Aerosol generating device

Abstract

This aerosol generating device comprises: a body 100 including a heating unit 170 and a heating control unit 161 that controls the heating carried out by the heating unit 170; and a cover that is installed on the body 100. The cover includes an acceleration sensor. The heating control unit 161 controls the operation of the heating unit 170 on the basis of the value of the acceleration sensed by the acceleration sensor.

Description

Aerosol Generator

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

[0002] For example, a suction device described in Patent Document 1 includes a panel that is detachable from a housing of a main body, a heating unit that heats a suction component source to generate a suction component, a power supply unit that supplies power to the heating unit, a sensor unit that detects attachment of the panel to the housing and measures data associated with the panel, a memory unit that stores multiple operation profiles, and a control unit that identifies the operation profile associated with the data measured by the sensor unit and operates the suction device according to the operation profile. The main body includes an operation button on the surface of the housing to which the panel is attached, and the control unit is configured to allow the power supply to the heating unit when the data measured by the sensor unit is within a predetermined range and the operation button is pressed through the panel.

[0003] International Publication No. 2022-079896

[0004] In a configuration in which power supply to the heating unit is permitted when an operation button on the main body is pressed through a member detachable from the housing of the main body (a panel in the case of the suction device described in Patent Document 1), the user may feel that the operation is a heavy burden. An object of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol generating device that can reduce the user's operation burden through a member detachable from the main body.

[0005] The present disclosure, which has been completed to achieve this objective, provides an aerosol generating device comprising: a main body having a heating unit and a heating control unit that controls heating by the heating unit; and a cover attached to the main body, wherein the cover has an acceleration sensor, and the heating control unit controls operation of the heating unit based on acceleration values ​​detected by the acceleration sensor. The heating control unit may permit heating by the heating unit when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. The heating control unit may also stop heating by the heating unit when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period after starting heating by the heating unit. The device may also further include an alarm unit that notifies a charging state when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. The device may further include a diagnostic unit that diagnoses a malfunction of a vibration generating device that vibrates the main body based on the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide an aerosol generating device that can reduce the operational burden on the user through a member that is detachable from the main body.

[0007] FIG. 1 is an example of a view of the aerosol generating device as seen from diagonally above the front. FIG. 2 is an example of a view of the aerosol generating device as seen from diagonally below the front. FIG. 3 is an example of a view of the main body with the cover removed as seen from the front. FIG. 4 is an example of a view of the cover as seen from the rear. FIG. 5 is an example of a view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the main body. FIG. 6 is an example of a view schematically showing the configuration of the cover. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of heating control processing performed by the control unit. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of heating control processing performed by the control unit.

[0008] FIG. 1 is an example of a view of the aerosol generation device 1 as viewed from diagonally above the front. FIG. 2 is an example of a view of the aerosol generation device 1 as viewed from diagonally below the front. FIG. 3 is an example of a view of the main body 100 as viewed from the front side with the cover 10 removed. FIG. 4 is an example of a view of the cover 10 as viewed from the rear side. FIG. 5 is an example of a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the main body 100. FIG. 6 is an example of a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cover 10. The aerosol generation device 1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "generation device 1") includes a main body 100 having a heating unit 170 that heats a substrate 500 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "substrate 500") containing an aerosol source, and a cover 10 that is detachable from the main body 100.

[0009] The main body 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 101 that houses the heating unit 170 and other components. The cover 10 covers one surface of the housing 101. Hereinafter, of the six surfaces of the housing 101, the surface to which the cover 10 is attached will be referred to as the front surface 102, the left side surface as viewed from the front surface 102 will be referred to as the left side surface 103, the right side surface as viewed from the front surface 102 will be referred to as the right side surface 104, the upper surface as the top surface 105, and the lower surface as the bottom surface 106. Furthermore, of the six surfaces of the housing 101, the surface that is connected to the left side surface 103, the right side surface 104, the top surface 105, and the bottom surface 106 and is different from the front surface 102 will be referred to as the back surface 107. The cover 10 covers the front surface 102 of the housing 101, and the left side surface 103, the right side surface 104, the top surface 105, the bottom surface 106, and the back surface 107 are exposed to the outside when the cover 10 is attached.

[0010] (Main body 100) As shown in Fig. 5, the main body 100 includes a power supply unit 110, a sensor unit 120, a notification unit 130, a memory unit 140, a communication unit 150, a control unit 160, a heating unit 170, a heat insulating unit 180, and a holding unit 190. The power supply unit 110, the sensor unit 120, the notification unit 130, the memory unit 140, the communication unit 150, the control unit 160, the heating unit 170, and the heat insulating unit 180 are housed in a housing 101. The main body 100 also has a shutter 194 (see Fig. 1) that is disposed on an upper surface 105 and can be slid along the upper surface 105. Each component will be described below in order.

[0011] ((Power Supply Unit 110)) The power supply unit 110 has a battery 111 that stores power and a power supply unit 112 that supplies power. The battery 111 can be, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery. The battery 111 may be charged by being connected to an external power source via a cable or the like connected to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal 113. The battery 111 may also be charged using wireless power transmission technology while not being connected to a power transmitting device. Alternatively, the battery 111 may be removable from the main unit 100 and may be replaceable with a new battery 111.

[0012] The power supply unit 112 supplies power to each component of the main body 100 under the control of the control unit 160. The power supply unit 112 also supplies power to the cover 10. The power supply unit 112 supplies power to the cover 10, for example, by contactless power transmission. An example of contactless power transmission is power transmission by short-range wireless communication. This makes it possible to supply power to the cover 10 with a simple configuration.

[0013] (Sensor Unit 120) The sensor unit 120 detects various pieces of information related to the main body 100. The sensor unit 120 then outputs the detected information to the control unit 160. For example, the sensor unit 120 may include a pressure sensor such as a microphone capacitor, a flow rate sensor, and a temperature sensor. When the sensor unit 120 detects a value associated with inhalation by the user, it outputs information indicating that the user has inhaled to the control unit 160. As another example, the sensor unit 120 is configured with an input device such as a button or a switch that accepts information input from the user. In particular, the sensor unit 120 may include a button that instructs the start / stop of aerosol generation. The sensor unit 120 then outputs the information input by the user to the control unit 160. As a button, the sensor unit 120 has an operation button 121 that can instruct the start of aerosol generation. As shown in FIG. 3, the operation button 121 is provided so as to be exposed from the front surface 102 of the housing 101.

[0014] (Notification Unit 130) The notification unit 130 has a light-emitting device 131 and a vibration generating device 132 that generates vibrations. The light-emitting device 131 has a plurality of (eight in this embodiment) LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 131a. For example, the plurality of LEDs 131a can be arranged in a row along the center line direction (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as the "center line direction") of the substrate 500 in a state in which the substrate 500 is held by the holding unit 190. The plurality of LEDs 131a emit light in different light emission patterns when the battery 111 of the power supply unit 110 needs to be charged, when the battery 111 is being charged, when an abnormality has occurred in the main body 100, etc. The light emission pattern here is a concept that includes color, timing of turning on / off, etc.

[0015] The vibration generator 132 can be exemplified by a vibration motor having a weight with an offset center of gravity (eccentric weight) attached to a rotation shaft. The vibration generator 132 generates vibrations with different patterns when heating unit 170 starts heating, when suction becomes possible, etc.

[0016] The notification unit 130 may include a display device that displays an image, a sound output device that outputs sound, or the like, in addition to or instead of the light emitting device 131 and the vibration generating device 132 .

[0017] ((Storage unit 140)) The storage unit 140 stores various types of information for the operation of the generation device 1. The storage unit 140 is configured, for example, by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory. One example of the information stored in the storage unit 140 is information about the OS (Operating System) of the generation device 1, such as the control details of various components by the control unit 160. Another example of the information stored in the storage unit 140 is information about suction by the user, such as the number of suctions, the time of suction, and the cumulative suction time.

[0018] ((Communication Unit 150)) The communication unit 150 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information between the generating device 1 and other devices. The communication unit 150 performs communication in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard. Examples of such communication standards that can be adopted include a wireless local area network (LAN), a wired LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). As one example, the communication unit 150 transmits information about the user's inhalation to another device (e.g., a portable terminal such as a mobile phone) in order to display the information about the user's inhalation on the other device. As another example, the communication unit 150 receives new OS information from a server in order to update the OS information stored in the storage unit 140.

[0019] (Control Unit 160) The control unit 160 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the generation device 1 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 160 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a microprocessor. The control unit 160 may also include a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores the programs to be used, calculation parameters, etc., and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores parameters that change as needed. The generation device 1 executes various processes under the control of the control unit 160. Examples of processes controlled by the control unit 160 include power supply from the power supply unit 110 to the other components, charging of the power supply unit 110, detection by the sensor unit 120, notification of information by the notification unit 130, storage and reading of information by the memory unit 140, and transmission and reception of information by the communication unit 150. Other processes executed by the generation device 1, such as input of information to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 160.

[0020] The control unit 160 has a heating control unit 161 that controls heating by the heating unit 170, and a light emission control unit 162 that controls light emission by the light emitting device 131. The control unit 160 also has a vibration control unit 163 that controls vibration by the vibration generator 132, and a diagnosis unit 164 that diagnoses a malfunction of the vibration generator 132. The heating control unit 161, light emission control unit 162, vibration control unit 163, and diagnosis unit 164 will be described in detail later.

[0021] (Heating unit 170) The heating unit 170 generates an aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. The heating unit 170 is made of any material, such as metal or polyimide. For example, the heating unit 170 is configured in a film shape and is arranged to cover the outer periphery of the holding unit 190. When the heating unit 170 generates heat, the aerosol source contained in the substrate 500 is heated from the outer periphery of the substrate 500 and atomized, thereby generating an aerosol. When power is supplied from the power supply unit 110, the heating unit 170 generates heat and heats the substrate 500. When the temperature of the substrate 500 heated by the heating unit 170 reaches a predetermined temperature, the user can inhale the aerosol. Thereafter, when the sensor unit 120 detects that a predetermined user input has been made, the power supply may be stopped.

[0022] ((Thermal insulation section 180)) The thermal insulation section 180 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 170 to other components of the generating device 1. The thermal insulation section 180 is arranged so as to cover at least the outer periphery of the heating section 170. For example, the thermal insulation section 180 is made of a vacuum insulation material, an aerogel insulation material, or the like. Note that a vacuum insulation material is an insulation material in which, for example, glass wool and silica (silicon powder) are wrapped in a resin film and placed in a high vacuum state, thereby reducing the thermal conduction of gases to as close to zero as possible.

[0023] ((Holding portion 190)) The holding portion 190 has a columnar internal space 191 provided inside the housing 101 and an opening 192 formed on the upper surface 105 of the housing 101 to connect the internal space 191 to the outside. The internal space 191 is a cylindrical body having a bottom 193 as its bottom surface. The holding portion 190 is configured so that the inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate 500 in at least a portion of the height direction of the cylindrical body, and can hold the substrate 500 by compressing the substrate 500 inserted into the internal space 191 from the opening 192 from the outer periphery. The holding portion 190 also has the function of defining an air flow path through the substrate 500. An air inlet, which is an entrance for air into this flow path, is located in, for example, the bottom 193. On the other hand, an air outlet, which is an exit for air from this flow path, is the opening 192. The opening 192 is exposed by sliding the shutter 194 to the open position, and is hidden by sliding the shutter 194 to the closed position.

[0024] (Shutter 194) The shutter 194 has a magnet on its back surface. Meanwhile, a magnetic sensor (not shown) that the sensor unit 120 has is attached to the top surface 105 of the housing 101 within the movable range of the shutter 194. The magnetic sensor is a Hall IC composed of a Hall element and an operational amplifier, etc., and outputs a voltage according to the strength of the magnetic field that crosses the Hall element. In this embodiment, the control unit 160 detects whether the shutter 194 is open or closed from a change in the voltage output from the magnetic sensor as the shutter 194 slides.

[0025] ((Substrate 500)) The substrate 500 is a stick-shaped member. The substrate 500 includes a substrate portion 501 and a mouthpiece portion 502. The substrate portion 501 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized by heating, generating an aerosol. The aerosol source may be derived from tobacco, such as a processed product obtained by molding shredded tobacco or tobacco raw materials into granules, sheets, or powder. The aerosol source may also include non-tobacco-derived aerosols made from plants other than tobacco (e.g., mint and herbs). As an example, the aerosol source may include a flavoring component such as menthol. When the generator 1 is a medical inhaler, the aerosol source may include a medication to be inhaled by the patient. The aerosol source is not limited to a solid, but may also be a liquid such as polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and propylene glycol, or water. At least a portion of the substrate part 501 is accommodated in the internal space 191 of the holder 190 when the substrate 500 is held by the holder 190 .

[0026] Suction mouthpiece 502 is a member that is held in the user's mouth when inhaling. At least a portion of suction mouthpiece 502 protrudes from opening 192 when substrate 500 is held by holding portion 190. When the user holds suction mouthpiece 502 protruding from opening 192 in their mouth and inhales, air flows into holding portion 190 through an air inlet hole (not shown). The inflowing air passes through internal space 191 of holding portion 190, i.e., passes through substrate 501, and reaches the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from substrate 501.

[0027] ((Example of Appearance of Main Body 100)) As shown in FIG. 3 , the main body 100 is provided so as to be exposed from the front surface 102 of the housing 101, and has two magnets, an upper magnet 195 and a lower magnet 196, which are used to connect with the cover 10. The upper magnet 195 and the lower magnet 196 are cylindrical and have a circular shape when viewed from the front. The centers of the circles of the upper magnet 195 and the lower magnet 196 are aligned in the direction of the centerline, with the upper magnet 195 provided at the top of the main body 100 and the lower magnet 196 provided at the bottom of the main body 100.

[0028] The main body 100 has an operation button 121 provided in the center in the center line direction so as to be exposed from the front surface 102 of the housing 101. In other words, the operation button 121 is disposed between the upper magnet 195 and the lower magnet 196.

[0029] The main body 100 has a display window 108 above the operation button 121, between the upper magnet 195 and the operation button 121, which allows light from the plurality of LEDs 131a to pass through to a display window 74 (described later) of the cover 10. The display window 108 is a window provided at a position corresponding to the positions of the plurality of LEDs 131a arranged inside the housing 101 of the main body 100, and allows light from the plurality of LEDs 131a to pass through to the display window 74 of the cover 10. This allows the user to see the light from the outer surface of the cover 10.

[0030] The main body 100 has a magnetic sensor 122. The magnetic sensor 122 detects a magnetic force based on a magnetic field applied from a magnet 75 (described later) of the cover 10. For example, the magnetic sensor 122 is preferably a Hall sensor configured using a Hall element. This makes it possible to detect whether the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100.

[0031] (Cover 10) The cover 10 will now be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 6 , the cover 10 includes a cover body 11, a power supply unit 20, a sensor unit 30, a storage unit 40, a communication unit 50, and a control unit 60.

[0032] (Cover body 11) The cover body 11 is formed into a plate shape using a light-transmitting material, covers the front surface 102 of the housing 101 of the main body 100, and is formed so that there are no steps with the left side surface 103, right side surface 104, top surface 105, and bottom surface 106 of the housing 101. As a result, the cover 10 forms an appearance that is integrated with the left side surface 103, right side surface 104, top surface 105, and bottom surface 106 of the housing 101, and has a decorative function. The cover 10 also has a function of suppressing the propagation of heat released from the main body 100. The power supply unit 20, sensor unit 30, memory unit 40, communication unit 50, and control unit 60 are attached to the cover body 11.

[0033] (Power supply unit 20) The power supply unit 20 has a battery 21 that stores power, a power supply unit 22 that supplies power to each component of the cover 10, and a power receiving unit 23 that receives power from the power supply unit 112 of the power supply unit 110 of the main body 100.

[0034] The battery 21 may be, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a film-shaped lithium-ion secondary battery. The battery 21 is charged by power supplied to the cover 10 from the power supply unit 112 of the power supply unit 110 of the main body 100.

[0035] The power supply unit 22 supplies power from the battery 21 to each component of the cover 10. The power supply unit 22 also supplies power received by the power receiving unit 23 to each component of the cover 10. As a result, each component of the cover 10, including the sensor unit 30, can be operated by the power supplied from the main body 100 to the cover 10.

[0036] When the power supply unit 112 of the main body 100 supplies power to the cover 10 by non-contact power transmission such as near-field wireless communication, the power receiving unit 23 is configured to include an NFC (Near Field Communication) reader / writer module, an NFC antenna, etc.

[0037] (Sensor Unit 30) The sensor unit 30 has an acceleration sensor 31. The acceleration sensor 31 can be, for example, a capacitance type acceleration sensor having a sensor element composed of a fixed electrode and a movable electrode made of silicon, and a spring or the like. Alternatively, the acceleration sensor 31 may be a piezo-resistance type or a thermal detection type acceleration sensor.

[0038] ((Memory Unit 40)) The memory unit 40 stores various information for the operation of the cover 10. The memory unit 40 is configured, for example, by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory. One example of information stored in the memory unit 40 is information about the OS (Operating System) of the cover 10, such as the control details of various components by the control unit 60. The memory unit 40 also stores information acquired from the sensor unit 30.

[0039] (Communication Unit 50) The communication unit 50 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving information between the cover 10 and the main body 100. For example, the communication unit 50 may communicate with the main body 100 via short-range wireless communication. As described above, by supplying power from the main body 100 to the cover 10 via short-range wireless communication and having the communication unit 50 communicate with the main body 100 via short-range wireless communication, communication and power transmission between the main body 100 and the cover 10 can be efficiently achieved, and the configurations of the main body 100 and the cover 10 can be simplified. Note that, when power is supplied from the main body 100 to the cover 10 via short-range wireless communication and the communication unit 50 communicates with the main body 100 via short-range wireless communication, the communication unit 50 may be realized by the same NFC reader / writer module and NFC antenna as the power receiving unit 23. Note that, when the main body 100 and the cover 10 are connected via a physical power supply interface, the communication unit 50 may communicate with the main body 100 via this power supply interface.

[0040] (Control Unit 60) The control unit 60 functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control device, and controls the overall operation within the cover 10 in accordance with various programs. The control unit 60 is realized by electronic circuits such as a CPU and a microprocessor. The control unit 60 may also include a ROM for storing the programs to be used and calculation parameters, etc., and a RAM for temporarily storing parameters that change as appropriate. The cover 10 executes various processes under the control of the control unit 60. Power supply from the power supply unit 20 to the other components, charging of the power supply unit 20, detection by the sensor unit 30, storage and readout of information by the memory unit 40, and transmission and reception of information by the communication unit 50 are examples of processes controlled by the control unit 60. Other processes executed by the cover 10, such as input of information to each component and processing based on information output from each component, are also controlled by the control unit 60.

[0041] Furthermore, the control unit 60 transmits and receives data to and from the control unit 160 of the main body 100 via the communication unit 50. For example, the control unit 60 acquires the detection value of the acceleration sensor 31 of the sensor unit 30, and when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined value (described later), the control unit 60 transmits a message to the control unit 160 of the main body 100 via the communication unit 50 that the acceleration value has been exceeded. Similarly, when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a reference value (described later), the control unit 60 transmits a message to the control unit 160 of the main body 100 that the reference value has been exceeded.

[0042] (Magnet) As shown in Figure 4, the cover 10 has an upper magnet 71 and a lower magnet 72 on the back surface 13 of the cover main body 11, which is the surface facing the main body 100. The upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72 are cylindrical in shape when viewed from the rear, and are provided in positions corresponding to the upper magnet 195 and the lower magnet 196 provided on the main body 100, respectively. In other words, the upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72 are aligned in the center line direction, with the upper magnet 71 provided at the top of the cover 10 and the lower magnet 72 provided at the bottom of the cover 10.

[0043] For example, if the upper magnet 71 and lower magnet 72 of the cover 10 are north poles, the upper magnet 195 and lower magnet 196 of the main body 100 are south poles. The cover 10 is attached to the main body 100 by the attractive force between the magnets. Note that either the magnets provided on the cover 10 (upper magnet 71, lower magnet 72) or the magnets provided on the main body 100 (upper magnet 195, lower magnet 196) may be a piece of iron or other magnetic metal.

[0044] A display window 74 is formed in the cover body 11 between the upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72. The display window 74 is provided at a position corresponding to the display window 108 provided in the main body 100. The cover body 11 is made of a light-transmitting material. This allows light emitted from the light-emitting device 131 provided in the main body 100 to pass through to the front surface 12 of the cover body 11.

[0045] 4, the cover 10 has a magnet 75 to the left of the line connecting the upper magnet 71 and the lower magnet 72. The magnet 75 is provided at a position corresponding to a magnetic sensor 122 provided on the main body 100, and attachment of the cover 10 to the main body 100 is detected by the magnetic sensor 122 provided on the main body 100.

[0046] In the cover 10 configured as described above, by providing a battery 21 in the cover 10, even if the power supply from the main body 100 to the cover 10 becomes unstable due to some factor, stable power can be supplied from the battery 21 to each component of the cover 10, thereby stabilizing the operation of these components.

[0047] Furthermore, since the amount of power per unit time that can be supplied from the power supply unit 112 of the main body 100 to the cover 10 by non-contact power transmission such as short-range wireless communication is small, the components (e.g., acceleration sensor 31) that can be mounted on the cover 10 are limited using only non-contact power transmission. However, by providing a battery 21, the degree of freedom in the components that can be mounted on the cover 10 can be improved.

[0048] However, it is also possible to not provide a battery 21 in the cover 10, and have the cover 10 operate only with power supplied from the main body 100 via contactless power transmission when the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100 or when the cover 10 is present in the vicinity of the main body 100.

[0049] (Heating Control) The heating control unit 161 of the control unit 160 of the main body 100 permits the generation of aerosol when the shutter 194 is open and the cover 10 is attached. In other words, when the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100, it permits the main body 100 to heat the heating unit 170. As described above, the control unit 160 can determine that the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100 by using the output value of the Hall sensor.

[0050] Furthermore, the heating control unit 161 controls heating by the heating unit 170 based on the output of the sensor unit 30 of the cover 10. More specifically, the heating control unit 161 permits heating by the heating unit 170 when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. In other words, the heating control unit 161 permits heating by the heating unit 170 when the heating control unit 161 receives a notification from the control unit 60 of the cover 10 a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period that the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 has exceeded a predetermined value.

[0051] The predetermined period can be, for example, three seconds. The predetermined number of times can be, for example, three times. The predetermined value can be, for example, a value that is greater than the acceleration that occurs in the generating device 1 when a user walks or runs while holding a bag containing the generating device 1 in their hand, and a value that is smaller than the acceleration that occurs when a user holds the generating device 1 in their hand and shakes it. For example, the predetermined value can be 14.7 (m / s ２ ) (in other words, 1.5G).

[0052] In other words, when the shutter 194 is open and the cover 10 is attached, the heating control unit 161 starts heating by the heating unit 170 when the user holds the generating device 1 in his / her hand and shakes it three times within three seconds.

[0053] However, the heating control unit 161 may permit heating by the heating unit 170 when the operation button 121 is pressed. For example, when the shutter 194 is open and the cover 10 is attached, the heating control unit 161 may start heating by the heating unit 170 when the operation button 121 is pressed continuously for a predetermined period (e.g., two seconds). Even when the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100, the user can press the operation button 121 of the main body 100 through the cover 10 by bending a portion of the cover 10 that corresponds to the operation button 121 of the main body 100.

[0054] The heating control unit 161 stops heating by the heating unit 170 when a predetermined heating period (e.g., five minutes) has elapsed since the heating unit 170 started heating. Furthermore, even before the heating period has elapsed, the heating control unit 161 stops heating by the heating unit 170 if the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within the predetermined period while heating by the heating unit 170 is in progress. In other words, the heating control unit 161 stops heating by the heating unit 170 when it receives a notification from the control unit 60 of the cover 10 that the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 has exceeded a predetermined value within the predetermined period. The number of times to stop heating can be, for example, four. However, the number of times to stop heating may also be three, the same as the predetermined number.

[0055] In other words, when the heating unit 170 is heating, the heating control unit 161 stops heating by the heating unit 170 if the user holds the generation device 1 in his / her hand and shakes it four times within three seconds.

[0056] (Vibration Control) The vibration control unit 163 operates the vibration generator 132 in the first pattern when the heating control unit 161 starts heating the heating unit 170. Furthermore, the vibration control unit 163 operates the vibration generator 132 in the second pattern when the temperature of the substrate 500 heated by the heating unit 170 reaches a predetermined temperature and the user is able to inhale. The first pattern can be, for example, a pattern generated by continuously operating the vibration generator 132 for two seconds, and the second pattern can be, for example, a pattern generated by intermittently operating the vibration generator 132 twice within two seconds. It is possible to estimate that the temperature of the substrate 500 has reached the predetermined temperature using the detection value of the temperature sensor of the sensor unit 120.

[0057] The vibration control unit 163 vibrates the vibration generator 132 in the third pattern when the heating control unit 161 stops heating by the heating unit 170. The third pattern can be, for example, a pattern generated by continuously operating the vibration generator 132 for one second. However, the third pattern may be the same as the first pattern or the second pattern.

[0058] (Diagnosis) The diagnosing unit 164 diagnoses a malfunction of the vibration generator 132 based on the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31. For example, when the vibration control unit 163 outputs a command to activate the vibration generator 132, the diagnosing unit 164 diagnoses that the vibration generator 132 has malfunctioned if the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 does not exceed a predetermined reference value. In other words, the diagnosing unit 164 diagnoses that the vibration generator 132 has malfunctioned if the diagnosing unit 164 does not receive a notification from the control unit 60 of the cover 10 that the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 has exceeded the reference value within a predetermined reference period after the vibration control unit 163 outputs a command to activate the vibration generator 132. The reference period can be, for example, two seconds. The reference value can be set as follows: For example, the first gravitational acceleration generated by the specified rotation speed of the vibration generator 132 and the second gravitational acceleration generated when the vibration generator 132 rotates at a speed lower than the specified rotation speed are calculated, and the reference value is set to a value that is greater than the second gravitational acceleration and smaller than the first gravitational acceleration. The reference value may be, for example, 4 (m / s ２ ) (in other words, 0.4G).

[0059] (Light Emission Control) The light emission control unit 162 notifies the charging state when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. In other words, the light emission control unit 162 notifies the charging state when the light emission control unit 162 receives a notification from the control unit 60 of the cover 10 that the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 has exceeded a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. The predetermined number of times can be, for example, two times.

[0060] For example, the light emission control unit 162 notifies the charging state when a user holds the generating device 1 with the cover 10 attached to the main body 100 in his / her hand and shakes it twice within three seconds. An example of a manner of notifying the charging state is to display the remaining battery level by the number of LEDs 131a that are turned on among the plurality of LEDs 131a. For example, the number of LEDs 131a that are turned on can be increased as the remaining battery level increases, such as by turning on all of the LEDs 131a when the remaining battery level is 100% and turning on half of all of the LEDs 131a when the remaining battery level is 50%.

[0061] The light emission control unit 162 notifying the charging state when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period is not limited to when the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100. For example, even when the cover 10 is not attached to the main body 100 and the user holds the cover 10 in their hand and shakes it twice within three seconds, the light emission control unit 162 may notify the charging state.

[0062] Furthermore, the light-emission control unit 162 may notify the user of the charging status when the operation button 121 is pressed. The light-emission control unit 162 notifies the user of the charging status when the operation button 121 is pressed, regardless of whether the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100. Even when the cover 10 is attached to the main body 100, the user can press the operation button 121 of the main body 100 through the cover 10.

[0063] Furthermore, when the diagnosing unit 164 diagnoses that the vibration generator 132 has a malfunction, the light-emission control unit 162 notifies the user of the occurrence of a malfunction in the vibration generator 132 by using the light-emitting device 131. An example of a mode of notifying the user of the occurrence of a malfunction in the vibration generator 132 is to blink at least one of the plurality of LEDs 131a.

[0064] An example of the heating control process performed by the control unit 160 of the main body 100 will be described below using a flowchart. Figures 7 and 8 are flowcharts showing an example of the heating control process performed by the control unit 160. The control unit 160 repeatedly executes this process at predetermined intervals (for example, every 1 millisecond).

[0065] The control unit 160 determines whether heating is in progress (S701). If heating is not in progress (NO in S701), the control unit 160 determines whether the cover 10 is attached (S702). This process is a process for determining whether the magnetic sensor 122 has detected a magnetic force. If the cover 10 is not attached (NO in S702), the control unit 160 does not start heating by the heating unit 170 (S703) and ends this process.

[0066] If the cover 10 is attached (YES in S702), the control unit 160 determines whether the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period (S704). If the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds the predetermined value a predetermined number of times within the predetermined period (YES in S704), the control unit 160 starts heating with the heating unit 170 (S705). This process is performed by the heating control unit 161. In other words, the heating control unit 161 starts heating with the heating unit 170 when it receives a notification from the control unit 60 of the cover 10 a predetermined number of times within the predetermined period that the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 has exceeded the predetermined value. On the other hand, if this has not occurred (NO in S704), the control unit 160 does not start heating with the heating unit 170 (S703) and ends this process.

[0067] After starting heating, the control unit 160 operates the vibration generator 132 in the first pattern (S706). This process is performed by the vibration control unit 163. The control unit 160 then determines whether the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a reference value (S707). This process is performed by the diagnosis unit 164. In other words, the diagnosis unit 164 determines whether the diagnosis unit 164 has received a notification from the control unit 60 of the cover 10 that the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeded a predetermined value within the reference period. If the acceleration value does not exceed the reference value (NO in S707), the control unit 160 uses the light-emitting device 131 to notify the vibration generator 132 that a malfunction has occurred (S708). This process is performed by the light-emitting control unit 162. The control unit 160 then terminates this process. On the other hand, if the acceleration value exceeds the reference value (YES in S707), the control unit 160 terminates this process.

[0068] If heating is in progress (YES in S701), the control unit 160 determines whether or not it is time for the user to perform suction (S709). This is processing in which the vibration control unit 163 determines whether or not the temperature of the substrate 500 has reached a predetermined temperature after the heating unit 170 starts heating. Then, if it is time for suction to be performed (YES in S709), the control unit 160 operates the vibration generator 132 in the second pattern (S710). This processing is performed by the vibration control unit 163. Then, the control unit 160 performs processing from S707 onwards.

[0069] On the other hand, if it is not the timing when suction is possible (NO in S709), the control unit 160 determines whether the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 has exceeded a predetermined value a certain number of times within the predetermined period (S711). In other words, the control unit 160 determines whether the control unit 160 has received a notification from the control unit 60 of the cover 10 that the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 has exceeded a certain value a certain number of times within the predetermined period. Then, if the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 has exceeded a certain value a certain number of times within the predetermined period (YES in S711), the control unit 160 stops heating by the heating unit 170 (S712). The processes of S711 and S712 are performed by the heating control unit 161.

[0070] After stopping the heating, the control unit 160 operates the vibration generator 132 in the third pattern (S713). This is processing performed by the vibration control unit 163. Then, the control unit 160 performs processing from S707 onwards.

[0071] On the other hand, if no abnormality has occurred (NO in S711), the control unit 160 determines whether the above-mentioned heating period has elapsed since the heating unit 170 started heating (S714). If the heating period has elapsed (YES in S714), the control unit 160 performs the processes from S712 onwards. The process of S714 is performed by the heating control unit 161. If the heating period has not elapsed (NO in S714), the control unit 160 ends this process.

[0072] As described above, the generation device 1 includes a main body 100 having a heating unit 170 and a control unit 160 that controls heating by the heating unit 170, and a cover 10 that is attached to the main body 100. The cover 10 has an acceleration sensor 31, and the control unit 160 controls the operation of the heating unit 170 based on the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31. This reduces the operational burden on the user through the cover 10 that is detachable from the main body 100. In other words, even if a user feels that a configuration that requires, for example, pressing an operation button 121 to control the operation of the heating unit 170 is a heavy operational burden, the generation device 1 can control the operation of the heating unit 170 by, for example, shaking the generation device 1, thereby reducing the operational burden on the user compared to a configuration in which the operation of the heating unit 170 is controlled by pressing the operation button 121.

[0073] For example, the control unit 160 determines whether the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 reaches a predetermined value (for example, 14.7 (m / s)) within a predetermined period (for example, 3 seconds). ２ )) occurs a predetermined number of times (e.g., three times), heating by the heating unit 170 is started. This allows the user to instruct the heating unit 170 to start heating by, for example, shaking the generation device 1, thereby reducing the operational burden on the user.

[0074] Furthermore, the control unit 160 determines whether the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 reaches a predetermined value (for example, 14.7 (m / s)) within a predetermined period (for example, 3 seconds) after the heating unit 170 starts heating. ２ )) exceeds a predetermined number of times (for example, four times), heating by the heating unit 170 is stopped. This allows the user to instruct heating by the heating unit 170 to stop by, for example, shaking the generation device 1, thereby reducing the operational burden on the user.

[0075] The generation device 1 also includes a diagnosis unit 164 that diagnoses a malfunction of the vibration generator 132 that vibrates the main body 100 based on the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31. For example, the diagnosis unit 164 diagnoses that the vibration generator 132 has malfunctioned if the diagnosis unit 164 does not receive a notification from the cover 10 that the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 has exceeded a reference value within a reference period after the vibration control unit 163 outputs a command to activate the vibration generator 132. This makes it possible to determine with high accuracy whether the vibration generator 132 has malfunctioned. The light-emission control unit 162 then uses the light-emitting device 131 to notify the user that a malfunction has occurred in the vibration generator 132, thereby enabling the user to understand that a malfunction has occurred in the vibration generator 132.

[0076] Furthermore, the generation device 1 determines whether the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined value (for example, 14.7 (m / s)) within a predetermined period (for example, 3 seconds). ２The charging device 10 further includes a light-emitting device 131 as an example of an alarm unit that notifies the user of the charging state when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times (e.g., twice). For example, the light-emitting control unit 162 notifies the user of the charging state by flashing the LED 131a of the light-emitting device 131 when the light-emitting control unit 162 receives a notification from the control unit 60 of the cover 10 that the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor 31 exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. This allows the user to grasp the charging state by, for example, shaking the generating device 1, thereby reducing the user's operational burden compared to a configuration in which the charging state is grasped by, for example, pressing the operation button 121. Note that the charging state may be notified by displaying an image on a display device, vibrating using the vibration generating device 132, or outputting a sound using a sound output device.

[0077] Furthermore, in the cover 10 configured as described above, the type of sensor included in the sensor unit 30 may differ for each type of cover 10. For example, one cover 10 may have only an acceleration sensor 31, while another cover 10 may have sensors for detecting external environmental information, such as a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an air pressure sensor. This allows a user to change the functions provided by the generator 1 by replacing the cover 10. Furthermore, by making the cover 10 interchangeable, the appearance of the generator 1 can be changed by replacing the cover 10. Therefore, a user can customize the appearance and functions of the generator 1 to suit, for example, their own preferences. As a result, the merchantability of the generator 1 can be improved.

[0078] Furthermore, by configuring the cover 10 to be detachable from the main body 100, for example, if the main body 100 breaks down, it is possible to replace only the main body 100 while continuing to use the cover 10. Since the cover 10 has a storage unit 40, when only the main body 100 is replaced, the information stored in the storage unit 140 of the main body 100 can be transferred to the storage unit 40 of the cover 10. Examples of information stored in the storage unit 140 of the main body 100 include the heating control process described with reference to FIG. 7 and a control sequence program that defines the temporal change in the target temperature of the heating unit 170 when heating the heating unit 170. Information can be transferred by contactless power transmission such as near-field wireless communication, or by providing a USB terminal on the cover 10 and connecting a cable between the USB terminal and the USB terminal 113 of the main body 100.

[0079] In the above-described embodiment, the cover 10 has the acceleration sensor 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. The sensor unit 120 of the main body 100 may have the acceleration sensor 31.

[0080] <Summary> The present disclosure includes the following configurations. (1) An aerosol generation device including a main body having a heating unit and a heating control unit that controls heating by the heating unit, and a cover attached to the main body, wherein the cover has an acceleration sensor, and the heating control unit controls operation of the heating unit based on an acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor. (2) The aerosol generation device described in (1), wherein the heating control unit permits heating by the heating unit when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. (3) The aerosol generation device described in (1) or (2), wherein the heating control unit stops heating by the heating unit when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period after starting heating by the heating unit. (4) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (3), further comprising a notification unit that notifies a charging state when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. (5) The aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (4), further comprising a diagnostic unit that diagnoses a malfunction of a vibration generating device that vibrates the main body based on the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor.

[0081] 1... aerosol generating device, 10... cover, 30... sensor unit, 31... acceleration sensor, 50... communication unit, 60... control unit, 100... main body, 130... notification unit, 131... light emitting device, 132... vibration generating device, 160... control unit, 161... heating control unit, 162... light emitting control unit, 163... vibration control unit, 164... diagnosis unit, 170... heating unit

Claims

1. A main body having a heating unit and a heating control unit that controls heating by the heating unit; A cover attached to the main body; Equipped with The cover has an acceleration sensor. The heating control unit controls the operation of the heating unit based on the value of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor. Aerosol generating device.

2. the heating control unit permits heating by the heating unit when a value of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period of time. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 .

3. the heating control unit stops heating by the heating unit when a value of acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period after starting heating by the heating unit, The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The charging device further includes a notification unit that notifies a charging state when the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 .

5. The vibration sensor further includes a diagnostic unit that diagnoses a malfunction of a vibration generating device that vibrates the main body based on the acceleration value detected by the acceleration sensor. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 .