Aerosol generating device and method for controlling such aerosol generating device

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aerosol generation device (10) designed to operate with a consumable (12), comprising a socket (20) for receiving the consumable, a heater (22) arranged at least partially adjacent to the socket, the heater (22) configured to heat the consumable when the consumable is received in the socket, first and second sensors (24A, 24B), each of the first and second sensors (24A, 24B) configured to detect the consumable within a first portion (20A) of the socket, a second portion (20B) of the socket, respectively, and to generate a first sensor signal (S24A), a second sensor signal (S24B), respectively, a controller (26) for controlling operation of the heater according to both sensor signals, each sensor comprising a roller (40A, 40B) that is movable in rotation when the consumable is received in or removed from the corresponding portion of the socket.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generation device.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a control method for controlling such an aerosol generation device.

Background Art

[0003] Some aerosol generation devices known in the art include a portion suitable for receiving consumables such as tobacco articles, particularly cigarettes. In this case, these devices are generally adapted to heat the consumable without burning it, and are thus usually referred to as "heat-not-burn" devices. These devices generally include a heater for heating the consumable. Accordingly, the aerosol generated from the consumable is generated by heating the consumable and delivered to the user through the mouth portion of the consumable.

[0004] These known devices can be adapted to generate a variable amount of aerosol (in contrast to a fixed amount of aerosol), for example, by operating a heater system for a variable period that can be controlled by a trigger. The trigger can consist of an inhalation button being adapted to be activated by the user or a pressure sensor activating the heater when detecting an air flow inside the device.

[0005] However, using such an inhalation button or pressure sensor to activate and / or stop the heater can make the operation control of the heater complex for some users and / or can cause excessive power consumption of the heater due to inappropriate use of the inhalation button or pressure sensor.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] One objective of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device that is easy for the user to control and is designed to operate with consumables. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] For this purpose, the present invention is an aerosol generating device designed to operate with consumables, - Socket configured to accept consumables, - A heater positioned at least partially adjacent to a socket, configured to heat a consumable when the consumable is received into the socket, - At least a first sensor and a second sensor, each of the first and second sensors is configured to detect a consumable inside at least a first part of a socket and a second part of a socket, and to generate a first sensor signal and a second sensor signal, respectively. - A controller configured to control the operation of the heater according to both sensor signals. The invention relates to an aerosol generating device, each sensor including a roller that is rotatable and movable when a consumable is received in or removed from a corresponding part of a socket.

[0008] Due to these features of the present invention, it becomes possible to control the operation of the heater according to the position of the consumable in the socket. Thus, the operating mode of the heater can be determined by the position of the consumable in the socket. Furthermore, by using two sensors configured to detect the consumable in two different parts of the socket, it becomes possible to control the operation of the heater based on the detection or non-detection of the consumable in a particular part of the socket. Thus, controlling the operation of the device becomes more intuitive and easier for the user because the user can visualize the position of the consumable in the socket, compared to existing solutions that include an inhalation button.

[0009] Furthermore, using sensors that include rotating and movable rollers can simplify the structure of aerosol generating devices. Thus, using rollers allows for precise control of the heater while reducing the manufacturing cost of the aerosol generating device. Additionally, rollers enable the generation of control signals that can be easily processed to control the operation of the heater.

[0010] According to some embodiments, the socket extends along the socket axis, and the second sensor and the first sensor are arranged continuously along the socket axis.

[0011] Due to these characteristics, the operation of the heater is controlled depending on the insertion or removal position of the consumable along the socket axis.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the socket is bounded by an internal wall, and each sensor is located within an aperture formed in the internal wall and protrudes from this aperture.

[0013] According to some embodiments, each sensor is configured to provide the rotation direction of the corresponding roller.

[0014] Due to these characteristics, the operation of the heater is controlled based on the insertion or removal direction of the consumables.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the controller is configured to control the operation of the heater according to control logic that depends on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal, respectively.

[0016] Due to these features, it becomes possible to pre-determine the timing of heater operation and shutdown based on the first and second sensor signals.

[0017] According to some embodiments, each of the first and second sensor signals is positive if the rotation direction of the corresponding roller corresponds to the insertion direction of the consumable in the corresponding part of the socket, negative if the rotation direction of the corresponding roller corresponds to the removal direction of the consumable from the corresponding part of the socket, and null otherwise.

[0018] Due to these characteristics, the first and second sensor signals represent the direction in which the consumable is inserted into or removed from the socket. Therefore, the operation of the heater is controlled depending on the direction of movement of the consumable, which is either the insertion or removal direction.

[0019] According to some embodiments, the control logic includes activating the heater operation when each of the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal is positive.

[0020] Due to these features, the heater will only operate if the consumables are inserted and already inside both the first and second parts of the heater. Furthermore, if the second and first sensors are arranged continuously along the socket axis, the heater will operate once the consumables are fully inserted into the socket. This prevents untimely operation of the heater. These features also prevent unnecessary power consumption if, after the consumables have been partially inserted into the socket, the user ultimately decides not to inhale steam.

[0021] According to some embodiments, the control logic includes maintaining the current state of the heater when the first sensor signal is positive and the second signal is null, or when the first sensor signal is negative and the second sensor signal is negative.

[0022] When the first sensor signal is positive and the second sensor signal is null, the consumable is inserted and detected only within the first part of the socket. In this situation, the control logic can avoid operating the heater if the consumable is not detected within the second part of the socket. In this configuration of the control logic, there is no action performed by the controller. Therefore, premature operation of the heater and waste of the power supply provided to the heater can be prevented.

[0023] When the first sensor signal is negative and the second signal is negative, the consumable is removed and detected inside both the first part and the second part of the socket. In this situation, the control logic, including maintaining the current state of the heater, enables, for example, maintaining the operating state of the heater while the consumable is removed. In this configuration of the control logic, there is no action performed by the controller. Due to these features, premature shutdown of the heater can be prevented.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the control logic includes maintaining the current state of the heater when each of the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal is null after being positive.

[0025] Due to these features, when the consumable is detected inside both the first part and the second part of the socket, the operation of the heater is maintained. In this configuration of the control logic, there is no action performed by the controller.

[0026] According to some embodiments, the control logic includes stopping the operation of the heater when each of the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal is null after being negative.

[0027] Due to these features, when the consumable is removed from both the first and second parts of the socket, the heater is stopped. Further, when the second sensor and the first sensor are arranged continuously along the socket axis, when the consumable is sufficiently removed from the socket, the heater is stopped. These features make it possible to ensure that the user intends to stop inhaling the vapor. Thereby, it is prevented that the heater stops prematurely while the user intends to continue inhaling the vapor but inadvertently moves the consumable in the removal direction. Therefore, these features also make it possible to reduce the power consumption of the heater due to untimely stop and operation of the heater.

[0028] According to some embodiments, the control logic includes maintaining the current state of the heater when the first sensor signal is negative and the second signal is null.

[0029] Due to these features, when the consumable is removed from the socket and is detected only within the first part of the socket, the current state of the heater is maintained. Therefore, when the consumable is removed from the socket but is still detected within the first part of the socket, it is possible to maintain the operating state of the heater.

[0030] According to some embodiments, the control logic includes stopping the operation of the heater when the first sensor signal is negative and the second signal is null.

[0031] In other words, when the consumable is removed from the socket and is detected only within the first part of the socket, the operation of the heater is stopped.

[0032] According to some embodiments, the control logic includes maintaining the current state of the heater when each of the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal is null.

[0033] In other words, if the rollers of the first and second sensors are not rotating (i.e., stationary), no action is taken by the controller.

[0034] The present invention relates to a control method for controlling an aerosol generating device as defined above, and also to a control method that includes controlling the operation of a heater according to both sensor signals.

[0035] The present invention and its advantages will be better understood by reading the following description, which is given only as non-limiting examples and is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0036] [Figure 1] This is a schematic cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device with consumables inserted inside the device. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol generation device, showing the different positions of consumables during insertion into the socket. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol generation device, showing the different positions of consumables during insertion into the socket. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol generation device, showing the different positions of consumables during insertion into the socket. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol generation device, showing the different positions of the consumables while they are being removed from the socket. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol generation device, showing the different positions of the consumables while they are being removed from the socket. [Figure 7] Figure 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the aerosol generation device, showing the different positions of the consumables while they are being removed from the socket. [Figure 8] This table shows an example of the control logic for controlling the operation of the heater in the aerosol generation device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 9]This table shows another example of control logic for controlling the operation of the heater in the aerosol generation device shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0037] Before describing the present invention, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the structural details described below. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure that other embodiments of the present invention are possible and can be practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0038] As used herein, the terms “aerosol generating device” or “device” may include an inhalation device configured to deliver an aerosol generated from at least one consumable accepted within the device to a user. The device may be portable. “Portable” may mean that the device is intended for use when a user holds it. The device may be adapted to generate a certain amount of aerosol by activating a heater configured to heat the consumable when the consumable is accepted into a socket of the aerosol generating device.

[0039] As used herein, the term “controller” refers to a component of an aerosol generating device configured to control the operation of a heater. The operation of the heater may include starting, stopping, and maintaining the heater’s current state. The controller may be configured to send signals to the heater to control its operation. The controller may also include a temperature control unit that drives the heater temperature, and / or the heating temperature of the vaporizable material, and / or the heating temperature of the tobacco article, to a specific target temperature, and then maintains that temperature at the target temperature to enable efficient aerosol generation.

[0040] As used herein, the term “consumables” may refer to consumables, which may be capsules, sticks, or ready-made cigarettes containing vaporizing material.

[0041] As used herein, the terms “vaporizable material,” “precursor,” “aerosol-forming substance,” or “substance” are used to specify any material that can vaporize in air to form an aerosol. Vaporization is generally achieved by raising the temperature of the vaporizable material to the boiling point, such as a temperature of less than 400°C, preferably up to 350°C. The vaporizable material may include, for example, an aerosol-generating solid, such as an aerosol-generating liquid, gel, wax, foam, etc., which may be in the form of a rod, and may include or consist of an aerosol-generating solid containing processed tobacco material, a compressed sheet or oriented strip of re-to-beverage (RTB), or any combination thereof. The vaporizable material may contain one or more of the following active ingredients: nicotine, caffeine, or other active ingredients. The active ingredients may be carried by a carrier, which may be a liquid. The carrier may include propylene glycol or glycerin. Flavorings may also be included. Flavorings may include ethyl vanillin (vanilla), menthol, isoamyl acetate (banana oil), or similar substances.

[0042] As used herein, the term "aerosol" may include solid particles, droplets, or suspensions of one or more gases. Such suspensions may be in a gaseous state, including air. In general, aerosols as used herein may refer to or include vapors. Aerosols may be formed by consumables and may include one or more components of the consumables. Aerosols may be inhaled by a user of an aerosol generating device through the mouth of the consumable. First Embodiment of the Present Invention Figures 1 to 7 show an aerosol generating device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol generating device 10 is designed to operate together with consumables 12.

[0043] In the specific examples shown in Figures 1 to 7, the consumable 12 is a cylindrical stick with a circular or elliptical cross-section. The stick may have a length ranging from 69 mm to 100 mm and a diameter ranging from 5 mm to 8 mm. In variations, the consumable 12 may have different shapes. For example, the stick may be a ready-made cigarette. In another example, the stick may be a flat stick with a rectangular cross-section. The consumable 12 may have a filter section designed to come into contact with the user's mouth / lips and a storage section designed to store vaporizable material. The storage section is designed to be heated by a heater in the device 10, as will be described in more detail below. The heating temperature of the storage section is, for example, less than 400°C and preferably ranging from 200°C to 390°C. Advantageously, the heating temperature is substantially equal to 350°C. More generally, the heating temperature is chosen so as to only heat the vaporizable material, rather than burn it.

[0044] The aerosol generation device 10 will be described below with reference to Figure 1.

[0045] The aerosol generating device 10 extends along axis X, which will be referred to below as "device axis X". In the following description, the term "length" refers to the dimensions of the aerosol generating element measured along device axis X.

[0046] The aerosol generating device 10 includes an outer casing 14 and internal components disposed within the outer casing 14. The outer casing 14 includes side surfaces 18 that define the range of the internal volume 16 and extend along the device axis X. The side surfaces 18 may, for example, have smooth surfaces.

[0047] The internal components of the aerosol generating device 10 include a socket 20 configured to receive a consumable 12, and a heater 22 configured to heat the consumable 12 when it is received into the socket 20. The internal components further include at least a first sensor 24A and a second sensor 24B configured to detect the consumable 12 inside a first portion 20A and a second portion 20B of the socket 20, respectively, a controller 26 configured to control the operation of the heater 22, and a battery 28 for supplying power to the device 10.

[0048] The aerosol generating device 10 may further include other components that perform different functions of the device. These other components themselves are publicly known and will not be described in further detail below.

[0049] Battery 28 is a known battery designed to be charged using a power source, for example, an external charger, and to supply a DC current of a predetermined voltage. Battery 28 is configured, for example, to supply power to the heater 22 and the controller 26.

[0050] The socket 20 is configured to receive a consumable 12. The socket 20 extends along the socket axis. In the example shown in Figure 1, the socket axis coincides with the device axis X. The socket axis will hereafter be referred to as the "socket axis Y". The socket 20 is bounded by an internal wall 30. The internal wall 30 includes a side portion 32 and a bottom portion 34. The side portion 32 may have an annular shape. The bottom portion 34 may be substantially perpendicular to the socket axis Y. The internal wall 30 and the bottom portion 34 define a receiving hole 36. At one end of the socket 20 along the socket axis Y, the receiving hole 36 opens to the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 by an insertion opening 37, and at the other end of the socket 20 along the socket axis Y, the receiving hole 36 is closed by the bottom portion 34. For example, the socket axis Y is oriented from the bottom portion 34 of the socket 20 toward the insertion opening 37. The receiving hole 36 may have a shape that conforms to the shape of the consumable 12. The length of the receiving hole 36 is shorter than the length of the consumable 12, for example, so that when the consumable 12 is inserted into the socket 20 as shown in Figure 1, the opening of the consumable 12 protrudes from the receiving hole 36.

[0051] For the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B, the inner wall 30 of the socket 20 includes apertures hereafter referred to as the "first socket aperture 30A" and the "second socket aperture 30B," respectively. Advantageously, the first socket aperture 30A and the second socket aperture 30B are formed within the side portion 32 of the inner wall 30. Each socket aperture 30A, 30B may be a through aperture. The first socket aperture 30A and the second socket aperture 30B are at a certain distance from each other along the socket axis Y. According to the example shown in Figure 1, the first socket aperture 30A is formed within the first half of the socket 20, and the second socket aperture 30B is formed within the second half of the socket 20. The first half of the socket 20 and the second half of the socket 20 are defined on one side and the other side of the central plane of the socket 20, respectively. The central plane of the socket 20 is substantially perpendicular to the socket axis Y, cutting the socket 20 into substantially two parts having substantially the same length. In the example shown in Figure 1, the first socket aperture 30A is above the second socket aperture 30B along the socket axis Y.

[0052] As shown in Figure 1, the heater 22 is at least partially adjacent to the socket 20. In particular, the heater 22 surrounds the socket 20. More precisely, the heater 22 is at least partially adjacent to the inner wall 30 of the socket 20. The heater 22 may be made of at least one heating element. In one example, the heater 22 may include its own heating element. In a modified form, the heater 22 may include a plurality of heating elements. In this case, the plurality of heating elements may be arranged continuously along the receiving hole 36, i.e., along the socket axis Y. One of the heating elements or each heating element may have an annular shape. In a cross section perpendicular to the socket axis Y, one of the heating elements or each heating element may have a shape that conforms to the shape of the inner wall 30, in particular the shape of the side portion 32 of the inner wall 30. As an example, the shape of one of the heating elements or each heating element is circular. One of the heating elements or each heating element may be made of a heating film suitable for heat transfer. The heating film may be made of a flexible material. Depending on the modified form, one of the heating elements or each heating element may be made of metal or any other material suitable for heat transfer.

[0053] According to other embodiments, the heater 22 may be at least partially located within the inner wall 30 of the socket 20, particularly within the side portion 32 and / or within the bottom portion 34 of the wall 30.

[0054] According to a particular example of the present invention, the heater 22 is a cup-shaped heater.

[0055] In the example shown in Figure 1, for each of the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B, the heater 22 defines openings hereafter referred to as the "first heater opening 22A" and the "second heater opening 22B". Each heater opening 22A, 22B may be a through opening. The first heater opening 22A and the second heater opening 22B face the first socket aperture 30A and the second socket aperture 30B, respectively. Each of the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B protrudes from the corresponding heater openings 22A, 22B. In the particular example shown in Figure 1, the heater 22 has its own heating element 38.

[0056] The heater 22 is configured to heat the consumable 12 at a certain heating temperature.

[0057] The first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B are configured to detect the consumable 12 inside the first portion 20A and the second portion 20B of the socket 20, respectively, and to generate the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B, respectively. According to an example of the present invention, the first portion 20A of the socket 20 corresponds to the portion of the receiving hole 36 located on the front of the first socket aperture 30A, and the second portion 20B of the socket 20 corresponds to the portion of the receiving hole 36 located on the front of the second socket aperture 30B. In the specific example shown in Figure 1, the aerosol generating device 10 includes two sensors. However, generally, the number of sensors can be three or more. In this case, each sensor is configured to detect the consumable 12 inside the respective portion of the socket 20.

[0058] Advantageously, the second sensor 24B and the first sensor 24A are arranged in a continuous manner along the socket axis Y. In particular, the first sensor 24A is positioned closer to the insertion opening 37 of the receiving hole 36 than the second sensor 24B. Each of the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B protrudes from the corresponding socket apertures 30A, 30B. In other words, the first sensor 24A is above the second sensor 24B along the socket axis Y. Thus, when the consumable 12 is inserted into the socket 20, the first sensor 24A is configured to detect the consumable 12 first, and the second sensor 24B is configured to detect the consumable 12 after the first sensor 24A. Each of the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B is positioned within and protrudes from the corresponding socket apertures 30A, 30B. Furthermore, each of the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B is positioned within the corresponding heater openings 22A and 22B and protrudes from these heater openings 22A and 22B. The first sensor 24A intersects with the first half of the socket 20, and the second sensor 24B intersects with the second half of the socket 20.

[0059] Each of the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B includes rollers 40A, 40B that are rotatable and movable when the consumable 12 is received in or removed from the corresponding portions 20A, 20B of the socket 20. The rollers 40A, 40B are hereafter referred to as the “first roller 40A” and the “second roller 40B,” respectively. Each roller 40A, 40B is rotatable and movable along an axis of rotation perpendicular to the socket axis Y. The first roller 40A and the second roller 40B are positioned within the corresponding socket apertures 30A, 30B such that the contact portions of each of the first roller 40A and the second roller 40B are configured to contact the consumable 12 while the consumable 12 is inserted into and removed from the socket 20. In particular, each of the first roller 40A and the second roller 40B is configured to be rotated by the consumable 12 while the consumable 12 is inserted into or removed from the socket 20.

[0060] Each of the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B is configured to provide the rotation direction of the corresponding rollers 40A and 40B. For example, each of the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B may be a voltage signal that is positive (+) when the rotation direction of the corresponding rollers 40A and 40B corresponds to the insertion direction of the consumable 12 in the corresponding parts 20A and 20B of the socket 20. The insertion direction is parallel to the socket axis Y. According to the same example, each of the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B may be negative (-) when the rotation direction of the corresponding rollers 40A and 40B corresponds to the removal direction of the consumable 12 from the corresponding parts 20A and 20B of the socket 20. The removal direction is parallel to the socket axis Y. Accordingly, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, according to the same example, each of the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B is null (0) (i.e., the sensor does not generate a signal) when the corresponding rollers 40A and 40B are not moving. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the insertion direction of the consumable 12 into the socket 20 corresponds to the triangulation direction of the corresponding rollers 40A and 40B, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the removal direction of the consumable 12 from the socket 20 corresponds to the inverse triangulation direction of the corresponding rollers 40A and 40B. According to another embodiment, each of the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B is equal to a predetermined value when the corresponding rollers 40A and 40B are not moving, and may be above or below this value when the corresponding rollers 40A and 40B are rotating in the insertion direction or removal direction of the consumable 12, respectively. Naturally, many other forms and types of signals are possible to encode the rotation direction of the corresponding rollers 40A and 40B.

[0061] The controller 26 is adapted to control the operation of the heater 22 according to both the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B generated by the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B, respectively. More generally, the controller 26 is configured to control the operation of the heater 22 according to control logic 39 that depends on the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B generated by the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B, respectively. In other words, the control logic 39 depends on the current first sensor signal S24A and the current second sensor signal S24B generated by the corresponding sensors 24A and 24B. The control logic 39 may also depend on previous first sensor signals and previous second sensor signals, which correspond to the first sensor signal and the previous second sensor signal generated immediately before the current first sensor signal S24A and the current second sensor signal S24B, respectively.

[0062] The controller 26 is configured to send control signals to the heater 22 and control the heater 22 according to the control logic 39. Hereafter, the control signals will be referred to as the "operation control signal AS," the "stop control signal DS," and the "null control signal NS." Advantageously, the null control signal NS corresponds to the case where no signal is sent by the controller 26.

[0063] As shown in Figure 1, the controller 26 may include a memory 42 which may include a non-volatile portion 42A configured to store control logic 39. The control logic 39 may be defined at a service center for the aerosol generating device 10 or during the manufacture of the aerosol generating device 10. In some examples, the control logic 39 may be defined or modified by a user using an external device, such as a smartphone. In some embodiments, the memory 42 may further include a volatile portion 42B (such as RAM) configured to store a first sensor signal S24A and a second sensor signal S24B over time. In particular, this portion 42B of the memory 42 may be adapted to store the rotational direction of the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B over time, i.e., to store whether the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B are positive (+), negative (-), or null (0). As a specific example, the volatile portion 42B of memory 42 is configured to store the current first sensor signal S24A and the current second sensor signal S24B, and at least previous first sensor signals S24A and at least previous second sensor signals S24B. Thus, memory 42 may exhibit double-buffer memory properties.

[0064] Here, a control method for controlling the aerosol generation device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0065] This control method includes controlling the operation of the heater 22 according to both the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B.

[0066] First, the consumable 12 is removed from the socket 20, and the aerosol generating device 10 is stopped. When the aerosol generating device 10 is stopped, the first signal sensors S24A and S24B are null (0). In other words, no signals are generated by the first and second sensors 24A and 24B. Furthermore, when the aerosol generating device 10 is stopped, the controller 26 sends a null control signal NS to the heater 22 (i.e., the controller 26 does not send a signal to the heater 22).

[0067] Next, the user begins to insert the consumable 12 into the socket 20, as shown in Figure 2. When the consumable 12 is detected in the first portion 20A of the socket 20, the controller 26 operates the heater 22 according to the control logic 39. Figures 3 and 4 show the subsequent positions of the consumable 12 during insertion.

[0068] Specifically, referring to Figure 3, the consumable 12 is inserted into the socket 20 and has already passed through the first portion 20A of the socket 20. During insertion, the first roller 40A of the first sensor 24A rotates and moves in a direction corresponding to the insertion of the consumable 12 into the socket 20, while the second roller 40B remains stationary. Therefore, the first sensor 24A detects the consumable 12 in the first portion 20A of the socket 20. On the other hand, the second sensor 24B does not detect the consumable 12 in the second portion 20B of the socket 20. The generated first sensor signal S24A is positive (+) and the second sensor signal S24B is null (0). The generated first sensor signal S24A and second sensor signal S24B are sent to the controller 26. Referring to Figure 8, in this case, the first sensor signal S24A is positive (+) and the second sensor signal S24B is null (0), so the control logic 39 includes maintaining the current state of the heater 22. In this case, the current state of the heater 22 is that the heater 22 is stopped. According to the control logic 39, the controller 26 does not send a control signal to the heater 22 (i.e., a null control signal NS), and therefore maintains the stopped state of the heater 22.

[0069] Referring to Figure 4, the consumable 12 is inserted into the socket 20 and has already passed through both parts 20A and 20B. During insertion, both the first roller 40A and the second roller 40B are movable in a direction corresponding to the insertion of the consumable 12 into the socket 20. Thus, the consumable 12 is detected by the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B inside both the first part 20A and the second part 20B of the socket 20. The generated first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B are both positive (+). The generated first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B are sent to the controller 26. Referring to Figure 8, since each of the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B is positive (+), the control logic 39 includes activating the operation of the heater 22. Therefore, in accordance with the control logic 39, the controller 26 sends an operation control signal AS to the heater 22, thereby operating the heater 22.

[0070] As shown in Figure 1, the user completes the insertion of the consumable 12 when it contacts the bottom 34 of the socket 20. In this position, the consumable 12 can be used to draw in steam.

[0071] During suction, the consumable 12 may remain stationary as shown in Figure 1. Therefore, both the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B may be null (0). Referring to Figure 8, in this case, since each of the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B was positive (+) and then null (0), the control logic 39 includes maintaining the current state of the heater 22. In this case, the current state of the heater 22 is the operating state of the heater 22. Therefore, based on the control logic 39, the controller 26 does not send a control signal to the heater 22 (i.e., a null control signal NS), and thus maintains the operation of the heater 22.

[0072] As shown in Figure 5, when the user begins to remove the consumable 12 from the socket 20, the first roller 40A and the second roller 40B rotate and move in a direction corresponding to the removal of the consumable 12 from the socket 20. Thus, the consumable 12 is detected by the first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B inside both the first part 20A and the second part 20B of the socket 20. The first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B are negative (-). The generated first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B are sent to the controller 26. Referring to Figure 8, since the first sensor signal S24A is negative (-) and the second sensor signal S24B is negative (-), the control logic 39 includes maintaining the current state of the heater 22. In this case, the current state of the heater 22 is the operating state of the heater 22. Based on the control logic 39, the controller 26 does not send a control signal to the heater 22 (i.e., a null control signal NS), and therefore maintains the operation of the heater 22.

[0073] As shown in Figure 6, as the user continues to remove the consumable 12 from the socket 20, the first roller 40A rotates and moves in a direction corresponding to the direction of removal of the consumable 12 from the socket 20, while the second roller 40B remains stationary. Therefore, the first sensor 24A detects the consumable 12 in the first part 20A of the socket 20. On the other hand, the second sensor 24B does not detect the consumable 12 in the second part 20B of the socket 20. The first sensor signal S24A is null (0) and the second sensor signal S24B is negative (-). The generated first sensor signal S24A and second sensor signal S24B are sent to the controller 26. Referring to Figure 8, since the first sensor signal S24A is negative (-) and the second sensor signal S24B is null (0), the control logic 39 includes maintaining the current state of the heater 22. In this case, the current state of heater 22 is the operating state. Based on the control logic 39, the controller 26 does not send a control signal to heater 22 (i.e., a null control signal NS), and therefore maintains the operation of heater 22.

[0074] When the consumable 12 is removed from the socket 20 and the first roller 40A and the second roller 40B come to a stop, the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B are negative (-) followed by null (0). The first sensor 24A and the second sensor 24B do not detect the consumable 12 in the first part 20A and the second part 20B of the socket 20. The generated first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B are sent to the controller 26. Referring to Figure 8, since each of the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B is negative (-) followed by null (0), the control logic 39 includes stopping the operation of the heater 22. Based on the control logic 39, the controller 26 sends a stop control signal DS to the heater 22, and thus stops the heater 22. Second Embodiment of the Present Invention A second embodiment of the present invention, specifically an aerosol generation device, will be described below.

[0075] The aerosol generating device according to the second embodiment includes the same internal components as the aerosol generating device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. These internal components will not be described in further detail below.

[0076] The aerosol generation device according to the second embodiment differs from the aerosol generation device 10 of the first embodiment only in the control logic 39 and memory 42.

[0077] In particular, the controller of the aerosol generation device according to the second embodiment is configured to control the heater of the device according to control logic 139, which will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 9.

[0078] The control logic 139 differs from the control logic 39 of the first embodiment in that it includes stopping the operation of the heater when the first sensor signal S24A is negative (-) and the second sensor signal S24B is null (0).

[0079] Furthermore, the control logic 139 according to the second embodiment differs from the control logic 39 of the first embodiment in that it includes maintaining the current state of the heater when the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B are null (0). This configuration of the control logic 139 corresponds to a situation where the rollers of the first and second sensors do not rotate.

[0080] The memory according to the second embodiment may include only the non-volatile portion 42A. In other words, the memory according to the second embodiment may not include the non-volatile portion 42B configured to store the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B over time. In fact, in the second embodiment of the aerosol generating device, the control logic 139 does not depend on the prior first sensor signal and / or the prior second sensor signal.

[0081] This control method for the aerosol generating device differs from the control method of the first embodiment in that the control logic 139 stops the heater when a consumable has been removed from the socket and is detected only within a first portion of the socket. According to the control logic 139, the controller sends a stop control signal DS to the heater, thereby stopping the heater.

[0082] Furthermore, this control method for the aerosol generating device differs from the control method of the first embodiment in that the control logic 139 maintains the current state of the heater when the first sensor signal S24A and the second sensor signal S24B are null (0). Therefore, if the current state is the heater operating state, the controller controls the operation of the heater. Conversely, if the current state of the heater is the heater stopped state, the controller controls the stopping of the heater. According to the control logic 139, the controller does not send a control signal to the heater (i.e., a null control signal NS), and therefore maintains the operation or stop of the heater.

Claims

1. an aerosol generating device (10) designed to operate with consumables (12), - A socket (20) configured to receive the consumable (12), - A heater (22) positioned at least partially adjacent to the socket (20), configured to heat the consumable (12) when the consumable (12) is received in the socket (20), - At least a first sensor (24A) and a second sensor (24B), wherein each of the first sensor (24A) and the second sensor (24B) is configured to detect the consumable (12) inside at least a first portion (20A) and a second portion (20B) of the socket (20), and to generate a first sensor signal (S24A) and a second sensor signal (S24B), respectively. - A controller (26) configured to control the operation of the heater (22) according to both sensor signals (S24A, S24B) an aerosol generating device (10) comprising, each sensor (24A, 24B), a roller (40A, 40B) that is rotatable and movable when the consumable (12) is received in or removed from the corresponding portion (20A, 20B) of the socket (20).

2. The aerosol generating device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the socket (20) extends along the socket axis (Y), and the second sensor (24B) and the first sensor (24A) are arranged continuously along the socket axis (Y).

3. The aerosol generating device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the socket (20) is defined by an internal wall (30), and each sensor (24A, 24B) is arranged within an aperture (30A, 30B) formed in the internal wall (30) and protrudes from the aperture (30A, 30B).

4. The aerosol generating device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each sensor (24A, 24B) is configured to provide the rotation direction of the corresponding roller (40A, 40B).

5. The aerosol generating device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the controller (26) is configured to control the operation of the heater (22) according to control logic (39; 139) corresponding to the first sensor signal (S24A) and the second sensor signal (S24B), respectively.

6. The aerosol generating device (10) according to claim 5 in combination with claim 4, wherein each of the first sensor signal (S24A) and the second sensor signal (S24B) is positive ((+)) when the rotation direction of the corresponding rollers (40A, 40B) corresponds to the insertion direction of the consumables (12) in the corresponding parts (20A, 20B) of the socket (20), negative ((-)) when the rotation direction of the corresponding rollers (40A, 40B) corresponds to the removal direction of the consumables (12) from the corresponding parts (20A, 20B) of the socket (20), and null ((0)) otherwise.

7. The aerosol generating device (10) according to claim 6, wherein the control logic (39; 139) includes activating the operation of the heater (22) when each of the first sensor signal (S24A) and the second sensor signal (S24B) is positive (+).

8. The aerosol generating device (10) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the control logic (39; 139) includes maintaining the current state of the heater (22) when the first sensor signal (S24A) is positive (+) and the second signal (S24B) is null (0) or when the first sensor signal (S24A) is negative (-) and the second sensor signal (S24B) is negative (-).

9. The aerosol generating device (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the control logic (39) includes maintaining the current state of the heater (22) if each of the first sensor signal (S24A) and the second sensor signal (S24B) is null (0) after being positive (+).

10. The aerosol generating device (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the control logic (39) includes stopping the operation of the heater (22) if each of the first sensor signal (S24A) and the second sensor signal (S24B) is negative (-) and then null (0).

11. The aerosol generating device (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the control logic (39) includes maintaining the current state of the heater (22) when the first sensor signal (S24A) is negative (-) and the second signal is null (0).

12. The aerosol generating device (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the control logic (139) includes stopping the operation of the heater (22) when the first sensor signal (S24A) is negative (-) and the second sensor signal (S24B) is null (0).

13. The aerosol generating device (10) according to claim 12, wherein the control logic (139) includes maintaining the current state of the heater (22) when each of the first sensor signal (S24A) and the second sensor signal (S24B) is null ((0)).

14. A control method for controlling an aerosol generating device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising controlling the operation of the heater (22) according to both sensor signals (S24A, S24B).

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