Aerosol generator power supply unit

Abstract

Provided is a power supply unit which is for an aerosol generation device, and in which it is possible to reduce the levels of heat generation and noise. A power supply unit 100 comprises: a power supply ba; pogo pins p1-p3 which are electrically connected to an atomizer for atomizing an aerosol source; a main substrate 20 which is configured to be capable of controlling the electricity to be supplied to the pogo pins p1-p3 from the power supply ba; and a main FPC 23 which is connected to the main substrate 20 and the pogo pins p1-p3 and which includes conductive patterns 81-83 that allow the electricity for atomizing the aerosol source to flow therethrough. The main FPC 23 comprises an obverse layer 231 and a reverse layer 232. The conductive patterns 81-83 are formed in the obverse layer 231 and the reverse layer 232.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent document 1 describes an aerosol generating device that includes a heater, a battery that supplies power to heat the heater, a control unit, and a main PCB and a sub-PCB made of a rigid material, wherein the main PCB is arranged parallel to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating device, the sub-PCB is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating device, and the main PCB and the sub-PCB are electrically connected by a connecting PCB made of a flexible material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

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

[0004] To generate a sufficient amount of aerosol from an aerosol generating device, a large amount of power must be supplied to the atomizer that atomizes the aerosol source, which requires reducing the heat and noise generated on the circuit board.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device that can reduce heat generation and noise. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a power supply, an atomizer connector electrically connected to an atomizer that atomizes an aerosol source, a rigid circuit board configured to be able to control the power supplied from the power supply to the atomizer connector, and a flexible circuit board connected to the rigid circuit board and the atomizer connector, the flexible circuit board including a plurality of conductive patterns through which power for atomizing the aerosol source flows. A controller; The flexible circuit board includes a first layer and a second layer, and the plurality of conductive patterns are formed on the first layer and the second layer. the flexible circuit board includes at least one of another conductive pattern that is different from the plurality of conductive patterns and is connected to an element controlled by the controller and another conductive pattern that is connected to an element that inputs a signal to the controller, the flexible circuit board includes a fold, the another conductive pattern includes a portion formed at the fold that is paralleled, and the portion of the conductive pattern formed at the fold is not paralleled; It is something. In addition, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to another aspect of the present invention includes a power supply, an atomizer connector electrically connected to an atomizer that atomizes an aerosol source, a rigid circuit board configured to control the power supplied from the power supply to the atomizer connector, and a flexible circuit board connected to the rigid circuit board and the atomizer connector and including a plurality of conductive patterns through which power for atomizing the aerosol source flows, wherein the flexible circuit board includes a first layer and a second layer, and the plurality of conductive patterns are formed on the first layer and the second layer, and the power supply unit further includes a board connector mounted on the flexible circuit board and connecting the flexible circuit board and the rigid circuit board, and the plurality of conductive patterns include a first conductive pattern, a second conductive pattern, and a third conductive pattern extending from the board connector to the atomizer connector. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, heat generation and noise can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the aerosol generating device 200. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the aerosol generating device 200. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the aerosol generating device 200. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the internal unit 2A. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the internal unit 2A. [Figure 6] 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a heating section 60 and a circuit section 70 of an internal unit 2A. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a surface 201 of a main board 20. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the rear surface 202 of the main board 20. [Figure 9] 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a circuit provided on a main board 20. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components involved in the operation in a heating mode extracted from the circuit shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11]10 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components related to heating control of the seat heater HTR and the liquid heater, drive control of the vibration motor 13, and drive control of the LED 21D extracted from the circuit shown in FIG. 9. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components involved in restarting the MCU 6 extracted from the circuit shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a front view of the main FPC 23 as viewed from the left side when unfolded so that the thickness direction coincides with the left-right direction. [Figure 14] 10 is a front view of the main FPC 23 as viewed from the right side when unfolded so that the thickness direction coincides with the left-right direction. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of the area AR shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The power supply unit of the aerosol generation device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, the aerosol generation device including the power supply unit of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0010] (Aerosol generating device) The aerosol generation device 200 is a device for generating a flavored aerosol without combustion and for inhaling the generated aerosol. The aerosol generation device 200 is preferably hand-sized and has, for example, a rounded, approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Note that the shape of the aerosol generation device 200 is not limited to this, and it may also be rod-shaped, egg-shaped, or the like. In the following description, of the three orthogonal directions in the aerosol generation device 200, the directions are referred to in descending order of length as the up-down direction, the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction. For convenience, the following description defines the front, rear, left, right, upper, and lower directions as shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, and indicates the front as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, the right as R, the upper as U, and the lower as D.

[0011] 3, the aerosol generation device 200 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.

[0012] (Power supply unit) The power supply unit 100 includes an internal unit 2A and a case 3a, and at least a portion of the internal unit 2A is housed in the case 3a.

[0013] The case 3a is composed of a first case 3A and a second case 3B that are detachable in the left-right direction (thickness direction), and the front, rear, left, and right sides of the power supply unit 100 are formed by assembling the first case 3A and the second case 3B in the left-right direction (thickness direction). Specifically, the first case 3A is supported on the left side of a chassis 50 (described below) included in the internal unit 2A, and the second case 3B is supported on the right side of the chassis 50, so that the internal unit 2A is housed in the case 3a. A capsule holder 4A is provided at the front of the top surface of the power supply unit 100. The capsule holder 4A has an opening 4a that opens upward. The capsule holder 4A is configured so that the second cartridge 120 can be inserted through the opening 4a. A mouthpiece 130 is detachably provided to the second cartridge 120.

[0014] The upper surface of the power supply unit 100 is formed by an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) cover 5a arranged behind the opening 4a, and the lower surface of the power supply unit 100 is formed by a lower cover 8a provided with a charging terminal 1 and a rotatable lower lid 7a.

[0015] Between the top and rear surfaces of the power supply unit 100, there is provided an inclined surface that slopes downward toward the rear. An operation unit that can be operated by the user is provided on the inclined surface. In this embodiment, the operation unit is a button-type switch BT, but it may also be configured as a touch panel or the like. The operation unit is used to start / shut off / operate the MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 6 (described below) and various sensors, reflecting the user's intentions.

[0016] The charging terminal 1, which is accessible from the bottom cover 8a, is configured to be electrically connectable to an external power source (not shown) that can supply power to the power supply unit 100 to charge the power source ba included in the battery pack BP. The charging terminal 1 is, for example, a receptacle into which a mating plug can be inserted. The charging terminal 1 can be a receptacle into which various USB terminals can be inserted. As an example, in this embodiment, the charging terminal 1 is a USB Type-C shaped receptacle.

[0017] Furthermore, the charging terminal 1 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 1 may be connectable to various USB terminals and may include the above-mentioned power receiving coil.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the internal unit 2A includes a battery pack BP, a chassis 50, a heating section 60, a circuit section 70, a notification section, and various sensors.

[0019] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the chassis 50 comprises 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 located below and to the right of the connecting portion 53 and spanning the cartridge holding portion 51 and the battery holding portion 52, and a sensor holding portion 55 located to the left rear of the cartridge holding portion 51.

[0020] With the lower lid 7a open, the first cartridge 110 is inserted into the cartridge holding portion 51 from below. When the lower lid 7a is closed with the first cartridge 110 inserted, the first cartridge 110 is housed in the cartridge holding portion 51. A capsule holder 4A is attached to the upper portion 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 in the first cartridge 110 and the light of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 21D (described later) can be visually observed through a remaining amount confirmation window 3w provided at the joint between the first case 3A and the second case 3B. The first cartridge 110 will be described later.

[0021] A battery pack BP is disposed in the battery holding unit 52. The battery pack BP includes a power supply ba and a power supply thermistor for detecting the temperature of the power supply ba. The power supply ba 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 ba may be one or a combination of a gel electrolyte, an electrolytic solution, a solid electrolyte, and an ionic liquid.

[0022] The motor holding portion 54 is provided with the vibration motor 13. The sensor holding portion 55 is provided with the suction sensor 15, which will be described later, that outputs an output in response to the user's inhalation action (puffing action).

[0023] As shown in Fig. 6, the heating unit 60 includes a cylindrical heat transfer tube 61 and a seat heater HTR wound around the heat transfer tube 61. The capsule holder 4A described above is provided around the seat heater HTR at a distance. An air layer between the capsule holder 4A and the seat heater HTR functions as a heat insulator. The heat transfer tube 61 accommodates the lower part of the second cartridge 120 inserted through the opening 4a of the capsule holder 4A, and the lower part of the second cartridge 120 is heated by the seat heater HTR. This makes it easier for the flavor source stored in the second cartridge 120 to release the flavor compared to a case where the heating unit 60 is not present, and therefore makes it easier for the flavor to be added to the aerosol.

[0024] The heating unit 60 may be any element capable of heating the second cartridge 120. Examples of elements include a resistance heating element, a ceramic heater, and an induction heater. A resistance heating element having a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristic, in which the resistance value increases as the temperature increases, is preferably used. Alternatively, a resistance heating element 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 the function of defining a flow path for air to be supplied to the second cartridge 120 and the function of heating the second cartridge 120.

[0025] 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 130. The notification unit of this embodiment includes an LED 21D and a vibration motor 13. The notification unit may be configured with a light-emitting element such as the LED 21D, a vibration element such as the vibration motor 13, or a sound output element. The notification unit may be a combination of two or more elements selected from the light-emitting element, the vibration element, and the sound output element.

[0026] The various sensors include a suction sensor 15 that detects a puffing action (inhalation action) of the user, a heater temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the seat heater HTR, and the like.

[0027] The suction sensor 15 may be composed of, for example, a condenser microphone, a pressure sensor, or a flow rate sensor. A plurality of suction sensors 15 may be spaced apart, and the puffing action may be detected from the difference in their output values. The heater temperature sensor includes a first thermistor th1 and a second thermistor th2. The first thermistor th1 and the second thermistor th2 are preferably in contact with or adjacent to the seat heater HTR. If the seat heater HTR has a PTC characteristic or an NTC characteristic, the seat heater HTR itself may be used as the heater temperature sensor. The heater temperature sensor is described as being composed of two thermistors, but may instead be composed of a single thermistor.

[0028] The circuit unit 70 includes four circuit boards, three FPCs (Flexible Printed Circuits), multiple ICs (Integrated Circuits), and multiple elements. The four circuit boards are made up of a main board 20, a puff sensor board 21, a pogo pin board 22, and an OLED board 26. The three FPCs are made up of a main FPC 23, a heater FPC 24, and an OLED FPC 25. These four circuit boards are rigid and have significantly higher rigidity than the three FPCs.

[0029] The main board 20 is disposed between the battery pack BP and the rear surface of the case 3a (the rear surface of the power supply unit 100) with the element mounting surface facing the front-to-rear direction. The main board 20 is configured by stacking multiple layers (six layers in this embodiment) of boards, and is equipped with electronic components (elements) such as the MCU 6 and the charging IC 3.

[0030] As will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 12 and the like, the MCU 6 is a control device that is connected to various sensor devices such as the suction sensor 15, an operation unit, a notification unit, and a memory that stores the number or load of puffing operations and the duration of power supply to the seat heater HTR, and performs various controls on the aerosol generating device 200. Specifically, the MCU 6 is mainly composed of a processor and further includes storage media such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) necessary for the processor's operation and a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various information. In this specification, the processor refers to, for example, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements. Note that some of the elements connected to the MCU 6 (e.g., the suction sensor 15 and the memory) may be provided within the MCU 6 as functions of the MCU 6 itself.

[0031] The charging IC 3 is an IC that controls charging of the power supply ba using power input from the charging terminal 1, and supplies power from the power supply ba to electronic components on the main board 20, etc.

[0032] The main board 20 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. Hereinafter, the rearward-facing surface of the main board 20 will be referred to as the front surface 201 for convenience, and the forward-facing surface of the main board 20 will be referred to as the back surface 202 for convenience. 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. The main board 20 is a plate-like board extending vertically. FIGS. 7 and 8 show an upper side surface 20SU, which is the upper side surface, and a lower side surface 20SD, which is the lower side surface, as side surfaces perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the main board 20. Furthermore, a left side surface 20SL, which is the left side surface, and a right side surface 20SR, which is the right side surface, are shown as side surfaces perpendicular to the lateral direction of the main board 20.

[0033] 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. A debug connector 20E is also mounted on the back surface 202. The debug connector 20E is an interface for rewriting the program of the MCU 6 from an external device such as a personal computer, and is, for example, one that complies with the SWD (Serial Wire Debug) standard. Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 7, an OLED connector 20C, a heater connector 20B, a main connector 20A, and a battery connector 20D that is connected to the battery pack BP via lead wires 16 (see Fig. 6) are mounted on the front surface 201 of the main board 20.

[0034] 4 and 6, the puff sensor board 21 is placed in the sensor holding portion 55 of the chassis 50 so that the element mounting surface faces right front and left rear. The puff sensor board 21 has a suction sensor 15 mounted thereon.

[0035] 6, the OLED substrate 26 is disposed between the battery pack BP and the OLED cover 5a so that the element mounting surface faces up and down. An OLED panel 17 is mounted on the OLED substrate 26.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 6, the pogo pin substrate 22 is disposed on the lower lid 7a with the element mounting surface facing up and down when the lower lid 7a is closed. The pogo pin substrate 22 is provided with input contacts P1 to P3 to which power is supplied from the main substrate 20 via the main FPC 23, pogo pins p1 to p3 which are connectors electrically connected to a load provided in the first cartridge 110, and wiring connecting the pogo pins p1 to p3 and the input contacts P1 to P3. The input contacts P1 to P3 are electrically connected to the main FPC 23 only when the lower lid 7a is closed. Three pogo pins p1 to p3 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and at least two pogo pins are configured to be electrically connected to the + terminal and - terminal of the first cartridge 110 housed in the cartridge holding portion 51.

[0037] The left side of the battery pack BP held in the battery holding portion 52 is exposed from the semi-cylindrical battery holding portion 52. In the space formed by cutting out the battery holding portion 52 and between the left side of the battery pack BP and the first case 3A, the main FPC 23, the heater FPC 24, and the OLED FPC 25 are arranged so as to overlap each other, as shown in FIGS.

[0038] Of 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 further overlap the OLED FPC 25. That is, of the three FPCs, the heater FPC 24, which receives the greatest power, is routed furthest from the battery pack BP. The main FPC 23 has a generally cross shape when unfolded, and is folded back at the point where it overlaps with the heater FPC 24. That is, the main FPC 23 has a folded wiring structure. The folded portion of the main FPC 23 is prone to lifting up in the left-right direction, but the heater FPC 24 and the OLED FPC 25 overlap this portion, preventing such lifting. The switch BT is mounted directly on the main FPC 23 without using a rigid board or the like.

[0039] 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 .

[0040] 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.

[0041] One end of the heater FPC 24 is connected to the heater connector 20B of the main board 20, and the other end is integrally formed with the seat heater HTR.

[0042] (1st cartridge) The first cartridge 110 includes, inside a cylindrical cartridge case 111, a reservoir that stores an aerosol source, an electrical load that atomizes the aerosol source, a wick that draws 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.

[0043] The load is a heating element that heats the aerosol source without combustion by power supplied from the power source ba via the pogo pins p1 to p3 of the pogo pin substrate 22, and is configured, for example, by an electric heating wire (coil) wound at a predetermined pitch. The load atomizes the aerosol source by heating it. The load may be a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, an induction heater, or the like. Hereinafter, the load provided in the first cartridge 110 will also be referred to as a liquid heater.

[0044] The aerosol flow path is connected to the second cartridge 120 via a flow path forming body 19 (see FIG. 6) housed in the cartridge holding portion 51 of the chassis 50.

[0045] (2nd cartridge) The second cartridge 120 stores a flavor source. The second cartridge 120 is heated by the sheet heater HTR, thereby heating the flavor source. The second cartridge 120 adds flavor to the aerosol by passing the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source with the liquid heater through the flavor source. The raw material pieces constituting the flavor source can be cut tobacco or a molded product obtained by molding tobacco raw material into particles. The flavor source may be made from plants other than tobacco (e.g., mint, Chinese medicine, herbs, etc.). The flavor source may also be flavored with menthol or other flavorings.

[0046] The aerosol generating device 200 can generate a flavored aerosol by using the aerosol source and the flavor source. That is, the aerosol source and the flavor source constitute an aerosol generation source that generates a flavored aerosol.

[0047] The aerosol generation source in the aerosol generation device 200 is a part that is replaced by the user. This part is provided to the user as a set, for example, consisting of one first cartridge 110 and one or more (e.g., five) second cartridges 120. Furthermore, 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 200, the power supply unit 100 or the battery pack BP is replaced least frequently, the first cartridge 110 is replaced next least frequently, and the second cartridge 120 is replaced most frequently. Note that the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 may be integrated into one cartridge. A configuration in which a medicine or the like is added to the aerosol source instead of a flavor source may also be used.

[0048] In the aerosol generation device 200 configured in this manner, air flowing in from an air intake (not shown) provided in the case 3a or the internal unit 2A passes near the load of the first cartridge 110. The load atomizes the aerosol source drawn in from the reservoir by the wick. The atomized aerosol flows through the aerosol flow path together with the air flowing in from the intake and is supplied to the second cartridge 120 via the flow path forming body 19. The aerosol supplied to the second cartridge 120 passes through the flavor source, whereby flavor is added, and is then supplied to the mouthpiece 131 of the mouthpiece 130.

[0049] Next, the configuration of the lower lid 7a will be described in more detail. The lower lid 7a is configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis Ax extending in the left-right direction shown in Fig. 4. Specifically, the lower lid 7a moves from the closed state shown in Fig. 4 (a state in which the hollow portion of the cartridge holding portion 51 is covered) to the open state (a state in which the hollow portion of the cartridge holding portion 51 is exposed) by moving the front end of the lower lid 7a counterclockwise. As shown in Fig. 6, the pogo-pin substrate 22 is flat, and input-side contacts P1 to P3 each consisting of a protrusion protruding upward are provided at the rear end of the upper surface of the pogo-pin substrate 22. Furthermore, pogo-pins p1 to p3 each consisting of a protrusion protruding upward are provided at the front end of the upper surface of the pogo-pin substrate 22. The pogo-pin substrate 22 is fixed to the inner surface (upper surface) of the lower lid 7a. When the lower lid 7a is in the closed state, the input contacts P1 to P3 of the pogo-pin substrate 22 come into contact with terminals 81T to 83T of conductive patterns 81 to 83 provided on the main FPC 23 (described later), establishing an electrical connection between the main FPC 23 and the pogo-pin substrate 22. On the other hand, when the lower lid 7a is in the open state, the input contacts P1 to P3 of the pogo-pin substrate 22 are separated from the terminals 81T to 83T of the conductive patterns 81 to 83 and are not in contact with the conductive patterns 81 to 83. In other words, the electrical connection between the main FPC 23 and the pogo-pin substrate 22 is released. The main FPC 23 is housed in the case 3 so as not to be deformed by the opening and closing operation of the lower lid 7a. "The main FPC 23 does not deform" means that the position of the main FPC 23 within the case 3 does not change substantially.

[0050] In this way, the lower lid 7a and the pogo pin board 22 fixed thereto are parts to which force is applied when the first cartridge 110 is inserted into or removed from the cartridge holding portion 51. In this embodiment, the pogo pin board 22 is made of a rigid circuit board. By using an inexpensive and rigid rigid circuit board in such parts, the durability of the power supply unit 100 can be improved. In addition, in this embodiment, the electrical connection between the pogo pin board 22 and the main FPC 23 is established only when the lower lid 7a is closed. This makes the main FPC 23 less susceptible to damage than when the main FPC 23 is linked to the rotation of the lower lid 7a. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the first cartridge 110 is inserted or removed, no electrical contact is established between the main board 20 or the power supply ba and the first cartridge 110. This makes it less likely that an unintended short circuit current will occur, improving the safety of the power supply unit 100. In this embodiment, the input contacts P1 to P3 that come into contact with the main FPC 23 are each configured as a protrusion with a small contact area, which reduces the external force applied to the main FPC 23 when the lower lid 7a is opened or closed, and the stress caused by this external force. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when inserting or removing the second cartridge 120 into or from the capsule holder 4A, it is not necessary to insert or remove the first cartridge 110. In other words, the structure is such that opening and closing of the lower lid 7a is necessary to insert or remove the first cartridge 110, which is replaced less frequently than the second cartridge 120. This prevents the lower lid 7a from being opened and closed frequently, thereby improving the durability of the power supply unit 100.

[0051] (Circuit configuration) Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the circuit provided on the main board 20. In addition to the circuit of the main board 20, Fig. 9 shows the main FPC 23 connected to the main connector 20A of the main board 20, the puff sensor board 21 connected to the main FPC 23, the pogo pin board 22 connected to the main FPC 23, and the battery pack BP connected to the battery connector 20D.

[0052] The wiring indicated by the thick solid line in Figure 9 is wiring (wiring connected to the ground provided in the power supply unit 100) that has the same potential as the reference potential (ground potential, hereinafter referred to as 0V as an example) of the power supply unit 100, and this wiring will be referred to as the ground line below.

[0053] The main board 20 is provided with main ICs, which are electronic components formed by chipping multiple circuit elements, including a protection IC 2, a charging IC 3, an LDO (Low Dropout) regulator (hereinafter referred to as LDO) 4, a boost circuit 5 consisting of a DC / DC converter, an MCU 6, a load switch (hereinafter referred to as LSW) 7 consisting of a combination of capacitors, resistors, transistors, etc., a multiplexer 8, a flip-flop (hereinafter referred to as FF) 9, an AND gate (simply referred to as "AND" in Figure 9) 10, a boost circuit 11 consisting of a DC / DC converter, an operational amplifier OP1, and an operational amplifier OP2.

[0054] The main board 20 is further provided with switches Q1 to Q9 configured as MOSFETs (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors), resistors R1 to R12, RA, and RB having fixed electrical resistances, capacitors C1 and C2, varistors V and V1, a reactor L3 connected to the charging IC 3, a reactor L5 connected to the boost circuit 5, and a reactor L11 connected to the boost circuit 11. The switches Q3, Q4, Q7, Q8, and Q9 are each configured as N-channel MOSFETs. The switches Q1, Q2, Q5, and Q6 are each configured as P-channel MOSFETs. The potential of each of the gate terminals of the switches Q1 to Q8 is controlled by the MCU 6, thereby switching between an ON state and an OFF state.

[0055] In Figure 9, symbols for various terminals are written on each IC except for the operational amplifier. Terminals VCC and VDD mounted on the chip each indicate the high-potential side power supply terminal. Terminals VSS and GND mounted on the chip each indicate the low-potential side (reference potential side) power supply terminal. For chipped electronic components, the difference in potential between the high-potential side power supply terminal and the low-potential side power supply terminal becomes the power supply voltage (operating voltage). Chipped electronic components use this power supply voltage to perform various functions.

[0056] In Figure 9, the GND and VSS terminals of each IC except the operational amplifiers are connected to the ground line. In addition, the GND terminal of charging terminal 1, the negative power supply terminal of operational amplifier OP1, and the negative power supply terminal of operational amplifier OP2 are also connected to the ground line.

[0057] The battery connector 20D (see the left center of FIG. 9 ) provided on the main board 20 includes a terminal BAT connected to the detection terminal SNS of the charging IC 3 and the charging terminal BAT of the charging IC 3, a terminal GND connected to the ground line of the main board 20, and a terminal TH3 connected to terminal P25 of the MCU 6. The terminal BAT of the battery connector 20D is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply ba included in the battery pack BP by a lead wire 16. The terminal TH3 of the battery connector 20D is connected to the positive terminal of the power supply thermistor th3 included in the battery pack BP by a lead wire 16. The terminal GND of the battery connector 20D is connected to the negative terminal of the power supply ba and the negative terminal of the power supply thermistor th3 by lead wires 16.

[0058] The OLED connector 20C (see near the bottom left in Figure 9) provided on the main board 20 has a terminal VCC_R connected to the output terminal VOUT of the boost circuit 5, a terminal VDD connected to the output terminal OUT of the LDO4, a terminal RSTB connected to the terminal P24 of the MCU6, a communication terminal T3 connected to the communication terminal P28 of the MCU6 by a signal line SL, and a terminal VSS connected to the ground line of the main board 20.

[0059] A terminal VCC_R of the OLED connector 20C is connected to a drive voltage supply terminal of the OLED panel 17 via an OLED FPC 25. A terminal VDD of the OLED connector 20C is connected to a power supply terminal of the control IC that controls the OLED panel 17 via an OLED FPC 25. The voltage to be supplied to the drive voltage supply terminal of the OLED panel 17 is, for example, about 15 V, which is higher than the voltage to be supplied to the power supply terminal of the control IC for the OLED panel 17. A terminal VSS of the OLED connector 20C is connected to the ground terminals of the OLED panel 17 and the control IC for the OLED panel 17 via an OLED FPC 25. A terminal RSTB of the OLED connector 20C is connected to a terminal for restarting the control IC for the OLED panel 17 via an OLED FPC 25.

[0060] The signal line SL connected to the communication terminal T3 of the OLED connector 20C is also connected to the communication terminal T3 of the charging IC 3. This signal line SL enables the MCU 6 to communicate with the charging IC 3 and with the control IC of the OLED panel 17. This signal line SL is for serial communication, and in reality, multiple signal lines are required, such as a data line for data transmission and a clock line for synchronization. Please note that in FIG. 9, for simplicity, the signal line SL is illustrated as a single signal line. Note that communication between the MCU 6 and the charging IC 3 and the control IC of the OLED panel 17 may be performed by parallel communication instead of serial communication.

[0061] The debug connector 20E (see the lower left corner of FIG. 9 ) provided on the main board 20 includes a terminal VMCU connected to the output terminal OUT of the LDO 4, a terminal T1 (shown as one terminal in the figure but actually two terminals) connected to the communication terminal P23 of the MCU 6, a terminal T2 (shown as one terminal in the figure but actually two terminals) connected to the communication terminal P22 of the MCU 6, a terminal NRST connected to the terminal P27 of the MCU 6, and a terminal GND connected to the ground line of the main board 20. The terminal NRST is also connected to the drain terminal of a switch Q9, whose gate terminal is connected to the drain terminal of a switch Q7 and whose source terminal is connected to the ground line. The debug connector 20E is not used during normal use of the aerosol generation device 200, but is used by connecting it to a computer provided by the manufacturer or seller only when maintenance such as rewriting information (including programs) stored in the MCU 6 is required.

[0062] A main connector 20A (see the center right of FIG. 9) provided on the main board 20 has a terminal PUFF connected to terminal P19 of the MCU6, a terminal LED connected to the drain terminal of a switch Q8 whose gate terminal is connected to terminal P20 of the MCU6 and whose source terminal is connected to the ground line, a terminal VIB connected to the output terminal OUT of the LSW7, a terminal VOTG connected to the boost output terminal RN of the charging IC3, a terminal VMCU connected to the output terminal OUT of the LDO4 via a resistor R5, a terminal GND connected to the ground line, a terminal KEY connected to the output terminal OUT of the LDO4 via a voltage dividing circuit consisting of a resistor R4 and a resistor R3 connected in series with the resistor R4, and a terminal GND connected to the gate The terminals are: a terminal HT1 (P1) connected to the drain terminal of a switch Q1 having a gate terminal connected to a terminal P12 of the MCU6 and a source terminal connected to the output terminal VOUT of the boost circuit 11; a drain terminal of a switch Q2 having a gate terminal connected to a terminal P13 of the MCU6 and a source terminal connected to the output terminal VOUT of the boost circuit 11; a terminal HT1 (P2) connected to the drain terminal of a switch Q4 having a gate terminal connected to a terminal P17 of the MCU6 and a source terminal connected to the ground line; and a terminal HT1 (P3) connected to the drain terminal of a switch Q3 having a gate terminal connected to a terminal P18 of the MCU6 and a source terminal connected to the ground line.

[0063] Terminal HT1 (P1) of the main connector 20A is connected to input contact P1 connected to pogo pin p1 via the main FPC 23. Terminal HT1 (P2) of the main connector 20A is connected to input contact P2 connected to pogo pin p2 via the main FPC 23. Terminal HT1 (P3) of the main connector 20A is connected to input contact P3 connected to pogo pin p3 via the main FPC 23. Terminal KEY of the main connector 20A is connected to one end of a switch BT mounted on the main FPC 23 via wiring of the main FPC 23. The other end of this switch BT is connected to the ground line of the main FPC 23.

[0064] The heater connector 20B (see the upper right area in FIG. 9 ) provided on the main board 20 includes a first thermistor terminal TH1 connected to the positive terminal of a first thermistor th1 mounted on the heater FPC 24 via the wiring of the heater FPC 24, a second thermistor terminal TH2 connected to the positive terminal of a second thermistor th2 mounted on the heater FPC 24 via the wiring of the heater FPC 24, a seat heater terminal HT2 connected to the positive terminal of a seat heater HTR formed by the conductive pattern of the heater FPC 24 via the wiring of the heater FPC 24, and a terminal GND connected to the ground line of the main board 20. The heater FPC 24 is provided with wiring connected to the negative terminal of the first thermistor th1, the negative terminal of the second thermistor th2, and the negative terminal of the seat heater HTR, and this wiring is connected to the terminal GND of the heater connector 20B. The seat heater terminal HT2 is connected to the drain terminal of a switch Q5, whose gate terminal is connected to the terminal P11 of the MCU6 and whose source terminal is connected to the output terminal VOUT of the boost circuit 11.

[0065] The puff sensor board 21 (see near the bottom center in Figure 9) is equipped with a puff sensor connector 21A connected to the terminal group 15A of the suction sensor 15, a connector 21B connected to the main FPC 23, a vibration motor connector 21C connected to the vibration motor 13, an LED 21D, a varistor V, and a capacitor C2.

[0066] The connector 21B of the puff sensor board 21 has terminals (terminals PUFF, LED, VIB, VOTG, VMCU, and GND) connected to the terminals PUFF, LED, VIB, VOTG, VMCU, and GND of the main connector 20A by wiring formed on the main FPC 23. As described above, the main FPC 23 is provided with a switch BT connected between the terminal KEY of the main connector 20A and the ground line. When the switch BT is pressed, the terminal KEY is connected to the ground line of the main FPC 23, and the potential of the terminal KEY becomes the ground potential. On the other hand, when the switch BT is not pressed, the terminal KEY is not connected to the ground line of the main FPC 23, and the potential of the terminal KEY is undefined.

[0067] The puff sensor connector 21A of the puff sensor board 21 has a terminal GATE connected to the output terminal of the suction sensor 15, a terminal GND connected to the ground terminal of the suction sensor 15, and a terminal VDD connected to the power supply terminal of the suction sensor 15. The terminal GATE of the puff sensor connector 21A is connected to the terminal PUFF of the connector 21B. The terminal VDD of the puff sensor connector 21A is connected to the terminal VMCU of the connector 21B. The terminal GND of the puff sensor connector 21A is connected to the terminal GND of the connector 21B. One end of the varistor V is connected to the connection line between the terminal GATE of the puff sensor connector 21A and the terminal PUFF of the connector 21B, and the other end of the varistor V is connected to the ground line. Even if a large voltage is input to the terminal GATE from the suction sensor 15 side, the varistor V prevents the voltage from being input to other components of the puff sensor board 21 or the MCU 6. One end of capacitor C2 is connected to the connection line between terminal VDD of puff sensor connector 21A and terminal VMCU of connector 21B, and the other end of capacitor C2 is connected to the ground line. Even if an unstable voltage is input to terminal VDD of puff sensor connector 21A from main board 20, capacitor C2 allows a voltage smoothed by capacitor C2 to be input to suction sensor 15.

[0068] The vibration motor connector 21C of the puff sensor board 21 has a positive terminal connected to the terminal VIB of the connector 21B and a negative terminal connected to the ground line. The vibration motor 13 is connected to the positive and negative terminals.

[0069] The LED 21D of the puff sensor board 21 has an anode connected to the terminal VOTG of the connector 21B and a cathode connected to the terminal LED of the connector 21B.

[0070] The charging terminal 1 in the upper left of Figure 9 has four terminals GND and four power input terminals BUS. Each power input terminal BUS of the charging terminal 1 is connected in parallel to the input terminal VIN of the protection IC2. When a USB plug is connected to the charging terminal 1 and the USB cable including this USB plug is connected to an external power supply, i.e., when a USB connection is made, the USB voltage V is applied to the input terminal VIN of the protection IC2 via the power input terminal BUS of the charging terminal 1. USB is entered.

[0071] Protection IC2 detects the USB voltage V input to the input terminal VIN. USB Adjust the bus voltage V to the default value (5.0V as an example below). BUS The output terminal OUT of protection IC2 is connected in parallel to charging IC3, a voltage divider circuit consisting of a series circuit of resistors R1 and R2, and switch Q7. Specifically, the output terminal OUT of protection IC2 is connected to one end of resistor R2 that constitutes the voltage divider circuit, input terminal VBUS of charging IC3, and the drain terminal of switch Q7, whose gate terminal is connected to terminal P21 of MCU6 and whose source terminal is connected to the ground line. The other end of resistor R2 is connected to one end of resistor R1, and the other end of resistor R1 is connected to the ground line. The node connecting resistors R1 and R2 is connected to terminal P2 of MCU6. When a low-level signal is input from MCU6 to the negative logic enable terminal CE(￣), protection IC2 outputs the bus voltage V from the output terminal OUT. BUSWhen a high-level signal is input from MCU6 to the enable terminal CE(￣), the bus voltage V from the output terminal OUT BUS Stops output of

[0072] The charging IC3 detects the bus voltage V BUS The charging IC3 has a charging function that charges the power supply ba based on the detected voltage and current. The charging IC3 acquires the charging current and charging voltage of the power supply ba through the detection terminal SNS, and controls the charging of the power supply ba (controls the power supply supply from the charging terminal BAT to the power supply ba) based on these. The charging IC3 also acquires temperature information of the power supply ba, which the MCU6 acquires from the power supply thermistor th3 via terminal P25, from the MCU6 through serial communication using the signal line SL, and uses this information for charging control.

[0073] The charging IC3 detects the voltage of the power supply ba (hereinafter referred to as the power supply voltage V BAT ) to the system power supply voltage V SYS The first function generates and outputs from the output terminal SYS, and the second function generates the bus voltage V BUS to system power supply voltage V SYS The second function is to generate and output from the output terminal SYS, and the power supply voltage V input to the charging terminal BAT. BAT The OTG voltage V obtained by boosting OTG The third function is to output a voltage (for example, 5V) from the boost output terminal RN. The second function is only enabled when the USB is connected. In this way, the system power supply voltage V SYS and OTG voltage V OTG indicates a normal state in which the power supply ba can supply power to the charging IC 3, and if the charging IC 3 is operating normally, output from the charging IC 3 is possible at all times.

[0074] One end of reactor L3 is connected to the switching terminal SW of charging IC3. The other end of reactor L3 is connected to the output terminal SYS of charging IC3. Charging IC3 has a negative logic enable terminal CE(￣), which is connected to terminal P1 of MCU6. When a high-level signal is input to terminal P2 upon USB connection, MCU6 controls the potential of terminal P1 to low, thereby allowing charging control of power supply ba by charging IC3 and enabling the second function.

[0075] The charging IC3 further includes a negative logic terminal QON(￣). Terminal QON(￣) is connected to node N2, which connects resistors R3 and R4, and this node N2 is connected to terminal P21 of the MCU 6. When a low-level signal is input to terminal QON(￣), the charging IC3 stops outputting voltage from output terminal SYS.

[0076] The output terminal SYS of the charging IC 3 is connected in parallel to the LDO 4, the boost circuit 5, and the boost circuit 11. Specifically, the output terminal SYS of the charging IC 3 is connected to the control terminal CTL and the input terminal IN of the LDO 4, the input terminal VIN of the boost circuit 5, and the input terminal VIN of the boost circuit 11. The OTG voltage V output from the boost output terminal RN of the charging IC 3 is OTG is supplied to the anode of the LED 21D via the terminal VOTG of the main connector 20A and the terminal VOTG of the connector 21B. The cathode of the LED 21D is connected to the terminal LED of the connector 21B, the terminal LED of the main connector 20A, and ground via the switch Q8. Therefore, the MCU 6 controls the on / off of the switch Q8, thereby controlling the OTG voltage V OTG It is possible to control the lighting of the LED21D using this.

[0077] The boost circuit 5 includes a switching terminal SW, a positive logic enable terminal EN connected to the terminal P26 of the MCU 6, an output terminal VOUT, and a terminal GND. One end of a reactor L5 is connected to the switching terminal SW of the boost circuit 5. The other end of the reactor L5 is connected to the input terminal VIN of the boost circuit 5. The boost circuit 5 controls the on / off of an internal transistor connected to the switching terminal SW, thereby boosting the voltage input to the switching terminal SW via the reactor L5 and outputting it from the output terminal VOUT. The OLED voltage V output from the output terminal VOUT of the boost circuit 5 is OLED is a voltage large enough to drive the OLED panel 17, for example, 15V. The input terminal VIN of the boost circuit 5 constitutes the high-potential power supply terminal of the boost circuit 5. When the signal input from the terminal P26 of the MCU 6 to the enable terminal EN is at a high level, the boost circuit 5 raises the OLED voltage V OLED When the signal input from the terminal P26 of the MCU6 to the enable terminal EN is at low level, the OLED voltage V OLED In this way, the OLED panel 17 is driven and controlled by the MCU 6.

[0078] The boost circuit 11 includes an input terminal VIN, a switching terminal SW, an output terminal VOUT, a positive logic enable terminal EN, and a terminal GND. One end of a reactor L11 is connected to the switching terminal SW of the boost circuit 11. The other end of the reactor L11 is connected to the input terminal VIN of the boost circuit 11. The boost circuit 11 controls the on / off of an internal transistor connected to the switching terminal SW, thereby boosting the voltage input to the switching terminal SW via the reactor L11 and outputting it from the output terminal VOUT. The heating voltage V output from the output terminal VOUT of the boost circuit 11 is HEAT is a voltage of 4 V, for example. The input terminal VIN of the boost circuit 11 constitutes a power supply terminal on the high potential side of the boost circuit 11. When a signal input from an output terminal Y of an AND gate 10 (described later) to an enable terminal EN is at a high level, the boost circuit 11 outputs a heating voltage VHEAT When the signal input to this enable terminal EN is at low level, the heating voltage V HEAT Stops output of

[0079] A voltage divider circuit consisting of a capacitor C1, a series circuit of resistors R7 and R6, a multiplexer 8, a switch Q1, a switch Q2, and a switch Q5 are connected in parallel to the output terminal VOUT of the boost circuit 11. Specifically, the output terminal VOUT of the boost circuit 11 is connected to one end of the capacitor C1 connected to the ground line, the other end of the capacitor C1 connected to the ground line, an input terminal (the terminal of the resistor R7 opposite to the resistor R6 side) of the voltage divider circuit consisting of a resistor R6 connected to the ground line and a resistor R7 connected in series to the resistor R6, a terminal VCC of the multiplexer 8, a source terminal of the switch Q1, a source terminal of the switch Q2, and a source terminal of the switch Q5.

[0080] A resistor RA having an electrical resistance Ra is connected in parallel to the switch Q1, and a resistor RB having an electrical resistance Rb is connected in parallel to the switch Q2.

[0081] The multiplexer 8 has an input terminal B0, an input terminal B1, an output terminal A, and a select terminal SE. The multiplexer 8 switches between a state in which the input terminal B0 is connected to the output terminal A and a state in which the input terminal B1 is connected to the output terminal A, depending on a control signal input from a terminal P15 of the MCU 6 to the select terminal SE.

[0082] The input terminal B0 of the multiplexer 8 is connected to the line connecting the switch Q1 and the terminal HT1 (P1). The input terminal B1 of the multiplexer 8 is connected to the line connecting the switch Q2 and the terminal HT1 (P2). The output terminal A of the multiplexer 8 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. The inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the node connecting the resistors R7 and R6. The output terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the terminal P14 of the MCU6.

[0083] LDO4 operates when the signal input to the control terminal CTL is at a high level (in other words, when the system power supply voltage V SYS is output from the output terminal SYS of the charging IC3), the voltage input to the input terminal VIN (i.e., the system power supply voltage V SYS ) is converted to the system power supply voltage V MCU The output terminal OUT outputs the system power supply voltage V SYS is a value in the range of 3.5V to 4.2V, for example, and the system power supply voltage V MCU is 3.1V as an example.

[0084] The output terminal OUT of the LDO 4 is connected in parallel to the control IC of the OLED panel 17, the MCU 6, the LSW 7, the suction sensor 15, a series circuit consisting of resistors R3, R4, and switch BT, and the debug connector 20E. Specifically, the output terminal OUT of the LDO 4 is connected to the terminal VDD of the OLED connector 20C, the terminal VDD of the MCU 6, the input terminal VIN of the LSW7, one end of a resistor R5 (node ​​N1 in the figure) whose other end is connected to the terminal VMCU of the main connector 20A, the input end (node ​​N1 in the figure) of a voltage divider circuit consisting of resistors R4 and R3, and the terminal VMCU of the debug connector 20E.

[0085] The output terminal OUT of LDO4 is connected to the source terminal of switch Q6, whose gate terminal is connected to terminal P4 of MCU 6. The drain terminal of switch Q6 is connected in parallel to terminal VCC of AND gate 10, terminal VCC of FF9, one end of resistor R11, one end of resistor R12, the positive power supply terminal of operational amplifier OP2, one end of resistor R8, one end of resistor R9, and the positive power supply terminal of operational amplifier OP1.

[0086] The other end of the resistor R12 is connected to the second thermistor terminal TH2, and a series circuit of the resistor R12 and the second thermistor th2 connected to the second thermistor terminal TH2 is connected to the system power supply voltage V MCUThe second thermistor th2 forms a voltage divider circuit to which a voltage is applied. The output of this voltage divider circuit corresponds to the electrical resistance value (in other words, temperature) of the second thermistor th2 and is input to terminal P8 of the MCU 6. This allows the MCU 6 to acquire the temperature of the second thermistor th2. In this embodiment, the second thermistor th2 has an NTC characteristic in which the resistance value decreases as the temperature increases, but it may also have a PTC characteristic in which the resistance value increases as the temperature increases.

[0087] The other end of the resistor R9 is connected to one end of a resistor R10, and the other end of the resistor R10 is connected to the ground line. The series circuit of the resistors R9 and R10 is connected to the system power supply voltage V MCU This forms a voltage divider circuit to which a fixed voltage is applied. The output of this voltage divider circuit is connected to the inverting input terminal of operational amplifier OP2, to which a fixed voltage value is input. The other end of resistor R8 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal of operational amplifier OP2.

[0088] The other end of the resistor R8 is further connected to a first thermistor terminal TH1 and a terminal P9 of the MCU 6. A series circuit of the resistor R8 and the first thermistor th1 connected to the first thermistor terminal TH1 is connected to the system power supply voltage V MCU The voltage divider circuit forms a voltage divider circuit to which a voltage corresponding to the electrical resistance (i.e., temperature) of the first thermistor th1 is applied. The output of this voltage divider circuit corresponds to the electrical resistance (i.e., temperature) of the first thermistor th1 and is input to a terminal P9 of the MCU 6. This allows the MCU 6 to obtain the temperature of the first thermistor th1 (i.e., the temperature of the seat heater HTR). The output of this voltage divider circuit is also input to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP2. In this embodiment, the first thermistor th1 has an NTC characteristic, in which the resistance decreases with increasing temperature. Therefore, when the temperature of the first thermistor th1 (i.e., the temperature of the seat heater HTR) increases and exceeds the threshold value THD1, the output of the operational amplifier OP2 becomes low level. In other words, as long as the temperature of the first thermistor th1 (i.e., the temperature of the seat heater HTR) is within the normal range, the output of the operational amplifier OP2 becomes high level.

[0089] If the first thermistor th1 has a PTC characteristic in which its resistance value increases with increasing temperature, the output of a voltage divider circuit made up of the first thermistor th1 and resistor R8 may be connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP2, and the output of a voltage divider circuit made up of resistors R9 and R10 may be connected to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP2. Even in this case, the output of the operational amplifier OP2 becomes low when the temperature of the first thermistor th1 (the temperature of the seat heater HTR) rises and exceeds the threshold value THD1.

[0090] The output terminal of the operational amplifier OP2 is connected to the input terminal D of FF9. The node connecting the input terminal D of FF9 and the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP2 is connected to the other end of the resistor R11 and the negative logic clear terminal CLR(￣) provided on FF9. In other words, the input terminal D of FF9, the clear terminal CLR(￣) of FF9, and the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP2 are each connected to the system power supply voltage V MCU The supply line is pulled up by resistor R11.

[0091] FF9 has a clock terminal CLK, which is connected to terminal P7 of MCU6. FF9 has an output terminal Q, which is connected to one input terminal B of AND gate 10. When a clock signal is input from MCU6 to the clock terminal CLK and a high-level signal is input to the clear terminal CLR(￣), FF9 holds data (high or low data) according to the level of the signal input to input terminal D and outputs the held data from output terminal Q. When a clock signal is input from MCU6 to the clock terminal CLK and a low-level signal is input to the clear terminal CLR(￣), FF9 performs a reset process that outputs a low-level signal from output terminal Q regardless of the data it holds. This reset process is released by re-inputting the clock signal to the clock terminal CLK while a high-level signal is input to the clear terminal CLR(￣). That is, when a high-level signal is input to the clear terminal CLR( ), the supply of the clock signal to the clock terminal CLK is stopped, and then the supply of the clock signal is resumed, thereby clearing the state.

[0092] The other input terminal A of the AND gate 10 is connected to a terminal P6 of the MCU 6. An output terminal Y of the AND gate 10 is connected to a positive logic enable terminal EN of the boost circuit 11. The AND gate 10 outputs a high-level signal from its output terminal Y only when the signal input to its input terminal A and the signal input to its input terminal B are both high-level.

[0093] When a control signal is input from the MCU6 terminal P10 to the control terminal CTL, the LSW7 outputs the system power supply voltage V MCU The output terminal OUT of the LSW 7 is connected to the vibration motor 13 via the terminal VIB of the main board 20 and the terminal VIB of the puff sensor board 21. Therefore, when the MCU 6 inputs a control signal to the LSW 7, the system power supply voltage V MCU can be used to activate the vibration motor 13.

[0094] (Transition from standby mode to heating mode) The power supply unit 100 has the following operation modes: a sleep mode for saving power, a standby mode to which the power supply unit 100 can be switched from the sleep mode, and a heating mode to which the power supply unit 100 can be switched from the standby mode (a mode in which the power supply unit 100 generates aerosol by heating the liquid heater or the seat heater HTR). When the MCU 6 detects a specific operation (e.g., a long press) on the switch BT in the sleep mode, the MCU 6 switches the operation mode to the standby mode. When the MCU 6 detects a specific operation (e.g., a short press) on the switch BT in the standby mode, the MCU 6 switches the operation mode to the heating mode.

[0095] (Heating mode operation) Fig. 10 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components involved in the operation of the heating mode extracted from the circuit shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 10 additionally shows capacitor C3, which was not shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram showing electronic components involved in the heating control of the seat heater HTR and liquid heater, the drive control of the vibration motor 13, and the drive control of the LED 21D extracted from the circuit shown in Fig. 9. Hereinafter, the operation of the heating mode will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11.

[0096] When the MCU 6 transitions to the heating mode, it controls the switch Q6 shown in Fig. 10 to be in the ON state, whereby the system power supply voltage V is applied to each of the AND gate 10, FF9, resistor R11, operational amplifier OP2, resistor R11, a voltage dividing circuit consisting of resistors R9 and R10, a voltage dividing circuit consisting of resistor R8 and the first thermistor th1, a voltage dividing circuit consisting of resistor R12 and the second thermistor th2, and operational amplifier OP1. MCUis supplied. Furthermore, when the MCU 6 transitions to the heating mode, it controls the signal input from the terminal P6 to the input terminal A of the AND gate 10 to be at high level. Also, the MCU 6 starts inputting a clock signal to the clock terminal CLK of FF9. In this state, if the temperature of the first thermistor th1 (the temperature of the seat heater HTR) is within the normal range (less than the threshold THD1), the output of the operational amplifier OP2 becomes high level, and as a result, the output of FF9 becomes high level, and as a result, the output of the AND gate 10 becomes high level. Therefore, the heating voltage V HEAT The output of the heater starts, and the seat heater HTR and the liquid heater are ready to heat.

[0097] (Determine the liquid heater connection destination) The heating voltage V from the boost circuit 11 HEAT When output of the signal starts, as shown in FIG. 11, power can be supplied to the seat heater HTR connected to the seat heater terminal HT2 and to the liquid heaters connected to any two of the terminals HT1 (P1) to HT1 (P3) (FIG. 11 shows the liquid heater htr connected to the terminals HT1 (P1) and HT1 (P2)). In this state, the MCU 6 first determines which pair of pogo pins p1, p2, and p3 the liquid heater is connected to, based on the output of the operational amplifier OP1 shown in FIG. 9. This determination process includes the following first, second, and third steps.

[0098] (first step) The MCU 6 controls the connection between the input terminal B0 and the output terminal A of the multiplexer 8 while controlling only the switch Q4 among the switches Q1-Q4 to be on. In this state, if the electrical resistance between the terminal HT1 (P1) and the terminal HT1 (P2) is Rx, the voltage division value = V HEAT*{Rx / (Ra+Rx)} is input to the non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. The operational amplifier OP1 compares the voltage input to the non-inverting input terminal with the above-mentioned divided voltage value when a liquid heater is connected between terminals HT1 (P1) and HT1 (P2), and if the difference is small, the output of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes low level. Therefore, when the output of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes low level, the MCU6 determines that a liquid heater is connected between terminals HT1 (P1) and HT1 (P2).

[0099] (Second process) When the output of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes high level in the first step, the MCU 6 controls the multiplexer 8 to connect the input terminal B0 to the output terminal A while controlling only the switch Q3 of the switches Q1-Q4 to be on. In this state, if a liquid heater is connected between the terminal HT1 (P1) and the terminal HT1 (P3), the output of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes low level. Therefore, when the output of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes low level, the MCU 6 determines that a liquid heater is connected between the terminal HT1 (P1) and the terminal HT1 (P3).

[0100] (Third step) When the output of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes high level in the second step, the MCU 6 controls the multiplexer 8 to connect the input terminal B1 and the output terminal A with only the switch Q3 of the switches Q1-Q4 controlled to be on. In this state, if a liquid heater is connected between the terminal HT1 (P2) and the terminal HT1 (P3), the output of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes low level. Therefore, when the output of the operational amplifier OP1 becomes low level, the MCU 6 determines that a liquid heater is connected between the terminal HT1 (P2) and the terminal HT1 (P3).

[0101] If the output of the operational amplifier OP1 does not become low level in any of the first to third steps, the MCU 6 issues an error notification.

[0102] (Start of heating control) After the above-described determination process is completed, if the output level of the suction sensor 15 changes to a value corresponding to when the user performs suction, the MCU 6 starts heating control of the seat heater HTR and the liquid heater. Specifically, the MCU 6 controls the heating of the seat heater HTR by controlling the on / off state (e.g., PWM control or PFM control) of the switch Q5 shown in FIG. 11 . At this time, the MCU 6 also controls the heating of the seat heater HTR based on the temperature of the second thermistor th2 (in other words, the temperature of the seat heater HTR) acquired from the signal input to the terminal P8, so that the temperature of the seat heater HTR converges to a target temperature. For example, PID (Proportional-Integral-Differential) control is used for this heating control.

[0103] Furthermore, when a liquid heater is connected between terminals HT1 (P1) and HT1 (P2), the MCU 6 controls the heating of the liquid heater by controlling switch Q4 of switches Q1 to Q4 shown in Fig. 11 to the on state, controlling switches Q2 and Q3 to the off state, and controlling switch Q1 on and off (for example, PWM control or PFM control).When a liquid heater is connected between terminals HT1 (P1) and HT1 (P3), the MCU 6 controls the heating of the liquid heater by controlling switch Q3 of switches Q1 to the on state, controlling switches Q2 and Q4 to the off state, and controlling switch Q1 on and off. When a liquid heater is connected between terminal HT1 (P2) and terminal HT1 (P3), MCU6 controls the heating of the liquid heater by controlling switch Q3 of switches Q1 to Q4 to the on state, controlling switches Q1 and Q4 to the off state, and controlling switch Q2 on and off.

[0104] (Heater overheat protection) In the power supply unit 100, the electrical resistance values ​​of resistors R8, R9, and R10 are determined so that in heating mode, when the temperature of the first thermistor th1 exceeds the threshold THD1, the output of operational amplifier OP2 goes low. When the temperature of the first thermistor th1 exceeds the threshold THD1 and the output of operational amplifier OP2 goes low, a low signal is input to the clear terminal CLR(￣) of FF9. This enables the negative logic clear terminal CLR(￣) and forces the output of FF9 to go low, so the output of AND gate 10 also goes low, causing the boost circuit 11 to supply the heating voltage V HEAT In this way, the output signal of the operational amplifier OP2 is input to the boost circuit 11, which can reliably stop the power supply to the seat heater HTR, thereby increasing safety when the seat heater HTR becomes too hot.

[0105] In order to return the output of FF9 to a high level, the MCU 6 must re-input the clock signal to the clock terminal CLK of FF9 (in other words, restart FF9). In other words, even if the temperature of the first thermistor th1 returns to below the threshold value THD1 after the output from the boost circuit 11 has stopped, the output from the boost circuit 11 will not resume unless the MCU 6 performs a process to restart FF9.

[0106] Assume that the temperature of the first thermistor th1 exceeds the threshold THD1 because the MCU 6 freezes. In this case, a high-level signal continues to be input to the input terminal A of the AND gate 10, and a clock signal continues to be input to FF9. The aerosol generation device 200 is provided with a restart circuit RBT (see FIG. 12), which will be described in detail later, that allows the user to restart (reset) the MCU 6 by operating the switch BT. If the protection circuit functions because the MCU 6 freezes, the user restarts the MCU 6. The restart of the MCU 6 restarts FF9. Furthermore, the restart of the MCU 6 causes the signal input to the input terminal A of the AND gate 10 to go low. Furthermore, since the switch Q6 is in the off state when the MCU 6 restarts, the potential of the signal at the input terminal B of the AND gate 10 becomes undefined. Therefore, the output from the boost circuit 11 does not resume simply because the MCU 6 has restarted. After the MCU 6 is restarted, the user switches the operation mode to the heating mode, causing the signal input to the input terminal A of the AND gate 10 to go high. Also, the switch Q6 goes on, causing the signal input to the input terminal B of the AND gate 10 to go high. This causes the output from the boost circuit 11 to resume.

[0107] (Configuration and operation of restart circuit RBT) FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram showing the electronic components involved in restarting the MCU 6, extracted from the circuit shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 12 shows the restart circuit RBT. The restart circuit RBT includes a voltage divider circuit consisting of resistors R3 and R4, a switch BT, terminals KEY and GND of the main connector 20A, switches Q7 and Q9, a charging IC 3, an LDO 4, and a terminal NRST of the debug connector 20E. In this embodiment, the restart circuit RBT enables the MCU 6 to be restarted by operating the switch BT (for example, by pressing and holding it) or by receiving a command from an external device connected to the debug connector 20E. The MCU 6 is configured to restart when the signal input to terminal P27 remains low for a predetermined period of time. The charging IC 3 is also configured to restart when the signal input to terminal QON( ) remains low for a predetermined period of time.

[0108] (Resetting MCU6 using switch BT) First, the operation when restarting the MCU 6 without using the debug connector 20E will be described. Resistors R3 and R4 have resistance values ​​that cause the output of the voltage divider circuit of resistors R3 and R4 to be high when switch BT is not pressed. This high-level signal is input to terminal QON(￣) of charging IC3, so in this state charging IC3 is not reset, and the system power supply voltage V from output terminal SYS is SYS The system power supply voltage V SYS The system power supply voltage V from the output terminal OUT of LDO4 is maintained. MCU Therefore, the MCU6 continues to operate without stopping. Also, this high-level signal is input to the gate terminal of the switch Q7. Therefore, when the USB is connected (bus voltage V BUSis output from the charging IC3), switch Q7 is turned on, and as a result, the potential of the gate terminal of switch Q9 becomes low (ground level), and switch Q9 is turned off. When switch Q9 is off, the potential of terminal P27 of MCU6 becomes undefined, so MCU6 does not restart.

[0109] Resistors R3 and R4 have resistance values ​​such that when switch BT is pressed, the output of the voltage divider circuit of resistors R3 and R4 is at a low level. In other words, resistors R3 and R4 are connected to the system power supply voltage V MCU This low-level signal is input to the terminal QON(￣) of the charging IC3, and if this state continues for a certain period of time, the charging IC3 will output the system power supply voltage V from the output terminal SYS. SYS The output of the system power supply voltage V SYS When the output of the LDO4 is stopped, the voltage output from LDO4 is stopped and the system power supply voltage V is applied to the VDD pin of MCU6. MCU is no longer input and MCU6 stops.

[0110] This low-level signal is also input to the gate terminal of switch Q7. Therefore, when USB is connected (bus voltage V BUS is output from the charging IC3), the switch Q7 is turned off, and as a result, the potential of the gate terminal of the switch Q9 is high level (bus voltage V BUS ) and the switch Q9 is turned on. When the switch Q9 is turned on, the potential of the terminal P27 of the MCU6 becomes low level (ground level). If the switch BT is pressed continuously for a predetermined time, a low level signal is input to the terminal P27 of the MCU6 for a predetermined time, and the MCU6 executes the restart process. When the pressing of the switch BT is stopped, the charging IC3 is turned on and the system power supply voltage V SYS To resume the output of the MCU6, the system power supply voltage V MCU is entered and MCU6 starts up.

[0111] (Resetting MCU6 using debug connector 20E) When restarting the MCU6 using the debug connector 20E, a USB connection is made, and an external device is further connected to the debug connector 20E. In this state, if the switch BT is not pressed, the switch Q9 is in the off state, and the potential of the terminal P27 of the MCU6 depends on the input from the external device. Therefore, when an operator operates the external device to input a low-level restart signal to the terminal NRST, the restart signal is input to the terminal P27 continuously for a predetermined time. Upon receiving this restart signal, the MCU6 executes the restart process.

[0112] (Detailed configuration of main FPC23) Next, the main FPC 23 will be described in detail. Fig. 13 is a front view of the main FPC 23 as viewed from the left side, with the thickness direction of the main FPC 23 aligned with the left-right direction. Fig. 14 is a front view of the main FPC 23 as viewed from the right side, with the thickness direction of the main FPC 23 aligned with the left-right direction. Fig. 15 is an enlarged view of the area AR shown in Fig. 14.

[0113] The main FPC 23 has a two-layer structure including a surface layer 231 (see FIG. 13 ) disposed on the first case 3A side and a back layer 232 (see FIG. 14 ) disposed to the right of the surface layer 231. A conductive pattern and a ground pattern having a reference potential are provided on the left surface of the surface layer 231 and the right surface of the back layer 232, respectively. The conductive patterns formed on the main FPC 23 include conductive patterns 81-83 through which power for atomizing the aerosol source (power supplied to the liquid heater) flows, a control conductive pattern connected to elements controlled by the MCU 6 (LED 21D and vibration motor 13), and an input conductive pattern connected to elements that input signals to the MCU 6 (suction sensor 15 and switch BT). Because the conductive patterns 81-83 are used to heat the liquid heater, a large amount of power flows through them. Therefore, it is preferable that the conductive patterns 81-83 have low resistance so as to suppress heat generation and noise and to supply power to the liquid heater with high efficiency. The conductive patterns 81 to 83 are wider than the control conductive patterns and the input conductive patterns, so as to suppress heat generation and noise.

[0114] The main FPC 23 is assembled to the inner unit 2A in a state where it is folded along folding lines LN1 to LN6, which are indicated by straight, dashed lines in FIGS. 13 and 14 . Hereinafter, the folds created by folding along folding lines LN1 to LN6 will be referred to as fold lines l1 to l6. The main FPC 23 includes multiple sections defined by fold lines l1 to l6. Specifically, the main FPC 23 includes a first section PA1 located outside (toward the edge) of fold line l1, a second section PA2 located between fold lines l1 and l2, a third section PA3 located inside fold lines l2, l3, l4, and l5, a fourth section PA4 located outside (toward the edge) of fold line l4, a fifth section PA5 located outside (toward the edge) of fold line l3, a sixth section PA6 located between fold lines l5 and l6, and a seventh section PA7 located outside (toward the edge) of fold line l6. Of these portions, the third portion PA3 has the largest plane area.

[0115] The main FPC 23 is folded toward the front and right side of the paper in FIG. 13 at the fold line LN2, and is folded back from front to back in the state shown in FIG. 4. The main FPC 23 is folded toward the front side of the paper in FIG. 13 at the fold line LN1. The main FPC 23 is folded toward the back side of the paper in FIG. 13 at the fold lines LN3 to LN6. The first portion PA1 is fixed to the chassis 50, but the second portion PA2 is not fixed anywhere and is in a free state. However, as described above, the heater FPC 24 and the OLED FPC 25 prevent the second portion PA2 from lifting up. Note that the second portion PA2 is narrower than the third portion PA3 and has folds at both ends extending in different directions, so that it is more susceptible to stress than other portions.

[0116] In this way, since the main FPC 23 is folded at each of the fold lines LN1 to LN6, the main FPC 23 can be flexibly routed within the case 3 while occupying less space within the case 3 compared to when the main FPC 23 is curved. The greater the acuteness of the smaller angle between adjacent portions of each of the fold lines l1 to l6, the stronger the stress applied to each of the fold lines l1 to l6. Therefore, to reduce stress, it is preferable to set the smaller angle (fold angle) between adjacent portions of the main FPC 23 separated by each of the fold lines l1 to l6 to 90 degrees or greater. This improves the durability of the main FPC 23.

[0117] As shown in Fig. 14, a board connector CN1 is mounted on the fourth portion PA4 of the back layer 232 between the folding line LN4 and the edge 4e of the fourth portion PA4. An enlarged view of the board connector CN1 is shown in the area surrounded by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 14. The board connector CN1 is a portion that is connected to the main connector 20A of the main board 20, and includes terminals (terminal KEY, terminal PUFF, terminal VMCU, terminal VOTG, terminal LED, terminal VIB, terminal GND, terminal HT1(P1), terminal HT1(P2), and terminal HT1(P3)) that are connected to the terminal KEY, terminal PUFF, terminal VMCU, terminal VOTG, terminal LED, terminal VIB, terminal GND, terminal HT1(P1), terminal HT1(P2), and terminal HT1(P3) of the main connector 20A, respectively.

[0118] The thick lines in Figures 13 and 14 indicate conductive patterns made of conductive material. The terminal KEY of the board connector CN1 is connected to a via B11 formed adjacent to the edge 4e side by an input conductive pattern. The vias in the main FPC 23 electrically connect the conductive patterns on the front layer 231 and the back layer 232 and are conductors that penetrate the main FPC 23 in the thickness direction and extend in the thickness direction. The terminal PUFF of the board connector CN1 is connected to a via B9 formed adjacent to the edge 4e side by an input conductive pattern. The terminal VMCU of the board connector CN1 is connected to a via B10 formed adjacent to the edge 4e side by an input conductive pattern. The terminal VOTG of the board connector CN1 is connected to a via B6 formed in the third portion PA3 by a control conductive pattern. The terminal VLED of the board connector CN1 is connected to a via B7 formed in the third portion PA3 by a control conductive pattern. Terminal VIB of board connector CN1 is connected to via B8 formed in third portion PA3 by a control conductive pattern. For each of vias B6 to B11, the name of the terminal to which it is connected is written in parentheses.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 13, the vias B6 to B11 each reach the surface layer 231. Vias B4 and B5 are provided in the fifth portion PA5 of the surface layer 231. An input conductive pattern connecting the vias B9 and B4 and an input conductive pattern connecting the vias B10 and B5 are formed in the surface layer 231. Vias B1, B2, and B3 are provided in a region of the third portion PA3 of the surface layer 231 adjacent to the fifth portion PA5. A control conductive pattern connecting the vias B6 and B1 is formed in the surface layer 231, a control conductive pattern connecting the vias B7 and B2 is formed, and a control conductive pattern connecting the vias B8 and B3 is formed. A via B12 is provided in a region of the third portion PA3 of the surface layer 231 close to the second portion PA2. An input conductive pattern connecting the vias B11 and B12 is formed in the surface layer 231.

[0120] As shown in Fig. 14, vias B1 to B5 and via B12 each reach the back layer 232. A board connector CN2 is mounted in the fifth portion PA5 of the back layer 232 between the folding line LN3 and the edge 5e of the fifth portion PA5. An enlarged view of the board connector CN2 is shown in the area surrounded by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 14. The board connector CN2 is a part that connects to the connector 21B of the puff sensor board 21, and includes terminals (terminal VOTG, terminal LED, terminal VIB, terminal GND, terminal PUFF, and terminal VMCU) that connect to the terminals VOTG, terminal LED, terminal VIB, terminal GND, terminal PUFF, and terminal VMCU of the connector 21B, respectively.

[0121] On the back layer 232, there are formed a control conductive pattern that connects via B1 and the terminal VOTG of the board connector CN2, a control conductive pattern that connects via B2 and the terminal LED of the board connector CN2, a control conductive pattern that connects via B3 and the terminal VIB of the board connector CN2, an input conductive pattern that connects via B4 and the terminal PUFF of the board connector CN2, and an input conductive pattern that connects via B5 and the terminal VMCU of the board connector CN2. In Fig. 14, the name of the terminal to which the board connector CN2 is connected is written in parentheses for each of vias B1 to B5.

[0122] As shown in Fig. 15, the first portion PA1 of the back layer 232 is formed with a terminal TH to which the positive terminal of the switch BT is connected, a terminal TL to which the negative terminal of the switch BT is connected, a ground pattern G3 having a reference potential, and a terminal TV to which the positive terminal of the varistor V1 shown in Fig. 9 is connected. The terminal TL is formed integrally with the ground pattern G3. The back layer 232 is formed with an input conductive pattern PTx that connects the terminal TH and the terminal TV to the via B12. Even if external noise such as static electricity enters through the switch BT directly mounted on the main FPC 23, the varistor V1, which serves as an overvoltage protection element and is arranged near the switch BT, prevents this noise from affecting other electrical components mounted on the main FPC 23.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 14 , the input conductive pattern PTx is paralleled at a portion D1 overlapping with the fold line LN1 and at a portion D2 overlapping with the fold line LN2. Specifically, the input conductive pattern PTx branches into two at a position closer to the third portion PA3 than the fold line LN2, crosses the fold line LN2 to reach the second portion PA2, and then returns to a single branch. The input conductive pattern PTx also branches into two at a position closer to the second portion PA2 than the fold line LN1, crosses the fold line LN1 to reach the first portion PA1, and then returns to a single branch. The second portion PA2 is particularly subject to stress at the folds at both ends. By paralleling the input conductive patterns PTx formed in this portion, even if one of the two input conductive patterns PTx is disconnected, the other input conductive pattern PTx can continue to be used.

[0124] On the back layer 232, one end of the conductive pattern 82 is connected to the terminal HT1 (P2) of the board connector CN1. The conductive pattern 82 extends from the terminal HT1 (P2) of the board connector CN1 toward the edge 4e, then turns back toward the third portion PA3, and reaches the seventh portion PA7 via the third portion PA3. Four vias 82b are connected to the other end of the conductive pattern 82. As shown in FIG. 13, the four vias 82b reach the seventh portion PA7 of the front layer 231. Terminals 82T connected to the four vias 82b are provided on the seventh portion PA7 of the front layer 231.

[0125] On the back layer 232, one end of the conductive pattern 83 is connected to the terminal HT1 (P3) of the board connector CN1. The conductive pattern 83 extends from the terminal HT1 (P3) of the board connector CN1 toward the third portion PA3, and reaches the seventh portion PA7 via the third portion PA3. Four vias 83b are connected to the other end of the conductive pattern 83. As shown in FIG. 13, the four vias 83b reach the seventh portion PA7 of the surface layer 231. Terminals 83T are provided on the seventh portion PA7 of the surface layer 231 to connect to the four vias 83b.

[0126] On the back layer 232, one end of the conductive pattern 81 is connected to the terminal HT1 (P1) of the board connector CN1. The conductive pattern 81 extends from the terminal HT1 (P1) of the board connector CN1 toward the edge 4e and is formed in the fourth portion PA4. A via 81b is connected to the conductive pattern 81. As shown in FIG. 13, the via 81b reaches the fourth portion PA4 of the surface layer 231. One end of the conductive pattern 81 connected to this via 81b is provided in the fourth portion PA4 of the surface layer 231. The conductive pattern 81 on the surface layer 231 reaches the seventh portion PA7 via the third portion PA3. The other end of the conductive pattern 81 on the surface layer 231 is configured to be wide, and this portion forms the terminal 81T.

[0127] The seventh portion PA7 has the backing layer 232 fixed to the underside of the chassis 50 with its thickness aligned with the vertical direction. This portion is exposed when the lower lid 7a is in the open position. When the lower lid 7a is in the closed position, the input contact P1 of the lower lid 7a contacts the terminal 81T, the input contact P2 of the lower lid 7a contacts the terminal 82T, and the input contact P3 of the lower lid 7a contacts the terminal 83T, thereby establishing electrical connections between the pogo pin substrate 22, the liquid heater, and the main FPC 23. Thus, the conductive patterns 81-83 contact the input contacts P1-P3 at the terminals 81T-83T. Therefore, it is preferable that the thickness of the conductive patterns 81-83 be thickest at the terminals 81T-83T and thinner at the portions other than the terminals 81T-83T. This configuration enhances the durability of the terminals 81T-83T.

[0128] The conductive patterns 81 to 83 on the main FPC 23 are formed across the front layer 231 and the back layer 232. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the conductive patterns 81 to 83 are provided on a single layer, the width of each of the conductive patterns 81 to 83 can be made wider for the same area of ​​the main FPC 23. Alternatively, the main FPC 23 may have a three-layer structure, for example, with the conductive patterns 81 to 83 distributed across each layer. Compared to this configuration, the main FPC 23 of this embodiment has fewer layers, resulting in a simpler structure and reduced manufacturing costs and weight. Furthermore, the conductive patterns 81 to 83 on the main FPC 23 of this embodiment are each formed as a single line, without being branched like the input conductive pattern PTx. By forming the conductive patterns 81 to 83 in this manner with a thick, simple shape, it is possible to prevent breaks at the folds and suppress heat and noise by reducing resistance and inductance.

[0129] The width of the main FPC 23, excluding the third portion PA3 and the fourth portion PA4, is smaller than the combined width of the conductive patterns 81 to 83. In this embodiment, the main FPC 23 has a two-layer structure, with the conductive pattern 81 formed on the front layer 231 and the conductive patterns 82 and 83 formed on the back layer 232, thereby reducing the width of the main FPC 23 excluding the third portion PA3 and the fourth portion PA4. In other words, this embodiment allows the formation of three thick conductive patterns without using an excessively large main FPC 23.

[0130] The conductive patterns formed on the surface layer 231, including the control conductive pattern connecting via B1 and via B6, the control conductive pattern connecting via B2 and via B7, and the control conductive pattern connecting via B3 and via B8, are formed to extend in the front-rear direction across the conductive patterns 82 and 83 formed on the back layer 232 in a front view of the main FPC 23. The conductive patterns formed on the surface layer 231, including the input conductive pattern connecting via B11 and via B12, the input conductive pattern connecting via B4 and via B9, and the input conductive pattern connecting via B5 and via B10, are formed to extend in the front-rear direction across either the conductive pattern 82 or the conductive pattern 83 formed on the back layer 232 in a front view of the main FPC 23. In this way, the control conductive pattern and the input conductive pattern formed on the surface layer 231 are configured to overlap the conductive patterns 82 and 83 formed on the back layer 232 in a front view of the main FPC 23. With this configuration, the widths of the conductive patterns 82 and 83 can be increased without interfering with the control conductive patterns and the input conductive patterns.

[0131] 13, a large-area ground pattern G1 is formed on the surface layer 231, spanning the first portion PA1 to the sixth portion PA6. This ground pattern G1 has a gap Ga3 at a position overlapping with the folding line LN3, a gap Ga2 at a position overlapping with the folding line LN2, and a gap Ga1 at a position overlapping with the folding line LN1. By providing these gaps Ga1-Ga3, it is possible to release stress acting on the folding lines l1-l3 in the ground pattern G1.

[0132] 14, two ground patterns G2, each smaller in area than ground pattern G1, are formed on back layer 232 across third portion PA3 to fifth portion PA5. Ground pattern G2 on the lower left side of the drawing is connected to terminal GND of board connector CN1. Ground pattern G2 on the upper right side of the drawing is connected to terminal GND of board connector CN2.

[0133] As shown in Fig. 14, in the back layer 232, no ground patterns are formed in the second portion PA2, the sixth portion PA6, and the seventh portion PA7. That is, the ground patterns G2 and G3 are formed to avoid some of the folds 11 to 17 (folds 11, 12, 15, and 16). Ground patterns are generally formed using large-area copper foil, but such large-area copper foils have few escape routes for stress caused by the folds. Therefore, in the back layer 232, no ground patterns are provided at the folds 11, 12, 15, and 16, thereby ensuring escape routes for stress.

[0134] Meanwhile, the ground pattern G1 formed on the front layer 231 is also formed at folds l1, l2, and l5 on the back layer 232, where overlap with the ground pattern is avoided. In other words, the only folds on the front layer 231 and back layer 232 where the ground pattern overlaps are folds l3 and l4. By reducing the number of folds on the front layer 231 and back layer 232 where the ground pattern overlaps, it is possible to prevent disconnection of the ground pattern while increasing the area of ​​the ground pattern. The stability of the reference potential in the ground pattern is largely dependent on the area of ​​the ground pattern. With the main FPC 23, the ground pattern is formed across the front layer 231 and back layer 232 as described above, thereby increasing the area of ​​the ground pattern.

[0135] In the second portion PA2, no ground pattern is formed on the back layer 232, and the ground pattern G1 is formed only on the front layer 231. As described above, the second portion PA2 is a portion to which stress is easily applied. For this reason, by providing only the input conductive pattern PTx on the back layer 232, the flexibility of the second portion PA2 can be ensured, and the durability of the main FPC 23 can be improved.

[0136] The ground patterns G2 and G3 may be formed so as to avoid all of the folds 11 to 17. In this case, the ground pattern G1 may be formed on the surface layer 231 in part or all of the folds 11 to 17.

[0137] 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.

[0138] (1) Power supply (power supply ba) and Atomizer connectors (pogo pins p1 to p3) electrically connected to an atomizer (liquid heater) that atomizes the aerosol source; a rigid circuit board (main board 20) configured to be able to control the power supplied from the power source to the atomizer connector; a flexible circuit board (main FPC23) connected to the rigid circuit board and the atomizer connector and including a plurality of conductive patterns (conductive patterns 81 to 83) through which power for atomizing the aerosol source flows; The flexible circuit board includes a first layer (surface layer 231) and a second layer (back layer 232), the plurality of conductive patterns are formed on the first layer and the second layer; A power supply unit (power supply unit 100) for the aerosol generating device.

[0139] To generate a sufficient amount of aerosol from the aerosol source, a large amount of power (large current) must be supplied to the atomizer. If such a large amount of power (large current) is passed through a narrow conductive pattern, the apparent electrical resistance (parasitic resistance) increases, generating heat and noise. According to (1), the conductive pattern is formed across multiple layers of the flexible circuit board, allowing the width of the conductive pattern to be increased. Therefore, even when generating a sufficient amount of aerosol, the heat and noise generated by the flexible circuit board can be reduced. The width of the conductive pattern refers to the distance perpendicular to the direction of current flow.

[0140] (2) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1), the flexible circuit board has a portion (excluding the third portion PA3 and the fourth portion PA4) having a width smaller than the sum of the widths of the plurality of conductive patterns; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0141] According to (2), the width of the conductive pattern can be increased without using an excessively wide flexible circuit board, which reduces the manufacturing cost and size of the power supply unit while also reducing the heat and noise generated by the flexible circuit board.

[0142] (3) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1) or (2), a board connector (board connector CN1) mounted on the flexible circuit board and connecting the flexible circuit board and the rigid circuit board; The plurality of conductive patterns include a first conductive pattern (conductive pattern 83) extending from an edge of the board connector on a first direction side, and a second conductive pattern (conductive pattern 81) extending from an edge of the board connector on a second direction side different from the first direction, Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0143] According to (3), the width of the conductive pattern can be made wider than when multiple conductive patterns are drawn out from the edge of the same side of the board connector, so that the heat and noise generated in the flexible circuit board can be reduced even when a sufficient amount of aerosol is generated.

[0144] (4) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (3), The board connector is mounted on an end portion (fourth portion PA4) of the second layer, the first conductive pattern is formed on the second layer; the second conductive pattern is formed on the first layer and the second layer; a via (via 81b) connecting the second conductive pattern formed on the first layer and the second conductive pattern formed on the second layer; The edge on the second direction side is closer to the edge (edge ​​4e) of the end of the second layer than the edge on the first direction side. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0145] According to (4), heat tends to concentrate at the location where the second conductive pattern is connected between the first and second layers because the second conductive pattern, vias, and second conductive pattern formed on the first layer overlap in the thickness direction. By locating such a location where heat tends to concentrate near the edge of the flexible circuit board, the location is more susceptible to air cooling, which makes it easier to eliminate heat concentration. This reduces the impact of heat on electrical components mounted on the flexible circuit board and other patterns formed on the flexible circuit board. Furthermore, the durability of the power supply unit is improved.

[0146] (5) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (4), Equipped with a controller (MCU6), The flexible circuit board includes at least one of another conductive pattern (control conductive pattern) connected to elements (LED 21D and vibration motor 13) controlled by the controller, which is different from the plurality of conductive patterns, and another conductive pattern (input conductive pattern) connected to elements (suction sensor 15 and switch BT) that input signals to the controller. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0147] According to (5), by forming not only a conductive pattern but also a separate conductive pattern for control or input on one flexible circuit board, the number of components in the power supply unit can be reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost and size of the power supply unit.

[0148] (6) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (5), the separate conductive pattern is formed on the first layer and the second layer; the separate conductive pattern formed on one of the first layer and the second layer overlaps with the conductive pattern formed on the other of the first layer and the second layer in a front view of the flexible circuit board. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0149] According to (6), the width of the conductive pattern can be increased without interfering with other conductive patterns, which allows other conductive patterns and other conductive patterns to coexist on a single flexible circuit board, while reducing the heat and noise that can be generated by the conductive patterns.

[0150] (7) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (6), a board connector (board connector CN1) mounted on the flexible circuit board and connecting the flexible circuit board and the rigid circuit board; The separate conductive pattern includes a first pattern extending from an edge of the board connector on a first direction side, and a second pattern extending from an edge of the board connector on a second direction side different from the first direction. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0151] According to (7), by using separate conductive patterns for multiple controls or inputs, the number of controls that the controller can perform increases and the accuracy of each control improves, thereby increasing the functionality of the power supply unit while reducing manufacturing costs and size.

[0152] (8) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (5) to (7), The flexible circuit board includes folds (folds 11 to 16), The separate conductive pattern includes a parallel arrangement of portions (portions D1 and D2) formed at the fold (input conductive pattern PTx). Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0153] Since stress is concentrated at the fold, if there is a thin conductive pattern at the fold, there is a risk that the conductive pattern may be damaged (broken). According to (8), the separate conductive pattern includes a parallel portion formed at the fold, so even if part of this parallel separate conductive pattern is broken, the separate conductive pattern can continue to be used. As a result, the durability of the power supply unit is improved.

[0154] (9) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (8), A portion of the conductive pattern formed at the fold is not paralleled. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0155] According to (9), the conductive pattern for supplying power to the atomizer is preferably thick and simple in shape, so it is less likely to break (break) even when stress is applied at the fold. By not arranging such conductive patterns in parallel at the fold, the width of the flexible circuit board can be maximized and made wider.

[0156] (10) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (9), The flexible circuit board includes ground patterns (ground patterns G1, G2, G3) having a reference potential. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0157] According to (10), by forming not only a conductive pattern but also a ground pattern on one flexible circuit board, the number of parts in the power supply unit can be reduced, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost and size of the power supply unit.

[0158] (11) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (10), the ground pattern is formed on the first layer and the second layer; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0159] The stability of the reference potential in a ground pattern depends greatly on the area of ​​the ground pattern. According to (11), by forming the ground pattern across multiple layers of the flexible circuit board, the area of ​​the ground pattern can be increased. This stabilizes the reference potential and the operation of the power supply unit.

[0160] (12) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (10) or (11), The flexible circuit board includes folds (folds 11 to 16), Gaps (gaps Ga1, Ga2, Ga3) are provided in the portions of the ground pattern that are formed at the folds. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0161] Since stress is concentrated at the folds, ground patterns, which generally have complex shapes, are at risk of breakage (disconnection). According to (12), providing gaps in the ground pattern provides an escape route for this stress, improving the durability of the power supply unit.

[0162] (13) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (1) or (2), the plurality of conductive patterns include a first conductive pattern (conductive pattern 81), a second conductive pattern (conductive pattern 82), and a third conductive pattern (conductive pattern 83); the second conductive pattern and the third conductive pattern are formed on the second layer; the first conductive pattern is formed on the first layer; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0163] According to (13), since it is not necessary to multi-layer the flexible circuit board by the number of conductive patterns, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost and weight of the flexible circuit board while reducing the heat and noise that may be generated in the conductive patterns.

[0164] (14) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to (13), a board connector (board connector CN1) mounted on the flexible circuit board, connecting the flexible circuit board and the rigid circuit board, and mounted on the second layer; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0165] Conductive patterns formed on layers where connectors are not mounted tend to have more complex structures and shapes than conductive patterns formed on layers where connectors are mounted, because they need to be connected with vias. According to (14), a large number of conductive patterns formed on layers where connectors are mounted makes it easier to manufacture flexible circuit boards, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of power supply units. [Explanation of symbols]

[0166] 100 Power Supply Units 20 Main board 23 Main FPC 231 Surface layer 232 Lining 81, 82, 83 Conductive patterns ba power supply p1, p2, p3 pogo pins

Claims

1. Power supply and an atomizer connector electrically connected to an atomizer that atomizes the aerosol source; a rigid circuit board configured to be able to control the power supplied from the power source to the atomizer connector; a flexible circuit board connected to the rigid circuit board and the atomizer connector, the flexible circuit board including a plurality of conductive patterns through which power for atomizing the aerosol source flows; a controller; the flexible circuit board includes a first layer and a second layer; the plurality of conductive patterns are formed on the first layer and the second layer; the flexible circuit board includes at least one of another conductive pattern different from the plurality of conductive patterns, the another conductive pattern being connected to an element controlled by the controller, and another conductive pattern being connected to an element that inputs a signal to the controller; the flexible circuit board includes a fold; the separate conductive pattern includes a portion formed at the fold that is parallel to the other portion; A portion of the conductive pattern formed at the fold is not paralleled. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

2. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, the flexible circuit board has a portion having a width smaller than the sum of the widths of the plurality of conductive patterns; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

3. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, a board connector mounted on the flexible circuit board and connecting the flexible circuit board and the rigid circuit board; The plurality of conductive patterns include a first conductive pattern extending from an edge of the board connector on a first direction side, and a second conductive pattern extending from an edge of the board connector on a second direction side different from the first direction. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

4. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 3, the board connector is mounted to an end of the second layer; the first conductive pattern is formed on the second layer; the second conductive pattern is formed on the first layer and the second layer; a via that connects the second conductive pattern formed on the first layer and the second conductive pattern formed on the second layer; the edge on the second direction side is closer to the edge of the end of the second layer than the edge on the first direction side; 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 separate conductive pattern is formed on the first layer and the second layer, the separate conductive pattern formed on one of the first layer and the second layer overlaps with the conductive pattern formed on the other of the first layer and the second layer in a front view of the flexible circuit board; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

6. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 5, a board connector mounted on the flexible circuit board and connecting the flexible circuit board and the rigid circuit board; The separate conductive pattern includes a first pattern extending from an edge of the board connector on a first direction side, and a second pattern extending from an edge of the board connector on a second direction side different from the first direction. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

7. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the flexible circuit board includes a ground pattern having a reference potential; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

8. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 7, the ground pattern is formed on the first layer and the second layer; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

9. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 7 or 8, a gap is provided in a portion of the ground pattern that is formed at the fold; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

10. Power supply and an atomizer connector electrically connected to an atomizer that atomizes the aerosol source; a rigid circuit board configured to be able to control the power supplied from the power source to the atomizer connector; a flexible circuit board connected to the rigid circuit board and the atomizer connector and including a plurality of conductive patterns through which power for atomizing the aerosol source flows; the flexible circuit board includes a first layer and a second layer; the plurality of conductive patterns are formed on the first layer and the second layer; The power supply unit includes: a board connector mounted on the flexible circuit board and connecting the flexible circuit board and the rigid circuit board; The plurality of conductive patterns include a first conductive pattern, a second conductive pattern, and a third conductive pattern extending from the substrate connector to the atomizer connector. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

11. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 10, the second conductive pattern and the third conductive pattern are formed on the second layer; the first conductive pattern is formed on the first layer; Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

12. A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to claim 11, The board connector is mounted on the second layer. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

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