Aerosol generating device that provides an enhanced vaping experience

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device (1), comprising a heating element (11) configured to heat an aerosol substrate, such as a tobacco stick (2), an energy supply source (14) configured to power the heating element (11), a temperature sensor (12) configured to measure the temperature of the heating element (11), and a temperature sensor (12) configured to control the power supplied by the energy supply source (14) to the heating element (11) to keep the heating element (11) within an operable temperature range (T R and a controller (13) configured to raise the temperature of the heating element (11) to a first temperature (T1) included within a predetermined activation temperature (T A ), power can be supplied to the heating element (11) during the activation time (t0) of the aerosol device (1) when the aerosol device (1) is on.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of heated aerosol generators.

Background Art

[0002] An aerosol generator to which an aerosol substrate for vaping is attached is also generally known as a heat-not-burn electronic cigarette, and is increasingly used today as a substitute for ordinary cigarettes. However, unlike ordinary cigarettes, it is difficult to provide consistent vaping characteristics over the vaping cycle of an aerosol substrate, which is often stick-shaped.

[0003] Solutions aimed at controlling the heating process to generate aerosol over the entire vaping cycle are known. For example, European Patent No. 2879533 of the patent literature discloses an aerosol generator showing a temperature scheme having the following three power control phases: a first power ramp-up phase to reach the vaping temperature for the first puff, a second power reduction phase for the next puff, and a last power increase phase to compensate for aerosol depletion in the substrate. However, none of them assume controlling the power during subsequent vaping cycles, and especially between two consecutive vaping cycles.

[0004] Still, for example, when two sticks are vaped continuously in less than a few seconds, the heater may not have enough time to cool down, and a lot of energy remains stored in the heating chamber. As a result, when the heater is switched on again to heat the inserted aerosol substrate, the temperature during the first puff may exceed the temperature expected by the user or the temperature during normal operation (when the heater is sufficiently cooled), whereby the temperature may be recognized as being too high or excessive heat may be transferred to the aerosol substrate, affecting the taste of the generated vapor. This problem may be amplified by the high water content of the substrate, which generates a lot of vapor during the first puff.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a novel aerosol device capable of overcoming these well-known limitations.

[0006] International Publication No. 2018 / 027189 of the patent document relates to a vaping device using a cartridge, in which an anemometer is attached to the cartridge to detect a puff operation and interacts with a heating control mechanism to adjust the heating level when necessary, particularly when a puff operation is detected, and this detection triggers a heating phase until a predetermined vaping temperature is reached. However, the disclosed vaping device does not assume preventing heating at all times when the temperature is too high at startup.

[0007] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017 / 135407 of the patent document describes another cartridge-based vaping device with another self-activation mechanism for adjusting temperature, but still does not provide any mechanism for preventing heating at that time when the temperature is too high during startup time.

[0008] European Patent No. 2609820 of the patent document discloses another aerosol device that uses a tobacco stick as a substrate and aims to prevent the heater from starting when there is no substrate or an inappropriate substrate is present, which is achieved by measuring an energy threshold. However, such a solution has nothing to do with the consistency between vaping cycles.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a novel aerosol generating device that ensures a consistent user vaping experience continuously over repeated vaping cycles, not only during a single vaping cycle but also during repeated vaping cycles with shorter time intervals between vaping cycles and longer time intervals between vaping cycles.

[0010] For this purpose, the present invention relates to an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device comprising: a heating element configured to heat an aerosol substrate; an energy source configured to supply power to the heating element; a temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the heating element; a controller configured to control the power supplied from the energy source to the heating element as soon as the aerosol generating device is turned on, so as to raise the temperature of the heating element to a first temperature within an operable temperature range; The aerosol device can supply power to the heating element during the start-up time of the aerosol device only when the temperature of the heating element is lower than a predetermined start-up temperature.

[0011] The advantage provided by the claimed solution is that it is possible to control the energy supplied by the heating element to the aerosol substrate, for example a tobacco stick, so that the temperature of the first puff does not exceed a desired value when starting vaping. As a result, a consistent vaping experience is maintained throughout the entire continuous vaping cycle.

[0012] According to the present invention, the start-up time is the time when the aerosol device is turned on to start a vaping cycle in response to a user's request, and power is prevented from being supplied to the heating element during the start-up time as long as the temperature of the heating element exceeds a predetermined start-up temperature threshold.

[0013] As a result, any start-up of the heating element is prohibited when the predetermined temperature threshold is exceeded, thereby ensuring the most consistent vaping experience throughout the entire continuous vaping cycle. In fact, at that time, if the user wishes to start any vaping cycle, the heating element cannot be started unless the temperature of the heating element is low enough, i.e., until the heating element is sufficiently cooled to reach again a level below this predetermined temperature threshold.

[0014] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol substrate is a tobacco stick.

[0015] Thus, the provided aerosol device is compatible with any of the popular T vapor devices, whereby the solid tobacco stick emulates real tobacco and thus remains as close as possible to a normal smoking experience while eliminating its known drawbacks.

[0016] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the temperature control scheme of the controller is adjusted such that the temperature of the heating element at the end of the vaping cycle is below a predetermined activation temperature.

[0017] The advantage of this embodiment is that it can provide a seamless user experience between two consecutive vaping cycles that may be started one after another.

[0018] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vaping cycle includes a final heat-off phase, during which power to the heating element is switched off for a predetermined period.

[0019] The advantage of this embodiment is that thanks to the final heat-off phase envisioned within the vaping cycle itself, it becomes possible for the heating element to already be cooled, so that immediately after the end of the vaping cycle has been notified to the user, the heating element can be switched on again without significantly affecting the user's vaping experience during the next vaping. The duration of this heat-off phase may preferably be adjusted according to the exact temperature of the heating element within its operable temperature range at the time when the heating element was switched off.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the predetermined activation temperature is set equal to a maximum of 170°C.

[0021] This temperature value has been found to optimize the consistency of the user experience without creating an overly long interruption time between the end of a given vaping cycle of the stick and the time when the next stick becomes vapeable.

[0022] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the controller is configured to further delay the power supply to the heating element after the start-up time until the heating element reaches another predetermined temperature threshold set to be below the start-up temperature.

[0023] The advantage of this embodiment is that, as far as the first puff experience during the vaping cycle is concerned, it further optimizes the consistency of the user experience.

[0024] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, when a temperature below the start-up temperature is detected in the heating element, as soon as the aerosol generator is turned on, the controller is configured to generate a low power supply mode at the start-up time.

[0025] The advantage of this embodiment is that it is possible to optimize the battery life, i.e., the total number of cycles that may be available until the aerosol generator needs to be recharged.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol generator comprises an active user interface for receiving user input to turn on the aerosol generator.

[0027] By providing such a user interface, it becomes possible to easily interact with the user in order to trigger the start of the vaping cycle via any suitable actuator or sensor that detects tapping, slide impacts, etc. on a surface (e.g., a tactile screen). According to a still further preferred embodiment of the present invention, this active user interface is realized via a push button provided on the side of the aerosol generating device, thus enabling simple operation and a click effect as feedback for activation.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol generating device further comprises a passive user interface configured to provide a display of the mode or state of the aerosol generating device. Such a passive user interface can provide effective user feedback not only during the entire vaping cycle, but also between vaping cycles or even during the charging time of the aerosol device. According to another preferred embodiment, this passive user interface is preferably configured as a central LED display in order to provide the most efficient and intuitive immediate user feedback.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol generating device further comprises a vibrator configured to provide feedback regarding the state transition of the aerosol generating device. This tactile feedback can advantageously be combined with a separate visual feedback device, provided, for example, via an LED display, in order to indicate important events or changes that may occur during the vaping cycle and directly and immediately affect the user's actions (i.e., by knowing that vaping is available or no longer available).

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aerosol generating device further comprises a slider which, at a first position, covers the heating element and, at a second position, leaves a space for inserting the aerosol substrate, and the aerosol generating device can be switched on only at the second position of the slider.

[0031] In this way, the slider functions as a general switch for the aerosol generating device, and at that time, the switch is switched on only when the stick may be introduced into the heating device. Once the aerosol generating device is switched on, if the heating element is not yet available, it may remain in sleep mode and can be activated immediately only when the aerosol generating device is switched on via another active user interface, such as a push button. In this way, additional safety against overheating of the device is ensured.

[0032] According to a preferred embodiment of the aerosol generating device for the present invention, power is supplied to the heating element until the heating element reaches a first temperature, whereby the amount of energy provided to the aerosol substrate remains within a predetermined range regardless of the temperature of the heating element at startup time.

[0033] The advantage of this preferred embodiment is that it further optimizes the consistency of the user experience, particularly in terms of the first puff temperature, regardless of the temperature of the heating element at the start of the vaping cycle at startup, i.e., whether this cycle starts at room temperature or whether the subsequent vaping cycle starts immediately after the previous cycle when the temperature will be much higher. In this way, it is ensured that the first puff temperature remains substantially the same for any vaping cycle and from any initial state.

[0034] Further advantageous features aimed at optimizing the power regulation and efficiency of the newly provided aerosol generating device are described in the following detailed description in view of the drawings showing preferred embodiments for the present invention.

[0035] Here, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0036]

FIG. 1A-1B

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

FIG. 5

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0037] Hereinafter, an aerosol generating device 1 according to a preferred embodiment, and a preferred temperature control scheme for using such a device to ensure that the heating element of this device can be cooled will be described.

[0038] Figures 1A and 1B respectively show perspective side views of the aerosol generating device 1 in two different operable modes. The left figure 1A shows the aerosol generating device 1 with the slider 17 attached at the first closed position P1 corresponding to the switched-off state. On the right, the aerosol generating device 1 is not only switched on by placing the slider 17 at the second open position P2 but also switched on by pressing the lateral button 15 used as an active user interface, and is in a state of starting the heat treatment of the aerosol substrate inserted into the opening 18, which is hereinafter referred to as the tobacco stick 2 in this specification.

[0039] In Figure 1A, it can be understood that the central LED display 16 provided in the middle of the housing 10 is off for intuitive user feedback. In contrast, in Figure 1B, the LED indicates the state of the heat-up process, which is approximately in the middle. According to a preferred embodiment, the start of the heat-up phase is triggered by pressing the button 15 for about 1 second. For the stick 2, the heat-up takes about 20 seconds until it reaches the vaporizable state, whereby the LEDs of the LED display 16 are fully lit and / or vibration feedback is provided to the user. Subsequently, the vaping time is controlled for a predetermined time, typically between 3 minutes 40 seconds and 4 minutes 10 seconds. During this period, the temperature of the heating element 11 inside the housing 10 (not shown in these figures but shown in the next Figure 2) is controlled, and the size of the LED bar lighting up on the display 16 continuously decreases. Then, after this vaping time has elapsed, the heating element 11 is also switched off for a predetermined time, typically for 20 seconds, during which the remaining LEDs are flashing. After these last 20 seconds, the end of the vaping cycle is preferably confirmed by a long vibration feedback, indicating that the aerosol generating device has reached the sleep mode again and that a new vaping cycle can only occur by pressing the button 15 again.

[0040] In Figure 1B, it can be understood that a charging connection portion 19 for recharging the aerosol generating device 1 is assumed, which can preferably be used for 20 tobacco sticks 2 when the battery is fully charged.

[0041] In summary, the aerosol generating device 1 according to the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1A and 1B includes an opening 18 into which the tobacco stick 2 is to be inserted, and this opening can be covered by a slider 17, where the slider defines the operable state of the aerosol generating device 1 (switched off at the first closed position P1 and switched on at the second open position P2). At that time, in the switched-on state, by pressing the button 15, preferably by a push and hold operation of about 1.5 seconds, the aerosol generating device 1 can be turned on, thereby changing from a so-called sleep mode to a so-called startup mode, the heating element is activated, and temperature control becomes available. In the sleep mode, the LED display 16 can be used to indicate the battery level, while in the startup mode, the LED bar indicated by the LED display 16 can indicate the heating level and the available vaping time. The charging connection portion 19 preferably consists of a USB connection portion. If a cable is connected when the aerosol generating device 1 is on, regardless of whether this is done during heating up or during vaping, the startup is immediately stopped and it switches back to the sleep mode for charging.

[0042] Figure 2 shows a schematic logic diagram of the aerosol device according to the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 1A and 1B, and the aerosol substrate in the form of a tobacco stick 2 is inserted into an opening 18 arranged at the upper tip of the housing 10. For the sake of clarity of the figure, the slider 17 is omitted, but the illustrated aerosol generating device 1 is shown with the slider 17 in the second position P2, i.e., in the switched-on state, and it can be understood that the housing 10 is inclined 90 degrees to the left with respect to the upright position.

[0043] The tobacco stick 2 is heated by a heating element 11 formed as a heating chamber or a heating tube. The heating tube is closed by a bottom plate 11' that functions as a stop for the inserted tobacco stick 2 but is not related to the heating process. Air is drawn through the tobacco stick 2, vapor is generated by the heating and evaporation of the components of the tobacco stick 2, and the vapor flows out during puffing. The temperature of the vapor is controlled by controlling the temperature of the heating element 11 using a temperature sensor 12 such as a thermistor, for example. Evaporation is regulated by adjusting the power supplied to the heating element 11 using a heating controller 13 that uses PID control with temperature feedback. The heating controller can be implemented in the form of an MCU.

[0044] The energy supply unit 14 is preferably a rechargeable power supply unit that can be connected to a sector via a charging connection 19, typically a USB plug. This energy supply unit 14 is connected to the temperature sensor 12 and the heating controller 13 and can be activated via a first active user interface, preferably a push button 15, to start a vaping session. In fact, by pressing the push button 15 for a predetermined time, the aerosol generator 1 can be turned on, enabling a transition from the sleep mode to the startup mode in which the heating element 11 is switched on. The energy supply unit 14 is also preferably connected to a second passive user interface made of an LED display 16 that indicates the voltage level in the sleep mode and the heating level or remaining vaping time in the startup mode, i.e., during the vaping cycle. This display is preferably combined with a vibrator 20 that indicates important state change information to the user. This is shown, for example, when the aerosol generator is just turned on, then when the stick 2 becomes vapeable, and then when it gives a warning when the vaping cycle is about to end, and finally when it provides a final feedback when the vaping cycle has ended.

[0045] Figure 3 shows a complete vaping cycle V using an aerosol generator 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as the apparatus shown in the previous figure. c It shows the expansion of V. The diagram in Figure 3 represents the temperature of the heating element 11 with respect to the elapsed time in the vaping cycle V c and represents from when the push button 15 is pressed at the start time t0 until the vibrator feedback is received at time t3 and the end of the vaping cycle V c is confirmed.

[0046] According to this preferred embodiment, when the user presses the push button 15, the aerosol generator 1 is turned on and changes to the startup state. Therefore, this moment in time is called the startup time t0, which indicates that the vaping cycle V c has started and that the heating element 11 may have been switched on. This corresponds to the start of a first phase H1 called the "heat-up" phase, during which the tobacco stick 2 is heated until it becomes thinkable that it is ready for vaping. Preferably, this first phase H1 may last for a predetermined time, here for example 20 seconds, or earlier, it may end as soon as the heating element reaches a first temperature T1, which is the case in the graph of Figure 3 and flattens out before 20 seconds have elapsed. However, this first temperature T1 defined for the tobacco stick 2 to reach the "vaping-ready" state is preferably always within a predetermined temperature range T R which is defined herein as 230 °C to 235 °C.

[0047] At the end of the first phase H1, at time t1, the vaping state is reached, which can be indicated by the device by means of a predetermined LED signal and / or via vibration feedback. At the same time, the second phase H2 is started, during which the heater is controlled by a temperature control scheme. Then, the heating element 11 may be powered on / off via PID control based on the stored temperature profile and the temperature measurement provided by the temperature sensor 12 that senses the temperature of the heating chamber forming the heating element 11. According to the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, this temperature control scheme involves a slight reheating at an intermediate time t 1’ (here, 180 seconds after t1), which is configured to reach the upper limit of the temperature range T R (235 °C) to compensate for the lack of substrate.

[0048] At the end of this second H2 at time t2, here 270 seconds after the start of vaping at time t1, the heating element 11 is switched off and a third phase H3 called the "heat off" phase is started simultaneously. This third phase H3 starts while the temperature of the heater is still within the operable temperature range T R but not necessarily equal to the first temperature T1. Thus, this other operable temperature for vaping is preferably called the second temperature T2, i.e., the temperature at the start of the heat off phase (i.e., the third phase H3).

[0049] This third heat off phase H3 preferably lasts for about 20 seconds. The start of this phase is preferably indicated by a dedicated display pattern on the display unit and / or by vibration feedback. The complete vaping cycle V cThe end of this phase at time t3, which marks the end, is also preferably indicated by another vibration feedback (e.g., a long vibration at the end compared to a short vibration at the start), and the LED display is preferably switched off at this end time t3.

[0050] As will be described below with further reference to FIG. 5, the temperature control scheme according to this preferred embodiment for the present invention preferably has a vaporization cycle V c at the end, i.e., at time t3, adjusted to reach a temperature below the starting temperature T A and this starting temperature T A is well below the operable temperature range T R of the heating element itself. This enables a continuous vaporization cycle to start immediately after the previous vaporization cycle while ensuring a consistent user experience for the user at the first puff. In the diagram of FIG. 3, this starting temperature T A is set equal to, for example, 170°C.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a diagram representing the temperature of the heating element over elapsed time during two consecutive vaporization cycles according to yet another preferred embodiment for the present invention, and after the push button 15 is actuated to start a consecutive vaporization cycle, the heating element can be further cooled. In other words, even if the start of the second vaporization cycle V c(2) is triggered immediately after the end of the first vaporization cycle V c(1) , the power supply to the heating element is delayed until a sufficiently low temperature, called the temperature threshold T T , is reached. The temperature threshold T T is lower than the starting temperature T A and thus, in the case illustrated in FIG. 4, lower than 170°C.

[0052] In FIG. 4, all references added as subscripts in parentheses relate to the cycle number, i.e., t 0(1) , t 1(1) , t2(1) , t 3(1) merely corresponds to the time values t0, t1, t2, and t3 of the general vaping cycle V c and can be understood to be applied to the first vaping cycle V c(1) . Similarly, t 0(2) &t 1(2) where t0&t1 corresponds to that applied to the second vaping cycle V c(1) immediately after the first vaping cycle V c(2) , and thus t 0(2) =t 3(1) . (That is, the start time of the second consecutive vaping cycle V c(2) is the same as the end time of the first vaping cycle V c(1) ). The same applies to the first temperature reached after the first heat-up phase H 1(1) &H 1(2) of each vaping cycle. That is, the temperature T 1(1) is the first temperature of the first vaping cycle V c(1) , while the temperature T 1(2) is the first temperature of the second vaping cycle V c(2) . However, only the second and third phases H c(1) &H 2(1) of the first vaping cycle V 3(1) are shown. In this illustrated example, the temperature at the end of the first vaping cycle V c(1) is reached after the heat-off phase and is set to correspond to a value equal to, at most, the start temperature T A set to about 170°C. However, at that time, this heat-off phase is extended and the heating element 11 cannot be switched on until the minimum temperature corresponding to the temperature threshold T T is reached. However, the heating element 11 is automatically switched on until the operable vaping temperature, for example, the so-called first temperature T 1(2) is reached.

[0053] The first vaping cycle V c(1)Assuming that the first heat-up phase of c(2) is still set to 20 seconds, it can be understood that the graph shown indicates that the vaporizable state reached at time t 1(2) for the second vaporizing cycle V c(2) comes earlier, at about 12 seconds. In other words, the heat-up phase of the second vaporizing cycle V c(2) may be shorter than the heat-up phase of the first vaporizing cycle. This embodiment corresponds to an option that allows the time to reach the vaporizable state to be variable, and this time is likely to be shorter for any subsequent vaporizing cycle starting at a significantly higher temperature than the first vaporizing cycle starting at room temperature. Such a shorter heat-up phase is intended to compensate for the higher energy that would otherwise be supplied to the stick during subsequent vaporizing cycles starting at a higher temperature, and as a result, for the user, the difference at the first performance is minimized. Despite the fact that the power supplied to the heating element 11 is initially delayed, the overall waiting time between subsequent vaporizing cycles, i.e., the time from when a cycle is completed until the next stick becomes vaporizable, is minimized and in any case is understood to be shorter than the time elapsed until the first stick becomes vaporizable.

[0054] However, according to a variant embodiment, the same heat-up time, i.e., the time span that elapses between the start-up time and the vaporizable time, is kept constant regardless of the vaporizing cycle. In this case, this would mean, for example, maintaining the time of the heat-up phase equal to a constant 20 seconds, regardless of the temperature at the start-up time of the vaporizing cycle. However, this preferably has to be combined with a more delicate control of the temperature so as not to exceed any energy level supplied that would lead to a significant difference for the user at the time set for the first performance (i.e., at time t1), by further adjusting the energy supplied to the stick over a certain period during this heat-up phase.

[0055] Figure 5 shows an example of an alternative embodiment for the present invention. According to this, at the end of the vaping cycle V c there is no extension of the heat-off phase, and the first heat-up phase is fixed and maintained for 20 seconds. To simplify the visualization of the difference between the first vaping cycle and any successive vaping cycles, a general vaping cycle V c similar to that of FIG. 3 is shown with the same time values t0, t1, t2&t3, and durations of the various phases (the first phase H1 of heat-up, the second phase H2 of vaping control, and the third phase H3 of heat-off). The difference between the vaping cycles V c of FIGS. 3 and 5 is that the first temperature T1 reached at the time t1 of the first puff is equal to the second temperature at the end of the second phase H2 when the heating element 11 is switched off, i.e., 230°C. However, according to a variant embodiment, at the end of the vaping cycle V C a timer for the duration of the third heat-off phase H3 may be adjusted according to the exact temperature of the heating element 11 within the operable temperature range T A so as to always reach a temperature value below the starting temperature T R . Regardless of whether the duration of this third heat-off phase H3 is fixed or variable, the overall time span during which the heating element 11 cools is adjusted to be long enough to allow reaching a temperature value below the starting temperature T A . This starting temperature T A is also set to 170°C according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, but in contrast to the previous embodiment shown in FIG. 4, to compensate for the fact that no further cooling is assumed at the start of the new vaping cycle V C the starting temperature T A can thus preferably be set to 160°C or even lower (e.g., 150°C).

[0056] Figure 5 shows the first phase of the first cycle, labeled H 1(1) when starting at room temperature, superimposed on the first phase of the second cycle, labeled H A when starting directly at the activation temperature T 1(2) to emphasize the only difference between the first vaping cycle and any subsequent continuous cycle, the latter being depicted by the dashed line. Both heat-up phases have the same duration and no further delay is introduced between vaping cycles, and thus changing the stick is as straightforward as inserting the first stick into the aerosol generating device 1. However, according to such an embodiment, the energy level supplied to the stick during the first phase of heating up the first vaping cycle H 1(1) will be lower than the energy level supplied to the stick during the first phase of the second vaping cycle H 1(2) and of any subsequent vaping cycle, i.e., any continuous cycle. As a result, according to a preferred variant embodiment of the present invention, even if no delay is required before supplying power to the heating element to reach a temperature threshold T A lower than the preset activation temperature T T , at that time, in order to further minimize the difference in the energy supplied to the stick until the heating element 11 reaches a first temperature T1 which may correspond to the time of the first puff for the user, it would be advantageous to generate a low power mode at the time of activating the heating element 11 (i.e., at the activation time t0 at the start of the vaping cycle). Most preferably, the temperature control scheme should be adjusted such that the level of energy supplied to the stick remains within a predetermined range regardless of the temperature of the heating element at the activation time t0 of any vaping cycle V C .

[0057] The embodiments described in detail above are given by way of example only and should not be understood as limiting the scope of protection conferred. Specifically, in the preferred embodiment, the operating temperature T R is preferably defined as being between 230°C and 235°C, but this range may be wider or may shift depending on the requirements and components of the aerosol substrate (i.e., the stick). The same applies to the activation temperature T A .

[0058] Also, the start of the third period H3 of "heat off" can be triggered by either a different elapsed time or puff count, and may be made to last somewhat longer in order to give the user a little more time to most efficiently prepare for seamlessly replacing the stick.

[0059] However, a common feature of all embodiments is that as long as the temperature of the heating element 11 exceeds a predetermined activation temperature T A threshold, at the activation time t0, i.e., whenever the user requests the start of the vaping cycle Vc by pressing the push button 15 or by interacting with any other suitable user interface, power supply to the heating element 11 is prevented. Thus, when this temperature threshold is exceeded, the heating mechanism of the aerosol substrate 2 is effectively blocked, and thus, regardless of the initial temperature state within the aerosol device, the most consistent vaping experience is guaranteed.

[0060] It will also be understood that heating non-combustion devices such as the claimed aerosol generating device may heat other forms of substrate different from the stick, if necessary, without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Description of the Reference Numerals

[0061] 1 Aerosol device 10 Housing 11 (Vapor) heating element (e.g., tube) 11’ Bottom plate 12 Temperature sensor 13 Heating controller (e.g., PID) 14 Energy source 15 Push button (first user interface) 16 LED display (second user interface) 17 Slider 18 Opening 19 Charging connection 20 Vibrator 2 Tobacco stick [as an example of an aerosol substrate] V c Vaping cycle V c(1) First vaping cycle V c(2) Second vaping cycle [or any successive Vc] “Off” position of the P1 slider “On” position of the P2 slider H1 First phase - Heat-up H2 Second phase - Vaping control H3 Third phase - Heat off T A Starting temperature [T A <T R T1 First temperature used to reach the “vaping possible” state Temperature of the heater when off T R Vaping possible temperature range T T Temperature threshold t0 Starting time / start of the first phase H1 t1 End of the first phase H1 / start of the second phase H2 t 1’ Time of the intermediate vaping phase / reheating t2 End of the second phase H2 / start of the third phase H3 t3 End of the third phase H3​

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device (1), comprising: a heating element (11) configured to heat an aerosol substrate; an energy source (14) configured to supply power to the heating element (11); a temperature sensor (12) configured to measure the temperature of the heating element (11); Immediately after the aerosol generator (1) is turned on, the controller (13) controls the electric power supplied from the energy source (14) to the heating element (11) so as to raise the temperature of the heating element (11) to a first temperature (T Ｒ ) within the operable temperature range (T). The controller (13) is configured to raise the temperature of the heating element (11) to a first temperature (T1) within the operable temperature range (T), and includes: As long as the temperature of the heating element (11) exceeds the threshold value of a predetermined activation temperature (T Ａ ), when the aerosol generator (1) is on, power supply to the heating element (11) is prevented at the activation time (t ０ ), an aerosol generating device (1), wherein a temperature control scheme of the controller (13) is adjusted such that the temperature of the heating element (11) is below the predetermined starting temperature (TA) at the end of the vaping cycle (VC).

2. The start-up time (t ０ ) is the time when the aerosol generator (1) is turned on to start a vaping cycle (V Ｃ ) in response to a user's request. The aerosol generator (1) according to claim 1.

3. The aerosol generating device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the aerosol substrate is a tobacco stick (2).

4. The vaporizing cycle (V Ｃ ) includes a final heat-off phase (H ３ ), and during the heat-off phase, power to the heating element (11) is switched off for a predetermined period of time. The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The predetermined starting temperature (T Ａ ) is set to be equal to 170° C. at the maximum, the aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The controller (13) delays the power supply to the heating element (11) after the start-up time (t ０ ), until the heating element (11) reaches another predetermined temperature threshold (T Ａ ) set to be lower than the start-up temperature (T Ｔ ). The aerosol generator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is configured to further delay.

7. When a temperature lower than the activation temperature (T Ａ ) is detected in the heating element (11), when the aerosol generator (1) is on, the controller (13) is configured to generate a low power supply mode at the activation time (t ０ ). The aerosol generator (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an active user interface for receiving a user input to turn on the aerosol generating device (1).

9. The aerosol generating device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the active user interface is a push button (15).

10. The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a passive user interface configured to provide an indication regarding the mode or state of the aerosol generating device (1).

11. The aerosol generating device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the passive user interface is configured as a central LED display (16).

12. The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising a vibrator configured to provide feedback regarding the state transition of the aerosol generating device (1).

13. The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a slider (17) configured to cover the heating element (11) at a first position (P1) and leave a space for inserting the aerosol substrate at a second position (P2), wherein the aerosol generating device (1) can be turned on only at the second position (P2) of the slider (17).

14. The amount of energy supplied to the aerosol substrate remains within a predetermined range regardless of the temperature of the heating element (11) at the start-up time (t ０ ), and power is supplied to the heating element (11) until the heating element (11) reaches the first temperature (T1). The aerosol generating device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

Images