Aerosol generator power supply unit

Abstract

To provide a power supply unit for an aerosol generator that can properly avoid contact between substrates in a case.SOLUTION: A no-burn inhaler 100 includes: a power supply BAT; a heater connector Cn to which a heater HTR is connected; an MCU-equipped substrate 161; a receptacle-equipped substrate 162; a case 110 for accommodating these; and a spacer 173 disposed between the MCU-equipped substrate 161 and the receptacle-equipped substrate 162 and configured to hold the MCU-equipped substrate 161 and the receptacle-equipped substrate 162 in parallel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The power supply unit of an aerosol generation device may have multiple circuit boards arranged in a case. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that a main circuit board is arranged longitudinally inside the aerosol generation device, and a sub-circuit board is arranged horizontally above the main circuit board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2020-531015 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when multiple boards are arranged adjacent to each other in a case, there is a risk that the boards may come into contact with each other, causing a short circuit, depending on the fixing method or the user's usage environment.

[0005] The present invention provides a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device that can appropriately prevent contact between substrates inside the case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device of the present invention comprises: Power supply and a heater connector to which a heater that consumes power supplied from the power source to heat the aerosol source is connected; a first substrate; a second substrate separate from the first substrate; a case that accommodates the power supply, the heater connector, the first substrate, and the second substrate; a chassis disposed inside the case; a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and holding the first substrate and the second substrate parallel to each other; the spacer has a cylindrical shape with a through hole, The first substrate and the second substrate are On one side in the longitudinal direction Each has an opening, The first substrate and the second substrate are On one side in the longitudinal direction A state in which the spacer is sandwiched between bolts that are inserted through the through holes and the openings In front The chassis is fixed and the spacer is not provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction. . [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, contact between boards within a case can be appropriately prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a non-combustion type inhaler. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a non-combustion type inhaler showing a state in which a rod is attached. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the non-combustion type inhaler. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the non-combustion type inhaler. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the internal unit of the non-combustion type inhaler. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the internal unit of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the internal unit with the power supply and chassis removed. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is another perspective view of the internal unit with the power supply and chassis removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an operation mode of the inhaler. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric circuit of an internal unit. [Figure 11]FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit in a sleep mode. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit in an active mode. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in the heating initial setting mode. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when the heater is heating in the heating mode. [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when detecting the temperature of the heater in the heating mode. FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an electric circuit in a charging mode. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a main surface of a receptacle mounting board. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a minor surface of a receptacle mounting board. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the main surface of an MCU-mounted board. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the sub-surface of the MCU mounting board. [Figure 21] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a non-combustion type inhaler. [Figure 22] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A suction system, which is one embodiment of the aerosol generating device of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the drawings. This suction system includes a non-combustion inhalator 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "inhalator 100"), which is one embodiment of the power supply unit of the present invention, and a rod 500 heated by the inhalator 100. In the following description, an example will be described in which the inhalator 100 houses a heating unit in an undetachable manner. However, the heating unit may be detachably attached to the inhalator 100. For example, the rod 500 and the heating unit may be integrated and detachably attached to the inhalator 100. In other words, the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device may not include a heating unit as a component. Note that "undetachable" refers to a configuration in which the heating unit cannot be removed within the scope of the intended use. Alternatively, an induction heating coil provided in the inhalator 100 and a susceptor built into the rod 500 may cooperate to form the heating unit.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of aspirator 100. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of aspirator 100 showing a state in which rod 500 is attached. Fig. 3 is another perspective view of aspirator 100. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of aspirator 100. In the following description, for convenience, an orthogonal coordinate system of three-dimensional space is used, in which three mutually orthogonal directions are defined as the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction. In the drawings, the front is indicated as Fr, the rear as Rr, the right side as R, the left side as L, the upside as U, and the downside as D.

[0011] The inhaler 100 is configured to generate a flavor-containing aerosol by heating an elongated, generally cylindrical rod 500 (see FIG. 2), which is an example of a flavor ingredient generating substrate having a filling containing an aerosol source and a flavor source.

[0012] <Flavor component generating base material (rod)> The rod 500 includes a fill containing an aerosol source that is heated to a predetermined temperature to produce an aerosol.

[0013] The type of aerosol source is not particularly limited, and extracts from various natural products and / or their constituent components can be selected depending on the application. The aerosol source may be a solid or a liquid, such as a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water. The aerosol source may include a flavor source such as a tobacco raw material or an extract derived from a tobacco raw material that releases a flavor component when heated. The gas to which the flavor component is added is not limited to an aerosol; for example, an invisible vapor may be generated.

[0014] The filler of the rod 500 may contain tobacco shreds as a flavor source. The material of the tobacco shreds is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina or rib can be used. The filler may contain one or more flavorings. The type of flavoring is not particularly limited, but menthol is preferred from the viewpoint of imparting a good smoking taste. The flavoring source may contain plants other than tobacco (e.g., mint, Chinese medicine, herbs, etc.). Depending on the application, the rod 500 may not contain a flavoring source.

[0015] <Overall configuration of non-combustion type aspirator> Next, the overall configuration of the inhalator 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. Inhaler 100 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped case 110 having a front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom surfaces. Case 110 includes a cylindrical case body 112 with a bottom, whose front, rear, top, bottom, and right surfaces are integrally formed, an outer panel 115 and an inner panel 118 that seal an opening 114 (see FIG. 4 ) of case body 112 and form the left surface, and a slider 119.

[0016] The inner panel 118 is fixed to the case body 112 with bolts 120. The outer panel 115 is fixed to the case body 112 so as to cover the outer surface of the inner panel 118 by magnets 124 held by a chassis 150 (see FIG. 5 ), which will be described later and is housed in the case body 112. Since the outer panel 115 is fixed by the magnets 124, the user can replace the outer panel 115 according to their preference.

[0017] The inner panel 118 is provided with two through holes 126 through which the magnets 124 pass. The inner panel 118 is further provided with a vertically long slot 127 and a circular hole 128 between the two upper and lower through holes 126. The slot 127 is for transmitting light emitted from eight LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) L1 to L8 housed in the case body 112. A button-type operation switch OPS housed in the case body 112 passes through the circular hole 128. This allows the user to sense the light emitted from the eight LEDs L1 to L8 through the LED window 116 of the outer panel 115. The user can also press the operation switch OPS via a pressing portion 117 of the outer panel 115.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, an opening 132 into which a rod 500 can be inserted is provided on the top surface of the case body 112. The slider 119 is connected to the case body 112 so as to be movable in the front-to-rear direction between a position where the opening 132 is closed (see Fig. 1) and a position where the opening 132 is opened (see Fig. 2). Note that in Fig. 2, for ease of understanding, the slider 119 is shown transparently, and only the outline of the slider 119 is shown by a two-dot chain line.

[0019] The operation switch OPS is used to perform various operations of the inhaler 100. For example, a user operates the operation switch OPS via the pressing unit 117 while the rod 500 is inserted into the opening 132 as shown in FIG. 2. This causes the heating unit 170 (see FIG. 5) to heat the rod 500 without burning it. When the rod 500 is heated, an aerosol is generated from the aerosol source contained in the rod 500, and the flavor of the flavor source contained in the rod 500 is added to the aerosol. The user can inhale the aerosol containing the flavor by holding the mouthpiece 502 of the rod 500 protruding from the opening 132 in their mouth and inhaling.

[0020] 3, a charging terminal 134 is provided on the underside of the case body 112 for electrically connecting to an external power source such as an outlet or a mobile battery to receive power. In this embodiment, the charging terminal 134 is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) Type-C receptacle, but is not limited to this. Hereinafter, the charging terminal 134 will also be referred to as a receptacle RCP.

[0021] The charging terminal 134 may include, for example, a power receiving coil and be configured to be able to contactlessly receive power transmitted from an external power source. In this case, the power transmission (Wireless Power Transfer) method may be electromagnetic induction type, magnetic resonance type, or a combination of electromagnetic induction type and magnetic resonance type. As another example, the charging terminal 134 may be connectable to various USB terminals or the like and may include the above-mentioned power receiving coil.

[0022] 1 to 4 are merely examples of the configuration of the inhaler 100. The inhaler 100 can be configured in various forms such that, by holding the rod 500 and applying an action such as heating, the rod 500 generates gas to which flavor components have been added, and the user can inhale the generated gas.

[0023] <Internal structure of non-combustion type aspirator> The internal unit 140 of the inhalator 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the internal unit 140 of the inhalator 100. Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the internal unit 140 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the internal unit 140 from which the power supply BAT and the chassis 150 have been removed. Fig. 8 is another perspective view of the internal unit 140 from which the power supply BAT and the chassis 150 have been removed.

[0024] The internal unit 140 housed in the internal space of the case 110 includes a chassis 150, a power supply BAT, a circuit section 160, a heating section 170, a notification section 180, and various sensors.

[0025] The chassis 150 includes a plate-shaped chassis main body 151 that is disposed approximately at the center of the internal space of the case 110 in the front-to-rear direction and extends in the up-down and front-to-rear directions, a plate-shaped front-to-rear dividing wall 152 that is disposed approximately at the center of the internal space of the case 110 in the front-to-rear direction and extends in the up-down and left-to-right directions, a plate-shaped upper-lower dividing wall 153 that extends forward from approximately the center of the front-to-rear dividing wall 152 in the up-down direction, a plate-shaped chassis upper wall 154 that extends rearward from upper edges of the front-to-rear dividing wall 152 and the chassis main body 151, and a plate-shaped chassis lower wall 155 that extends rearward from lower edges of the front-to-rear dividing wall 152 and the chassis main body 151. The left surface of the chassis main body 151 is covered by the inner panel 118 and outer panel 115 of the case 110 described above.

[0026] The internal space of the case 110 is partitioned by the chassis 150 into a heating unit accommodating area 142 at the front upper part, a board accommodating area 144 at the front lower part, and a power supply accommodating space 146 extending vertically at the rear.

[0027] The heating unit 170 housed in the heating unit housing region 142 is composed of multiple cylindrical members arranged concentrically to form a cylindrical body as a whole. The heating unit 170 has a rod housing portion 172 capable of housing a portion of the rod 500 therein, and a heater HTR (see FIGS. 10 to 16) that heats the rod 500 from the periphery or center. It is preferable that the rod housing portion 172 be made of a heat insulating material or that a heat insulating material be provided inside the rod housing portion 172 to insulate the surface of the rod housing portion 172 from the heater HTR. The heater HTR may be any element capable of heating the rod 500. The heater HTR is, for example, a heating element. Examples of heating elements include a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, and an induction heater. A heater HTR having a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristic, in which the resistance value increases with increasing temperature, is preferably used as the heater HTR. Alternatively, a heater HTR having NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) characteristics, in which the resistance value decreases as the temperature increases, may be used. The heating unit 170 has a function of defining a flow path for air to be supplied to the rod 500 and a function of heating the rod 500. A vent (not shown) for allowing air to flow in is formed in the case 110, and is configured to allow air to flow into the heating unit 170.

[0028] The power supply BAT housed in the power supply housing space 146 is a rechargeable secondary battery, an electric double layer capacitor, or the like, and is preferably a lithium ion secondary battery. The electrolyte of the power supply BAT may be one or a combination of a gel electrolyte, an electrolytic solution, a solid electrolyte, and an ionic liquid.

[0029] The notification unit 180 notifies various information such as the SOC (State Of Charge) indicating the charge state of the power supply BAT, the preheating time before suction, and the period during which suction is possible. The notification unit 180 of this embodiment includes eight LEDs L1 to L8 and a vibration motor M. The notification unit 180 may be composed of light-emitting elements such as the LEDs L1 to L8, a vibration element such as the vibration motor M, or a sound output element. The notification unit 180 may be a combination of two or more elements selected from the group consisting of light-emitting elements, vibration elements, and sound output elements.

[0030] The various sensors include an inhalation sensor that detects the user's puffing action (inhalation action), a power supply temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the power supply BAT, a heater temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater HTR, a case temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the case 110, a cover position sensor that detects the position of the slider 119, and a panel detection sensor that detects the attachment / detachment of the outer panel 115.

[0031] The intake sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T2 disposed near the opening 132. The power supply temperature sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T1 disposed near the power supply BAT. The heater temperature sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T3 disposed near the heater HTR. As described above, it is preferable that the rod accommodating portion 172 is insulated from the heater HTR. In this case, it is preferable that the thermistor T3 contact or be close to the heater HTR inside the rod accommodating portion 172. If the heater HTR has a PTC characteristic or an NTC characteristic, the heater HTR itself may be used as the heater temperature sensor. The case temperature sensor is mainly composed of, for example, a thermistor T4 disposed near the left surface of the case 110. The cover position sensor is mainly composed of a Hall IC 14 (see FIGS. 10 to 16) including a Hall element disposed near the slider 119. The panel detection sensor is mainly composed of a Hall IC 13 (see FIGS. 10 to 16) including a Hall element arranged near the inner surface of the inner panel 118.

[0032] The circuit section 160 includes four circuit boards, a plurality of ICs (Integrated Circuits), and a plurality of elements. The four circuit boards include an MCU mounting board 161 on which an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 1 and a charging IC 2 (described later) are mainly arranged, a receptacle mounting board 162 on which a charging terminal 134 is mainly arranged, an LED mounting board 163 on which an operation switch OPS, LEDs L1 to L8, and a communication IC 15 (described later) are arranged, and a Hall IC mounting board 164 on which a Hall IC 14 (described later) including a Hall element constituting a cover position sensor is arranged.

[0033] The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are arranged parallel to each other in the board accommodating area 144. Specifically, the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are arranged with their respective element mounting surfaces aligned in the left-right and up-down directions, with the MCU mounting board 161 being arranged in front of the receptacle mounting board 162. The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are provided with openings 175 and 176 (see FIGS. 17 to 20), respectively. The MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are fixed to the chassis 150 with bolts 136, with spacers 173 interposed between opening peripheries 166 and 168 of the openings 175 and 176.

[0034] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the spacer 173. As shown in FIG. 22, the spacer 173 has a cylindrical shape as a whole and includes a large diameter portion 191, a first small diameter portion 192a provided at one end of the large diameter portion 191 and having a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion 191, a second small diameter portion 192b provided at the other end of the large diameter portion 191 and having a smaller diameter than the large diameter portion 191, a first circular plate portion 193a connecting one end of the large diameter portion 191 to the first small diameter portion 192a, a second circular plate portion 193b connecting the other end of the large diameter portion 191 to the second small diameter portion 192b, and a through hole 194 formed through the first small diameter portion 192a, the large diameter portion 191, and the second small diameter portion 192b. The first circular plate portion 193a and the second circular plate portion 193b are formed parallel to each other.

[0035] The bolt 136 is inserted through the opening 175 of the MCU mounting board 161, the through-hole 194 of the cylindrical spacer 173, and the opening 176 of the receptacle mounting board 162, and is fixed to the board fixing portion 156 of the front-rear dividing wall 152, which is arranged between the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 and the power supply BAT in the front-rear direction, with the spacer 173 sandwiched between them. At this time, the first small diameter portion 192a is fitted into and connected to the opening 175 of the MCU mounting board 161, and the second small diameter portion 192b is fitted into and connected to the opening 176 of the receptacle mounting board 162. Furthermore, the first circular plate portion 193a abuts against an opening periphery 166 (see FIG. 20) of the secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting board 161, and the second circular plate portion 193b abuts against an opening periphery 168 (see FIG. 17) of the primary surface 162a of the receptacle mounting board 162. This allows the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 to be held parallel by the spacer 173.

[0036] That is, the spacer 173 is a holding member disposed between the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162, and holds the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 in parallel. By holding the two boards 161, 162 arranged in the case 110 in parallel via the spacer 173 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the boards 161, 162 from coming into contact with each other and causing a short circuit. Furthermore, the two boards 161, 162 held in parallel ensure an electrically safe area SP within the case 110, allowing for effective use of the space within the case 110. The width (length in the front-rear direction) of the area SP is equal to the length of the large diameter portion 191 of the spacer 173. Furthermore, by fixing the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 to the chassis 150 within the case 110, it is possible to hold the two boards 161, 162 in a stable state. Furthermore, the front and rear dividing walls 152 of the chassis 150 are positioned between the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 and the power supply BAT, so that the power supply BAT can be separated from the two boards 161 and 162, and the transfer of heat from the power supply BAT to the boards 161 and 162 can be suppressed.

[0037] The spacer 173 is conductive, and the grounds of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are connected via the spacer 173. More specifically, the first small diameter portion 192a fitted into the opening 175 of the MCU mounting board 161 is connected to the ground inside the MCU mounting board 161, and the second small diameter portion 192b fitted into the opening 176 of the receptacle mounting board 162 is connected to the ground inside the receptacle mounting board 162. This makes it possible to equalize the ground potentials of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162, thereby stabilizing the supply of charging power and operating power and communication between the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162. Furthermore, since the volume of the spacer 173 can be set arbitrarily, the resistance can be reduced by making the spacer 173 thick and short.

[0038] For convenience, the forward-facing surfaces of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are referred to as main surfaces 161a and 162a, respectively, and the surfaces opposite the main surfaces 161a and 162a are referred to as sub-surfaces 161b and 162b, respectively. The sub-surface 161b of the MCU mounting board 161 and the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting board 162 face each other with a predetermined gap between them, thereby forming the electrically safe area SP described above. The main surface 161a of the MCU mounting board 161 faces the front surface of the case 110, and the sub-surface 162b of the receptacle mounting board 162 faces the front-rear dividing wall 152 of the chassis 150.

[0039] MCU mounting board 161 and receptacle mounting board 162 are electrically connected via flexible wiring board 165. Flexible wiring board 165, which electrically connects MCU mounting board 161 and receptacle mounting board 162, connects FPC connection sections 231, 232 of MCU mounting board 161 and receptacle mounting board 162 to each other (see FIGS. 17 to 20). The elements and ICs mounted on MCU mounting board 161 and receptacle mounting board 162 will be described later.

[0040] The LED mounting board 163 is disposed on the left side surface of the chassis main body 151, between two magnets 124 disposed above and below. The element mounting surface of the LED mounting board 163 is disposed along the up-down direction and the front-rear direction. In other words, the element mounting surfaces of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 are orthogonal to the element mounting surface of the LED mounting board 163. As described above, the element mounting surfaces of the MCU mounting board 161 and the receptacle mounting board 162 and the element mounting surface of the LED mounting board 163 are not necessarily orthogonal, but preferably intersect (are non-parallel). The vibration motor M, which constitutes the notification unit 180 together with the LEDs L1 to L8, is fixed to the lower surface of the chassis lower wall 155 and is electrically connected to the MCU mounting board 161.

[0041] The Hall IC mounting board 164 is disposed on the upper surface of the chassis upper wall 154 .

[0042] <Suction device operation mode> 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation modes of the inhalator 100. As shown in FIG. 9, the operation modes of the inhalator 100 include a charging mode, a sleep mode, an active mode, a heating initial setting mode, a heating mode, and a heating end mode.

[0043] The sleep mode is a mode to save power by stopping the power supply to the electrical components required for the heating control of the heater HTR.

[0044] In the active mode, most functions are enabled except for the heating control of the heater HTR. When the slider 119 is opened while the inhaler 100 is operating in the sleep mode, the inhaler 100 switches its operation mode to the active mode. When the slider 119 is closed while the inhaler 100 is operating in the active mode, or when the non-operation time of the operation switch OPS reaches a predetermined time, the inhaler 100 switches its operation mode to the sleep mode.

[0045] The heating initial setting mode is a mode for initializing control parameters, etc., for starting heating control of the heater HTR. When the inhaler 100 detects operation of the operation switch OPS while operating in the active mode, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the heating initial setting mode, and when the initial setting is completed, the operation mode is switched to the heating mode.

[0046] The heating mode is a mode in which heating control of the heater HTR (heating control for aerosol generation and heating control for temperature detection) is performed. When the operation mode of the inhalator 100 is switched to the heating mode, the inhalator 100 starts heating control of the heater HTR.

[0047] The heating termination mode is a mode in which termination processing of the heating control of the heater HTR (such as storage processing of the heating history) is executed. When the power-on time of the heater HTR or the number of suctions by the user reaches an upper limit or the slider 119 is closed while the inhaler 100 is operating in the heating mode, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the heating termination mode, and when the termination processing is completed, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the active mode. When a USB connection is established while the inhaler 100 is operating in the heating mode, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the heating termination mode, and when the termination processing is completed, the inhaler 100 switches the operation mode to the charging mode. As shown in FIG. 9 , in this case, the operation mode may be switched to the active mode before switching the operation mode to the charging mode. In other words, when a USB connection is established while the inhaler 100 is operating in the heating mode, the operation mode may be switched in the order of the heating termination mode, the active mode, and the charging mode.

[0048] The charging mode is a mode in which the power supply BAT is charged by power supplied from an external power supply connected to the receptacle RCP. When the inhaler 100 is operating in the sleep mode or active mode and an external power supply is connected to the receptacle RCP (USB connection), the operating mode is switched to the charging mode. When the inhaler 100 is operating in the charging mode and charging of the power supply BAT is completed or the connection between the receptacle RCP and the external power supply is released, the operating mode is switched to the sleep mode.

[0049] <Outline of the internal unit circuit> Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the electric circuit of the internal unit 140. Note that Fig. 10 shows only the main elements and ICs.

[0050] In FIG. 10, the wiring indicated by a thick solid line is wiring (wiring connected to a ground provided in the internal unit 140) that has the same potential as the reference potential (ground potential) of the internal unit 140, and this wiring will be referred to as a ground line below. In FIG. 10, an electrical component in which multiple circuit elements are integrated into a chip is shown as a rectangle, with the symbols of various terminals written inside this rectangle. The power supply terminals VCC and VDD mounted on the chip each indicate a power supply terminal on the high potential side. The power supply terminals VSS and ground terminals GND mounted on the chip each indicate a power supply terminal on the low potential side (reference potential side). For an electrical component integrated into a chip, the difference between the potential of the power supply terminal on the high potential side and the potential of the power supply terminal on the low potential side becomes the power supply voltage. The electrical component integrated into a chip uses this power supply voltage to perform various functions.

[0051] The MCU mounting board 161 is provided with, as main electrical components, an MCU 1 that controls the entire inhaler 100, a charging IC 2 that controls charging of the power supply BAT, a load switch (hereinafter referred to as LSW) 3 that is configured by combining a capacitor, a resistor, a transistor, etc., and a voltage dividing circuit Pc for detecting USB connection.

[0052] The ground terminals GND of the charging IC2 and LSW3 are connected to the ground line.

[0053] The LED mounting board 163 is provided with the following main electrical components: a Hall IC 13 including a Hall element constituting a panel detection sensor, LEDs L1 to L8, an operation switch OPS, and a communication IC 15. The communication IC 15 is a communication module for communicating with electronic devices such as smartphones. The power supply terminal VSS of the Hall IC 13 and the ground terminal GND of the communication IC 15 are each connected to a ground line. The communication IC 15 and the MCU 1 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via a communication line LN. One end of the operation switch OPS is connected to the ground line, and the other end of the operation switch OPS is connected to a terminal P4 of the MCU 1.

[0054] The receptacle mounting board 162 is provided with, as its main electrical components, a power connector electrically connected to the power supply BAT (the power supply BAT connected to this power connector is shown in the figure), a step-up DC / DC converter 9 (shown as step-up DC / DC9 in the figure), a protection IC 10, an overvoltage protection IC 11, a receptacle RCP, switches S3 and S4 composed of MOSFETs, an operational amplifier OP1, and a pair of heater connectors Cn (positive and negative sides) electrically connected to the heater HTR.

[0055] The two ground terminals GND of the receptacle RCP, the ground terminal GND of the step-up DC / DC converter 9, the power supply terminal VSS of the protection IC 10, the ground terminal GND of the overvoltage protection IC 11, and the negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 are each connected to the ground line.

[0056] The Hall IC mounting board 164 is provided with a Hall IC 14 including a Hall element that constitutes a cover position sensor. A power supply terminal VSS of the Hall IC 14 is connected to the ground line. An output terminal OUT of the Hall IC 14 is connected to a terminal P8 of the MCU 1. The MCU 1 detects the opening and closing of the slider 119 based on a signal input to the terminal P8.

[0057] <Details of the internal unit circuit> The connection relationships of the electrical components will be described below with reference to FIG.

[0058] Two power input terminals V of the receptacle RCP BUS is connected to the input terminal IN of the overvoltage protection IC 11 via a protection element such as a fuse Fs. When a USB plug is connected to the receptacle RCP and the USB cable including this USB plug is connected to an external power supply, the two power input terminals V BUS to USB voltage V USB is supplied.

[0059] The input terminal IN of the overvoltage protection IC11 is connected to one end of a voltage divider circuit Pa, which consists of two resistors connected in series. The other end of the voltage divider circuit Pa is connected to the ground line. The junction of the two resistors that make up the voltage divider circuit Pa is connected to the voltage detection terminal OVLo of the overvoltage protection IC11. When the voltage input to the voltage detection terminal OVLo is below a threshold, the overvoltage protection IC11 outputs the voltage input to the input terminal IN from the output terminal OUT. When the voltage input to the voltage detection terminal OVLo exceeds the threshold (overvoltage), the overvoltage protection IC11 stops outputting voltage from the output terminal OUT (cutting off the electrical connection between the LSW3 and the receptacle RCP), thereby protecting electrical components downstream of the overvoltage protection IC11. The output terminal OUT of the overvoltage protection IC11 is connected to the input terminal VIN of the LSW3 and one end of a voltage divider circuit Pc (a series circuit of two resistors) connected to the MCU1. The other end of the voltage divider circuit Pc is connected to the ground line. The connection point of the two resistors that make up the voltage dividing circuit Pc is connected to a terminal P17 of the MCU1.

[0060] One end of a voltage divider circuit Pf, which consists of two resistors connected in series, is connected to the input terminal VIN of LSW3. The other end of the voltage divider circuit Pf is connected to the ground line. The junction of the two resistors that make up the voltage divider circuit Pf is connected to the control terminal ON of LSW3. The collector terminal of bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the control terminal ON of LSW3. The emitter terminal of bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the ground line. The base terminal of bipolar transistor S2 is connected to terminal P19 of MCU1. When the signal input to the control terminal ON becomes high level, LSW3 outputs the voltage input to the input terminal VIN from the output terminal VOUT. The output terminal VOUT of LSW3 is connected to the input terminal VBUS of charging IC2 and the anodes of LEDs L1 to L8.

[0061] When the USB connection is not established, the MCU1 turns on the bipolar transistor S2, which connects the control terminal ON of the LSW3 to the ground line via the bipolar transistor S2, and a low-level signal is input to the control terminal ON of the LSW3.

[0062] When the USB connection is established, the bipolar transistor S2 connected to the LSW3 is turned off by the MCU 1. When the bipolar transistor S2 is turned off, the USB voltage V divided by the voltage divider circuit Pf is USB is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3. Therefore, when the USB connection is made and the bipolar transistor S2 is turned off, a high-level signal is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3. As a result, LSW3 receives the USB voltage V supplied from the USB cable. USB is output from the output terminal VOUT. Note that even if a USB connection is made with the bipolar transistor S2 turned off, the control terminal ON of LSW3 is connected to the ground line via the bipolar transistor S2, so a low-level signal continues to be input to the control terminal ON of LSW3 unless the MCU1 turns off the bipolar transistor S2.

[0063] The positive terminal of the power supply BAT is connected to the power supply terminal VDD of the protection IC 10, the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9, and the charging terminal bat of the charging IC 2. Therefore, the power supply voltage V of the power supply BAT BAT is supplied to the protection IC 10, the charging IC 2, and the step-up DC / DC converter 9. A resistor Ra, a switch Sa configured with a MOSFET, and a switch Sb configured with a MOSFET are connected in series to the negative terminal of the power supply BAT in this order. The current detection terminal CS of the protection IC 10 is connected to the connection point between the resistor Ra and the switch Sa. The control terminals of the switches Sa and Sb are connected to the protection IC 10.

[0064] The protection IC 10 obtains the current value flowing through the resistor Ra during charging or discharging of the power supply BAT from the voltage input to the current detection terminal CS. If this current value becomes excessive (in the case of an overcurrent), the protection IC 10 controls the opening and closing of the switches Sa and Sb to stop charging or discharging of the power supply BAT, thereby protecting the power supply BAT. More specifically, if the protection IC 10 obtains an excessive current value during charging of the power supply BAT, it turns off the switch Sb to stop charging of the power supply BAT. If the protection IC 10 obtains an excessive current value during discharging of the power supply BAT, it turns off the switch Sa to stop discharging of the power supply BAT. Furthermore, if the protection IC 10 obtains an abnormal voltage value of the power supply BAT from the voltage input to the power supply terminal VDD (in the case of an overcharge or overvoltage), it controls the opening and closing of the switches Sa and Sb to stop charging or discharging of the power supply BAT, thereby protecting the power supply BAT. More specifically, when the protection IC 10 detects overcharging of the power supply BAT, it turns off the switch Sb to stop charging of the power supply BAT.When the protection IC 10 detects overdischarging of the power supply BAT, it turns off the switch Sa to stop discharging of the power supply BAT.

[0065] One end of a reactor Lc is connected to the switching terminal SW of the step-up DC / DC converter 9. The other end of this reactor Lc is connected to the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9. The step-up DC / DC converter 9 boosts the input voltage by controlling the on / off of an internal transistor connected to the switching terminal SW, and outputs the boosted voltage from the output terminal VOUT. The input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 constitutes the high-potential power supply terminal of the step-up DC / DC converter 9. The step-up DC / DC converter 9 performs a boost operation when a signal input to an enable terminal EN is at a high level. When connected to the USB, the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 may be controlled to a low level by the MCU 1. Alternatively, when connected to the USB, the MCU 1 may not control the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9, thereby making the potential of the enable terminal EN undefined.

[0066] The output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 is connected to the source terminal of a switch S4 configured by a P-channel MOSFET. The gate terminal of the switch S4 is connected to terminal P15 of the MCU1. The drain terminal of the switch S4 is connected to one end of a resistor Rs. The other end of the resistor Rs is connected to a positive heater connector Cn connected to one end of the heater HTR. A voltage divider circuit Pb consisting of two resistors is connected to the connection point between the switch S4 and resistor Rs. The connection point between the two resistors that make up the voltage divider circuit Pb is connected to terminal P18 of the MCU1. The connection point between the switch S4 and resistor Rs is further connected to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1.

[0067] The source terminal of switch S3, which is configured as a P-channel MOSFET, is connected to the connection line between the output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 and the source terminal of switch S4. The gate terminal of switch S3 is connected to terminal P16 of the MCU1. The drain terminal of switch S3 is connected to the connection line between resistor Rs and the positive electrode side heater connector Cn. In this way, a circuit including switch S3 and a circuit including switch S4 and resistor Rs are connected in parallel between the output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 and the positive electrode side of heater connector Cn. Because the circuit including switch S3 does not have a resistor, it has lower resistance than the circuit including switch S4 and resistor Rs.

[0068] An enable terminal EN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9 is connected to a terminal P14 of the MCU1.

[0069] The non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the connection line between the resistor Rs and the positive heater connector Cn. The inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the negative heater connector Cn, which is connected to the other end of the heater HTR, and to the ground line. One end of the resistor R4 is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. The other end of the resistor R4 is connected to the terminal P9 of the MCU1.

[0070] The input terminal VBUS of the charging IC2 is connected to the anodes of the LEDs L1 to L8. The cathodes of the LEDs L1 to L8 are connected to the control terminals PD1 to PD8 of the MCU1 via resistors for current limiting. In other words, the LEDs L1 to L8 are connected in parallel to the input terminal VBUS. The LEDs L1 to L8 are connected to the USB voltage V supplied from the USB cable connected to the receptacle RCP. USBand the voltage supplied from the power supply BAT via the charging IC2. The MCU1 has built-in transistors (switching elements) connected to each of the control terminals PD1 to PD8 and the ground terminal GND. The MCU1 turns on the transistor connected to the control terminal PD1 to pass current through the LED L1, turning it on, and turns off the transistor connected to the control terminal PD1 to turn off the LED L1. The brightness and light emission pattern of the LED L1 can be dynamically controlled by quickly switching the transistor connected to the control terminal PD1 on and off. The lighting of the LEDs L2 to L8 is similarly controlled by the MCU1.

[0071] The charging IC2 detects the USB voltage V USB The charging IC2 acquires the charging current and charging voltage of the power supply BAT from terminals and wiring (not shown), and controls the charging of the power supply BAT (controls the power supply from the charging terminal bat to the power supply BAT) based on these.

[0072] Charging IC2 also BAT Equipped with power pass function and OTG function. BAT The power path function prevents the power supply voltage V input to the charging terminal bat from BAT The OTG function outputs the system power supply voltage Vcc0, which is approximately equal to the power supply voltage Vcc1, from the output terminal SYS. BAT The OTG function of the charging IC2 is controlled by the MCU1 through serial communication using the communication line LN. In the OTG function, the power supply voltage Vcc4 input to the charging terminal bat is boosted and output from the input terminal VBUS. BAT may be output directly from the input terminal VBUS. In this case, the power supply voltage V BATand system power supply voltage Vcc4 are approximately the same. Serial communication requires multiple signal lines, such as a data line for data transmission and a clock line for synchronization, but please note that for simplicity's sake, only one signal line is shown in Figure 10-16.

[0073] The output terminal SYS of the charging IC2 is connected to the power supply terminal VDD of the MCU1, the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC13, the power supply terminal VCC of the communication IC15, the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC14, and a series circuit (series circuit of a resistor and capacitor) connected to the operation switch OPS. The charge enable terminal CE(￣) of the charging IC2 is connected to terminal P22 of the MCU1 via a resistor. Note that a voltage regulator may be connected to the output terminal SYS of the charging IC2 to stabilize the voltage supplied to these power supply terminals.

[0074] The output terminal OUT of the Hall IC 13 is connected to the terminal P3 of the MCU 1. When the outer panel 115 is removed, a low-level signal is output from the output terminal OUT of the Hall IC 13. The MCU 1 determines whether or not the outer panel 115 is attached based on the signal input to the terminal P3.

[0075] The LED mounting board 163 is provided with a series circuit (a series circuit of a resistor and a capacitor) connected to the operation switch OPS. This series circuit is connected to a power supply line connecting the output terminal SYS of the charging IC 2 with the power supply terminal VDD of the MCU 1, the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC 13, the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC 14, and the power supply terminal VCC of the communication IC 15. The junction of the resistor and capacitor in this series circuit is connected to the terminal P4 of the MCU 1 and the operation switch OPS. When the operation switch OPS is not pressed, the operation switch OPS is not conductive, and the signal input to the terminal P4 of the MCU 1 is high due to the voltage output from the output terminal SYS of the charging IC 2. When the operation switch OPS is pressed and becomes conductive, the signal input to the terminal P4 of the MCU 1 is connected to the ground line and becomes low. The MCU 1 detects the operation of the operation switch OPS based on the signal input to the terminal P4.

[0076] <Operation of each suction device operation mode> The operation of the electric circuit shown in FIG. 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11 to 16. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in a sleep mode. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in an active mode. FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in a heating initial setting mode. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when the heater HTR is heating in the heating mode. FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit when the heater HTR is detecting the temperature in the heating mode. FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the electric circuit in a charging mode. In each of FIGS. 11 to 16, of the terminals of the chipped electric component, the terminals surrounded by dashed ellipses are terminals that are connected to the power supply voltage V BAT , USB voltage V USB , and terminals to which the system power supply voltage or the like is input or output.

[0077] In either operating mode, the power supply voltage V BATis input to the power supply terminal VDD of the protection IC 10, the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9, and the charging terminal bat of the charging IC 2.

[0078] <Sleep mode: Figure 11> MCU1 detects the V BAT Enable the power path function and disable the OTG and charging functions. Apply the USB voltage V to the input terminal VBUS of the charging IC2. USB When no input is made, the V of charging IC2 BAT The power path function is enabled. The OTG function is disabled because the signal to enable the OTG function from the communication line LN is not output from the MCU1 to the charging IC2. Therefore, the charging IC2 does not receive the power supply voltage V input to the charging terminal bat. BAT The system power supply voltage Vcc0 is generated from the output terminal SYS and is output from the output terminal SYS. The system power supply voltage Vcc0 is input to the power supply terminal VDD of the MCU1, the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC 13, the power supply terminal VCC of the communication IC 15, and the power supply terminal VDD of the Hall IC 14. The system power supply voltage Vcc0 is generated from the power supply input terminal V BUS The USB voltage V is input from an external power supply. USB is set to be lower than

[0079] In this way, in the sleep mode, the OTG function of the charging IC2 is stopped, and therefore the power supply to the LEDs L1 to L8 is stopped.

[0080] <Active mode: Figure 12> When the MCU1 detects that the signal input to the terminal P8 goes high and the slider 119 opens from the sleep mode state shown in FIG. 11, it activates the OTG function of the charging IC2 via the communication line LN. This activates the charging IC2 to receive the power supply voltage V input from the charging terminal bat. BAT The system power supply voltage Vcc4 obtained by boosting the voltage Vcc4 is output from the input terminal VBUS. The system power supply voltage Vcc4 output from the input terminal VBUS is supplied to the LEDs L1 to L8.

[0081] <Heating initial setting mode: Figure 13> When the signal input to terminal P4 goes low (the operation switch OPS is pressed) from the state shown in FIG. 12, the MCU 1 performs various settings required for heating, and then inputs a high-level enable signal from terminal P14 to the enable terminal EN of the step-up DC / DC converter 9. This causes the step-up DC / DC converter 9 to BAT The drive voltage V obtained by boosting bst is output from the output terminal VOUT. bst is supplied to switches S3 and S4. In this state, switches S3 and S4 are turned off. Then, the mode shifts to the heating mode.

[0082] <Heater heating in heating mode: Figure 14> In the state shown in FIG. 13, the MCU1 starts the switching control of the switch S3 connected to the terminal P16 and the switching control of the switch S4 connected to the terminal P15. These switching controls may be started automatically when the heating initial setting mode described above is completed, or may be started by pressing the operation switch OPS again. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the MCU1 turns on the switch S3 and turns off the switch S4 to turn on the drive voltage V bst to the heater HTR to heat the heater HTR for aerosol generation, and temperature detection control is performed to detect the temperature of the heater HTR by turning off switch S3 and turning on switch S4 as shown in FIG. 15.

[0083] <Heater temperature detection in heating mode: Figure 15> As shown in Figure 15, during temperature detection control, the drive voltage V bst is input to the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 and also to the voltage divider circuit Pb. The voltage divided by the voltage divider circuit Pb is input to the terminal P18 of the MCU1. The MCU1 obtains the voltage at the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 during temperature detection control based on the voltage input to the terminal P18.

[0084] In addition, during temperature detection control, the drive voltage V bst is supplied to the series circuit of the resistor Rs and the heater HTR. bst The voltage V is divided by resistor Rs and heater HTR. heat is input to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. The operational amplifier OP1 detects the voltage V heat The difference is amplified and output.

[0085] The output signal of the operational amplifier OP1 is input to a terminal P9 of the MCU 1. The MCU 1 obtains the temperature of the heater HTR based on the signal input to the terminal P9, the voltage of the positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 obtained based on the input voltage of the terminal P18, and the known electrical resistance value of the resistor Rs.

[0086] <Charging mode: Figure 16> Figure 16 shows an example of a case where a USB connection is made in the sleep mode. When a USB connection is made, the USB voltage V USB is input to the input terminal VIN of LSW3 via the overvoltage protection IC11. USB The USB voltage V is also supplied to the voltage divider circuit Pf connected to the input terminal VIN of LSW3. Immediately after USB connection, the bipolar transistor S2 is on, so the signal input to the control terminal ON of LSW3 remains low. USB is also supplied to a voltage divider circuit Pc connected to a terminal P17 of the MCU1, and the voltage divided by this voltage divider circuit Pc is input to the terminal P17. The MCU1 detects that a USB connection has been made based on the voltage input to the terminal P17. The voltage divider circuit Pc is configured to make the voltage input to the terminal P17 equal to or lower than the system power supply voltage Vcc0 input to the power supply terminal VDD of the MCU1.

[0087] When the MCU1 detects that a USB connection has been made, it turns off the bipolar transistor S2 connected to the terminal P19. When a low-level signal is input to the gate terminal of the bipolar transistor S2, the USB voltage V divided by the voltage divider circuit Pf is USB is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3. As a result, a high-level signal is input to the control terminal ON of LSW3, and LSW3 is turned on at the USB voltage V USB is output from the output terminal VOUT. The USB voltage V USB is input to the input terminal VBUS of the charging IC2. Also, the USB voltage V USB is supplied as it is to the LEDs L1 to L8 as the system power supply voltage Vcc4.

[0088] When the MCU1 detects that a USB connection has been made, it also outputs a low-level enable signal from terminal P22 to the charge enable terminal CE(￣) of the charger IC2. This causes the charger IC2 to enable the charging function of the power supply BAT and increase the USB voltage V input to the input terminal VBUS. USB The MCU1 starts charging the power supply BAT via the USB cable. At this time, the MCU1 keeps the switches S3 and S4 off and does not heat the heater HTR to generate aerosol. In other words, when the MCU1 detects that a USB connection has been made based on the voltage input to the terminal P17, it prohibits the supply of power from the power supply BAT to the heater connector Cn. This makes it possible to avoid power consumption from the power supply BAT during charging.

[0089] [Receptacle mounting board] 17 is a diagram showing a main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting board 162. The main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting board 162 is one surface of the area SP formed by the two boards 161 and 162 held in parallel as described above.

[0090] On main surface 162a of receptacle mounting board 162, which extends in the vertical direction, heater connector Cn is arranged near the upper end and receptacle RCP is arranged at the lower end, and reactor Lc of step-up DC / DC converter 9 is arranged between heater connector Cn and receptacle RCP.

[0091] Also, near the receptacle RCP, a positive battery connector 222 (hereinafter referred to as the positive battery connector 222) is disposed on the right side, and an opening 176 into which the second small diameter portion 192b of the spacer 173 fits is disposed on the left side. Furthermore, to the left of the reactor Lc, a negative battery connector 224 (hereinafter referred to as the negative battery connector 224) and a power supply temperature detection connector 234 connected to a thermistor T1 constituting a power supply temperature sensor are disposed. A positive power supply bus bar 236 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) extending from the positive terminal of the power supply BAT is connected to the positive battery connector 222, and a negative power supply bus bar 238 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) extending from the negative terminal of the power supply BAT is connected to the negative battery connector 224.

[0092] The receptacle RCP is disposed at the lower end of the receptacle mounting substrate 162, and the opening 176 connecting the spacer 173 and the receptacle mounting substrate 162 is closer to the lower end than to the upper end. That is, in the receptacle mounting substrate 162 extending in the vertical direction, the receptacle RCP and the opening 176 are disposed close to each other on the same side in the vertical direction (the lower end side in this embodiment). There is a risk of noise being generated near the path through which power supplied from an external power source passes, but by providing the spacer 173, which is not affected by noise, near this path, the board area of ​​the receptacle mounting substrate 162 can be effectively utilized. This prevents the size of the receptacle mounting substrate 162 from increasing, thereby reducing the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generation device.

[0093] 18 is a diagram showing the secondary surface 162b of the receptacle mounting board 162. On the secondary surface 162b of the receptacle mounting board 162, an overvoltage protection IC 11 is arranged below an opening 176, and further above the opening 176, a protection IC 10, an operational amplifier OP1, and a step-up DC / DC converter 9 are arranged in this order from bottom to top.

[0094] [MCU board] 19 is a diagram showing the main surface 161a of the MCU mounting board 161. On the main surface 161a of the MCU mounting board 161, which is extended in the vertical direction, a heater temperature detection connector 240 is disposed at the upper end, to which a thermistor T3 constituting a heater temperature sensor is connected via a conductor, and a charging IC 2 is disposed below the heater temperature detection connector 240. In addition, an opening 175 into which the first small diameter portion 192a of the spacer 173 is fitted is disposed at a position corresponding to the opening 176 of the receptacle mounting board 162, and the MCU 1 is disposed near the opening 175.

[0095] The MCU 1 is disposed below the MCU mounting substrate 161, and an opening 175 connecting the spacer 173 and the MCU mounting substrate 161 is closer to the lower end than to the upper end. That is, in the MCU mounting substrate 161 extending in the vertical direction, the MCU 1 and the opening 175 are disposed close to each other on the same side in the vertical direction (the lower end side in this embodiment). Here, an opening periphery 166 around the opening 175 of the MCU mounting substrate 161 serves as an insulating portion 167, against which the bolt heads of the bolts 136 that secure the MCU mounting substrate 161 and the receptacle mounting substrate 162 to the chassis 150 abut. The insulating portion 167 cuts off electrical connection between the heads of the bolts 136 and the opening periphery 166 of the MCU mounting substrate 161. By disposing the MCU 1 near the insulating portion 167 of the MCU mounting substrate 161, noise entering the MCU 1 can be reduced.

[0096] By disposing the MCU1 on the MCU mounting board 161, while the receptacle RCP is disposed on the receptacle mounting board 162, the MCU1 is separated from the receptacle RCP, making it less susceptible to the effects of static electricity and the like that may enter through the receptacle RCP. This makes it possible to make the operation of the aspirator 100 more stable.

[0097] 20 is a diagram showing the secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting substrate 161. The secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting substrate 161 is the surface on the other side of the region SP formed by the two substrates 161 and 162 held in parallel as described above.

[0098] On the secondary surface 161b of the MCU mounting board 161, a motor connector 226 to which the vibration motor M is connected via a conductor is arranged above the opening 175, and further above, a case temperature detection connector 228 to which a thermistor T4 constituting a case temperature sensor is connected via a conductor, and an intake detection connector 230 to which a thermistor T2 constituting an intake sensor is connected via a conductor are arranged.

[0099] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the inhalator 100. In this way, a plurality of elements and ICs are mounted on the main surface 162a and sub-surface 162b of the MCU mounting board 161 and the main surface 161a and sub-surface 161b of the receptacle mounting board 162. As shown in Fig. 21 , the reactor Lc connected to the receptacle RCP and the step-up DC / DC converter 9 as described above is disposed in an area SP formed by the main surface 162a of the receptacle mounting board 162 and the sub-surface 161b of the MCU mounting board 161, which are held in parallel. Note that reference numeral 300 in Fig. 21 denotes a heat diffusion member that further dissipates heat generated by the step-up DC / DC converter 9 and the like.

[0100] The board area can be effectively utilized by disposing the receptacle RCP, which has a relatively large volume, in the area SP between the receptacle mounting board 162 and the MCU mounting board 161. This allows the cost and size of the aspirator 100 to be reduced.

[0101] Furthermore, the size of reactor Lc connected to step-up DC / DC converter 9 generally increases according to the current output by step-up DC / DC converter 9. In inhalator 100, heater HTR is the component with the highest power consumption, and therefore reactor Lc is likely to be larger than step-up DC / DC converter 9 itself. By arranging reactor Lc, which has a large volume, in region SP between receptacle mounting board 162 and MCU mounting board 161, it is possible to suppress protrusion to the outside.

[0102] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0103] For example, in the above embodiment, the spacer 173 has a cylindrical shape, but this is not limiting and the spacer 173 may have any cylindrical shape as long as it has a through hole 194 through which the bolt 136 is inserted.

[0104] This specification describes at least the following items. Note that the components in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiment, but are not limited to these.

[0105] (1) Power supply (power supply BAT) a heater connector (heater connector Cn) to which a heater (heater HTR) that consumes power supplied from the power source to heat an aerosol source is connected; A first board (MCU mounting board 161), a second substrate (receptacle mounting substrate 162) separate from the first substrate; a case (case 110) that accommodates the power supply, the heater connector, the first substrate, and the second substrate; a spacer (spacer 173) disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and holding the first substrate and the second substrate parallel to each other; A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device (non-combustion inhaler 100).

[0106] According to (1), by holding two boards arranged in parallel within the case via a spacer, it is possible to prevent the boards from coming into contact with each other and shorting out. In addition, by holding two boards in parallel, it is possible to ensure an electrically safe area within the case, and the space within the case can be used effectively.

[0107] (2) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1), Further provided is a chassis (chassis 150) disposed inside the case, the first substrate and the second substrate are fixed to the chassis; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0108] According to (2), by fixing the first and second boards to the chassis inside the case, the two boards can be held in a stable state.

[0109] (3) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (2), At least a portion of the chassis (front and rear dividing walls 152) is disposed between the power supply and the first and second boards. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0110] According to (3), the power supply can be spaced apart from the first and second substrates, and heat from the power supply can be prevented from being transferred to the first and second substrates.

[0111] (4) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (2) or (3), The spacer has a cylindrical shape with a through hole (through hole 194), The first substrate and the second substrate each have an opening (openings 175, 176), The first substrate and the second substrate are fixed to the chassis with the spacer sandwiched between them by bolts (bolts 136) that pass through the through holes and the openings. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0112] According to (4), by using a highly versatile bolt, the cost of the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device can be reduced.

[0113] (5) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (4), The opening periphery (opening periphery 166) of the first substrate that comes into contact with the head of the bolt has an insulating portion (insulating portion 167). Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0114] According to (5), the insulating portion cuts off the electrical connection between the head of the bolt and the periphery of the opening in the first substrate.

[0115] (6) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (5), The heater connector further includes a controller (MCU1) that is disposed on the first substrate and is configured to be able to control the supply of power from the power source to the heater connector; The first substrate extends in a predetermined direction (vertical direction), the controller is provided on one end side (lower side) in the predetermined direction, The portion (opening 175) where the spacer and the first substrate are connected is closer to the one end side than to the other end side (upper side) in the predetermined direction. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0116] According to (6), by disposing the controller near the insulating part of the first substrate, it is possible to reduce noise that enters the controller.

[0117] (7) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (6), the spacer is electrically conductive; connecting the grounds of the first substrate and the second substrate; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0118] According to (7), by connecting the grounds of the two boards via a spacer, the ground potential of the two boards can be made uniform, and the supply of charging power, operating power, and communication between the IC on the first board and the IC on the second board can be stabilized. In addition, the volume of the spacer can be set as desired, so the resistance can be reduced by increasing the volume of the spacer.

[0119] (8) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (7), Further provided with a receptacle (receptacle RCP) that can be electrically connected to an external power source, The receptacle is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0120] According to (8), by placing a relatively large receptacle in the space defined by two parallel substrates, the substrate area can be effectively utilized, thereby reducing the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator.

[0121] (9) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (8), The second substrate extends in a predetermined direction (vertical direction), the receptacle is disposed on one end side (lower side) of the second substrate in the predetermined direction, The portion (opening 176) where the spacer and the second substrate are connected is closer to the one end side than the other end side (upper side) in the predetermined direction. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0122] There is a risk of noise being generated near the path through which the power supplied from the external power source passes due to this current. According to (9), by providing a spacer that is not affected by noise near this path, the substrate area of ​​the second substrate can be effectively utilized. This prevents the size of the second substrate from increasing, thereby reducing the cost and size of the power supply unit of the aerosol generator.

[0123] (10) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (9), a voltage conversion IC (step-up DC / DC converter 9) including an input terminal (input terminal VIN) connected to the power supply and an output terminal (output terminal VOUT) connected to the heater connector; A reactor (reactor Lc) connected to the voltage conversion IC, The reactor is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0124] The size of the reactor connected to the voltage conversion IC increases according to the current output by the voltage conversion IC. Because the heater is the component that consumes the most power in an aerosol generator, the reactor tends to be larger than the voltage conversion IC itself. According to (10), by placing a large-volume reactor between the first and second boards, it is possible to suppress protrusion to the outside. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1 MCU (controller) 9. Step-up DC / DC converter (voltage conversion IC) 100 Non-combustion inhaler (power supply unit for aerosol generator) 110 cases 136 volts 150 chassis (at least part of the chassis) 152 Front and rear dividing wall 161 MCU mounted board (first board) 162 Receptacle mounting board (second board) 166 Opening periphery 167 Insulation section 173 Spacer 175 Opening (where the spacer and the first substrate are connected) 176 Opening (where the spacer and the second substrate are connected) 194 Through Hole BAT power supply HTR heater Cn Heater Connector Lc reactor RCP Receptacle VIN input terminal VOUT output terminal

Claims

1. Power supply and a heater connector to which a heater that consumes power supplied from the power source to heat the aerosol source is connected; a first substrate; a second substrate separate from the first substrate; a case that accommodates the power supply, the heater connector, the first substrate, and the second substrate; a chassis disposed inside the case; a spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and holding the first substrate and the second substrate parallel to each other; the spacer has a cylindrical shape with a through hole, the first substrate and the second substrate each have an opening on one side in a longitudinal direction, the first substrate and the second substrate are fixed to the chassis on one side in the longitudinal direction with the spacer sandwiched therebetween by bolts that are inserted through the through holes and the openings, and the spacer is not provided on the other side in the longitudinal direction; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

2. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, At least a portion of the chassis is disposed between the power supply and the first and second boards. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

3. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, a peripheral edge of the opening of the first substrate that comes into contact with the head of the bolt has an insulating portion; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

4. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 3, a controller disposed on the first substrate and configured to control the supply of power from the power source to the heater connector; the first substrate extends in a predetermined direction, the controller is provided on one end side in the predetermined direction, a portion where the spacer and the first substrate are connected is closer to the one end side than to the other end side in the predetermined direction; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

5. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the spacer is electrically conductive; connecting the grounds of the first substrate and the second substrate; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

6. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a receptacle electrically connectable to an external power source; The receptacle is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

7. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 6, the second substrate extends in a predetermined direction, the receptacle is disposed on one end side of the second substrate in the predetermined direction, a portion where the spacer and the second substrate are connected is closer to the one end side than to the other end side in the predetermined direction; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

8. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, a voltage conversion IC including an input terminal connected to the power supply and an output terminal connected to the heater connector; a reactor connected to the voltage conversion IC, The reactor is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

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