Power unit of aerosol generating device, aerosol generating device, and film heater

Abstract

A power supply unit (100) of an aerosol generating device (10) comprises: a power source (ba); a sheet heater (HTR) including a pair of electrically insulative substrates (31) and an electrically conductive foil (32) disposed between the pair of electrically insulative substrates (31); and a thermistor (th) that detects the temperature of the sheet heater (HTR). The sheet heater (HTR) includes: a heater unit (240B) configured to be able to heat at least one of an aerosol source (110) and a flavor source (120); and a thermistor mounting portion (240A) mounted with the thermistor (th). On the electrically conductive foil (32) of the sheet heater (HTR), a first conductive track (241) provided in the heater unit (240B), and a second conductive track (242) provided in the thermistor mounting portion (240A) and connected to the thermistor (th) are formed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating device, and a film heater.

Background Art

[0002] In a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device such as a heated cigarette, there is known one equipped with a heater that heats a capsule or a stick in which a flavor source is incorporated.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a film heater for heating an aerosol forming substrate, and the film heater includes an electrically insulating substrate and a conductive track disposed on the electrically insulating substrate. The conductive track in Patent Document 1 has a high temperature coefficient of resistance and can act as a heater and a temperature sensor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When the conductive track of the film heater itself is utilized as a temperature sensor, calibration of the resistance value of the conductive track is required, resulting in high costs. Further, when a temperature detection unit (for example, a thermistor) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the film heater by separately drawing a lead wire, labor is required for assembling the temperature detection unit, and it is necessary to consider the positional relationship with other components inside the housing of the power supply unit.

[0006] The present invention provides a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating device, and a film heater capable of providing a temperature detection unit to the film heater without separately drawing a lead wire.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device of the present invention includes a power supply, a film heater including a pair of electrically insulating substrates and a conductive foil disposed between the pair of electrically insulating substrates, a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the film heater, and a cylindrical housing unit that houses at least one of an aerosol source and a flavor source, and is a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device. The film heater includes a heater unit configured to be able to heat at least one of the aerosol source and the flavor source, and a mounting unit on which the temperature detection unit is mounted, on the conductive foil of the film heater, a first conductive track provided in the heater unit and a second conductive track provided in the mounting unit and connected to the temperature detection unit are formed, the heater unit is wound around the outer periphery of the cylindrical housing unit, and the mounting unit is disposed so as to overlap the outer periphery of the heater unit. 。

[0008] In addition, the aerosol generating device of the present invention includes the above power supply unit, a first cartridge that stores the aerosol source, and a second cartridge that stores the flavor source.

[0009] In addition, the film heater of the present invention is a film heater including a pair of electrically insulating substrates and a conductive foil disposed between the pair of electrically insulating substrates, and includes a heater unit, and a mounting unit that mounts a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the heater unit, and on the conductive foil, a first conductive track provided in the heater unit and a second conductive track provided in the mounting unit and connected to the temperature detection unit are formed. 、 It is integrally formed with a flexible printed circuit board connected to the heater unit and the mounting unit, with the heater unit and the mounting unit arranged on opposite sides across the flexible printed circuit board. 。

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, a temperature detection unit can be provided in the film heater without separately drawing a lead wire.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (Aerosol Generating Device) The aerosol generating device 10 is a device for generating an aerosol with an added flavor without combustion and sucking the generated aerosol. The aerosol generating device 10 is preferably sized to fit in the hand and, for example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with rounded corners. Note that the shape of the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to this, and it may be a rod shape, an oval shape, or the like. In the following description, in the aerosol generating device 10, among the three mutually perpendicular directions, starting from the longest in length, they are referred to as the vertical direction, the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction. Also, in the following description, for convenience, as described in FIGS. 1 to 9, the front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower directions are defined, and the front is shown as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left side as L, the right side as R, the upper side as U, and the lower side as D.

[0014] Referring also to FIG. 3, the aerosol generating device 10 includes a power supply unit 100, a first cartridge 110, and a second cartridge 120. The first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 are detachable from the power supply unit 100. In other words, the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 are each replaceable.

[0015] (Power supply unit) The power supply unit 100 includes an internal unit 2 and a case 3, and at least a part of the internal unit 2 is housed in the case 3.

[0016] Case 3 is composed of a first case 3A and a second case 3B that are detachable in the left-right direction (thickness direction). When the first case 3A and the second case 3B are assembled in the left-right direction (thickness direction), the front, rear, left, and right sides of the power supply unit 100 are formed. Specifically, the first case 3A is supported on the left side surface of a chassis 50 (to be described later) included in the internal unit 2, and the second case 3B is supported on the right side surface of the chassis 50, so that the internal unit 2 is housed in the case 3. A capsule holder 4 is provided in the front on the upper surface of the power supply unit 100. The capsule holder 4 is provided with an opening 4a that opens upward. The capsule holder 4 is configured such that a second cartridge 120 can be inserted through the opening 4a. A mouthpiece 130 is detachably provided on the second cartridge 120.

[0017] The upper surface of the power supply unit 100 is formed by an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) cover 5 disposed behind the opening 4a, and the lower surface of the power supply unit 100 is formed by a lower cover 8 provided with a charging terminal 1 and a rotatable lower lid 7.

[0018] An inclined surface that slopes downward as it goes rearward is provided between the upper surface and the rear surface of the power supply unit 100. An operation part that can be operated by the user is provided on the inclined surface. The operation part in this embodiment is a button-type switch BT, but it may be composed of a touch panel or the like. The operation part is used when reflecting the user's intention to use and starting / blocking / operating an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 6 and various sensors (to be described later).

[0019] The charging terminal 1 accessible from the lower cover 8 is configured to be electrically connectable to an external power supply (not shown) that can supply power for charging the power supply ba included in the battery pack BP to the power supply unit 100. The charging terminal 1 is, for example, a receptacle into which a plug on the other side can be inserted. As the charging terminal 1, a receptacle into which various USB terminals or the like can be inserted can be used. As an example, in this embodiment, the charging terminal 1 is a USB Type-C shaped receptacle.

[0020] Further, the charging terminal 1 may include, for example, a power receiving coil and be configured to be able to receive power transmitted from an external power source in a non-contact manner. In this case, the power transmission (Wireless Power Transfer) method may be an electromagnetic induction type, a magnetic resonance type, or a combination of an electromagnetic induction type and a magnetic resonance type. As another example, the charging terminal 1 may be connectable to various USB terminals and the like, and may also have the above-described power receiving coil.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the internal unit 2 includes a battery pack BP, a chassis 50, a heating unit 60, a circuit unit 70, a notification unit, and various sensors.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the chassis 50 includes a cylindrical cartridge holding portion 51 located at the front, a semi-cylindrical battery holding portion 52 located at the rear with the left side cut out, a plate-shaped connecting portion 53 connecting the cartridge holding portion 51 and the battery holding portion 52, a motor holding portion 54 provided below and to the right of the connecting portion 53 and straddling the cartridge holding portion 51 and the battery holding portion 52, and a sensor holding portion 55 provided at the left rear of the cartridge holding portion 51.

[0023] The first cartridge 110 is inserted into the cartridge holding portion 51 from below with the lower lid 7 open. Further, with the lower lid 7 closed in the state where the first cartridge 110 is inserted, the first cartridge 110 is accommodated in the cartridge holding portion 51. A capsule holder 4 is attached to the upper part of the cartridge holding portion 51. A vertically long through-hole is provided in the front of the cartridge holding portion 51, and the remaining amount of the aerosol source of the first cartridge 110 and the light of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) (not shown) are visible from the remaining amount confirmation window 3w provided at the joint portion of the first case 3A and the second case 3B. The LED is provided on the perfume sensor substrate 21 described later. The first cartridge 110 will be described later.

[0024] A battery pack BP is arranged in a battery holding part 52. The battery pack BP includes a power source ba and a power source thermistor for detecting the temperature of the power source ba. The power source ba is a rechargeable secondary battery, an electric double layer capacitor, or the like, and preferably a lithium ion secondary battery. The electrolyte of the power source ba may be composed of one of a gel electrolyte, an electrolytic solution, a solid electrolyte, an ionic liquid, or a combination thereof.

[0025] A vibration motor 13 is arranged in a motor holding part 54. A suction sensor 15 (to be described later) that outputs in response to a user's suction operation (puff operation) is arranged in a sensor holding part 55.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 6, a heating part 60 includes a cylindrical heat transfer tube 61 and a sheet heater HTR wound around the outer periphery of the heat transfer tube 61. The aforementioned capsule holder 4 is provided at a distance around the sheet heater HTR. The air layer between the capsule holder 4 and the sheet heater HTR functions as a heat insulating material. The lower part of a second cartridge 120 inserted from an opening 4a of the capsule holder 4 is accommodated in the heat transfer tube 61, and the lower part of the second cartridge 120 is heated by the sheet heater HTR. As a result, compared with the case where there is no heating part 60, the fragrance source stored in the second cartridge 120 is more likely to release fragrance, so that the aerosol is more likely to be imparted with fragrance. Here, the heat transfer tube 61 corresponds to the "cylindrical accommodating part" in the present invention, and the sheet heater HTR corresponds to the "film heater" of the present invention.

[0027] Incidentally, the heating unit 60 may be any element capable of heating the second cartridge 120. Examples of the element include a resistance heating element. As the resistance heating element, for example, one having a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristic in which the resistance value increases as the temperature increases is preferably used. Alternatively, one having an NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) characteristic in which the resistance value decreases as the temperature increases may be used. The heating unit 60 has a function of defining an air flow path to be supplied to the second cartridge 120 and a function of heating the second cartridge 120.

[0028] The notification unit notifies various information such as the charging state of the power supply ba, the remaining amount of the first cartridge 110, and the remaining amount of the second cartridge 120. The notification unit of the present embodiment includes an LED and a vibration motor 13. The notification unit may be constituted by a light emitting element such as an LED, may be constituted by a vibration element such as the vibration motor 13, or may be constituted by a sound output element. The notification unit may be a combination of two or more of the light emitting element, the vibration element, and the sound output element.

[0029] The various sensors include a suction sensor 15 that detects a puff operation (suction operation) of the user, a heater temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the seat heater HTR, and the like.

[0030] The suction sensor 15 is composed of, for example, a condenser microphone, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, etc. A plurality of suction sensors 15 may be arranged at intervals, and the puff operation may be detected from the difference between their output values. The heater temperature sensor includes, for example, a first thermistor th1 and a second thermistor th2. The first thermistor th1 and the second thermistor th2 are in contact with the sheet heater HTR. The heater temperature sensor is assumed to be composed of two thermistors, but it may be composed of one thermistor. Hereinafter, the first thermistor th1 and the second thermistor th2 may be collectively referred to as the thermistor th. Note that the heater temperature sensor is not limited to the thermistor th, and any device that can detect the temperature of the sheet heater HTR may be used. Here, the thermistor th corresponds to the "temperature detection unit" in the present invention.

[0031] The circuit unit 70 includes four rigid circuit boards, three FPCs (Flexible Printed Circuits), a plurality of ICs (Integrated Circuits), and a plurality of elements. The four circuit boards are composed of a main board 20, a puff sensor board 21, a pogo pin board 22, and an OLED board 26. The three FPCs are composed of a main FPC 23, a heater FPC 24, and an OLED FPC 25.

[0032] The main board 20 is arranged between the battery pack BP and the rear surface of the case 3 (the rear surface of the power supply unit 100) so that the element mounting surface faces the front-rear direction. Also, the main board 20 is arranged on the side opposite to the heating unit 60 with respect to the power supply ba. The main board 20 is composed of a plurality of layers (six layers in this embodiment) of substrates laminated together, and electronic components (elements) such as an MCU 6 and a charging IC 3 are mounted thereon. Here, the main board 20 corresponds to the "circuit board" in the present invention.

[0033] The MCU 6 is a control device connected to various sensor devices such as the suction sensor 15, an operation unit, a notification unit, and a memory that stores the number of puff operations, load, energization time to the seat heater HTR, etc., and performs various controls of the aerosol generating device 10. Specifically, the MCU 6 is mainly composed of a processor, and further includes a storage medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) necessary for the operation of the processor and a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various information. The processor in this specification is, for example, an electric circuit combining circuit elements such as semiconductor elements. Note that some of the elements connected to the MCU 6 (for example, the suction sensor 15 and the memory) may be provided inside the MCU 6 as functions of the MCU 6 itself. Here, the MCU 6 corresponds to the "control unit" in the present invention.

[0034] Also, the charging IC 3 is an IC that performs charging control of the power supply ba with the power input from the charging terminal 1, or supplies the power of the power supply ba to electronic components etc. on the main board 20.

[0035] The main board 20 will be described more specifically with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the surface facing the rear of the main board 20 is referred to as the front surface 201, and the surface facing the front of the main board 20 is referred to as the back surface 202. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the front surface 201 of the main board 20, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the back surface 202 of the main board 20.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 8, the MCU 6 and the charging IC 3 are mounted on the back surface 202 of the main board 20 together with the charging terminal 1. Further, a debug connector 20E is mounted on the back surface 202. The debug connector 20E is an interface for rewriting the program of the MCU 6 etc. from an external device such as a personal computer, and for example, one compliant with the SWD (Serial Wire Debug) standard is used. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, an OLED connector 20C, a heater connector 20B, a main connector 20A, and a battery connector 20D connected to the battery pack BP via a lead wire 16 (see FIG. 6) are mounted on the front surface 201 of the main board 20.

[0037] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the puff sensor substrate 21 is disposed in the sensor holding portion 55 of the chassis 50 such that the element mounting surface faces the right front and the left rear. A suction sensor 15 is mounted on the puff sensor substrate 21.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 6, the OLED substrate 26 is disposed between the battery pack BP and the OLED cover 5 such that the element mounting surface faces the vertical direction. An OLED panel 17 is mounted on the OLED substrate 26.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 6, the pogo pin substrate 22 is disposed on the lower lid 7 such that the element mounting surface faces the vertical direction when the lower lid 7 is closed. The pogo pin substrate 22 is provided with input side contacts P1 to P3 to which power is supplied from the main substrate 20 via the main FPC 23, and pogo pins p1 to p3 which are connectors electrically connected to loads provided on the first cartridge 110. The input side contacts P1 to P3 are electrically connected to the main FPC 23 only when the lower lid 7 is closed. The pogo pins p1 to p3 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and are configured to be electrically connected to the + terminal and the - terminal of the first cartridge 110 in which at least two pogo pins are housed in the cartridge holding portion 51.

[0040] The battery pack BP held in the battery holding portion 52 has its left side exposed from the battery holding portion 52 by the semi-cylindrical battery holding portion 52. In the space between the left side of the battery pack BP formed by notching the battery holding portion 52 and the first case 3A, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the main FPC 23, the heater FPC 24, and the OLED FPC 25 are arranged to overlap each other.

[0041] Among the three FPCs, the main FPC 23 is routed closest to the battery pack BP, the OLED FPC 25 is routed so as to partially overlap the main FPC 23, and the heater FPC 24 is routed so as to overlap the OLED FPC 25. That is, the heater FPC 24, which receives the largest amount of power among the three FPCs, is routed farthest from the battery pack BP.

[0042] One end of the OLED FPC 25 is connected to the OLED connector 20C of the main board 20, and the other end is connected to the OLED board 26.

[0043] The main FPC 23 connects the main connector 20A of the main board 20, the switch BT of the operation unit, the connector 21B of the puff sensor board 21, and the input side contacts P1 to P3 of the pogo pin board 22.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, one end of the heater FPC 24 is a connector region 24B connected to the heater connector 20B of the main board 20, and a sheet heater HTR is integrally formed at the other end. Here, the heater FPC 24 corresponds to the "flexible printed circuit board" of the present invention. Details of the heater FPC 24 and the sheet heater HTR will be described later.

[0045] (First Cartridge) The first cartridge 110 includes, inside a cylindrical cartridge case 111, a reservoir for storing an aerosol source, an electrical load for atomizing the aerosol source, a wick for drawing the aerosol source from the reservoir to the load, and an aerosol flow path through which the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source flows toward the second cartridge 120. The aerosol source contains a liquid such as glycerin, propylene glycol, or water.

[0046] The load is a heating element that heats the aerosol source without combustion by the power supplied from the power supply ba through the pogo pins p1 to p3 of the pogo pin substrate 22, and is constituted by, for example, a heating wire (coil) wound at a predetermined pitch. The load atomizes the aerosol source by heating the aerosol source. As the load, a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, an induction heating type heater, etc. can be used.

[0047] The aerosol flow path is connected to the second cartridge 120 through the flow path forming body 19 (see FIGS. 6 and 9) accommodated in the cartridge holding portion 51 of the chassis 50. The flow path forming body 19 functions as a pedestal on which the bottom of the second cartridge 120 abuts in a state where the second cartridge 120 is accommodated inside the heat transfer tube 61. The flow path forming body 19 is made of a material with a high heat insulation function, and is made of, for example, silicone or the like.

[0048] (Second Cartridge) The second cartridge 120 stores the flavor source. When the second cartridge 120 is heated by the sheet heater HTR, the flavor source is heated. The second cartridge 120 imparts flavor to the aerosol by passing the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source by the load through the flavor source. As the raw material piece constituting the flavor source, ground tobacco or a molded body obtained by granulating tobacco raw materials can be used. The flavor source may be constituted by a plant other than tobacco (for example, mint, Chinese medicine, herb, etc.). The flavor source may be imparted with a fragrance such as menthol. Here, the second cartridge 120 corresponds to the "flavor source accommodating portion" in the present invention.

[0049] The aerosol generating device 10 can generate an aerosol with added flavor by the aerosol source and the flavor source. That is, the aerosol source and the flavor source constitute an aerosol generation source that generates an aerosol with added flavor.

[0050] The aerosol generation source in the aerosol generation device 10 is a part that the user replaces and uses. This part is provided to the user as a set, for example, including one first cartridge 110 and one or more (for example, five) second cartridges 120. Also, the battery pack BP can be repeatedly charged and discharged as long as the power supply ba does not deteriorate significantly. Therefore, in the aerosol generation device 10, the power supply unit 100 or the battery pack BP has the lowest replacement frequency, the first cartridge 110 has the next lowest replacement frequency, and the second cartridge 120 has the highest replacement frequency. Note that the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 may be integrated into one cartridge. A configuration in which a drug or the like is added to the aerosol source instead of the fragrance source may also be used.

[0051] In the aerosol generation device 10 configured as described above, the air flowing in from an air intake (not shown) provided in the case 3 or the internal unit 2 passes near the load of the first cartridge 110. The load atomizes the aerosol source drawn from the reservoir by the wick. The aerosol generated by atomization flows through the aerosol flow path together with the air flowing in from the intake, and is supplied to the second cartridge 120 through the flow path forming body 19. The aerosol supplied to the second cartridge 120 is imparted with a fragrance by passing through the fragrance source, and is supplied to the suction port 131 of the mouthpiece 130.

[0052] (Heater FPC, Sheet Heater HTR) Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 6, 9 to 12, the heater FPC 24 and the sheet heater HTR will be described in detail. Note that FIGS. 11 and 12 are cross-sectional schematic views and may differ from the actual dimensions.

[0053] The heater FPC 24 is a flexible printed circuit board having flexibility, and as shown in FIG. 11, it is composed of a pair of film-shaped electrical insulators 31 and a conductive foil 32 disposed therebetween. The electrical insulator 31 is preferably made of a material excellent in heat resistance and electrical insulation, for example, polyimide. The conductive foil 32 is preferably made of one or more of metal materials such as copper, nickel alloy, chromium alloy, stainless steel, platinum rhodium, etc., for example, copper foil.

[0054] The heater FPC 24 is composed of a winding region 24A wound and fixed around the outer periphery 61S of a heat transfer tube 61 formed of a cylindrical body, a connector region 24B inserted into a heater connector 20B of the main board 20, and a connection region 24C connecting the winding region 24A and the connector region 24B.

[0055] In the connector region 24B of the heater FPC 24, a terminal T1, a terminal T2, a terminal T3, a terminal T4, and a terminal T5 are arranged side by side in this order. A first conductive track 241 described later is connected to the terminals T1 and T5, and a second conductive track 242 described later is connected to the terminals T2, T3, and T4. The terminal T1 is connected to a DC / DC converter 11 that is mounted on the main board 20 via a sheet heater terminal provided on the heater connector 20B and converts the power supplied from the power supply ba into a desired power. The DC / DC converter 11 corresponds to the "power conversion unit" in the present invention. The terminal T5 is connected to a ground or a conductive pattern (ground line) connected to the ground (denoted as GND in FIG. 10). The terminal T2 is connected to a first thermistor terminal provided on the heater connector 20B, and an output corresponding to the electrical resistance value (in other words, temperature) of the first thermistor th1 is input to the MCU 6. The terminal T4 is connected to a second thermistor terminal provided on the heater connector 20B, and an output corresponding to the electrical resistance value of the second thermistor th2 is input to the MCU 6. The terminal T3 is connected to a ground or a ground line (denoted as GND in FIG. 10).

[0056] As described above, the seat heater HTR is integrally formed at the other end of the heater FPC 24 and coincides with the winding region 24A. That is, the seat heater HTR is the same flexible printed circuit board as the heater FPC 24. The seat heater HTR includes a thermistor mounting portion 240A and a heater portion 240B.

[0057] First, the heater portion 240B, the heater FPC 24, and the first conductive track 241 formed on the conductive foil 32 of the seat heater HTR will be described.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 9, the heater portion 240B is wound around the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61, and is configured to be able to heat the second cartridge 120 via the heat transfer tube 61. Electric power to the heater portion 240B is supplied from the power source ba and transmitted by the first conductive track 241.

[0059] The first conductive track 241 is formed by etching while leaving necessary portions of the conductive foil 32. Note that the first conductive track 241 may be formed by applying necessary conductive foil 32 instead of etching.

[0060] The first conductive track 241 is continuously provided from the connector region 24B to the heater portion 240B. Specifically, the first conductive track 241 extends from the terminal T1 to the heater portion 240B and is provided so as to return from the heater portion 240B to the terminal T5. Thereby, the first conductive track 241 can transmit the electric power supplied from the power source ba to the heater portion 240B.

[0061] The first conductive track 241 has, in the region between the main board 20 and the heater unit 240B, a region R1 near the heater unit 240B and a region R2 located between the region R1 and the main board 20. In a state where the power supply unit 100 as shown in FIG. 6 is assembled, the region R1 is located in front of the power supply ba and is separated from the power supply ba. The heater FPC 24 is folded back near the boundary between the region R1 and the region R2, the region R2 is located on the left side of the power supply ba, and is disposed near the power supply ba. The heater FPC 24 is folded back near the boundary between the region R2 and the connector region 24B, the connector region 24B is located behind the power supply ba, and is connected to the heater connector 20B.

[0062] The first conductive track 241 in the heater unit 240B is formed in a meandering pattern composed of a plurality of straight portions extending in parallel and a plurality of arc portions connecting adjacent straight portions. The first conductive track 241 in the regions R1 and R2 connects the main board 20 and the heater unit 240B and transmits the power supplied from the power supply ba to the heater unit 240B.

[0063] The width of the first conductive track 241 varies according to the region where it is provided. Here, the width of the first conductive track 241 refers to the length in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the current flows. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R2 is formed larger than the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R1. Also, the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R1 is formed larger than the width of the first conductive track 241 in the heater unit 240B. Note that the heater FPC 24 in the region R2 is wider than the heater FPC 24 in the region R1 so that the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R2 can be formed larger.

[0064] Generally, when the thickness of the conductive track is constant, the wider the conductive track, the easier it is for current to flow and the smaller the resistance value. Therefore, the resistance values of the first conductive tracks 241 in each region, in ascending order, are the region R2, the region R1, and the heater section 240B. Since the heat generation amount is smaller when the resistance value is smaller, the heat generation amounts of the first conductive tracks 241 in each region, in ascending order, are the region R2, the region R1, and the heater section 240B. Therefore, in the heater section 240B, the resistance value is large and the heat generation amount is also large, so sufficient heat generation can be performed in the heater section 240B. On the other hand, in the regions R1 and R2, the resistance value is small and the heat generation amount is also small, so heat loss can be suppressed.

[0065] The heater FPC 24 is closest to the power supply ba in the region R2 when the power supply unit 100 is assembled. In other words, the shortest distance between the region R2 and the power supply ba is shorter than the shortest distance between the region R1 and the power supply ba. In the present embodiment, by making the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R2 closest to the power supply ba larger than the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R1, the heat generation amount in the region R2 is reduced. Thereby, the influence on the power supply ba due to the heat generation of the heater FPC 24 can be suppressed, and the safety can be improved.

[0066] Next, the thermistor mounting portion 240A of the sheet heater HTR and the second conductive track 242 formed on the conductive foil 32 of the heater FPC 24 and the sheet heater HTR will be described.

[0067] A thermistor th is mounted on the thermistor mounting portion 240A. Also, a second conductive track 242 is provided on the thermistor mounting portion 240A and the heater FPC 24. Here, the thermistor mounting portion 240A corresponds to the "mounting portion" in the present invention.

[0068] Similar to the first conductive track 241, the second conductive track 242 is formed by etching, coating, etc. of the conductive foil 32. The second conductive track 242 is continuously provided from the connector region 24B across the thermistor mounting portion 240A. Further, the second conductive track 242 is formed adjacent to the first conductive track 241 in the heater FPC 24.

[0069] Terminals T11 to T14 to which the first thermistor th1 and the second thermistor th2 are connected are provided in the thermistor mounting portion 240A on the second conductive track 242. The plus-side terminal of the first thermistor th1 is connected to terminal T11, and the minus-side terminal of the first thermistor th1 is connected to terminal T12. The minus-side terminal of the second thermistor th2 is connected to terminal T13, and the plus-side terminal of the second thermistor th2 is connected to terminal T14. In the present embodiment, the second conductive track 242 includes a conductive track having one end connected to terminal T2 and the other end connected to terminal T11, a conductive track having one end connected to terminal T4 and the other end connected to terminal T14, and a conductive track having one end connected to terminal T3 and the other end connected in parallel to terminals T12 and T13. With such a configuration, the second conductive track 242 is connected to the MCU 6 via terminals T2 and T4, and the MCU 6 can control the heater unit 240B based on the temperature of the heater unit 240B detected by the thermistor th.

[0070] Also, the width of the second conductive track 242 is constant and smaller than the width of the first conductive track 241. This is because the power flowing through the second conductive track 242 is smaller than the heating power flowing through the first conductive track 241, and even if the width of the second conductive track 242 is made smaller than the width of the first conductive track 241, the amount of heat generated in the second conductive track 242 is small. Since the width of the second conductive track 242 is formed smaller than the width of the first conductive track 241, the first conductive track 241 can be formed wider.

[0071] As described above, in this embodiment, the second conductive track 242 for mounting the thermistor is formed on the heater FPC 24 and the conductive foil 32 of the sheet heater HTR, and the thermistor th is connected to the second conductive track 242 in the thermistor mounting portion 240A. Thereby, compared with the case where a separate lead wire is drawn from the main board 20 to provide the thermistor th, the assembly of the power supply unit 100 can be simplified, and the cost and size of the power supply unit 100 can be reduced. Further, since the second conductive track 242 is formed separately from the first conductive track 241 for transmitting power to the heater portion 240B, it is possible to avoid the potential fluctuation of the first conductive track 241 connected to the heater portion 240B from affecting the thermistor th. Therefore, the accuracy of the control using the thermistor th can be improved, and the safety of the power supply unit 100 can be improved.

[0072] The heater portion 240B and the thermistor mounting portion 240A are arranged on opposite sides with the heater FPC 24 interposed therebetween in the unfolded state of the sheet heater HTR as shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the thermistor mounting portion 240A is arranged so as to overlap the outer periphery of the heater portion 240B after the heater portion 240B is wound around the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61. After the sheet heater HTR is wound around the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61, a shrink film (not shown) is wound around the outer periphery of the sheet heater HTR, and the sheet heater HTR is fixed to the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61.

[0073] In the thermistor mounting portion 240A, as shown in FIG. 12, the surface-side electrical insulator 31 is peeled off and insulated by applying a resist 33. The first thermistor th1 is connected to the second conductive track 242 by soldering at both ends in the longitudinal direction (the portions connected to the terminals T11 and T12). The solder portion 36 where soldering is performed on the second conductive track 242 is plated with gold 34. The first thermistor th1 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is along the axial direction (vertical direction) of the heat transfer tube 61 in a state where the sheet heater HTR is wound around the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61. The second thermistor th2 is also connected to the second conductive track 242 by the same configuration.

[0074] If the longitudinal direction of the thermistor th is arranged along the circumferential direction, when fixing the sheet heater HTR with a shrink film, the thermistor th is affected by the curvature, and locally large stress may act on the solder portion 36, causing damage. In the present embodiment, since the longitudinal direction of the thermistor th is arranged along the axial direction (vertical direction) of the heat transfer tube 61, the influence of the curvature of the thermistor th can be suppressed, and it is possible to suppress the locally large stress from acting on the solder portion 36 due to the deflection during shrink film mounting.

[0075] In this way, the thermistor th is arranged on the surface of the thermistor mounting portion 240A. In the present embodiment, the surface of the thermistor mounting portion 240A has a configuration in which the surface-side electrical insulator 31 is peeled off, but any configuration may be used as long as the second conductive track 242 and the thermistor th are directly connected. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which through holes for connecting the second conductive track 242 and the thermistor th are provided in the surface-side electrical insulator 31 without peeling it off. Also, the fact that the thermistor th is directly connected to the surface of the thermistor mounting portion 240A means that it is connected without using wiring such as lead wires, and other layers or films may be laminated on the surface-side electrical insulator 31.

[0076] As shown in Fig. 12, a reinforcing plate 35 is provided in the thermistor mounting portion 240A. The reinforcing plate 35 is formed of a material having higher rigidity than the electrical insulator 31 and the conductive foil 32, and is formed of, for example, aluminum or stainless steel. The reinforcing plate 35 is provided on the electrical insulator 31 on the back side. By providing the reinforcing plate 35 in the thermistor mounting portion 240A, breakage of the solder portion 36 due to the binding force from the shrink film can be suppressed.

[0077] The reinforcing plate 35 is a rectangle having a long side and a short side, and is arranged such that the long side is along the axial direction of the heat transfer tube 61. Thereby, the influence due to the curvature of the reinforcing plate 35 can be suppressed, and it is possible to suppress the action of locally large stress on the solder portion 36 due to the deflection during shrink film mounting. However, the shape of the reinforcing plate 35 is arbitrary, and it may have a shape without a long side and a short side.

[0078] As shown in Fig. 9, the flow path forming body 19 is provided upstream (downward) of the heater portion 240B. Further, it is made of a material having a high heat insulation function, and the heat of the heater portion 240B is easily taken away by the flow path forming body 19. For this reason, in order to accurately detect the temperature of the heater portion 240B, it is desirable to arrange the thermistor th away from the flow path forming body 19. Therefore, the thermistor th mounted on the thermistor mounting portion 240A is arranged downstream (upward) of the center of the heater portion 240B in the flow direction (vertical direction) of the aerosol from the first cartridge 110 to the second cartridge 120.

[0079] The above embodiments can be freely combined. The above embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. The above embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

[0080] For example, in the present embodiment, the seat heater HTR is configured to be able to heat the second cartridge 120 that stores the fragrance source, but it may be configured to be able to heat the first cartridge 110 that stores the aerosol source. Further, the seat heater HTR may be configured to be able to heat both the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120.

[0081] The present specification describes at least the following matters. Although the corresponding components etc. in the above-described embodiment are shown in parentheses, it is not limited thereto.

[0082] (1) A power source (power source ba), A film heater (seat heater HTR) including a pair of electrical insulating substrates (electrical insulator 31) and a conductive foil (conductive foil 32) disposed between the pair of electrical insulating substrates, A power supply unit (power supply unit 100) of an aerosol generating device (aerosol generating device 10) including a temperature detection unit (thermistor th) that detects the temperature of the film heater, The film heater includes a heater unit (heater unit 240B) configured to be able to heat at least one of an aerosol source (first cartridge 110) and a fragrance source (second cartridge 120), and a mounting unit (thermistor mounting unit 240A) on which the temperature detection unit is mounted, A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, in which a first conductive track (first conductive track 241) provided in the heater unit and a second conductive track (second conductive track 242) provided in the mounting unit and connected to the temperature detection unit are formed on the conductive foil of the film heater.

[0083] According to (1), since the second conductive track provided in the mounting unit and connected to the temperature detection unit is formed on the conductive foil of the film heater, there is no need to separately draw a lead wire to provide the temperature detection unit. Thereby, compared with the case where the temperature detection unit is provided by separately drawing a lead wire, the assembly of the power supply unit can be simplified.

[0084] (2) The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to (1), wherein the temperature detection unit is disposed on the surface of the mounting portion, and is the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

[0085] According to (2), since the temperature detection unit is disposed on the surface of the mounting portion, the temperature detection unit can be directly mounted on the film heater without using a separate lead wire.

[0086] (3) The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to (1) or (2), further comprising a cylindrical accommodating portion (heat transfer tube 61) for accommodating at least one of the aerosol source and the flavor source, wherein the heater portion is wound around the outer periphery of the cylindrical accommodating portion, and the mounting portion is disposed so as to overlap the outer periphery of the heater portion, and is the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

[0087] According to (3), since the mounting portion is disposed so as to overlap the outer periphery of the heater portion, the temperature of the heater portion can be accurately detected.

[0088] (4) The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to (3), wherein the temperature detection unit is disposed such that its longitudinal direction is along the axial direction of the cylindrical accommodating portion, and is the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

[0089] According to (4), since the temperature detection unit is disposed such that its longitudinal direction is along the axial direction of the cylindrical accommodating portion, compared with the case where the temperature detection unit is disposed along the circumferential direction, the temperature detection unit is prevented from bending along the circumferential direction, and breakage of the joint portion between the temperature detection unit and the second conductive track can be suppressed.

[0090] (5) The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to (4), wherein a reinforcing plate (reinforcing plate 35) is provided on the mounting portion, The reinforcing plate is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is along the axial direction of the cylindrical accommodating portion, in a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0091] (5) According to this, since a reinforcing plate is provided in the mounting portion, the rigidity of the mounting portion can be ensured, and it is possible to suppress the joint portion between the temperature detection portion and the second conductive track from being damaged. Further, since the reinforcing plate is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is along the axial direction of the cylindrical accommodating portion, the influence due to the curvature of the reinforcing plate can be suppressed, and it is possible to suppress a locally large stress from acting on the joint portion due to the deflection along the circumferential direction.

[0092] (6) A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to any one of (3) to (5), The cylindrical accommodating portion accommodates a flavor source accommodating portion (second cartridge 120) that accommodates the flavor source, The flavor source accommodating portion is arranged such that the atomized aerosol passes therethrough, The temperature detection portion is arranged on the downstream side of the center of the heater portion in the flow direction of the aerosol, in a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0093] There may be a case where the heat of the heater portion is absorbed by the aerosol flow path located upstream of the heater portion in the flow direction of the aerosol. According to (6), since the temperature detection portion is arranged on the downstream side of the center of the heater portion in the flow direction of the aerosol, the temperature of the heater portion can be accurately detected.

[0094] (7) A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (6), The film heater is integrally formed with a flexible wiring board (heater FPC24) connected to the heater portion and the mounting portion, in a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

[0095] (7) According to this, since the film heater is integrally formed with the flexible wiring board, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0096] (8) The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to (7), further comprising a circuit board (main board 20), wherein a power conversion unit (step-up DC / DC converter 11) for converting the power supplied from the power source and a control unit (MCU6) for controlling the heater unit based on the temperature of the temperature detection unit are mounted on the circuit board, the first conductive track is connected to the power conversion unit via the flexible wiring board, the second conductive track is connected to the control unit via the flexible wiring board, and the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

[0097] According to (8), since the power conversion unit mounted on the circuit board and the first conductive track are connected, the first conductive track can appropriately transmit the power supplied from the power source to the heater unit. Further, since the control unit mounted on the circuit board and the second conductive track are connected, the temperature of the heater unit can be appropriately controlled based on the temperature information obtained from the temperature detection unit.

[0098] (9) The power supply unit according to any one of (1) to (8), [[ID=IS]]a first cartridge (first cartridge 110) for storing the aerosol source, a second cartridge (second cartridge 120) for storing the flavor source, and an aerosol generating device.

[0099] According to (9), since the second conductive track provided in the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection unit is formed on the conductive foil of the film heater, it is not necessary to separately draw a lead wire for providing the temperature detection unit. Thereby, compared with the case where a temperature detection unit is provided by separately drawing a lead wire, the assembly of the power supply unit can be simplified.

[0100] (10) A film heater (sheet heater HTR) including a pair of electrical insulating substrates (electrical insulator 31) and a conductive foil (conductive foil 32) disposed between the pair of electrical insulating substrates, Heater section (heater section 240B), and a mounting section (thermistor mounting section 240A) that mounts a temperature detection section (thermistor th) for detecting the temperature of the heater section, A film heater, wherein a first conductive track (first conductive track 241) provided in the heater section and a second conductive track (second conductive track 242) provided in the mounting section and connected to the temperature detection section are formed on the conductive foil.

[0101] (10) According to this, since a second conductive track that is provided in the mounting section and connected to the temperature detection section is formed on the conductive foil of the film heater, there is no need to separately draw a lead wire to provide the temperature detection section. As a result, compared with the case where the temperature detection section is provided by separately drawing a lead wire, the assembly of the power supply unit can be simplified.

[0102] (11) The film heater according to (10), wherein a reinforcing plate (reinforcing plate 35) is provided in the mounting section.

[0103] (11) According to this, since a reinforcing plate is provided in the mounting section, the rigidity of the mounting section can be ensured, and it is possible to suppress damage to the joint portion between the temperature detection section and the second conductive track.

[0104] (12) The film heater according to (10) or (11), which is integrally formed with a flexible wiring board (heater FPC 24) connected to the heater section and the mounting section, wherein the heater section and the mounting section are arranged on opposite sides with the flexible wiring board interposed therebetween.

[0105] (12) According to this, since the heater section and the mounting section are arranged on opposite sides with the flexible wiring board interposed therebetween, when the film heater is wound around a heating target, the mounting section can be arranged so as to overlap the outer periphery of the heater section. As a result, the temperature detection section mounted on the mounting section can accurately detect the temperature of the heater section.

Description of reference numerals

[0106] ba power supply HTR seat heater (film heater) th thermistor (temperature detection unit) 6 MCU (control unit) 10 aerosol generator 100 power supply unit 110 first cartridge 120 second cartridge (fragrance source housing unit) 11 DC / DC converter (power conversion unit) 20 main board (circuit board) 24 heater FPC (flexible printed circuit board) 240A thermistor mounting part (mounting part) 240B heater part 241 first conductive track 242 second conductive track 31 electrical insulator 32 conductive foil 35 reinforcing plate 61 heat transfer tube

Claims

1. A power source, a pair of electrical insulating substrates, and a conductive foil disposed between the pair of electrical insulating substrates, a film heater including the same, a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the film heater, a cylindrical housing unit that houses at least one of an aerosol source and a flavor source, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device comprising: the film heater includes a heater unit configured to be able to heat at least one of the aerosol source and the flavor source, and a mounting unit on which the temperature detection unit is mounted; on the conductive foil of the film heater, a first conductive track provided in the heater unit and a second conductive track provided in the mounting unit and connected to the temperature detection unit are formed; the heater unit is wound around the outer periphery of the cylindrical housing unit; the mounting unit is disposed so as to overlap the outer periphery of the heater unit, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

2. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to Claim 1, wherein the temperature detection unit is disposed on the surface of the mounting unit, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

3. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the temperature detection unit is disposed such that its longitudinal direction is along the axial direction of the cylindrical housing unit, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

4. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to Claim 3, wherein a reinforcing plate is provided on the mounting unit, the reinforcing plate is disposed such that its longitudinal direction is along the axial direction of the cylindrical housing unit, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

5. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the cylindrical housing unit houses a flavor source housing unit that houses the flavor source, the flavor source housing unit is disposed such that atomized aerosol passes therethrough, the temperature detection unit is disposed on the downstream side of the center of the heater unit in the flow direction of the aerosol, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

6. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the film heater is integrally formed with a flexible wiring board connected to the heater unit and the mounting unit, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

7. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to Claim 6, further comprising a circuit board The circuit board is mounted with a power conversion unit that converts the power supplied from the power source, and a control unit that controls the heater unit based on the temperature of the temperature detection unit. The first conductive track is connected to the power conversion unit via the flexible printed circuit board. The second conductive track is connected to the control unit via the flexible printed circuit board, which is a power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

8. The power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a first cartridge that stores the aerosol source, and a second cartridge that stores the fragrance source, which is an aerosol generating device.

9. A film heater including a pair of electrical insulating substrates and a conductive foil disposed between the pair of electrical insulating substrates, a heater unit, and a mounting portion that mounts a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the heater unit, wherein the conductive foil is formed with a first conductive track provided in the heater unit and a second conductive track provided in the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection unit, is integrally formed with a flexible printed circuit board connected to the heater unit and the mounting portion, and the heater unit and the mounting portion are disposed on opposite sides with the flexible printed circuit board interposed therebetween, which is a film heater.

10. The film heater according to claim 9, wherein a reinforcing plate is provided on the mounting portion, which is a film heater.

Images