Power supply unit for aerosol generating device, and aerosol generating device

Abstract

A non-combustion type inhalator (100) comprises: a case (110); a power supply (10); a heating unit (130) heating a rod (500) by electric power supplied from the power supply (10); a control unit (120) controlling the heating unit (130); a rod accommodation portion (140) configured to allow insertion and extraction of the rod (500) and to be able to accommodate at least a part of the rod (500); a bottom cap (134) movable in accordance with insertion of the rod (500) in the insertion direction; a biasing member (136) biasing the bottom cap (134) in an opposite direction to the insertion direction; and an internal switch (16) arranged inside the case (110) and detecting displacement of the bottom cap (134) in the insertion direction. The control unit (120) starts heating of the heating unit (130) upon detecting an input to the internal switch (16).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol generation device, an aerosol generation device, and a method for controlling an aerosol generation device. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, the power supply unit of a non-combustion inhaler requires a specific button operation when inhaling aerosol. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that in addition to a start switch provided on the outside of the case, a safety switch is provided that can detect whether a cigarette is inserted into the device, and heating starts when the safety switch and start switch are closed at the same time.

[0003] However, the electronic device for cigarettes described in Patent Document 1 has two switches, and in addition, requires the user to operate the switches when starting heating.

[0004] In contrast, the non-combustion inhalers described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 are described as being provided with a switch that is activated when the smoking article is received by the housing, so that heating begins automatically (hereinafter also referred to as automatic start). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-18285 [Patent Document 2] Japan Special Publication No. 2018-523982 [Patent Document 3] Japan Special Publication No. 2009-509521 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, Patent Documents 2 and 3 do not specifically describe how the switch is turned on when the smoking article is received by the housing. In order to achieve automatic start, it is necessary to properly detect the insertion of the smoking article or the like.

[0007] The present invention provides a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device with an auto-start feature that initiates aerosol generation in response to insertion of an aerosol source, an aerosol generating device, and a method for controlling an aerosol generating device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device of the present invention comprises: A housing and Power supply, an aerosol generating unit that generates an aerosol from an aerosol source using power supplied from the power source; A control unit that controls the aerosol generation unit; an aerosol source storage section configured to allow the aerosol source to be inserted and removed and capable of storing at least a portion of the aerosol source; a movable member that is movable in an insertion direction in response to the insertion of the aerosol source; a biasing member that biases the movable member in a direction opposite to the insertion direction; a detection device disposed inside the housing and detecting movement of the movable member in the insertion direction, the biasing member covers the detection device to place the detection device in a space different from a surrounding space, The control unit initiates generation of the aerosol when it detects an input to the detection device.

[0009] The aerosol generating device of the present invention further comprises: A power supply unit of the aerosol generating device; and the aerosol source. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The present invention provides for suitable detection of the insertion of an aerosol source and for automatic initiation of aerosol generation in response to the insertion of the aerosol source. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [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 a block diagram showing the control configuration of the non-combustion type inhaler. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a heating unit of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a heating unit of a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a heating unit of a third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a heating unit of a fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a heating unit of a fifth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an air flow path of the heating section. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing another example of an air flow path of the heating section. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] (Aerosol generating device) The aerosol generating device and its control method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The aerosol generating device includes a non-combustion type inhaler 100 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "inhaler 100") which is an embodiment of the power supply unit of the present invention, and a rod 500 heated by the inhaler 100.

[0014] 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. 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 drawing, 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.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the inhaler 100 is configured to generate aerosol containing a flavor by heating an elongated, generally cylindrical rod 500, which is an example of a flavor ingredient generating substrate having an aerosol source and a filling containing a flavor source.

[0016] The rod 500 includes a filling containing an aerosol source that generates an aerosol when heated at a predetermined temperature. 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 include 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] The inhaler 100 may be configured to generate an aerosol by heating a liquid aerosol source contained in a cartridge instead of the rod 500. In this case, the cartridge containing the aerosol source may contain a flavor source, or the cartridge containing the flavor source may be a separate entity.

[0019] (Non-combustion type aspirator) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the inhaler 100 includes a case 110, a power source 10, a control unit 120, and a heating unit 130, which are disposed in the internal space of the case 110. The case 110 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface. The power source 10 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 10 may be one of a gel electrolyte, an electrolytic solution, a solid electrolyte, and an ionic liquid, or a combination thereof.

[0020] 2, an opening 111 into which the rod 500 can be inserted and a slider 119 for opening and closing the opening 111 are provided on the upper surface of the case 110. The slider 119 is coupled to the case 110 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction between a position for closing the opening 111 (see FIG. 1) and a position for opening the opening 111 (see FIG. 2).

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the input side of the control unit 120 is connected to a power source 10, an inhalation sensor 15 that detects a puff (inhalation) action, an internal switch 16 that detects the insertion of the rod 500, and an external switch 17 that is arranged outside the case 110 and operated by the user, and the output side of the control unit 120 is connected to the heating unit 130.

[0022] The control unit 120 also includes functional components realized by the cooperation of hardware and software, such as a heating control unit 122 that controls the heating unit 130 based on switch signals from the internal switch 16 and the external switch 17, a memory 123 that stores the heating duration of the heating unit 130 and the number of puffing operations, and a power supply control unit 124 that manages the charging and discharging of the power supply 10.

[0023] Specifically, the control unit 120 is a processor (computer). More specifically, the structure of this processor is an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements. Also, the inhalation sensor 15 may be composed of a condenser microphone, a pressure sensor, or the like. Furthermore, instead of detecting the puff with the inhalation sensor 15, the puff may be detected by sensing the temperature change caused by the puff with a thermistor.

[0024] The heating unit 130 heats the rod 500 inserted from the opening 111 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 111 in the mouth and inhaling. Note that the heating unit 130 is an example of an aerosol generating unit, and the method of generating the aerosol may be a method of atomizing the aerosol source by heating such as resistance heating or induction heating, a method of atomizing the aerosol source by ultrasonic vibration, or other methods.

[0025] (Heating section of the first embodiment) As shown in FIG. 4, the heating unit 130 includes a cylindrical heater 131 that heats the rod 500 from the outer periphery, a cylindrical heat insulating member 132 that covers the outer periphery and the upper surface of the heater 131, and a bottom cap 134 that covers the outer periphery and the lower surface of the heater 131 and the heat insulating member 132. The heater 131 and the heat insulating member 132 have a cylindrical shape as a whole, and the inner periphery of the heater 131 constitutes a rod storage unit 140 that can store a part of the rod 500. A gap 141 is provided between the outer periphery of the heater 131 and the inner periphery of the heat insulating member 132, and this gap 141 is an insulating space. The heater 131 may be any element that can heat the rod 500. The heater 131 is, for example, a heating element. Examples of the heating element include a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, and an induction heating heater. The heater 131 may also be a structure in which a heating element is attached to a tubular support element made of a material such as SUS.

[0026] An upper end 132a of the heat insulating member 132 is open and communicates with a rod accommodating portion 140 of the heater 131 accommodated therein, and also communicates with an opening 111 of the case 110. In addition, the upper end 132a of the heat insulating member 132 slidably fits into a cylindrical fitting recess 113 extending from the periphery of the opening 111 toward the inside of the case.

[0027] A fitting recess 134a is recessed downward in the upper part of the bottom cap 134. The fitting recess 134a fits into the lower end part of the heat insulating member 132. A rib 134b protrudes from the bottom surface of the fitting recess 134a to ensure a gap between the bottom surface of the heater 131 and the fitting recess 134a. A gap 142 between the bottom surface of the fitting recess 134a and the lower end surface of the heater 131 also serves as a heat insulating space.

[0028] The bottom cap 134 of this embodiment is configured to be movable in the vertical direction integrally with the heater 131 and the heat insulating member 132. The bottom cap 134 is provided at its lower part with an elastic member accommodating portion 134c recessed upward, and a switch pressing portion 134d extending downward from the center of the top surface of the elastic member accommodating portion 134c.

[0029] A substrate 135 on which the internal switch 16 is mounted is disposed below the bottom cap 134. A biasing member 136 (e.g., a compression coil spring) that biases the bottom cap 134 upward is interposed between the top surface of the elastic member accommodating portion 134c of the bottom cap 134 and the upper surface of the substrate 135.

[0030] The internal switch 16 of this embodiment is a contact switch that is turned on / off in response to a pressing operation. The internal switch 16 is disposed below the switch pressing portion 134d of the bottom cap 134, and when the bottom cap 134 is positioned upward by the biasing force of the biasing member 136, the internal switch 16 is in a non-pressed state and therefore maintains an OFF state. On the other hand, when the bottom cap 134 moves downward against the biasing force of the biasing member 136, the switch pressing portion 134d of the bottom cap 134 presses the internal switch 16, and the internal switch 16 is switched to an ON state. Note that the bottom cap 134 of this embodiment slides integrally with the heater 131 and the heat insulating member 132, and therefore in the following description, the heater 131, the heat insulating member 132, and the bottom cap 134 are referred to as a heater unit 150.

[0031] Next, the operation of the heating section 130 and the control section 120 associated with the insertion of the rod 500 will be described. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the heating section 130 in a state in which the rod 500 is not inserted, in which the heater unit 150 is located in the upper position (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the initial position) due to the biasing force of the biasing member 136, and the internal switch 16 is not pressed and therefore maintains the OFF state.

[0032] When the user inserts the rod 500 into the rod housing portion 140, the lower end of the rod 500 presses the bottom cap 134 downward. When the bottom cap 134 is pressed downward, the heater unit 150 moves downward (hereinafter, may be referred to as the switch action position) against the biasing force of the biasing member 136. When the heater unit 150 moves downward, the switch pressing portion 134d of the bottom cap 134 presses the internal switch 16, and the internal switch 16 switches to the ON state.

[0033] When an ON signal is input from the internal switch 16, the control unit 120 operates the heater 131 to start heating the rod 500. In this way, the control unit 120 automatically starts heating by the heating unit 130 in response to the insertion of the rod 500, so that the automatic start of the inhaler 100 can be appropriately realized.

[0034] When the user completes the insertion of the rod 500, the heater unit 150 immediately returns to the initial position due to the biasing force of the biasing member 136. That is, the heater unit 150 is in the initial position while the rod 500 is being heated. According to the heating section 130 configured in this manner, the heater unit 150 moves from the initial position to the switch action position only when the rod 500 is inserted, so that it is only necessary to set the air flow during heating at the initial position, and the structure can be simplified. The air flow during heating will be described later.

[0035] In addition, in this embodiment, since the heater unit 150 including the bottom cap 134 moves up and down, the relative positional relationship between the bottom cap 134 and the heat insulating member 132 is maintained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent sidestream smoke from leaking between the bottom cap 134 and the heat insulating member 132.

[0036] After automatically starting the heating operation of heater 131 in response to the insertion of rod 500, control unit 120 continues the heating operation of heater 131 for a predetermined time or until a predetermined number of suctions is detected. Then, after starting the heating, when a predetermined time has elapsed or when a predetermined number of suctions is detected, control unit 120 stops the heating operation of heater 131. In this way, by predicting the depletion of the aerosol source according to the duration of heating or the number of suctions and automatically stopping the heating, not only the start of heating but also the stopping of heating can be performed automatically.

[0037] Furthermore, when the control unit 120 detects the ON signal of the internal switch 16 again during the heating operation of the heater 131, the control unit 120 continues the heating operation of the heater 131. The case where the control unit 120 detects the ON signal of the internal switch 16 again during the heating operation of the heater 131 refers to the case where the rod 500 is already housed in the rod housing portion 140, and the rod 500 is pressed in the same direction as the insertion direction, causing the heater unit 150 to press the internal switch 16 at the switch action position. That is, this is an operation different from the insertion of the rod 500 in that the rod 500 is already housed in the rod housing portion 140. According to this control, even if the user mistakenly presses the rod 500 in the insertion direction during the heating operation of the heater 131 and the heater unit 150 moves in the insertion direction, the heating operation of the heater 131 continues, so that it is possible to avoid the heating being stopped unintentionally by the user.

[0038] Furthermore, when the external switch 17 is operated during heating operation of the heater 131, the control unit 120 stops the heating operation of the heater 131. According to such control, heating can be stopped in an emergency or at the user's discretion, improving usability.

[0039] (Heating section of the second embodiment) Next, the heating units 130B to 130E of the second to fifth embodiments will be described with reference to Fig. 5 to Fig. 8. However, for configurations common to the above-mentioned embodiments, the same reference numerals as those in the above-mentioned embodiments will be used, and the description of the above-mentioned embodiments may be used.

[0040] 5, a biasing member 137 that biases the heat insulating member 132 downward is added between the case 110 and the upper end portion 132a of the heat insulating member 132. Specifically, the biasing member 137 is disposed between the case 110 and a flange portion 132b formed on the upper end portion 132a of the heat insulating member 132.

[0041] According to the heating section 130B of the second embodiment, when the user inserts the rod 500 into the rod accommodating section 140, the biasing force of the biasing member 137 is added to the force with which the lower end of the rod 500 presses the bottom cap 134 downward, so that the heater unit 150 is likely to move to the switch action position. This allows the switch pressing section 134d of the bottom cap 134 to reliably press the internal switch 16. Note that the biasing force of the biasing member 137 is set smaller than the biasing force of the biasing member 136, and the heater unit 150 including the bottom cap 134 moves from the initial position to the switch action position only when the rod 500 is inserted, as in the first embodiment.

[0042] (Heating section of the third embodiment) The heating unit 130C of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is different from the first and second embodiments in that the heater 131 and the heat insulating member 132 are fixed to the case 110 so as not to be vertically movable, and only the bottom cap 134 moves downward when the rod 500 is inserted. In other words, the bottom cap 134 of the third embodiment is configured to be movable relative to the heater 131 and the heat insulating member 132. According to the heating unit 130C of the third embodiment, the number of members that move when the rod 500 is inserted is minimized, and the structure can be simplified. A heat-resistant lubricant is preferably provided on the sliding surface between the bottom cap 134 and the heat insulating member 132. This can prevent sidestream smoke leakage from between the bottom cap 134 and the heat insulating member 132. The lubricant may be provided between the bottom cap 134 and the heat insulating member 132 in other embodiments, not limited to the third embodiment.

[0043] (Heating section of the fourth embodiment) 7, the configuration of the biasing member 136D and the internal switch 16D of the heating unit 130D of the fourth embodiment is different from that of the above-mentioned embodiment. The biasing member 136D of the fourth embodiment is a rubber sheet (rubber-like elastic member) that covers the upper surface side of the substrate 135, and a bulging portion 136a that bulges upward is formed at a portion facing the lower end of the switch pressing portion 134d. This bulging portion 136a can bias the bottom cap 134 upward by abutting against the lower end of the switch pressing portion 134d.

[0044] The biasing member 136D includes a convex portion 136b that extends downward from the top of the bulge portion 136a and has a lower end portion adjacent to the fixed contact 16a on the substrate 135. A movable contact 16b (carbon, gold-plated, etc.) is provided on the lower end surface of the convex portion 136b, and these contacts 16a, 16b form the internal switch 16D of the fourth embodiment. In the initial position, these contacts 16a, 16b are spaced apart, and when the bottom cap 134 moves downward in response to the insertion of the rod 500, the bulge portion 136a of the biasing member 136D elastically deforms in the compression direction, and accordingly the movable contact 16b comes into contact with the fixed contact 16a on the substrate 135, and the internal switch 16D switches to the ON state.

[0045] According to the fourth embodiment, the biasing member 136D covers the internal switch 16D to isolate the space in which the internal switch 16D is disposed from the surrounding space. That is, the biasing member 136D covers the internal switch 16D to dispose the internal switch 16D in a space different from the surrounding space. Therefore, even if sidestream smoke leaks into the elastic member accommodating portion 134c, the internal switch 16D can be protected and the malfunction of the internal switch 16D can be suppressed. The biasing member 136D of the fourth embodiment can be used in place of the biasing member 136 (e.g., a compression coil spring) of the first to third embodiments described in Figs. 4 to 6.

[0046] (Heating section of the fifth embodiment) The heating unit 130E of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is different from the above-mentioned embodiments in that the internal switch 16E is configured as a non-contact switch. The non-contact switch is, for example, a photointerrupter, and when the bottom cap 134 moves downward in response to the insertion of the rod 500, the switch pressing portion 134d of the bottom cap 134 blocks the optical path of the photointerrupter, thereby switching to the ON state. According to the fifth embodiment, the internal switch 16E is a non-contact switch, so that failures and malfunctions caused by contact or contact failure can be avoided. The internal switch 16E of the fifth embodiment can be used in place of the internal switches 16 and 16D of the first to fourth embodiments described in FIG. 4 to FIG. 7.

[0047] (Air flow path) In the aerosol generating device, when the aerosol source is heated in the heating unit 130, 130B to 130E, the aerosol generated by atomization is supplied to the mouth 502 of the rod 500 together with the air taken into the case 110. In the explanations of the first to fifth embodiments up to this point, the flow of the air taken into the case 110 has not been explained, but below, using the heating unit 130 of the first embodiment, two examples of the flow of air to the heating units 130, 130B to 130E will be explained.

[0048] FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the air flow path 138 of the heating unit 130. The air flow path 138 shown in FIG. 9 is composed of the vent holes 110a and 132c formed in the case 110 and the heat insulating member 132, the gap 141 between the outer circumferential surface of the heater 131 and the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulating member 132, the gap 142 between the bottom surface of the fitting recess 134a and the lower end surface of the heater 131, and the notch 134e formed in a part of the rib 134b. As a result, when the user inhales from the suction port 502 of the rod 500, the air introduced into the inside of the case 110 from the vent holes 110a and 132c is supplied to the suction port 502 together with the aerosol generated by atomization through the gap 141 between the heater 131 and the heat insulating member 132 and the gap 142 between the heater 131 and the bottom cap 134. With this configuration, the internal switch 16 can be isolated from the air flow path 138, so that the malfunction of the internal switch 16 can be suppressed. As an additional or alternative configuration, the gap between the rod 500 and the rod accommodating part 140 may be an air flow path. In this case, a convex or concave part may be provided on the inner surface of the rod accommodating part 140 to ensure a gap between the rod 500 and the rod accommodating part 140.

[0049] FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the air flow path 139 of the heating unit 130. At least a part of the air flow path 139 shown in FIG. 10 is formed in the bottom cap 134. The vent hole for introducing outside air into the case 110 may be located anywhere in the case 110, and is not particularly limited. In this case, when the user inhales from the suction port 502 of the rod 500, the air introduced into the inside of the case 110 from the vent hole (not shown) is supplied to the suction port 502 together with the aerosol generated by atomization through the air flow path 139 of the bottom cap 134. According to such a configuration, the bottom cap 134 also serves as a member forming a part of the air flow path 139, thereby reducing the number of parts and reducing costs.

[0050] 9 and 10, the internal switch 16 is disposed at a position other than the air flow paths 138, 139. A position other than the air flow paths 138, 139 means a position where the internal switch 16 is not exposed to air flowing through the air flow paths 138, 139. By disposing the internal switch 16 at a position other than the air flow paths 138, 139, the internal switch 16, which is a precision component, can be isolated from the air flow paths 138, 139. This reduces the risk of air adversely affecting the internal switch 16, and therefore reduces malfunction of the internal switch 16.

[0051] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or revised examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components in the above-mentioned embodiments may be arbitrarily combined within the scope of the invention.

[0052] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the heating unit that consumes the power supplied from the power source 10 to heat the aerosol source is the heater 131, but this is not limiting. For example, the heating unit that generates the aerosol can be configured by a susceptor built into the rod 500 and an induction heating coil that transmits power to the susceptor by electromagnetic induction.

[0053] This specification describes at least the following items. Note that, in parentheses, corresponding components and the like in the above-mentioned embodiment are shown, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0054] (1) a housing (case 110); A power source (power source 10); an aerosol generating unit (heating unit 130, 130B, 130C, 130D, 130E) that generates an aerosol from an aerosol source (rod 500) by power supplied from the power source; A control unit (control unit 120) that controls the aerosol generation unit; an aerosol source storage section (rod storage section 140) configured so that the aerosol source can be inserted and removed and capable of storing at least a portion of the aerosol source; a movable member (heater unit 150, bottom cap 134) that is movable in the insertion direction in response to the insertion of the aerosol source; a biasing member (biasing member 136, 136D) that biases the movable member in a direction opposite to the insertion direction; a detection device (internal switches 16, 16D, 16E) disposed inside the housing and detecting movement of the movable member in the insertion direction, The control unit is a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device (non-combustion type inhaler 100) that starts generating the aerosol when it detects an input to the detection device.

[0055] According to (1), when the aerosol source is inserted, the movable member moves in the insertion direction against the biasing member, so that the detection device detects the movement of the movable member in the insertion direction and the control unit starts generating aerosol, thereby achieving appropriate automatic start.

[0056] (2) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1), A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the detection device (internal switch 16) is a contact-type switch and is arranged to contact the movable member when the aerosol source is inserted and the movable member moves in the insertion direction.

[0057] According to (2), the detection device comes into contact with the movable member, so that the timing at which the aerosol generation starts can be appropriately detected.

[0058] (3) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1), A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the detection device (internal switch 16D) is a contact-type switch and is arranged to contact the spring member when the aerosol source is inserted and the movable member moves in the insertion direction.

[0059] According to (3), the detection device comes into contact with the biasing member, so that the timing at which the aerosol generation starts can be appropriately detected.

[0060] (4) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (3), A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device, wherein the biasing member covers the detection device to position the detection device in a space different from the surrounding space.

[0061] According to (4), the detection device, which is a precision component, can be disposed in a space different from the surrounding space, thereby making it possible to suppress malfunction of the detection device.

[0062] (5) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1), The detection device (internal switch 16E) is a non-contact switch and is a power supply unit of the aerosol generating device that detects the movement of the movable member or the spring member when the aerosol source is inserted and the movable member moves in the insertion direction.

[0063] According to (5), since the detection device is a non-contact switch, failure of the detection device due to contact can be avoided.

[0064] (6) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (5), An air flow path (air flow paths 138, 139) is provided for introducing outside air into the aerosol source storage portion, A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the detection device is positioned at a location other than the air flow path.

[0065] According to (6), the detection device, which is a precision component, can be isolated from the air flow path, making it possible to suppress malfunction of the detection device.

[0066] (7) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (6), A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the movable member has at least a portion of the air flow path.

[0067] According to (7), the movable member also serves as a member that forms part of the air flow path, thereby reducing the number of parts and the cost of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

[0068] (8) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (7), The movable member is The initial position, an action position that acts on the detection device when the aerosol source is inserted; A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the movable member is located in the initial position while generating the aerosol.

[0069] According to (8), the movable member moves from the initial position to the operating position only when the aerosol source is inserted, so that it is only necessary to set the air flow at the initial position when the aerosol is generated, thereby simplifying the structure.

[0070] (9) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (8), The control unit is The generation of the aerosol is continued for a predetermined time from the start of the generation of the aerosol or until a predetermined number of inhalations is detected, A power supply unit of the aerosol generating device that stops the generation of the aerosol when the predetermined time has elapsed or when the predetermined number of suctions has been detected.

[0071] According to (9), when a predetermined time has elapsed or a predetermined number of inhalations has been detected, the control unit stops the generation of aerosol, so that the aerosol generation can be automatically stopped upon inferring that the aerosol source is exhausted. This allows not only the start of aerosol generation but also the stopping of aerosol generation to be performed automatically.

[0072] (10) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (9), A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit continues generating the aerosol when it detects an input to the detection device again during generation of the aerosol.

[0073] According to (10), even if a load is accidentally applied in the insertion direction of the aerosol source during aerosol generation, causing the movable member to move in the insertion direction, the aerosol generation can be continued, thereby avoiding the unintentional halt of aerosol generation.

[0074] (11) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (10), The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device further comprises an operation switch (external switch 17) exposed to the outside of the housing for prohibiting generation of the aerosol.

[0075] According to (11), by making it possible to stop aerosol generation in an emergency or at the user's discretion, usability can be improved.

[0076] (12) A power supply unit (non-combustion type inhaler 100) of the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (11); The aerosol generating device comprises the aerosol source.

[0077] According to (12), when the aerosol source is inserted, the movable member moves in the insertion direction against the biasing member, so that the detection device detects the movement of the movable member in the insertion direction and the control unit starts generating aerosol, thereby achieving appropriate automatic start.

[0078] (13) A method for controlling an aerosol generating device, comprising the steps of: Initiating the generation of aerosol from the aerosol source based on an input to a detection device (internal switches 16, 16D, 16E) associated with a first operation, which is the insertion of an aerosol source; stopping the generation of the aerosol when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the generation of the aerosol or when a predetermined number of inhalations has been detected; A method for controlling an aerosol generating device, comprising a step of continuing the generation of the aerosol when input to the detection device is detected again by a second operation different from the first operation during the generation of the aerosol.

[0079] According to (13), automatic start and stop upon insertion of the aerosol source can be realized while suppressing deterioration of usability due to user malfunction.

[0080] (14) A method for controlling the aerosol generating device according to (13), comprising the steps of: The method for controlling an aerosol generating device further comprises a step of prohibiting generation of the aerosol based on an input to another detection device (external switch 17) different from the detection device.

[0081] According to (14), by making it possible to stop the generation of aerosol in an emergency or at the user's discretion, usability can be further improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 10 Power supply 16, 16D, 16E Internal switch (detection device) 17 External switch (other detection device) 100 Non-combustion inhaler (power supply unit for aerosol generator) 110 cases 120 Control section 130, 130B to 130E Heating section (aerosol generating section) 134 Bottom Cap 136, 136D biasing member 138, 139 Air flow passage 140 Rod storage section 500 Rods (Aerosol Source)

Claims

1. A housing and Power supply, an aerosol generating unit that generates an aerosol from an aerosol source using power supplied from the power source; A control unit that controls the aerosol generation unit; an aerosol source storage section configured to allow the aerosol source to be inserted and removed and capable of storing at least a portion of the aerosol source; a movable member that is movable in an insertion direction in response to the insertion of the aerosol source; a biasing member that biases the movable member in a direction opposite to the insertion direction; a detection device disposed inside the housing and detecting movement of the movable member in the insertion direction, the biasing member covers the detection device to place the detection device in a space different from a surrounding space, The control unit is a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device that starts generating the aerosol when it detects an input to the detection device.

2. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the detection device is a contact switch and is arranged to contact the movable member when the aerosol source is inserted and the movable member moves in the insertion direction.

3. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the detection device is a contact-type switch and is arranged to contact the spring member when the aerosol source is inserted and the movable member moves in the insertion direction.

4. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, The detection device is a non-contact switch, and detects the movement of the movable member or the spring member when the aerosol source is inserted and the movable member moves in the insertion direction, a power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

5. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, An air flow path is provided for introducing outside air into the aerosol source storage portion, A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the detection device is positioned at a location other than the air flow path.

6. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 5, A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the movable member has at least a portion of the air flow path.

7. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The movable member is The initial position, an action position that acts on the detection device when the aerosol source is inserted; A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the movable member is located in the initial position while generating the aerosol.

8. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The control unit is The generation of the aerosol is continued for a predetermined time from the start of the generation of the aerosol or until a predetermined number of inhalations is detected, A power supply unit of the aerosol generating device that stops the generation of the aerosol when the predetermined time has elapsed or when the predetermined number of suctions has been detected.

9. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 8, A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit continues generating the aerosol when it detects an input to the detection device again during generation of the aerosol.

10. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device further comprises an operation switch exposed to the outside of the housing for prohibiting generation of the aerosol.

11. A power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10; The aerosol generating device comprises the aerosol source.

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