front / rear dividing wall 152 of chassis 150. The elements and ICs mounted on MCU mounting board 161 and receptacle mounting board 162 will be described later.

[0036] The LED mounting board 163 is disposed on the left side surface of the chassis main body 151, between two magnets 124 disposed above and below. The element arrangement surface of the LED mounting board 163 is disposed along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. In other words, the element arrangement surfaces of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are orthogonal to the element arrangement surface of the LED mounting board 163. In this manner, the element arrangement surfaces of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 and the element arrangement surface of the LED mounting board 163 are not necessarily orthogonal, but preferably intersect (are non-parallel). The vibration motor M, which constitutes the notification unit 180 together with the LEDs L1 to L8, is fixed to the lower surface of the chassis lower wall 155, and is electrically connected to the MCU mounting board 161.

[0037] The Hall IC mounting board 164 is disposed on the upper surface of the chassis upper wall 154 .

[0038] <Aspirator operation mode> Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation modes of the inhalator 100. As shown in Fig. 9, the operation modes of the inhalator 100 include a charging mode, a sleep mode, an active mode, a heating initial setting mode, a heating mode, and a heating end mode.

[0039] The sleep mode is a power saving mode that cuts off the power supply to the electronic components required for the heating control of the heater HTR.

[0040] In the active mode, most of the functions are enabled except for the heating control of the heater HTR. When the slider 119 is opened while the inhaler 100 is operating in the sleep mode, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the active mode. When the slider 119 is closed or the non-operation time of the operation switch OPS reaches a predetermined time while the inhaler 100 is operating in the active mode, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the sleep mode.

[0041] The heating initial setting mode is a mode for performing initial settings of control parameters and the like for starting heating control of the heater HTR. When the inhaler 100 detects an operation of the operation switch OPS while operating in the active mode, the operation mode is switched to the heating initial setting mode, and when the initial setting is completed, the operation mode is switched to the heating mode.

[0042] The heating mode is a mode for executing heating control of the heater HTR (heating control for aerosol generation and heating control for temperature detection). When the operation mode of the inhaler 100 is switched to the heating mode, the inhaler 100 starts heating control of the heater HTR.

[0043] The heating end mode is a mode in which an end process of the heating control of the heater HTR (such as a process of storing a heating history) is executed. When the time of energization of the heater HTR or the number of inhalations by the user reaches an upper limit or the slider 119 is closed while the inhaler 100 is operating in the heating mode, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the heating end mode, and when the end process ends, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the active mode. When the inhaler 100 is connected to a USB while operating in the heating mode, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the heating end mode, and when the end process ends, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the charging mode. As shown in FIG. 9, in this case, the operation mode may be switched to the active mode before switching the operation mode to the charging mode. In other words, when the inhaler 100 is connected to a USB while operating in the heating mode, the operation mode may be switched in the order of the heating end mode, the active mode, and the charging mode.

[0044] The charging mode is a mode in which the power source BAT is charged by power supplied from an external power source connected to the receptacle RCP. When the inhaler 100 is operating in the sleep mode or active mode and an external power source is connected to the receptacle RCP (USB connection), the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the charging mode. When the inhaler 100 is operating in the charging mode and charging of the power source BAT is completed or the connection between the receptacle RCP and the external power source is released, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the sleep mode.

[0045] <Outline of the internal unit circuit> 10, 11, and 12 are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of an electric circuit of the internal unit 140. Fig. 11 is the same as Fig. 10 except that, of the electric circuit shown in Fig. 10, a range 161A (range surrounded by a thick dashed line) mounted on the MCU mounting board 161 and a range 163A (range surrounded by a thick solid line) mounted on the LED mounting board 163 are added. Fig. 12 is the same as Fig. 10 except that, of the electric circuit shown in Fig. 10, a range 162A mounted on the receptacle mounting board 162 and a range 164A mounted on the Hall IC mounting board 164 are added.

[0046] In FIG. 10, the wiring indicated by the thick solid line is a wiring having the same potential as the reference potential (ground potential) of the internal unit 140 (connected to the ground provided in the internal unit 140). This wiring is referred to below as a ground line. In Figure 10, an electronic component consisting of multiple circuit elements formed into a chip is shown as a rectangle, with the symbols for various terminals written inside this rectangle. The power supply terminal VCC and power supply terminal VDD mounted on the chip each indicate the high-potential side power supply terminal. The power supply terminal VSS and ground terminal GND mounted on the chip each indicate the low-potential side (reference potential side) power supply terminal. For electronic components formed into a chip, the difference between the potential of the high-potential side power supply terminal and the potential of the low-potential side power supply terminal becomes the power supply voltage. Electronic components formed into a chip use this power supply voltage to perform various functions.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 11, the MCU mounting board 161 (area 161A) includes, as main electronic components, an MCU 1 that controls the entire inhaler 100, a charging IC 2 that controls charging of the power supply BAT, load switches (hereinafter, LSW) 3, 4, and 5 that are configured by combining capacitors, resistors, transistors, etc., and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The input / output terminal 12 is provided with a power supply 13 for receiving the power from the power supply 10. The power supply 13 is provided with a power supply memory (RAM) 6, a switch driver 7, a step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 8 (in the figure, shown as step-up / step-down DC / DC8), an operational amplifier OP2, an operational amplifier OP3, flip-flops (hereinafter, FF) 16, 17, a connector Cn(t2) electrically connected to a thermistor T2 constituting the intake sensor (in the figure, the thermistor T2 connected to this connector is shown), a connector Cn(t3) electrically connected to a thermistor T3 constituting the heater temperature sensor (in the figure, the thermistor T3 connected to this connector is shown), a connector Cn(t4) electrically connected to a thermistor T4 constituting the case temperature sensor (in the figure, the thermistor T4 connected to this connector is shown), and a voltage divider circuit Pc for detecting USB connection.

[0048] The ground terminals GND of the charging IC2, LSW3, LSW4, LSW5, switch driver 7, step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 8, FF16, and FF17 are connected to the ground line. The power supply terminal VSS of ROM6 is connected to the ground line. The negative power supply terminals of the operational amplifiers OP2 and OP3 are connected to the ground line.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 11, the LED mounting board 163 (area 163A) is provided with the following main electronic components: a Hall IC 13 including a Hall element constituting a panel detection sensor, LEDs L1 to L8, an operation switch OPS, and a communication IC 15. The communication IC 15 is a communication module for communicating with electronic devices such as a smartphone. A power supply terminal VSS of the Hall IC 13 and a ground terminal GND of the communication IC 15 are each connected to a ground line. The communication IC 15 and the MCU 1 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a communication line LN. One end of the operation switch OPS is connected to the ground line, and the other end of the operation switch OPS is connected to a terminal P4 of the MCU 1.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 12, receptacle mounting board 162 (area 162A) is provided with, as main electronic components, a power connector electrically connected to a power source BAT (the figure shows the power source BAT connected to this power connector), a connector electrically connected to a thermistor T1 constituting a power source temperature sensor (the figure shows thermistor T1 connected to this connector), a step-up DC / DC converter 9 (the figure shows step-up DC / DC9), a protection IC10, an overvoltage protection IC11, a fuel gauge IC12, a receptacle RCP, switches S3 to S6 composed of MOSFETs, an operational amplifier OP1, and a pair of heater connectors Cn (positive and negative sides) electrically connected to a heater HTR.

[0051] The two ground terminals GND of the receptacle RCP, the ground terminal GND of the step-up DC / DC converter 9, the power supply terminal VSS of the protection IC 10, the power supply terminal VSS of the fuel gauge IC 12, the ground terminal GND of the overvoltage protection IC 11, and the negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 are each connected to the ground line.

[0052] 12, the Hall IC mounting board 164 (area 164A) is provided with a Hall IC 14 including a Hall element that constitutes a cover position sensor. A power supply terminal VSS of the Hall IC 14 is connected to the ground line. An output terminal OUT of the Hall IC 14 is connected to a terminal P8 of the MCU1. The MCU1 detects the opening and closing of the slider 119 based on a signal input to the terminal P8.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 11, a connector electrically connected to the vibration motor M is provided on the MCU mounting board 161.

[0054] <Details of the internal unit circuit> The connections of the electronic components will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0055] Two power input terminals V of the receptacle RCP BUS are connected to the input terminal IN of the overvoltage protection IC11 via a fuse Fs. When a USB plug is connected to the receptacle RCP and the USB cable including the USB plug is connected to an external power supply, the two power supply input terminals V BUS to USB voltage V USB is supplied.

[0056] One end of a voltage divider circuit Pa, which is a series circuit of two resistors, is connected to the input terminal IN of the overvoltage protection IC11. The other end of the voltage divider circuit Pa is connected to the ground line. The connection point of the two resistors that make up the voltage divider circuit Pa is connected to the voltage detection terminal OVLo of the overvoltage protection IC11. When the voltage input to the voltage detection terminal OVLo of the overvoltage protection IC11 is below a threshold, the overvoltage protection IC11 outputs the voltage input to the input terminal IN from the output terminal OUT. When the voltage input to the voltage detection terminal OVLo becomes equal to or higher than the threshold (overvoltage), the overvoltage protection IC11 stops the voltage output from the output terminal OUT (cuts off the electrical connection between the LSW3 and the receptacle RCP) to protect electronic components downstream of the overvoltage protection IC11. The output terminal OUT of the overvoltage protection IC11 is connected to the input terminal VIN of the LSW3 and one end of a voltage divider circuit Pc (a series circuit of two resistors) connected to the MCU1. The other end of the voltage divider circuit Pc is connected to the ground line. The connection point of the two resistors that make up the voltage divider circuit Pc is connected to a terminal P17 of the MCU1.

[0057] One end of a voltage divider circuit Pf consisting of a series circuit of two resistors is connected to the input terminal VIN of the LSW3. The other end of the voltage divider circuit Pf is connected to the ground line. The connection point of the two resistors constituting the voltage divider circuit Pf is connected to the control terminal ON of the LSW3. The collector terminal of the bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the control terminal ON of the LSW3. The emitter terminal of the bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the ground line. The base terminal of the bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the terminal P19 of the MCU1. When the signal input to the control terminal ON of the LSW3 becomes high level, the LSW3 outputs the voltage input to the input terminal VIN from the output terminal VOUT. The output terminal VOUT of the LSW3 is connected to the input terminal VBUS of the charging IC2. The MCU1 turns on the bipolar transistor S2 while the USB connection is not made. As a result, the control terminal ON of the LSW3 is connected to the ground line via the bipolar transistor S2, so that a low level signal is input to the control terminal ON of the LSW3. The bipolar transistor S2 connected to the LSW3 is turned off by the MCU1 when the USB connection is established. When the bipolar transistor S2 is turned off, the USB voltage V USB is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3. Therefore, when the USB connection is established and the bipolar transistor S2 is turned off, a high-level signal is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3. As a result, LSW3 receives the USB voltage V USB is output from the output terminal VOUT. Note that even if the USB connection is made with the bipolar transistor S2 turned on, the control terminal ON of the LSW3 is connected to the ground line via the bipolar transistor S2. Therefore, it should be noted that unless the MCU1 turns off the bipolar transistor S2, a low-level signal continues to be input to the control terminal ON of the LSW3.

[0058] The positive terminal of the power supply BAT is connected to the power supply terminal VDD of the protection IC 10, the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9, and the charging terminal bat of the charging IC 2. Therefore, the power supply voltage V of the power supply BAT BAT is supplied to protection IC10, charging IC2, and step-up DC / DC converter 9. A resistor Ra, a switch Sa configured with a MOSFET, a switch Sb configured with a MOSFET, and a resistor Rb are connected in series to the negative terminal of power supply BAT, in this order. A current detection terminal CS of protection IC10 is connected to the connection point between resistor Ra and switch Sa. The control terminals of switch Sa and switch Sb are connected to protection IC10. Both ends of resistor Rb are connected to fuel gauge IC12.

[0059] The protection IC10 obtains the current value flowing through the resistor Ra when the power supply BAT is charged or discharged from the voltage input to the current detection terminal CS, and when this current value becomes excessive (overcurrent), the protection IC10 controls the opening and closing of the switches Sa and Sb to stop charging or discharging the power supply BAT, thereby protecting the power supply BAT. More specifically, when the protection IC10 obtains an excessive current value when the power supply BAT is charged, the protection IC10 turns off the switch Sb to stop charging the power supply BAT. When the protection IC10 obtains an excessive current value when the power supply BAT is discharged, the protection IC10 turns off the switch Sa to stop discharging the power supply BAT. In addition, when the voltage value of the power supply BAT becomes abnormal (overcharge or overvoltage) from the voltage input to the power supply terminal VDD, the protection IC10 controls the opening and closing of the switches Sa and Sb to stop charging or discharging the power supply BAT, thereby protecting the power supply BAT. More specifically, when the protection IC10 detects overcharging of the power supply BAT, it stops charging of the power supply BAT by turning off the switch Sb. When the protection IC10 detects overdischarging of the power supply BAT, it stops discharging of the power supply BAT by turning off the switch Sa.

[0060] A resistor Rt1 is connected to a connector that is connected to the thermistor T1 arranged near the power supply BAT. A series circuit of the resistor Rt1 and thermistor T1 is connected to the ground line and a regulator terminal TREG of the fuel gauge IC12. The connection point of the thermistor T1 and resistor Rt1 is connected to a thermistor terminal THM of the fuel gauge IC12. The thermistor T1 may be a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) thermistor, whose resistance value increases with increasing temperature, or an NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistor, whose resistance value decreases with increasing temperature. A thermal coefficient thermistor may also be used.

[0061] The fuel gauge IC12 detects the current flowing through the resistor Rb, and based on the detected current value, calculates the remaining capacity of the power supply BAT, the SOC (State Of Charge) indicating the charging state, and the S The battery information such as OH (State Of Health) is derived. A built-in regulator connected to a thermistor terminal TREG supplies a voltage to a voltage divider circuit of a thermistor T1 and a resistor Rt1. The fuel gauge IC12 obtains the voltage divided by this voltage divider circuit from a thermistor terminal THM, and obtains temperature information on the temperature of the power supply BAT based on this voltage. The fuel gauge IC12 is connected to the MCU1 by a communication line LN for serial communication, and is configured to be able to communicate with the MCU1. The fuel gauge IC12 transmits the derived battery information and the obtained temperature information of the power supply BAT to the MCU1 in response to a request from the MCU1. Note that in order to perform serial communication, multiple signal lines such as a data line for data transmission and a clock line for synchronization are required. Please note that in Figs. 10 to 19, only one signal line is shown for simplification.

[0062] The fuel gauge IC 12 includes a notification terminal 12a. The notification terminal 12a is connected to a terminal P6 of the MCU 1 and to the cathode of a diode D2, which will be described later. The fuel gauge IC 12 includes When an abnormality such as an excessive temperature of the power supply BAT is detected, a low-level signal is output from notification terminal 12a to notify the occurrence of the abnormality to MCU 1. This low-level signal is also input to the CLR(￣) terminal of FF17 via diode D2.

[0063] One end of a reactor Lc is connected to the switching terminal SW of the boost DC / DC converter 9. The other end of the reactor Lc is connected to the input terminal VIN of the boost DC / DC converter 9. The boost DC / DC converter 9 boosts the input voltage by controlling the on / off of an internal transistor connected to the switching terminal SW, and outputs the boosted voltage from the output terminal VOUT. The input terminal VIN of the boost DC / DC converter 9 constitutes a high-potential power supply terminal of the boost DC / DC converter 9. The boost DC / DC converter 9 performs a boost operation when a signal input to an enable terminal EN is at a high level. In a state where the device is connected to the USB, the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the boost DC / DC converter 9 may be controlled to a low level by the MCU 1. Alternatively, in a state where the device is connected to the USB, the MCU 1 may not control the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the boost DC / DC converter 9, thereby making the potential of the enable terminal EN indefinite.

[0064] The output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 is connected to the source terminal of a switch S4 configured by a P-channel MOSFET. The gate terminal of the switch S4 is connected to a terminal P15 of the MCU1. The drain terminal of the switch S4 is connected to one end of a resistor Rs. The other end of the resistor Rs is connected to a positive-side heater connector Cn connected to one end of the heater HTR. A voltage divider circuit Pb consisting of two resistors is connected to the connection point between the switch S4 and the resistor Rs. The connection point between the two resistors that make up the voltage divider circuit Pb is connected to a terminal P18 of the MCU1. The connection point between the switch S4 and the resistor Rs is further connected to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1.

[0065] The source terminal of the switch S3, which is configured by a P-channel MOSFET, is connected to the connection line between the output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 and the source terminal of the switch S4. The gate terminal of the switch S3 is connected to the terminal P16 of the MCU1. The drain terminal of the switch S3 is connected to the connection line between the resistor Rs and the positive electrode side heater connector Cn. In this way, a circuit including the switch S3 and a circuit including the switch S4 and the resistor Rs are connected in parallel between the output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 and the positive electrode side of the heater connector Cn. The circuit including the switch S3 does not have a resistor, and therefore has a lower resistance than the circuit including the switch S4 and the resistor Rs.

[0066] The non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the connection line between the resistor Rs and the positive heater connector Cn. The inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the negative heater connector Cn connected to the other end of the heater HTR, and to the drain terminal of the switch S6 configured by an N-channel MOSFET. The source terminal of the switch S6 is connected to the ground line. The gate terminal of the switch S6 is connected to the terminal P14 of the MCU1, the anode of the diode D4, and the enable terminal EN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9. The cathode of the diode D4 is connected to the Q terminal of the FF17. One end of the resistor R4 is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. The other end of the resistor R4 is connected to the terminal P9 of the MCU1 and to the drain terminal of the switch S5 configured by an N-channel MOSFET. The source terminal of the switch S5 is connected to the ground line. The gate terminal of the switch S5 is connected to the connection line between the resistor Rs and the positive heater connector Cn.

[0067] The input terminal VBUS of the charging IC2 is connected to the anode of each of the LEDs L1 to L8. The cathode of each of the LEDs L1 to L8 is connected to the MCU via a resistor for current limiting. That is, the LEDs L1 to L8 are connected in parallel to the input terminal VBUS. The LEDs L1 to L8 are connected to the USB voltage V USB and the voltage supplied from the power supply BAT via the charging IC2. The MCU1 has built-in transistors (switching elements) connected to each of the control terminals PD1 to PD8 and to the ground terminal GND. The MCU1 turns on the transistor connected to the control terminal PD1 to pass electricity through the LED L1, turning it on, and turns off the transistor connected to the control terminal PD1 to turn off the LED L1. The brightness and light emission pattern of the LED L1 can be dynamically controlled by quickly switching the transistor connected to the control terminal PD1 on and off. The lighting of the LEDs L2 to L8 is similarly controlled by the MCU1.

[0068] The charging IC2 detects the USB voltage V USB The charging IC2 has a charging function of charging the power supply BAT based on the charging current and charging voltage of the power supply BAT from terminals and wiring (not shown), and controls charging of the power supply BAT (controls power supply from the charging terminal bat to the power supply BAT) based on the charging current and charging voltage. The charging IC2 may also obtain temperature information of the power supply BAT sent from the fuel gauge IC12 to the MCU1 through serial communication using the communication line LN from the MCU1, and use the temperature information for charging control.

[0069] The charging IC2 also BAT Equipped with power pass function and OTG function. BAT The power path function is to protect the power supply voltage V BAT The OTG function outputs the system power supply voltage Vcc0, which is approximately equal to the system power supply voltage Vcc0 input to the charging terminal bat, from the output terminal SYS. BATThe OTG function of the charging IC2 is controlled by the MCU1 through serial communication using the communication line LN. In the OTG function, the power supply voltage Vcc4 input to the charging terminal bat is boosted and output from the input terminal VBUS. BAT may be output directly from the input terminal VBUS. In this case, the power supply voltage V BAT and the system power supply voltage Vcc4 are approximately equal.

[0070] The output terminal SYS of the charging IC2 is connected to the input terminal VIN of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 8. One end of the reactor La is connected to the switching terminal SW of the charging IC2. The other end of the reactor La is connected to the output terminal SYS of the charging IC2. The charge enable terminal CE(￣) of the charging IC2 is connected to the terminal P22 of the MCU1 via a resistor. Furthermore, the collector terminal of the bipolar transistor S1 is connected to the charge enable terminal CE(￣) of the charging IC2. The emitter terminal of the bipolar transistor S1 is connected to the output terminal VOUT of the LSW4 described below. The base terminal of the bipolar transistor S1 is connected to the Q terminal of the FF17. Furthermore, one end of the resistor Rc is connected to the charge enable terminal CE(￣) of the charging IC2. The other end of the resistor Rc is connected to the output terminal VOUT of the LSW4.

[0071] A resistor is connected to the input terminal VIN and enable terminal EN of the buck-boost DC / DC converter 8. When the system power supply voltage Vcc0 is input from the output terminal SYS of the charging IC2 to the input terminal VIN of the buck-boost DC / DC converter 8, the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the buck-boost DC / DC converter 8 goes high, and the buck-boost DC / DC converter 8 starts its boost or buck operation. The buck-boost DC / DC converter 8 generates a system power supply voltage Vcc1 by controlling the switching of the built-in transistor connected to the reactor Lb, and outputs it from the output terminal VOUT. The output terminal VOUT of the buck-boost DC / DC converter 8 is connected to the feedback terminal FB of the buck-boost DC / DC converter 8, the input terminal VIN of the LSW4, the input terminal VIN of the switch driver 7, and the power supply terminals VCC and D terminal of FF16. A wiring line through which a system power supply voltage Vcc1 output from an output terminal VOUT of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 8 is supplied is referred to as a power supply line PL1.

[0072] When the signal input to the control terminal ON of LSW4 becomes high level, it outputs the system power supply voltage Vcc1 input to the input terminal VIN from the output terminal VOUT. The control terminal ON of LSW4 and the power supply line PL1 are connected via a resistor. Therefore, when the system power supply voltage Vcc1 is supplied to the power supply line PL1, a high-level signal is input to the control terminal ON of LSW4. The voltage output by LSW4 is the same as the system power supply voltage Vcc1 if wiring resistance and the like are ignored, but to distinguish it from the system power supply voltage Vcc1, the voltage output from the output terminal VOUT of LSW4 will be referred to as the system power supply voltage Vcc2 below.

[0073] The output terminal VOUT of LSW4 is connected to the power supply terminal VDD of MCU1, the input terminal VIN of LSW5, the power supply terminal VDD of fuel gauge IC12, the power supply terminal VCC of ROM6, the emitter terminal of bipolar transistor S1, resistor Rc, and the power supply terminal VCC of FF 17. The wiring through which the system power supply voltage Vcc2 output from the output terminal VOUT of LSW4 is supplied is referred to as power supply line PL2.

[0074] When the signal input to the control terminal ON of LSW5 becomes high level, LSW5 outputs the system power supply voltage Vcc2 input to the input terminal VIN from the output terminal VOUT. The control terminal ON of LSW5 is connected to the terminal P23 of MCU1. The voltage output by LSW5 is the same as the system power supply voltage Vcc2 if wiring resistance and the like are ignored, but in order to distinguish it from the system power supply voltage Vcc2, the voltage output from the output terminal VOUT of LSW5 will be referred to as the system power supply voltage Vcc3 below. The wiring through which the system power supply voltage Vcc3 output from the output terminal VOUT of LSW5 is supplied will be referred to as the power supply line PL3.

[0075] A series circuit of a thermistor T2 and a resistor Rt2 is connected to the power supply line PL3, and the resistor Rt2 is connected to the ground line. The thermistor T2 and the resistor Rt2 form a voltage divider circuit, and their connection point is connected to the terminal P21 of the MCU1. The MCU1 detects the temperature fluctuation (resistance value fluctuation) of the thermistor T2 based on the voltage input to the terminal P21, and determines whether or not a puff operation is occurring based on the amount of temperature fluctuation.

[0076] A series circuit of a thermistor T3 and a resistor Rt3 is connected to the power supply line PL3, and the resistor Rt3 is connected to the ground line. The thermistor T3 and the resistor Rt3 form a voltage divider circuit, and their connection point is connected to a terminal P13 of the MCU1 and an inverting input terminal of an operational amplifier OP2. The MCU1 detects the temperature of the thermistor T3 (corresponding to the temperature of the heater HTR) based on the voltage input to the terminal P13.

[0077] A series circuit of a thermistor T4 and a resistor Rt4 is connected to the power supply line PL3, and the resistor Rt4 is connected to the ground line. The thermistor T4 and the resistor Rt4 form a voltage divider circuit, and their connection point is connected to a terminal P12 of the MCU1 and an inverting input terminal of an operational amplifier OP3. The MCU1 detects the temperature of thermistor T4 (corresponding to the temperature of the case 110) based on the voltage input to the terminal P12.

[0078] A source terminal of a switch S7 made of a MOSFET is connected to the power supply line PL2. A gate terminal of the switch S7 is connected to a terminal P20 of the MCU1. A drain terminal of the switch S7 is connected to one of a pair of connectors to which the vibration motor M is connected. The other of the pair of connectors is connected to a ground line. The MCU1 controls the opening and closing of the switch S7 by manipulating the potential of the terminal P20, and can cause the vibration motor M to vibrate in a specific pattern. A dedicated driver IC is used instead of the switch S7. It's fine.

[0079] The power supply line PL2 is connected to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP2 and a voltage divider circuit Pd (a series circuit of two resistors) connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP2. The connection point of the two resistors constituting the voltage divider circuit Pd is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP2. The operational amplifier OP2 outputs a signal corresponding to the temperature of the heater HTR (a signal corresponding to the resistance value of the thermistor T3). In this embodiment, a thermistor T3 having an NTC characteristic is used as the thermistor T3, so the higher the temperature of the heater HTR (the temperature of thermistor T3), the lower the output voltage of the operational amplifier OP2. This is because the negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP2 is connected to the ground line, and when the voltage value (voltage divided by the thermistor T3 and resistor Rt3) input to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP2 becomes higher than the voltage value (voltage divided by the voltage divider circuit Pd) input to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP2, the value of the output voltage of the operational amplifier OP2 becomes approximately equal to the value of the ground potential. In other words, when the temperature of the heater HTR (the temperature of thermistor T3) becomes high, the output voltage of the operational amplifier OP2 becomes low level. In addition, when using a thermistor T3 having PTC characteristics, the output of a voltage divider circuit including the thermistor T3 and resistor Rt3 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP2, and the output of the voltage divider circuit Pd is connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP2.

[0080] The power supply line PL2 is connected to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP3 and a voltage dividing circuit Pe (a series circuit of two resistors) connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP3. The connection point of the two resistors constituting the voltage dividing circuit Pe is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP3. The operational amplifier OP3 outputs a signal corresponding to the temperature of the case 110 (a signal corresponding to the resistance value of the thermistor T4). In this embodiment, a thermistor having an NTC characteristic is used as the thermistor T4, so that the higher the temperature of the case 110, the lower the output voltage of the operational amplifier OP3. This is because the negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP3 is connected to the ground line, and when the voltage value input to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP3 (voltage divided by the thermistor T4 and the resistor Rt4) becomes higher than the voltage value input to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP3 (voltage divided by the voltage dividing circuit Pe), the value of the output voltage of the operational amplifier OP3 becomes approximately equal to the value of the ground potential. In other words, when the temperature of thermistor T4 becomes high, the output voltage of operational amplifier OP3 becomes low level. In addition, when using a thermistor T4 having PTC characteristics, the output of a voltage divider circuit consisting of the thermistor T4 and resistor Rt4 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP3, and the output of the voltage divider circuit Pe is connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP3.

[0081] A resistor R1 is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP2. The cathode of a diode D1 is connected to the resistor R1. The anode of the diode D1 is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP3, the D terminal of FF17, and the CLR(￣) terminal of FF17. A resistor R2, which is connected to the power supply line PL1, is connected to the connection line between the resistor R1 and the diode D1. The CLR(￣) terminal of FF16 is also connected to this connection line.

[0082] One end of a resistor R3 is connected to a connection line between the connection point of the anode of the diode D1 and the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP3, and the D terminal of FF17. The other end of the resistor R3 is connected to a power supply line PL2. Furthermore, this connection line is connected to the anode of a diode D2 connected to the notification terminal 12a of the fuel gauge IC12, the anode of a diode D3, and the CLR(￣) terminal of FF17. The cathode of the diode D3 is connected to terminal P5 of the MCU1.

[0083] FF16 is the signal output from the operational amplifier OP2 when the temperature of the heater HTR becomes excessive. becomes small and the signal input to the CLR(￣) terminal goes low, a high-level signal is input from the Q(￣) terminal to terminal P11 of MCU1. High-level system power supply voltage Vcc1 is supplied to the D terminal of FF16 from the power line PL1. For this reason, FF16 will continue to output a low-level signal from the Q(￣) terminal unless the signal input to the CLR(￣) terminal, which operates in negative logic, goes low.

[0084] The signal input to the CLR(￣) terminal of FF17 becomes low level when the temperature of the heater HTR becomes excessive, when the temperature of the case 110 becomes excessive, or when a low level signal indicating abnormality detection is output from the notification terminal 12a of the fuel gauge IC12. When the signal input to the CLR(￣) terminal of FF17 becomes low level, the Q terminal of FF17 outputs a low level signal. This low level signal is input to the terminal P10 of the MCU1, the gate terminal of the switch S6, the enable terminal EN of the boost DC / DC converter 9, and the base terminal of the bipolar transistor S1 connected to the charging IC2. When a low level signal is input to the gate terminal of the switch S6, the gate-source voltage of the N-channel MOSFET constituting the switch S6 becomes less than the threshold voltage, so that the switch S6 is turned off. When a low level signal is input to the enable terminal EN of the boost DC / DC converter 9, the enable terminal EN of the boost DC / DC converter 9 is positive logic, so that the boost operation stops. When a low-level signal is input to the base terminal of bipolar transistor S1, bipolar transistor S1 turns on (amplified current is output from the collector terminal). When bipolar transistor S1 turns on, a high-level system power supply voltage Vcc2 is input to the CE(￣) terminal of charging IC2 via bipolar transistor S1. Because the CE(￣) terminal of charging IC2 is negative logic, charging of power supply BAT is stopped. As a result, heating of heater HTR and charging of power supply BAT are stopped. Note that even if MCU1 attempts to output a low-level enable signal from terminal P22 to the charge enable terminal CE(￣) of charging IC2, when bipolar transistor S1 is turned on, an amplified current is input from the collector terminal to terminal P22 of MCU1 and to the charge enable terminal CE(￣) of charging IC2. Note that as a result, a high-level signal is input to the charge enable terminal CE(￣) of charging IC2.

[0085] A high-level system power supply voltage Vcc2 is supplied to the D terminal of FF17 from the power supply line PL2. For this reason, in FF17, a high-level signal continues to be output from the Q terminal unless the signal input to the CLR(￣) terminal, which operates in negative logic, becomes low. When a low-level signal is output from the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP3, a low-level signal is input to the CLR(￣) terminal of FF17, regardless of the level of the signal output from the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP2. Note that when a high-level signal is output from the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP2, the low-level signal output from the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP3 is not affected by this high-level signal due to the diode D1. Also, when a low-level signal is output from the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP2, even if a high-level signal is output from the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP3, this high-level signal is replaced by a low-level signal via the diode D1.

[0086] The power supply line PL2 further branches from the MCU mounted board 161 toward the LED mounted board 163 and the Hall IC mounted board 164. A power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC 13, a power supply terminal VCC of the communication IC 15, and a power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC 14 are connected to this branched power supply line PL2.

[0087] An output terminal OUT of the Hall IC 13 is connected to a terminal P3 of the MCU 1 and a terminal SW2 of the switch driver 7. When the outer panel 115 is removed, a low-level signal is output from the output terminal OUT of the Hall IC 13. The MCU 1 determines whether or not the outer panel 115 is attached based on the signal input to the terminal P3.

[0088] The LED mounting board 163 is provided with a series circuit (series circuit of a resistor and a capacitor) connected to the operation switch OPS. This series circuit is connected to the power supply line PL2. The connection point of the resistor and the capacitor of this series circuit is connected to the terminal P4 of the MCU1, the operation switch OPS, and the terminal SW1 of the switch driver 7. When the operation switch OPS is not pressed, the operation switch OPS is not conductive, and the signals input to the terminal P4 of the MCU1 and the terminal SW1 of the switch driver 7 are at high level due to the system power supply voltage Vcc2. When the operation switch OPS is pressed and the operation switch OPS is in a conductive state, the signals input to the terminal P4 of the MCU1 and the terminal SW1 of the switch driver 7 are at low level because they are connected to the ground line. The MCU1 detects the operation of the operation switch OPS by the signal input to the terminal P4.

[0089] The switch driver 7 is provided with a reset input terminal RSTB. The reset input terminal RSTB is connected to the control terminal ON of the LSW4. When the levels of the signals input to the terminals SW1 and SW2 of the switch driver 7 are both at a low level (when the outer panel 115 is removed and the operation switch OPS is pressed), the switch driver 7 outputs a low-level signal from the reset input terminal RSTB to stop the output operation of the LSW4. In other words, when the operation switch OPS, which is normally pressed down via the pressing portion 117 of the outer panel 115, is pressed down directly by the user with the outer panel 115 removed, the levels of the signals input to the terminals SW1 and SW2 of the switch driver 7 are both at a low level.

[0090] <Operation of the suction device in each operation mode> Hereinafter, the operation of the electric circuit shown in FIG. 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 19. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in a sleep mode. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in an active mode. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in a heating initial setting mode. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when the heater HTR is heated in the heating mode. FIG. 17 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when the temperature of the heater HTR is detected in the heating mode. FIG. 18 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in a charging mode. FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when the MCU1 is reset (restarted). In each of FIGS. 13 to 19, among the terminals of the chipped electronic components, the terminals surrounded by a dashed ellipse are connected to the power supply voltage V BAT , USB voltage V USB , and a terminal through which the system power supply voltage or the like is input or output.

[0091] In either operating mode, the power supply voltage V BAT is input to the power supply terminal VDD of the protection IC 10, the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9, and the charging terminal bat of the charging IC 2.

[0092] <Sleep mode: Figure 13> MCU1 detects the V BAT Enable the power path function and disable the OTG and charging functions. Apply the USB voltage V to the input terminal VBUS of the charging IC2. USB When no input is made, the V of charging IC2 BAT The power path function is enabled. The OTG function is disabled because the signal to enable the OTG function from the communication line LN is not output from the MCU1 to the charging IC2. Therefore, the charging IC2 detects the power supply voltage V BATThe system power supply voltage Vcc0 is generated from the system power supply voltage Vcc0 and output from the output terminal SYS. The system power supply voltage Vcc0 output from the output terminal SYS is input to the input terminal VIN and enable terminal EN of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 8. The step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 8 is enabled when a high-level system power supply voltage Vcc0 is input to the enable terminal EN, which is positive logic, and generates a system power supply voltage Vcc1 from the system power supply voltage Vcc0 and outputs The system power supply voltage Vcc1 output from the output terminal VOUT of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 8 is supplied to the input terminal VIN of the LSW4, the control terminal ON of the LSW4, the input terminal VIN of the switch driver 7, and the power supply terminal VCC and the D terminal of the FF16.

[0093] When the system power supply voltage Vcc1 is input to the control terminal ON, the LSW4 outputs the system power supply voltage Vcc1 input to the input terminal VIN as the system power supply voltage Vcc2 from the output terminal VOUT. The system power supply voltage Vcc2 output from the LSW4 is input to the power supply terminal VDD of the MCU1, the input terminal VIN of the LSW5, the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC13, the power supply terminal VCC of the communication IC15, and the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC14. Furthermore, the system power supply voltage Vcc2 is supplied to the power supply terminal VDD of the fuel gauge IC12, the power supply terminal VCC of the ROM6, the resistor Rc and the bipolar transistor S1 connected to the charge enable terminal CE(￣) of the charger IC2, the power supply terminal VCC of the FF17, the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP3, the voltage divider circuit Pe, the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP2, and the voltage divider circuit Pd. The bipolar transistor S1 connected to the charger IC2 is off unless a low-level signal is output from the Q terminal of the FF17. As a result, the system power supply voltage Vcc2 generated by LSW4 is also input to the charge enable terminal CE(￣) of charger IC2. Because the charge enable terminal CE(￣) of charger IC2 is negative logic, in this state the charging function of charger IC2 is turned off.

[0094] In this way, in the sleep mode, the LSW5 stops outputting the system power supply voltage Vcc3, so that the power supply to the electronic components connected to the power line PL3 is stopped. Also, in the sleep mode, the OTG function of the charging IC2 is stopped, so that the power supply to the LEDs L1 to L8 is stopped.

[0095] <Active mode: Figure 14> 13, when the signal input to terminal P8 becomes high level and the MCU1 detects that the slider 119 has opened, the MCU1 inputs a high level signal from terminal P23 to the control terminal ON of the LSW5. This causes the LSW5 to output the system power supply voltage Vcc2 input to the input terminal VIN as the system power supply voltage Vcc3 from the output terminal VOUT. The system power supply voltage Vcc3 output from the output terminal VOUT of the LSW5 is supplied to thermistors T2, T3, and T4.

[0096] Furthermore, when the MCU 1 detects that the slider 119 is open, the MCU 1 enables the OTG function of the charging IC 2 via the communication line LN. As a result, the charging IC 2 detects the power supply voltage V BAT The system power supply voltage Vcc4 obtained by boosting the voltage Vcc4 is output from the input terminal VBUS. The system power supply voltage Vcc4 output from the input terminal VBUS is supplied to the LEDs L1 to L8.

[0097] <Heating initial setting mode: Figure 15> When the signal input to terminal P4 becomes low level (the operation switch OPS is pressed) from the state in FIG. 14, the MCU1 performs various settings required for heating, and then inputs a high-level enable signal from terminal P14 to the enable terminal EN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9. This causes the step-up DC / DC converter 9 to BAT The drive voltage V obtained by boosting bst is output from the output terminal VOUT. bstis supplied to switches S3 and S4. In this state, switches S3 and S4 are off. Also, switch S6 is turned on by a high-level enable signal output from terminal P14. This connects the negative terminal of the heater HTR to the ground line, and turning switch S3 on puts the heater HTR into a heating state. After a high-level enable signal is output from terminal P14 of the MCU1, the system transitions to the heating mode. To carry out.

[0098] <Heater heating in heating mode: Figure 16> 15, the MCU1 starts the switching control of the switch S3 connected to the terminal P16 and the switching control of the switch S4 connected to the terminal P15. These switching controls may be started automatically when the above-mentioned heating initial setting mode is completed, or may be started by further pressing of the operation switch OPS. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the MCU1 turns on the switch S3 and turns off the switch S4 to set the driving voltage V bst to the heater HTR to heat the heater HTR for generating an aerosol, and a temperature detection control is performed to detect the temperature of the heater HTR by turning off switch S3 and turning on switch S4 as shown in FIG. 17.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 16, during heating control, the driving voltage V bst is also supplied to the gate of the switch S5, turning the switch S5 on. In addition, during heating control, the driving voltage V bst is also input to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 through the resistor Rs. The resistance of the resistor Rs is negligibly small compared to the internal resistance of the operational amplifier OP1. Therefore, during heating control, the voltage input to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is the driving voltage V bst is almost equivalent to

[0100] The resistance value of resistor R4 is greater than the on-resistance value of switch S5. The operational amplifier OP1 also operates during heating control, but switch S5 is turned on during heating control. When switch S5 is on, the output voltage of operational amplifier OP1 is divided by the voltage divider circuit consisting of resistor R4 and switch S5, and input to terminal P9 of MCU1. Because the resistance value of resistor R4 is greater than the on-resistance value of switch S5, the voltage input to terminal P9 of MCU1 is sufficiently small. This makes it possible to prevent a large voltage from being input from operational amplifier OP1 to MCU1.

[0101] <Heater temperature detection in heating mode: Figure 17> As shown in Figure 17, during temperature detection control, the drive voltage V bst is input to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 and also to the voltage divider circuit Pb. The voltage divided by the voltage divider circuit Pb is input to a terminal P18 of the MCU1. The MCU1 determines the reference voltage V applied to the series circuit of the resistor Rs and the heater HTR during temperature detection control based on the voltage input to the terminal P18. temp Get the.

[0102] In addition, during temperature detection control, the drive voltage V bst (Reference voltage V temp ) is supplied to the resistor Rs and the heater HTR in series. bst (Reference voltage V temp ) divided by resistor Rs and heater HTR, heat is input to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. Since the resistance value of the resistor Rs is sufficiently larger than the resistance value of the heater HTR, the voltage V heat is the driving voltage V bst During temperature detection control, this low voltage V heat is also supplied to the gate terminal of the switch S5, turning off the switch S5. The operational amplifier OP1 is heat The difference between these is amplified and output.

[0103] The output signal of the operational amplifier OP1 is input to the terminal P9 of the MCU1. The MCU1 obtains a reference voltage V based on the signal input to the terminal P9 and the input voltage of the terminal P18. temp and the known electrical resistance value of the resistor Rs, the MCU 1 acquires the temperature of the heater HTR. Based on the acquired temperature of the heater HTR, the MCU 1 performs heating control of the heater HTR (for example, control so that the temperature of the heater HTR becomes a target temperature).

[0104] In addition, the MCU 1 is turned off during the period when the switch S3 and the switch S4 are turned off (heating The MCU 1 can obtain the temperature of the heater HTR even during a period when the heater HTR is not energized (period when the heater HTR is not energized). Specifically, the MCU 1 obtains the temperature of the heater HTR based on the voltage input to the terminal P13 (the output voltage of a voltage divider circuit formed by the thermistor T3 and the resistor Rt3).

[0105] Furthermore, the MCU 1 can also acquire, at any time, the temperature of the case 110. Specifically, the MCU 1 acquires the temperature of the case 110 based on the voltage input to the terminal P12 (the output voltage of a voltage divider circuit configured by the thermistor T4 and the resistor Rt4).

[0106] <Charging mode: Figure 18> FIG. 18 illustrates a case where a USB connection is made in the sleep mode. When a USB connection is made, the USB voltage V USB is input to the input terminal VIN of LSW3 via the overvoltage protection IC11. USB The USB voltage V is also supplied to the voltage divider circuit Pf connected to the input terminal VIN of LSW3. Immediately after the USB connection is made, the bipolar transistor S2 is on, so the signal input to the control terminal ON of LSW3 remains at low level. USB is also supplied to a voltage divider circuit Pc connected to a terminal P17 of the MCU1, and the voltage divided by this voltage divider circuit Pc is input to the terminal P17. The MCU1 detects that a USB connection has been made based on the voltage input to the terminal P17.

[0107] When the MCU1 detects that the USB connection has been established, it turns off the bipolar transistor S2 connected to the terminal P19. When a low-level signal is input to the gate terminal of the bipolar transistor S2, the USB voltage V USB is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3. As a result, a high-level signal is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3, and LSW3 is turned on by the USB voltage V USB is output from the output terminal VOUT. The USB voltage V USB is input to the input terminal VBUS of the charging IC2. Also, the USB voltage V USB is supplied as it is to the LEDs L1 to L8 as the system power supply voltage Vcc4.

[0108] When the MCU1 detects that the USB connection has been established, it also outputs a low-level enable signal from the terminal P22 to the charging enable terminal CE(￣) of the charging IC2. This causes the charging IC2 to enable the charging function of the power supply BAT and increase the USB voltage V USB Charging of the power supply BAT starts.

[0109] If a USB connection is made in the active mode, the MCU1 detects that a USB connection has been made and turns off the bipolar transistor S2 connected to the terminal P19. In addition, the MCU1 outputs a low-level enable signal from the terminal P22 to the charging enable terminal CE(￣) of the charging IC2. In addition, the MCU1 turns off the OTG function of the charging IC2 through serial communication using the communication line LN. As a result, the system power supply voltage Vcc4 supplied to the LEDs L1 to L8 becomes the voltage (power supply voltage V BAT The USB voltage V output from the LSW3 USBIt switches. LEDs L1 to L8 do not operate unless the built-in transistors are turned on by MCU1. Therefore, it is prevented that unstable voltages during the transition period from the on state to the off state of the OTG function are supplied to LEDs L1 to L8.

[0110] <Reset of MCU: Figure 19> When the outer panel 115 is removed and the output of the hall IC 13 becomes low level, and when the on operation of the operation switch OPS is performed and the signal input to the terminal P4 of the MCU1 becomes low level, both the terminal SW1 and the terminal SW2 of the switch driver 7 become low level. As a result, the switch driver 7 outputs a low-level signal from the reset input terminal RSTB. The low-level signal output from the reset input terminal RSTB is input to the control terminal ON of the LSW4. As a result, the LSW4 stops the output of the system power supply voltage Vcc2 from the output terminal VOUT. Since the system power supply voltage Vcc2 is no longer input to the power supply terminal VDD of the MCU1 when the output of the system power supply voltage Vcc2 is stopped, the MCU1 stops.

[0111] When the time during which the switch driver 7 outputs a low-level signal from the reset input terminal RSTB reaches a predetermined time, or when the signal input to either the terminal SW1 or the terminal SW2 becomes high level, the switch driver 7 returns the signal output from the reset input terminal RSTB to the high level. As a result, the control terminal ON of the LSW4 becomes high level, and the system returns to a state where the system power supply voltage Vcc2 is supplied to each part.

[0112] <Details of heating control and temperature detection control> Figure 20 is a main part circuit diagram showing the main electronic components used for heating and temperature detection of the heater HTR among the electric circuits shown in Figure 10. In Figure 20, as electronic components and nodes whose illustration or symbols were omitted in Figure 10, there are a reactor Ld, a resistor R S4 and an npn bipolar transistor T S4 and resistors R that constitute a voltage dividing circuit Pb Pb1 and resistor R Pb220, a parasitic diode D5 of the switch S5, nodes N1 to N8, and an operational amplifier OP4, an operational amplifier OP5, an ADC (analog-to-digital converter) 1a, and an ADC 1b built in the MCU 1 are shown. S4 , resistor Rs, resistor R Pb1 , resistor R Pb2 , and resistor R4) are fixed resistors having predefined resistance values.

[0113] resistor R S4 One end of the resistor R is connected to the gate terminal of the switch S4. S4 The other end of the bipolar transistor T S4 The collector terminal of the bipolar transistor T S4 The emitter terminal of the bipolar transistor T is connected to ground. S4 The base terminal of this is connected to the terminal P15 of the MCU1.

[0114] The reactor Ld is connected to the drive voltage V bst The reactor Ld is provided for the purpose of reducing noise. The reactor Ld is connected between the source terminal of the switch S4 and the output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 9. In addition to the reactor Ld, a separate first reactor for noise reduction may be provided between the switch S4 and the resistor Rs, and a separate second reactor for noise reduction may be provided between the resistor Rs and the heater connector Cn(+) on the positive electrode side. Any one or any two of the reactor Ld, the first reactor, and the second reactor may be omitted. Also, these reactors for noise reduction are not essential and can be omitted.

[0115] The node N1 connects the source terminal of the switch S3 and one end of the reactor Ld. The node N1 is connected to the output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 9.

[0116] The node N7 connects the positive electrode (+ pole) of the heater connector Cn(+) and the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1.

[0117] The node N2 connects the drain terminal of the switch S3 and the node N7.

[0118] The node N4 connects the node N2 and the resistor Rs. The node N4 is connected to the gate terminal of the switch S5.

[0119] The node N5 connects the end of the resistor R4 opposite to the operational amplifier OP1 side and the drain terminal of the switch S5. The node N5 is connected to the terminal P9 of the MCU1.

[0120] The node N3 connects the drain terminal of the switch S4 to the opposite end of the resistor Rs on the node N4 side. The node N3 connects the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 to the resistor Rs on the node N4 side. Pb1 One end of the casing is connected to the other end of the casing.

[0121] Node N6 is connected to resistor R Pb1 The other end of resistor R Pb2 The node N6 is connected to the terminal P18 of the MCU1. Pb2 The other end is connected to ground.

[0122] The node N8 connects the negative side (- pole) heater connector Cn(-) and the drain terminal of the switch S6. The node N8 is connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1.

[0123] The parasitic diode D5 has an anode connected to the source terminal of the switch S5 and a cathode connected to the drain terminal of the switch S5.

[0124] In the circuit shown in FIG. 20, the flow when the switch S4 is turned on is as follows. First, the drive voltage V bstIn the state where the output is being S4 Turn on the bipolar transistor T S4 The amplified current is output from the emitter terminal of the switch S4. S4 , bipolar transistor T S4 The collector terminal of the bipolar transistor T S4 As a result, the gate voltage of the switch S4 becomes close to the ground potential (0 V in this embodiment), the absolute value of the gate-source voltage of the switch S4 becomes larger than the absolute value of the threshold voltage of the switch S4, and the switch S4 turns on. S4 When the switch S4 is turned off, the absolute value of the gate-source voltage of the switch S4 becomes equal to or lower than the absolute value of the threshold voltage of the switch S4, and the switch S4 is turned off. The gate-source voltage refers to the voltage applied between the gate terminal and the source terminal. Since the switch S4 in this embodiment is a P-channel MOSFET, a gate-source voltage having a negative value is required to turn on the switch S4. In other words, when the potential of the source terminal becomes lower than the threshold voltage from the potential of the gate terminal, the switch S4 is turned on. For example, when the threshold voltage of the switch S4 is -4.5V, if the source potential is 4.9V and the gate potential is 0V, the gate-source voltage becomes -4.9V. Since -4.9V is lower than the threshold voltage of -4.5V, the switch S4 is turned on. On the other hand, if the source potential is 4.9V and the gate potential is 3.3V, the gate-source voltage becomes -1.6V. Since -1.6V is higher than the threshold voltage of -4.5V, the switch S4 is turned off. In this specification, for ease of understanding, the gate-source voltage and threshold voltage of a P-channel MOSFET will be described as absolute values ​​ignoring signs.

[0125] The system power supply voltage Vcc2 (the power supply voltage of MCU1 input to the power supply terminal VDD of MCU1) and the drive voltage V bstis preferably the value shown below. System power supply voltage Vcc2=3.3V Drive voltage V bst =4.9V

[0126] Next, the operation of the heating control of the heater HTR and the temperature detection control of the heater HTR will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0127] 21 is a diagram showing an example of a change in voltage input to the gate terminals of the switches S3 and S4 in the heating mode. Note that since 4 is a P-channel MOSFET, when the voltage input to the gate terminal is at a low level, the switches S3 and S4 are turned on. FIG. 21 shows driving examples EX1 and EX2. In driving example EX1 of FIG. 21, the MCU1 alternately turns on and off the switches S3 and S4. That is, in driving example EX1, the MCU1 turns off the switch S4 while the switch S3 is on, and turns on the switch S4 while the switch S3 is off. In other words, in driving example EX1, the period during which the voltage input to the gate terminal of the switch S3 is at a low level does not overlap with the period during which the voltage input to the gate terminal of the switch S4 is at a low level. Driving example EX2 differs from driving example EX1 in that the period during which the switch S3 is on and the period during which the switch S4 is on are partially overlapped. In other words, in Driving Example EX2, the period during which the voltage input to the gate terminal of the switch S3 is at a low level and the period during which the voltage input to the gate terminal of the switch S4 is at a low level overlap.

[0128] FIG. 21 shows a control period Tc of the MCU1. In this control period Tc, the MCU1 keeps the time for which the switch S4 is turned on constant, and controls the time for which the switch S3 is turned on. That is, during heating control, the MCU1 supplies power to the heater HTR by PWM (pulse width modulation) control. The time excluding the fixed time for which the switch S4 is turned on during this control period Tc is the maximum time for which the switch S3 is turned on. The fixed time for which the switch S4 is turned on is sufficiently smaller than the maximum time for which the switch S3 is turned on, for example, 1 / 10 or less of this maximum time. Note that the switch S3 may be turned on multiple times during the control period Tc. In this case, if the duty ratio calculated by the PWM control is less than 100%, the switch S3 is intermittently turned on during the time excluding the fixed time for which the switch S4 is turned on during the control period Tc.

[0129] In driving example EX1, the MCU1 controls the switch S4 to switch from off to on at the timing when the switch S3 switches from on to off. That is, the MCU1 fixes the timing when the switch S3 is turned off, and changes the on time of the switch S3 by controlling the timing when the switch S3 is turned on. The MCU1 may supply power to the heater HTR by PFM (pulse frequency modulation) control.

[0130] 22 is a diagram showing the flow of current during heating control in the heating mode. During heating control, the switch S3 is on and the switch S4 is off. In this state, a first heating discharge path HR1 in which a current flows through the node N1, the switch S3, the node N2, the node N7, the heater HTR, the node N8, the switch S6, and the ground in this order, a second heating discharge path HR2 in which a current flows through the node N1, the switch S3, the node N2, the node N4, and the gate terminal of the switch S5 in this order, and a third heating discharge path HR3 in which a current flows through the node N1, the switch S3, the node N2, the node N4, the resistor Rs, the node N3, and the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 in this order are formed.

[0131] Due to the existence of the third heating discharge path HR3, the driving voltage V bst Lower voltage (driving voltage V bst The voltage applied between the positive and negative power supply terminals of the operational amplifier OP1 is equal to the driving voltage V bst (but higher than the system power supply voltage Vcc2, which is the power supply voltage for MCU1). In this state, the differential input voltage of the operational amplifier OP1 is equal to the drive voltage V bst If the voltage applied to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes higher than this, the output voltage of the operational amplifier OP1 will be stuck to the voltage applied to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. Since this voltage is higher than the power supply voltage of the MCU1, if this voltage is input to the MCU1, there is a risk that the MCU1 will not operate normally. Therefore, the existence of the second heating and discharging path HR2 turns on the switch S5. As a result, the output voltage of the operational amplifier OP1 is The voltage is divided by the on-resistance of switch S5 and input to terminal P9 of MCU1. The on-resistance of switch S5 is much smaller than the resistance of resistor R4. Therefore, the voltage divided by resistor R4 and switch S5 is very small. Therefore, by turning on switch S5, it can be considered that the output voltage of operational amplifier OP1 is clamped to the ground level.

[0132] 23 is a diagram showing the flow of current during temperature detection control in the heating mode. During temperature detection control, the switch S3 is off and the switch S4 is on. In this state, a first detection discharge path MR1 in which a current flows through the node N1, the reactor Ld, the switch S4, the resistor Rs, the node N2, the node N7, the heater HTR, the node N8, the switch S6, and the ground in this order, a second detection discharge path MR2 in which a current flows through the node N1, the reactor Ld, the switch S4, the resistor Rs, the node N4, and the gate terminal of the switch S5 in this order, and a third detection discharge path MR3 in which a current flows through the node N1, the reactor Ld, the switch S4, the node N3, and the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 in this order are formed.

[0133] The resistance of the reactor Ld and the on-resistance of the switch S4 are sufficiently small. Therefore, due to the existence of the third detection discharge path MR3, the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is supplied with the drive voltage V bst Approximately the same voltage as the reference voltage V temp ) is supplied to the operational amplifier OP1, making it operable. In this way, during temperature detection control, the power supply voltage of the operational amplifier OP1 is larger than during heating control, so the upper limit of the differential input value of the operational amplifier OP1 can be made larger.

[0134] During temperature detection control, the voltage at node N3 (reference voltage V temp ) is divided by resistor Rs and heater HTR to produce voltage V heat If the wiring resistance is ignored, the potential of node N7 is equal to the potential of node N4. Therefore, the voltage input to the gate terminal of switch S5 is also the voltage V heat The voltage V heat Since the voltage V is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage of the switch S5, the switch S5 is turned off in the state shown in FIG. heat It is preferable to determine the resistance value of the resistor Rs so that the threshold voltage of the switch S5 is equal to or lower than the threshold voltage of the switch S5. When the switch S5 is turned off, the output voltage V OUT is input to the terminal P9 of the MCU1 without being divided. When the switch S5 is in the off state, the parasitic diode D5 behaves like a Zener diode. Therefore, if the output voltage V OUT becomes excessively large, it is possible to prevent the voltage input to the terminal P9 of the MCU1 from becoming too high. In this embodiment, the resistance values ​​of the resistors R4 and Rs are determined so that the voltage input to the terminal P9 of the MCU1 in the state of Fig. 23 is equal to or lower than the operating voltage of the MCU1 (system power supply voltage Vcc2).

[0135] The amplification factor of the operational amplifier OP1 is A, and the resistance value of the heater HTR is R HTR Let the resistance of resistor Rs be RRS The voltage input to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is set to 0V. Then, the output voltage V of the operational amplifier OP1 OUT is expressed by the following formula (1). The terms on the right side of formula (1) excluding the amplification factor A are the voltage V heat is equivalent to.

[0136]

number

[0137] Equation (1) is the resistance value R HTR By solving this, we obtain the following equation (2).

[0138]

number

[0139] During temperature detection control, the MCU1 detects the output voltage V OUT The difference between the ground potential (=0V) and the input voltage is amplified by the internal operational amplifier OP5, and the amplified voltage is converted to a digital value (ADC_V OUT Also, the MCU1 converts the reference voltage V temp The difference between the divided voltage (value divided by the voltage divider circuit Pb) and the ground potential (=0V) is amplified by the built-in operational amplifier OP4, and the amplified voltage is converted to a digital value (ADC_V temp The inverting input terminals of the operational amplifiers OP4 and / or OP5 do not necessarily have to be connected to ground potential, but may be connected to another reference potential. If this reference potential is high enough, the reference potential is connected to the non-inverting input terminal, and the output voltage V OUT and the reference voltage V tempThe divided voltage value of may be connected to the inverting input terminal. The output of ADC1a and the operational amplifier OP4 generates a temperature drift error ε1 due to the influence of the temperature inside MCU1, and the output of ADC1b and the operational amplifier OP5 generates a temperature drift error ε2 due to the influence of the temperature inside MCU1. In other words, strictly speaking, the digital value output from ADC1a is ADC_V temp (1+ε1), and the digital value output from ADC1b is, strictly speaking, ADC_V OUT The result is (1+ε2).

[0140] Digital value ADC_V temp (1+ε1) is V in equation (2). temp and the digital value ADC_V OUT (1+ε2) in equation (2) OUT Equation (3) is obtained by substituting ADC1a and operational amplifier OP4, and ADC1b and operational amplifier OP5, both of which are provided inside MCU1. Therefore, the temperature drift error ε1 and the temperature drift error ε2 can be considered to be approximately the same. In other words, (1+ε1) and (1+ε2) in equation (3) have the same value. Therefore, the temperature drift errors are cancelled out in equation (3). By calculating equation (3), MCU1 determines the resistance value R of the heater HTR. HTR The heater HTR has a characteristic that its resistance changes depending on the temperature, so the resistance value R HTR By deriving this, the temperature of the heater HTR can be obtained.

[0141]

number

[0142] In this way, the output voltage V OUT The temperature drift error that can occur in the output voltage V OUT The temperature drift error that may occur in the output of the electronic components (op-amp OP5 and ADC1b) required to obtain information equivalent to the reference voltage V temp The temperature drift error that can occur in the reference voltage V temp(temperature drift error that may occur in the output of the electronic components (op-amp OP4 and ADC1a) required to obtain information equivalent to HTR In other words, the resistance value R of the heater HTR can be calculated without being affected by the temperature of the MCU1. HTR becomes easier to derive.

[0143] In the example of FIG. 20, the operational amplifiers OP5 and ADC1b, and the operational amplifiers OP4 and ADC1a are provided separately inside the MCU1. However, these may be shared. In other words, the output voltage V OUT The op-amp and ADC are used to obtain the information on the reference voltage V temp The op-amp and ADC for acquiring the information are integrated, and the digital value ADC_V temp (1+ε1) and the digital value ADC_V OUT Time division of (1+ε2) According to this configuration, the temperature drift errors occurring in these two digital values ​​can be more closely matched, and the resistance value R of the heater HTR can be HTR can be derived with higher accuracy.

[0144] When the switch S4 is on, the potential of the node N3 is approximately the same as the potential of the node N1. Therefore, when the switch S3 is off and the switch S4 is on, the MCU1 sets the potential of the node N1 to the reference voltage V temp and use it to derive the resistance value of the heater HTR. In addition, if it is acceptable to constantly supply voltage to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 and allow increased power consumption, the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 may be connected to the node N1 instead of the node N3, and the node N1 may be connected to the voltage divider circuit Pb.

[0145] Fig. 24 is a diagram showing the current flow when the switch S3 and the switch S4 are both on in the driving example EX2 in Fig. 21. In the state of Fig. 24, a first heating discharge path HR1 in which a current flows through the node N1, the switch S3, the node N2, the node N7, the heater HTR, the node N8, the switch S6, and the ground in this order, a second heating discharge path HR2 in which a current flows through the node N1, the switch S3, the node N2, the node N4, and the gate terminal of the switch S5 in this order, and a third detection discharge path MR3 in which a current flows through the node N1, the reactor Ld, the switch S4, the node N3, and the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 in this order are formed.

[0146] In the state of FIG. 24, the node N3 and the node N4 are at almost the same potential, so almost no current flows through the resistor Rs. Therefore, the power supply voltage of the operational amplifier OP1 is equal to the drive voltage V bst In other words, in this state, the upper limit of the differential input value of the operational amplifier OP1 is the drive voltage V bst Therefore, the output voltage of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes larger than in the state of FIG. 22. However, in this embodiment, the resistance ratio between the resistor R4 and the on-resistance of the switch S5 is determined so that the voltage input to the terminal P9 of the MCU1 in the state of FIG. 24 is equal to or lower than the operating voltage of the MCU1 (system power supply voltage Vcc2). Therefore, a voltage greater than or equal to the operating voltage is not input to the terminal P9 of the MCU1. In other words, the operation of the MCU1 becomes stable.

[0147] In this manner, in the inhaler 100, as shown in FIG. 22, during the period when the switch S3 is on and the switch S4 is off, the driving voltage V bst As shown in FIG. 23, during a period in which the switch S4 is on and the switch S3 is off, the third detection discharge path MR3 supplies a voltage smaller than the driving voltage V bstAs a result, as shown in Fig. 21, the power supply voltage can be continuously supplied to the operational amplifier OP1 during the period from when the heating of the heater HTR is started to when the heating is stopped and when the temperature detection of the heater HTR is stopped (the period from the falling edge of the gate voltage of the switch S3 to the rising edge of the switch S4 immediately thereafter). Therefore, compared to the reference example in which the power supply voltage is not supplied to the operational amplifier OP1 during the ON period of the switch S3 (the heating period of the heater HTR), it is not necessary to wait until the power supply voltage of the operational amplifier OP1 rises sufficiently during the temperature detection control, and the heating control and the temperature detection control can be efficiently executed.

[0148] In particular, according to Driving Example EX2, it is possible to supply the power supply voltage to the operational amplifier OP1 required during temperature detection control while performing heating control. Therefore, the power supply voltage to the operational amplifier OP1 can be sufficiently raised at the timing when heating control ends, and compared to Driving Example EX1, it becomes possible to detect the resistance value of the heater HTR with high accuracy at an earlier timing after heating of the heater HTR ends.

[0149] In both the driving example EX1 and the driving example EX2 shown in FIG. 21, the switch S4 In the period from when the switch S3 is turned off until the switch S3 is turned on again, the power supply voltage may not be supplied to the operational amplifier OP1. However, the heating control is performed immediately after this period, and the operation of the operational amplifier OP1 is not essential. Therefore, there is no problem even if the power supply voltage is not supplied to the operational amplifier OP1 during this period. Moreover, since the power consumption by the operational amplifier OP1 can be eliminated during this period, it is possible to contribute to the power saving of the entire inhaler 100.

[0150] In the inhaler 100 configured as above, each of the switches S3, S4, and S6 shown in Fig. 20 has a preferred configuration. Preferred examples of each switch will be described below.

[0151] <Preferred configuration of switch S3> The switch S3 is preferably configured to have a small on-resistance (in other words, a large chip size) so that a large current flows through the heater HTR when the heater HTR is heated. In the following, when comparing the on-resistance values ​​of the switches S3, S4, and S6, the comparison is performed under the condition that the temperature and the current flowing through them are the same.

[0152] When the heater HTR is heated, the switch S3 is turned on and off at high speed by PWM control, PFM control, or the like. For this reason, it is preferable that the maximum current value that can be output instantaneously (the maximum current value that can be output in a pulsed form) is large. In addition, from the viewpoint of passing a large current through the heater HTR and from the viewpoint of having a longer on time than the switch S4, it is preferable that the maximum current value that the switch S3 can continuously output is larger than that of the switch S4. In the following, when comparing the maximum current values ​​that the switches S3, S4, and S6 can output, the comparison is performed under the condition that the temperatures are the same.

[0153] As shown in Fig. 20, the switch S3 is preferably a P-channel MOSFET. The switch S3 may also be configured as an N-channel MOSFET. However, when the switch S3 is configured as an N-channel MOSFET, the voltage supplied from the terminal P16 of the MCU1 to the gate terminal of the switch S3 in order to turn on the switch S3 is set to a drive voltage V bst The power supply voltage of MCU1 must be higher than the drive voltage V bst Since the power consumption can be reduced below this, the power consumption of the MCU1 can be reduced.

[0154] <Preferred Configuration of Switch S4> The switch S4 preferably has a small on-resistance value so that a sufficiently large voltage can be applied to the series circuit of the resistor Rs and the heater HTR. However, if the on-resistance value is too small, the size will increase, so in order to reduce the circuit area, the on-resistance value of the switch S4 is preferably larger than the on-resistance value of the switch S3. In order to prevent the current for detecting the resistance value of the heater HTR from changing the temperature of the heater HTR, it is preferable that the on-resistance value of the switch S4 is not too small. Specifically, the on-resistance value of the switch S4 is preferably smaller than the resistance value of the resistor Rs and larger than the on-resistance value of the switch 3.

[0155] As shown in FIG. 21, the detection of the resistance value of the heater HTR needs to be performed in a shorter time than the heating of the heater HTR. Also, the switch S6 does not need to have high responsiveness because it is always on in the heating mode. For this reason, it is preferable that the responsiveness of the switch S4 is higher than the responsiveness of the switches S3 and S6. As an index of the responsiveness of a transistor, the turn-on time t on , turn-on delay time t d(on) , rise time t r , at turn-off Between off , turn-off delay time t d(off) , and the fall time t f There is.

[0156] Turn-on delay time t d(on) is the time it takes for the drain-source voltage to reach 90% of its set value after the gate-source voltage reaches 10% of its set value during turn-on. Rise time t r is the time it takes for the drain-source voltage to go from 90% to 10% of its set value during turn-on. Turn-on time t on is the turn-on delay time t d(on) and rise time t r The sum of the above. Turn-off delay time t d(off)is the time it takes for the drain-source voltage to reach 10% of its set value after the gate-source voltage reaches 90% of its set value during turn-off. descent time t f is the time it takes for the drain-source voltage to rise from 10% to 90% of its set value during turn-off. Turn-off time t off is the turn-off delay time t d(off) and fall time t f The sum of the above.

[0157] It is necessary to detect the resistance value of the heater HTR in a shorter time than the heating of the heater HTR. For this reason, it is preferable that the turn-on delay time or rise time of the switch S4 is shorter than the turn-on delay time or rise time of each of the switches S3 and S6. Similarly, it is preferable that the turn-off delay time or fall time of the switch S4 is shorter than the turn-off delay time or fall time of each of the switches S3 and S6.

[0158] As shown in Fig. 20, the switch S4 is preferably a P-channel MOSFET. The switch S4 may also be configured as an N-channel MOSFET. However, when the switch S4 is configured as an N-channel MOSFET, the voltage supplied from the terminal P15 of the MCU1 to the gate terminal of the switch S4 in order to turn on the switch S4 is set to a drive voltage V bst In contrast, if switch S4 is configured with a P-channel MOSFET, the power supply voltage of MCU1 can be set to a value greater than the drive voltage V bst Since the power consumption can be reduced below this, the power consumption of the MCU1 can be reduced.

[0159] <Preferred Configuration of Switch S6> The switch S6 is preferably configured to have a small on-resistance (in other words, a large chip size) so that a larger current flows through the heater HTR when the heater HTR is heated. Specifically, the on-resistance of the switch S6 is preferably set to be equal to the on-resistance of the switch S3.

[0160] The switch S6 needs to continuously pass a current in the heating mode. For this reason, it is preferable that the maximum current value that the switch S6 can continuously output is larger than that of the switches S4 and S3. On the other hand, since the switch S6 is always on in the heating mode, it is preferable that the maximum current value that the switch S6 can instantaneously output (can output in a pulsed manner) is smaller than that of the switch S3, which is repeatedly turned on and off. If the maximum current value that the switch S6 can instantaneously output (can output in a pulsed manner) is made too large for the application of the switch S6, there is a risk that the chip size and cost of the switch S6 will increase.

[0161] In addition, since the switch S3 is connected to a high potential point on the circuit, it is more difficult to improve the responsiveness than the switch S6 from the viewpoint of safety. Therefore, making the responsiveness of the switch S6 higher than that of the switch S3 is effective in improving the responsiveness of the entire circuit. Specifically, the turn-off delay time or fall time of the switch S6 is set to be longer than the turn-off delay time or fall time of the switch S3. Similarly, the turn-on delay or rise time of switch S6 is preferably shorter than the turn-on delay or rise time of switch S3.

[0162] As shown in FIG. 20, the switch S6 is preferably an N-channel MOSFET. The switch S6 may be a P-channel MOSFET. However, when the switch S6 is a P-channel MOSFET, the voltage supplied from the terminal P14 of the MCU1 to the gate terminal of the switch S6 must be set to a value smaller than the ground level in order to turn on the switch S6. To generate a voltage smaller than the ground level, a dedicated circuit such as a negative power supply or a rail splitter circuit is required. In contrast, when the switch S6 is an N-channel MOSFET, the MCU1 can turn on the switch S6 by inputting a voltage equivalent to its own power supply voltage to the gate terminal, so that the circuit can be prevented from becoming complicated. Also, when the switch S6 is an N-channel MOSFET, a high-level signal can be input to the enable terminal EN of the boost DC / DC converter 9 at the same time as the switch S6 is turned on, and the boost DC / DC converter 9 can output the drive voltage V bst When switch S6 is configured with a P-channel MOSFET, it is necessary to connect an inverter for logic inversion between the enable terminal EN of step-up DC / DC converter 9 and the gate terminal of switch S6. However, by configuring switch S6 with an N-channel MOSFET, such an inverter can be eliminated, enabling reductions in circuit size and manufacturing costs to be achieved.

[0163] In this way, it is preferable that the switches S3, S4, and S6 have different configurations. In this specification, the different configurations of the switches including transistors means that at least one of the following is satisfied: the types of transistors are different, and the specifications of the transistors (on-resistance value, responsiveness, etc.) are different. By adopting such a configuration, the type and specifications of each switch can be made according to the location to which each switch is connected, compared to a case in which all three switches are the same type and have the same specifications. Therefore, the performance of the inhaler 100 can be improved.

[0164] In addition, in the circuit shown in Fig. 20, it is also possible to omit switch S6 and directly connect node N8 to ground. Even in this case, by making switch S3 and switch S4 have different configurations, the type and specifications of each switch can be made according to the location to which each switch is connected, compared to a case in which both switches are the same type and have the same specifications. Therefore, the performance of the inhaler 100 can be improved.

[0165] <Preferred layout of electronic components> Next, a preferred example of the locations on receptacle mounting board 162 for the main electronic components in the circuit shown in FIG. 20 will be described.

[0166] Fig. 25 is a plan view of receptacle mounting board 162 as viewed from main surface 162a. Fig. 26 is a plan view of receptacle mounting board 162 as viewed from sub-surface 162b. As shown in Fig. 25, main surface 162a of receptacle mounting board 162 is provided with reactor Lc, resistor Rs, switch S4, switch S6, and heater connector Cn, among the electronic components shown in Fig. 20. As shown in Fig. 26, sub-surface 162b of receptacle mounting board 162 is provided with step-up DC / DC converter 9, switch S3, resistor R Pb1 , and resistor R Pb2 will be established.

[0167] On the secondary surface 162b, a resistor R Pb1 and resistor R Pb2 are placed close to each other. Resistor R Pb1 and resistor R Pb2 The resistors R form a voltage divider circuit Pb that divides the potential of the node N3. Pb1 and resistor R Pb2 If a difference occurs in the temperature of the heater HTR, the voltage division ratio of the voltage divider circuit Pb will fluctuate, and the accuracy of obtaining the potential of the node N3, which is necessary to derive the resistance value of the heater HTR, will decrease. As shown in Figure 26, resistor R Pb1 and resistor R Pb2 are mounted on the same surface of the receptacle mounting board 162 and are arranged close to each other,Pb1 and resistor R Pb2 In order to enhance this effect, among the electronic components mounted on the receptacle mounting board 162, resistor R Pb1 The electronic component closest to Pb2 It is preferable to set the above.

[0168] Among the electronic components shown in Figs. 25 and 26, the switch S3, the step-up DC / DC converter 9, the reactor Lc, and the heater connector Cn can be heat sources or noise sources. Among these, the switch S3 generates the largest amount of heat, and the step-up DC / DC converter 9 generates the second largest amount of heat. In the example of Figs. 25 and 26, the switch S3 and the step-up DC / DC converter 9, which generate the largest amount of heat, and the switch S4, the switch S6, and the resistor Rs are mounted on different surfaces of the same substrate. In other words, the switch S3 and the step-up DC / DC converter 9 are mounted on the sub-surface 162b, and the switch S4, the switch S6, and the resistor Rs are mounted on the main surface 162a. In this way, the switch S4, the switch S6, and the resistor Rs can be prevented from being affected by heat or noise from the switch S3 and the step-up DC / DC converter 9.

[0169] 25, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the element mounting surface (principal surface 162a and secondary surface 162b) of receptacle mounting board 162, switch S3 and step-up DC / DC converter 9 are arranged so as not to overlap with switch S4, switch S6, and resistor Rs. This makes it difficult for heat or noise generated in switch S3 and step-up DC / DC converter 9 to be transmitted to switch S4, switch S6, and resistor Rs via the board. In other words, it is possible to more effectively prevent switch S4, switch S6, and resistor Rs from being affected by heat or noise from switch S3 and step-up DC / DC converter 9.

[0170] 25 and 26, for example, the switch S4 or the switch S6 may be mounted on the secondary surface 162b. This also makes it possible to prevent either the switch S4 or the switch S6 from being affected by heat or noise from the switch S3 and the step-up DC / DC converter 9.

[0171] 20, at least one of the switches S4 and S6 may be mounted on a board (such as the MCU mounted board 161) other than the receptacle mounted board 162. This also makes it possible to prevent at least one of the switches S4 and S6 from being affected by heat or noise from the switch S3 and the step-up DC / DC converter 9.

[0172] Fig. 25 shows a distance DS4 (the length of a straight line connecting the two mounting areas at the shortest distance) between the mounting area on the main surface 162a where the resistor Rs is mounted and the mounting area on the main surface 162a where the reactor Lc is mounted. Fig. 25 also shows a distance DS5 (the length of a straight line connecting the two mounting areas at the shortest distance) between the mounting area on the main surface 162a where the switch S4 is mounted and the mounting area on the main surface 162a where the reactor Lc is mounted. The distance DS4 is shorter than the distance DS5.

[0173] The resistance value of resistor Rs is less susceptible to temperature fluctuations than the on-resistance value of switch S4. Therefore, by placing resistor Rs, which is less susceptible to temperature changes, closer to reactor Lc than switch S4, the board area can be used more effectively.

[0174] Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 25, a resistor Rs is mounted between the switch S4 and the reactor Lc. In other words, the mounting area of ​​the resistor Rs is on a straight line connecting the mounting area of ​​the switch S4 and the mounting area of ​​the reactor Lc. In this way, the resistor Rs becomes a physical barrier that protects the switch S4 from the heat generated by the reactor Lc. As a result, it is possible to strongly suppress changes in the temperature of the switch S4. If the on-resistance value of the switch S4 fluctuates, it will affect the measurement accuracy of the resistance value of the heater HTR. For this reason, it is particularly important to suppress temperature changes in the switch S4.

[0175] Fig. 27 is an enlarged view of the range H shown in Fig. 25. As shown in Fig. 27, on the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting board 162, the mounting area of ​​the switch S4 and the mounting area of ​​the heater connector Cn are spaced apart from each other, but there is a resistor R S4 and bipolar transistor T S4 In other words, the resistor R is disposed on each of the straight lines DL1 and DL2 that connect the mounting area of ​​the switch S4 and the mounting area of ​​the heater connector Cn. S4 and bipolar transistor T S4 According to this configuration, resistor R S4 and bipolar transistor T S4 This acts as a physical barrier to protect the switch S4 from the heat generated by the heater connector Cn. As a result, the temperature change of the switch S4 can be strongly suppressed.

[0176] 25 and 27, switch S4 is disposed near the outer edge of main surface 162a of receptacle mounting board 162. Specifically, on main surface 162a of receptacle mounting board 162, distance DS1 between the mounting area of ​​switch S4 and closest edge 162em, which is the edge closest to the mounting area of ​​switch S4 among rightward edge 162e of main surface 162a, is shorter than distance DS2 between the center in the left-right direction of main surface 162a of receptacle mounting board 162 and the mounting area of ​​switch S4. In this way, by disposing switch S4 near the edge of receptacle mounting board 162, it is less susceptible to the effects of heat generated by other electronic components. In particular, as shown in FIG. 27, by ensuring that there are no other electronic components between the closest edge 162em and switch S4, in other words, by making switch S4 the electronic component closest to the closest edge 162em on the receptacle mounting board 162, temperature changes in switch S4 can be further suppressed.

[0177] 27, a distance DS3 between the mounting area of ​​resistor Rs on main surface 162a of receptacle mounting board 162 and edge 162en of edge 162e that is closest to the mounting area of ​​resistor Rs is greater than distance DS1. As described above, resistor Rs is less susceptible to temperature changes than switch S4. Therefore, by arranging resistor Rs closer to the center of receptacle mounting board 162, the board area can be used effectively.

[0178] <Preferred form of switch S4> When the switch S4 is on, the voltage V GS It is preferable to set the voltage V (absolute value) as high as possible. In other words, when the switch S4 is a P-channel MOSFET, the voltage V applied between the gate and source when the switch S4 is on is GSIt is preferable to set V as large as possible. This is because it is possible to reduce the on-resistance of the switch S4, reduce Joule heat generated when the switch S4 is on, and suppress temperature fluctuations of the switch S4. Specifically, the maximum rated value (absolute value) of the voltage that can be applied between the gate and source of the switch S4 is set to the voltage V GSS The threshold voltage (absolute value) between the gate and source of the switch S4 is set to voltage V th Then, MCU1 will have a voltage V GS (absolute value) is the voltage V GSS and voltage V th Of these, voltage V GSS It is preferable to control the voltage applied to the gate terminal of the switch S4 so that the voltage V GSS and voltage V GS The absolute value of the difference between the absolute values ​​is the voltage V th and voltage V GS It is preferable to control the voltage applied to the gate terminal of the switch S4 so that the voltage is smaller than the absolute value of the difference between the absolute value and the input voltage Vout (absolute value).

[0179] Thus, the voltage V GS In order to make the absolute value of the surge voltage Vs (absolute value) high, it is preferable to provide an overvoltage protection diode such as a varistor between the gate terminal and the source terminal of the switch S4. With this overvoltage protection diode, even if a surge voltage that may be generated by switching in the step-up DC / DC converter 9 is applied to the switch S4, the surge voltage can be kept below the maximum rated value. As a result, the switch S4 is less likely to break down, and the durability of the inhaler 100 can be improved.

[0180] 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.

[0181] (1) Power supply (power supply BAT) and a heater connector (heater connector Cn) including a positive electrode and a negative electrode, and a heater (heater HTR) that consumes power supplied from the power source to heat the aerosol source is connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode; A switch (switch S4) connected in series to either the positive pole or the negative pole; A fixed resistor (resistor Rs) connected in series to either the positive pole or the negative pole; a circuit board (receptacle mounting board 162) on which the switch is mounted; a controller (MCU1) configured to execute a predetermined control based on a voltage applied to the fixed resistor or the heater connector when the switch is ON; A distance (distance DS1) between a first mounting area, which is an area on the circuit board where the switch is mounted, and a first closest edge (closest edge 162em), which is an edge of the circuit board that is closest to the switch, is shorter than a distance (distance DS2) between the first mounting area and the center of the circuit board; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0182] A switch has the characteristic that its ON resistance value fluctuates depending on its own temperature. Therefore, if the switch is easily affected by heat generated by other electronic components mounted on the circuit board, the ON resistance value will fluctuate. According to (1), the switch is placed near the edge of the circuit board where it is less susceptible to heat generated by other electronic components. This reduces the error in the voltage value applied to the fixed resistor or heater connector obtained by the controller, improving the accuracy of the specified control. In the above embodiment, the switch S3, the switch S4, and the resistor Rs are connected in parallel between the output terminal of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 and the positive heater connector Cn, but the switch S3, the switch S4, and the resistor Rs may be connected in parallel between the ground line and the negative heater connector Cn. In such a configuration, the switch S6 is connected between the output terminal of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 and the positive heater connector Cn, or is omitted. Even in this configuration, the configuration (1) reduces errors in the voltage value applied to the fixed resistor or heater connector obtained by the controller, improving the accuracy of the specified control.

[0183] (2) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1), the electronic component closest to the first closest edge on the circuit board is the switch; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0184] According to (2), since the switch is disposed closest to the first closest edge, it is possible to prevent the switch from being affected by heat generated by other electronic components as much as possible. This reduces errors in the voltage value applied to the fixed resistor or heater connector obtained by the controller, improving the accuracy of the specified control.

[0185] (3) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (2), the fixed resistor is mounted on the circuit board; a distance (distance DS3) between a second mounting area, which is an area on the circuit board where the fixed resistor is mounted, and an edge (edge ​​162en) of the circuit board that is closest to the fixed resistor is longer than a distance (distance DS1) between the first mounting area and the first closest edge; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0186] According to (3), a fixed resistor with a resistance value that is less temperature-dependent than the ON resistance of the switch is mounted closer to the center of the board than the switch. This allows the board area to be used more effectively. As a result, the cost and size of the aerosol generation device can be reduced.

[0187] (4) A power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (3), the switch is connected in series to the positive pole and includes a P-channel MOSFET; The P-channel MOSFET includes a source terminal, a gate terminal, and a drain terminal; a boost converter (boost DC / DC converter 9) having an input terminal (switching terminal SW) connected to the power supply and an output terminal (output terminal VOUT) connected to the source terminal; The controller includes a terminal (terminal P15) connected to the gate terminal, The voltage input to the power supply terminal (power supply terminal VDD) of the controller is lower than the voltage output from the output terminal of the boost converter. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0188] According to (4), not only can the boost converter apply a high voltage to the heater that provides excellent aerosol generation efficiency, but it can also easily set the voltage between the gate and source of the switch to a value that can be turned on even with a low-power controller that operates at a low voltage. This makes it possible to simultaneously achieve high functionality and low power consumption in the aerosol generator.

[0189] (5) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (4), the switch includes an overvoltage protection diode connected between the gate terminal and the source terminal. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0190] According to (5), even if a surge voltage that may occur due to switching in the boost converter is applied to the switch, the surge voltage can be kept below the maximum rated value by the overvoltage protection diode. As a result, the switch is less likely to break down, and the durability of the aerosol generation device can be improved.

[0191] (6) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (4) or (5), The P-channel MOSFET is turned ON when the voltage (voltage VGS) applied between the gate terminal and the source terminal exceeds a threshold value (voltage Vth) so that the source terminal side has a high potential. the controller is configured to apply a voltage to the gate terminal such that, when the P-channel MOSFET is in an ON state, a voltage applied between the gate terminal and the source terminal has a predetermined voltage value such that the source terminal side has a high potential; the absolute value of the difference between the maximum rated value (voltage VGSS) of the voltage that can be applied between the gate terminal and the source terminal so that the source terminal side has a high potential and the predetermined voltage value is smaller than the absolute value of the difference between the threshold value and the predetermined voltage value; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0192] According to (6), applying a higher voltage between the gate and source of the switch lowers the ON resistance and reduces Joule heat due to the ON resistance. This makes it harder for the temperature of the switch to change when it is ON, so there is less error in the voltage value applied to the fixed resistor or heater connector obtained by the controller, improving the accuracy of the specified control.

[0193] (7) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1), a voltage converter (step-up DC / DC converter 9) capable of converting a voltage output from the power supply and outputting the converted voltage to the heater; The circuit board includes a surface A (principal surface 162a) on which the switch is mounted, and a surface B (sub-surface 162b) which is a reverse surface of the surface A and on which the voltage converter is mounted. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0194] According to (7), since the voltage converter, which generates a certain amount of heat when converting voltage, is not mounted on the same surface as the switch, the switch is less susceptible to the effects of heat generated by the voltage converter. As a result, the error in the voltage value applied to the fixed resistor or heater connector obtained by the controller is reduced, and the accuracy of the specified control is improved.

[0195] (8) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (7), The fixed resistor is mounted on the A surface. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0196] Even a fixed resistor has a resistance value that varies slightly depending on temperature. According to (8), the fixed resistor is mounted at a position that is less susceptible to the effects of heat generated by the voltage converter, so that the resistance value of the fixed resistor is stable and the stability of the specified control can be improved.

[0197] (9) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (8), The voltage converter includes an IC (a step-up DC / DC converter 9) mounted on the B surface and a reactor (a reactor Lc) mounted on the A surface. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0198] The IC and reactor that make up the voltage converter are both large electronic components, and therefore occupy a large area on the board. In (9), these are mounted on different sides, while the reactor, which does not include a switching element and therefore generates less heat than the IC, is mounted on the same side as the switch. This avoids enlarging the board and makes it difficult for the switch temperature to change, reducing the cost and size of the aerosol generation device while improving the precision of the specified control.

[0199] (10) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (9), a distance (distance DS4) between a second mounting area, which is an area on the A surface where the fixed resistor is mounted, and a third mounting area, which is an area on the A surface where the reactor is mounted, is shorter than a distance (distance DS5) between the first mounting area and the third mounting area; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0200] The resistance value of the fixed resistor has a lower temperature dependency than the ON resistance of the switch. According to (10), the fixed resistor is mounted close to the reactor, which generates a certain amount of heat, so that the board area can be used effectively. As a result, the cost and size of the aerosol generation device can be reduced.

[0201] (11) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (10), the second mounting area exists on a straight line connecting the first mounting area and the third mounting area; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0202] According to (11), the fixed resistor acts as a physical barrier to protect the switch from the heat generated by the reactor. This makes the temperature of the switch less likely to change, and the specified control becomes more stable.

[0203] (12) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (11), The circuit board includes an A surface (main surface 162a) on which the switch and the heater connector are mounted, electronic components (bipolar transistor TS4 and resistor RS4) mounted on a straight line (straight line DL1, straight line DL2) connecting the first mounting area and the heater connector; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0204] According to (12), the electronic components act as a physical barrier to protect the switch from the heat generated by the heater connector, making the switch temperature less susceptible to change and making the specified control more stable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0205] 100 Aspirator 1 MCU 9. Step-up DC / DC converter OP1 Operational Amplifier Lc, Ld reactor HTR Heater BAT power supply Cn Heater Connector S3, S4, S5, S6 Switches Rs, R4, R Pb1 , R Pb2 resistor D5 Parasitic diode N1~N8 nodes HR1 First heating discharge path HR2 Second heating discharge path HR3 3rd heating discharge path MR1 First detection discharge path MR2 Second detection discharge path MR3 3rd detection discharge path

Claims

1. Power supply, a heater connector including a positive pole and a negative pole, the heater consuming the power supplied from the power source to heat the aerosol source being connected to the positive pole and the negative pole; A switch connected in series to either the positive pole or the negative pole; a fixed resistor connected in series to either the positive pole or the negative pole to control the supply of power to the heater connector; a circuit board on which the switch is mounted; A controller configured to execute a predetermined control based on a voltage applied to the fixed resistor or the heater connector when the switch is ON; a distance between a first mounting area, which is an area on the circuit board where the switch is mounted, and a first closest edge, which is an edge of the circuit board that is closest to the switch, is shorter than a distance between the first mounting area and a center of the circuit board; an electronic component mounted on the circuit board at a position closest to the first nearest edge is the switch; the switch and the fixed resistor are connected in series; A transistor is disposed on the circuit board between the switch and the heater connector, the transistor controlling ON / OFF of the switch under the control of the controller. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

2. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, the fixed resistor is mounted on the circuit board; a distance between a second mounting area, which is an area on the circuit board where the fixed resistor is mounted, and an edge of the circuit board that is closest to the fixed resistor is longer than a distance between the first mounting area and the first closest edge; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

3. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, the switch is connected in series to the positive pole and includes a P-channel MOSFET; the P-channel MOSFET includes a source terminal, a gate terminal, and a drain terminal; a boost converter having an input terminal connected to the power supply and an output terminal connected to the source terminal; the controller includes a terminal connected to the gate terminal; A voltage input to a power supply terminal of the controller is lower than a voltage output from an output terminal of the boost converter. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

4. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 3, the switch includes an overvoltage protection diode connected between the gate terminal and the source terminal. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

5. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 3 or 4, The P-channel MOSFET is turned on when the value of the voltage applied between the gate terminal and the source terminal exceeds a threshold value so that the source terminal side has a high potential, the controller is configured to apply a voltage to the gate terminal such that, when the P-channel MOSFET is in an ON state, a voltage applied between the gate terminal and the source terminal has a predetermined voltage value such that the source terminal side has a high potential; an absolute value of a difference between the maximum rated value of a voltage that can be applied between the gate terminal and the source terminal so that the source terminal side has a high potential and the predetermined voltage value is smaller than an absolute value of a difference between the threshold value and the predetermined voltage value; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

6. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, a voltage converter capable of converting a voltage output from the power source and outputting the converted voltage to the heater; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

7. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 6, The circuit board includes a surface A on which the switch is mounted, and a surface B on a back surface of the surface A on which the voltage converter is mounted. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

8. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 7, The fixed resistor is mounted on the A side. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

9. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 8, The voltage converter includes an IC mounted on the B surface and a reactor mounted on the A surface. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

10. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 9, a distance between a second mounting area, which is an area on the A surface where the fixed resistor is mounted, and a third mounting area, which is an area on the A surface where the reactor is mounted, is shorter than a distance between the first mounting area and the third mounting area; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

11. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 10, The second mounting area exists on a straight line connecting the first mounting area and the third mounting area. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

12. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the circuit board includes an A surface on which the switch and the heater connector are mounted, an electronic component mounted on a straight line connecting the first mounting area and the heater connector; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

13. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, the switch, the fixed resistor, and the heater connector are mounted on the same surface of the circuit board; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

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