Aerosol generation device and power supply unit for aerosol generation device

Abstract

This aerosol generation device comprises: a heating unit that heats a substrate which includes an aerosol source; a control unit that controls the heating carried out by the heating unit; a power supply unit that supplies power-supply power to the control unit; and an output unit that outputs a low signal to the control unit through a connection signal line if there is connection with an external device. The power supply unit is connected to the connection signal line via a resistor.

Description

Aerosol generating device and power supply unit for aerosol generating device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device and a power supply unit for the aerosol generating device.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a method for controlling a USB controller, including the steps of detecting a level change of an ID pin of a USB socket via a GPIO, the GPIO being connected to the ID pin and used for detection, and controlling the USB controller to be on when it is determined that the ID pin of the USB socket has changed from a high level to a low level. Patent Document 2 describes a USB device suitable for interconnection with a USB host having a D bus coupled to ground via a pull-down resistor, the USB device including a microcontroller having a first port and a second port, the first port being coupled to a voltage source via a resistor, and a switch operated by the microcontroller via the second port to selectively interconnect the first port and a bus of the USB host. Patent Document 3 describes an interface identification circuit in which a first detection module is used to obtain a first voltage according to a VBUS pin voltage of a USB interface and output the first voltage to a control module, the first voltage is used to indicate whether the VBUS pin voltage of the USB interface is at a high level or a low level, and the control module is used to determine the connection state of the USB interface according to the first voltage, and output a prompt message if it is determined that the connection state of the USB interface is connected to a main device.

[0003] CN109766288A Publication EP2687993A1 Publication CN213402973U Publication

[0004] If the control unit is not supplied with power and is connected to an external device and a high signal is output to the control unit, the control unit may malfunction.

[0005] The object of the present disclosure is to reduce the possibility of the control unit failing due to a connection to an external device and a high signal being output to the control unit when power is not being supplied to the control unit.

[0006] The present disclosure provides an aerosol generating device comprising a heating unit that heats a substrate including an aerosol source, a control unit that controls heating by the heating unit, a power supply unit that supplies power to the control unit, and an output unit that outputs a low signal to the control unit via a connection signal line when connected to an external device, wherein the power supply unit is connected to the connection signal line via a resistor.

[0007] The present disclosure also provides a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device, comprising: a control unit that controls heating of a substrate including an aerosol source; a power supply unit that supplies power to the control unit; and an output unit that outputs a low signal to the control unit via a connection signal line when connected to an external device, wherein the power supply unit is connected to the connection signal line via a resistor.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, when power is not being supplied to the control unit, the possibility of the control unit breaking down due to a connection to an external device and a high signal being output to the control unit is reduced.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a view of the front side of the aerosol generation device observed from diagonally above; Fig. 2 is a view of the front side of the aerosol generation device observed from diagonally below; Fig. 3 is a view of the main body device observed from the front with the front panel removed; Fig. 4 is a view showing an example of the internal configuration of the main body device that appears when the front panel is removed; Fig. 5 is a view showing the schematic configuration of the electronic circuit of the main body device.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0011] Terminology: The aerosol generating device according to each embodiment is a form of electronic cigarette. In the following description, the substance generated by the aerosol generating device is referred to as aerosol. Aerosol refers to a mixture of tiny liquid or solid particles suspended in a gas and air or other gases. Each embodiment describes an aerosol generating device that generates aerosol without combustion. Note that inhaling aerosol generated by the aerosol generating device is also called "puffing." Each embodiment describes an aerosol generating device that can be fitted with a solid aerosol source. Note that the container that stores the solid aerosol source is referred to as either a "capsule" or a "stick-type substrate" depending on the product form. Capsules and stick-type substrates are consumables. For this reason, guidelines for replacement are set for capsules and stick-type substrates.

[0012] First Embodiment <External Appearance Example> First, an external appearance example of the aerosol generation device used in the first embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a view of the front side of the aerosol generation device 1 observed from diagonally above. Fig. 2 is a view of the front side of the aerosol generation device 1 observed from diagonally below. Fig. 3 is a view of the main device 20 observed from the front with the front panel 10 removed.

[0013] The aerosol generation device 1 used in this embodiment has a size that allows the user to hold it in one hand. The aerosol generation device 1 has a main body device 20, a front panel 10 attached to the front of the main body device 20, and a shutter 30 that is arranged on the top surface of the main body device 20 and can be slid along the top surface. The front panel 10 is a member that can be attached to and detached from the main body device 20. The front panel 10 is attached and detached by the user.

[0014] 1 and 2, the front panel 10 attached to the main device 20 covers the front portion of the main device 20. In other words, even after the front panel 10 is attached, the main device 20 can be observed from the outside except for the front portion. For example, the side, back, top, and bottom surfaces of the main device 20 can be observed from the outside even after the front panel 10 is attached.

[0015] A window 10A is provided in the front panel 10. The window 10A is provided in a position facing the light-emitting element on the main device 20 side. In the case of the first embodiment, the light-emitting element is an LED (=Light Emitting Diode) 20A shown in FIG. 3 . In the case of the first embodiment, eight LEDs 20A are provided in the main device 20. The window 10A in the first embodiment is made of a light-transmitting material. However, the window 10A may be a slit that penetrates from the front surface to the back surface.

[0016] The lighting and blinking patterns of the LED 20A are assigned to indicate the operating status of the aerosol generation device. For example, lighting and blinking of the LED 20A are assigned to indicate a status related to the heating of the aerosol source. Status related to the heating of the aerosol source include, for example, the completion of preparation for heating the aerosol source, the start of heating, the completion or end of heating, the number of aerosol sources available for inhalation, the remaining time available for inhalation, and an abnormality in the temperature of the main unit. In addition, lighting and blinking of the LED 20A are assigned to indicate a malfunction or failure of the main unit 20, the remaining battery level, charging or completion of charging, the pairing status, and the like. Malfunctions here include abnormalities related to the ambient temperature. The lighting and blinking of the light-emitting element are controlled by the MCU 101 (see FIG. 5 ), which will be described later.

[0017] The front panel 10 also serves to buffer the propagation of heat emitted from the main device 20. In this embodiment, aerosol generation is permitted only when the front panel 10 is attached to the main device 20. The front panel 10 used in this embodiment deforms when a user presses a position below the window 10A with their fingertip, and returns to its original shape when the user stops pressing. This deformation makes it possible to operate the power button 20B provided on the main device 20 while the front panel 10 is attached to the main device 20.

[0018] A Type C USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 21 is provided on the bottom side of the main device 20. The shape and type of the USB connector 21 are merely examples. In the first embodiment, the USB connector 21 is used to charge a battery 50 (see FIG. 4 ) built into the main device 20. The USB is also merely an example. Receptacles and plugs conforming to other standards may also be used, but the following description will be given taking the case where a USB connector 21 and a USB plug are used as an example.

[0019] An insertion hole 22 (see FIG. 4) for inserting a stick-shaped substrate containing an aerosol source is provided on the top surface of main device 20. Insertion hole 22 is exposed by sliding shutter 30 to the open position, and is concealed by sliding shutter 30 to the closed position. The stick-shaped substrate used in this embodiment has a structure in which a solid aerosol source is stored in a substantially cylindrical paper tube.

[0020] A magnet, for example, is attached to the back surface of the shutter 30. Meanwhile, a Hall IC is attached to the main device 20 within the movable range of the shutter 30. The Hall IC is a magnetic sensor comprised 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 opening and closing of the shutter 30 is detected from the change in voltage output from the Hall IC as the shutter 30 slides. In other words, it is detected whether the shutter 30 is in the open or closed position.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3 , a power button 20B is located approximately in the center of the front of the main device 20. As described above, the power button 20B can be operated with the front panel 10 attached. The power button 20B is used, for example, to turn the power of the main device 20 on and off, turn on and off the power supply to the heater unit 40 (see FIG. 4 ) that heats the aerosol source, and issue a Bluetooth (registered trademark) pairing command. Note that if the power button 20B is pressed and held (for example, for 5 seconds or more) with the front panel 10 detached from the main device 20, a reset function is activated. In this embodiment, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) is used as Bluetooth.

[0022] 3, magnets 20C used to attach the front panel 10 are disposed at the top and bottom of the front of the main unit 20. The magnets 20C are disposed in positions facing a magnet (not shown) disposed inside the front panel 10. For example, if the magnet on the front panel 10 has a north pole, the magnet 20C on the main unit 20 side has a south pole. The front panel 10 is detachably attached to the main unit 20 by the attractive force between the magnets.

[0023] Either the magnet on the front panel 10 side or the magnet 20C on the main device 20 side may be a piece of iron or other magnetic metal. Attachment of the front panel 10 to the main device 20 is detected by a Hall IC provided on the main device 20 side. The main device 20 also incorporates various electronic components necessary for generating aerosol. In the first embodiment, the device configuration in which the front panel 10 is attached to the main device 20 is referred to as the aerosol generation device 1, but in a narrower sense, the main device 20 is referred to as the aerosol generation device.

[0024] <Internal Configuration Example> FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an internal configuration example of the main unit 20 that appears when the front panel 10 is removed.

[0025] The main device 20 in the first embodiment includes a heater unit 40, a battery 50, an MCU (Micro Control Unit) board 100, a USB connector board 200, an LED board 300, a Hall IC board 400, a vibrator 60, and a chassis 500 to which these components are attached. That is, the main device 20 includes four separate boards. The four boards are spaced apart from one another.

[0026] The heater unit 40 is a unit that heats the stick-shaped substrate inserted into the insertion hole 22. The insertion hole 22 is defined as a space surrounded by the inner wall of a cylindrical container 22A. The container 22A used in embodiment 1 has a bottom. However, a container 22A without a bottom may also be used. In the case of the container 22A used in embodiment 1, a flat portion is provided on the side wall. In other words, a flat portion is provided on the cross section when the container 22A is broken along a plane perpendicular to the axis of the container 22A.

[0027] The flat portion compresses and deforms the side surface of the stick-shaped substrate inserted into the opening of the insertion hole 22, improving heating efficiency. The cross-sectional shape may be approximately circular, approximately elliptical, or approximately polygonal. The cross-sectional shape may be the same from the opening side to the bottom surface, or it may change from the opening side to the bottom surface.

[0028] The container 22A is preferably made of a metal with high thermal conductivity. In the first embodiment, the container 22A is made of, for example, stainless steel. A film-like heater HTR (see FIG. 5) is arranged around the outer periphery of the container 22A, covering the outer periphery. The heater HTR generates heat by consuming power supplied from a battery 50. When the heater HTR generates heat, the stick-shaped substrate is heated from the periphery, and an aerosol is generated.

[0029] The heater unit 40 is connected to a heater connector Cn (see FIG. 5) provided on the USB connector board 200 and receives a supply of power. The heater unit 40 is an example of a heating section that heats a substrate including an aerosol source.

[0030] The battery 50 is a power source that supplies the power necessary for the operation of the circuit units built into the main device 20. In the first embodiment, a rechargeable lithium ion secondary battery or the like is used as the battery 50. The power of the battery 50 is supplied to each component through a power supply line connected to the negative and positive electrodes (not shown).

[0031] The MCU board 100 is a board on which the MCU 101, which controls the operation of the entire device, and other components are mounted. The MCU 101 is a so-called controller. The operation of the MCU 101 is determined through the execution of firmware and programs that run on the firmware. In particular, the MCU 101 controls heating by the heater unit 40. The MCU 101 is an example of a control unit that controls heating by the heating unit.

[0032] The USB connector board 200 is a board on which a USB connector 21 is mounted. In this embodiment, the USB connector 21 is used to receive power from an external power supply via a USB cable. The USB connector board 200 also has a heater connector Cn and the like mounted thereon. The heater connector Cn is used to supply power to the heater unit 40.

[0033] The LED board 300 is a board on which the LEDs 20A are mounted. The LEDs 20A are arranged in a row on the LED board 300. In the first embodiment, the number of LEDs 20A is eight, but this number is not explicitly shown in FIG. 4. The number of LEDs 20A and their arrangement on the LED board 300 can be changed as desired. The Hall IC board 400 is a board on which a Hall IC that detects the opening and closing of the shutter 30 is mounted. The vibrator 60 is a device that vibrates to notify the user of various information related to the aerosol generation device 1 through the case of the main device 20.

[0034] <Outline of Electronic Circuit> Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the electronic circuit of the main device 20. Note that Fig. 5 shows only the main electronic components of the MCU board 100 and the USB connector board 200, and omits the LED board 300 and the Hall IC board 400.

[0035] The wiring indicated by the thick solid line in FIG. 5 is wiring (wiring connected to a ground provided in the main device 20) that has the same potential as the reference potential (ground potential) of the main device 20, and this wiring will be referred to as a ground line hereinafter. In FIG. 5, an electronic component in which multiple circuit elements are integrated into a chip is shown as a rectangle, with the symbols of various terminals written inside the rectangle. The power supply terminals VCC and VDD mounted on the chip each indicate a high-potential power supply terminal. The power supply terminals VSS and ground terminals GND mounted on the chip each indicate a low-potential (reference potential) power supply terminal. For a chip-integrated electronic component, the difference between the potential of the high-potential power supply terminal and the potential of the low-potential power supply terminal is the power supply voltage. The chip-integrated electronic component uses this power supply voltage to perform various functions.

[0036] The MCU board 100 is equipped with the following main electronic components: an MCU 101 that controls the entire aerosol generation device 1; a charging IC 102 that controls the charging of the battery 50; a load switch (hereinafter referred to as LSW) 103 that is composed of a combination of capacitors, resistors, transistors, etc.; and a step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 (shown in the figure as step-up / step-down DC / DC 104).

[0037] The ground terminals GND of the charging IC 102, the LSW 103, and the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 are connected to the ground line.

[0038] The USB connector board 200 is provided with, as main electronic components, a power connector electrically connected to the battery 50 (the battery 50 connected to this power connector is shown in the figure), a step-up DC / DC converter 201 (shown as step-up DC / DC 201 in the figure), a protection IC 202, an overvoltage protection IC 203, a USB connector 21, switches S3 to S5 formed of MOSFETs, an operational amplifier OP1, and a pair of heater connectors Cn (positive and negative sides) electrically connected to the heater HTR.

[0039] The two ground terminals GND of the USB connector 21, the ground terminal GND of the step-up DC / DC converter 201, the ground terminal GND of the overvoltage protection IC 203, and the negative power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 are each connected to a ground line.

[0040] <Details of Electronic Circuit> Hereinafter, the connection relationships of the electronic components will be described with reference to FIG.

[0041] Two power input terminals V of the USB connector 21 ＢＵＳ is connected to the input terminal IN of the overvoltage protection IC 203 via a protection element such as a fuse Fs. When a USB plug is connected to the USB connector 21 and a USB cable including the USB plug is connected to an external power supply, the two power supply input terminals V ＢＵＳ USB voltage V ＵＳＢ is supplied.

[0042] One end of a voltage divider circuit Pa, which is composed of a series circuit of two resistors, is connected to the input terminal IN of the overvoltage protection IC 203. The other end of the voltage divider circuit Pa is connected to the ground line. The junction of the two resistors that make up the voltage divider circuit Pa is connected to the voltage detection terminal OVLo of the overvoltage protection IC 203. When the voltage input to the voltage detection terminal OVLo is below a threshold, the overvoltage protection IC 203 outputs the voltage input to the input terminal IN from the output terminal OUT. When the voltage input to the voltage detection terminal OVLo exceeds the threshold (overvoltage), the overvoltage protection IC 203 stops the voltage output from the output terminal OUT (cutting off the electrical connection between the LSW 103 and the USB connector 21), thereby protecting electronic components downstream of the overvoltage protection IC 203. The output terminal OUT of the overvoltage protection IC 203 is connected to the input terminal VIN of the LSW 103.

[0043] One end of a voltage divider circuit Pf, which is composed of two series resistors, is connected to the input terminal VIN of the LSW 103. The other end of the voltage divider circuit Pf is connected to the ground line. The junction point of the two resistors that make up the voltage divider circuit Pf is connected to the control terminal ON of the LSW 103. The collector terminal of the bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the control terminal ON of the LSW 103. The emitter terminal of the bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the ground line. The base terminal of the bipolar transistor S2 is connected to the MCU 101. When the signal input to the control terminal ON of the LSW 103 becomes high level, the LSW 103 outputs the voltage input to the input terminal VIN from the output terminal VOUT. The output terminal VOUT of the LSW 103 is connected to the input terminal VBUS of the charging IC 102. The MCU 101 turns on the bipolar transistor S2 while there is no USB connection. As a result, the control terminal ON of the LSW 103 is connected to the ground line via the bipolar transistor S2, and a low-level signal is input to the control terminal ON of the LSW 103.

[0044] When a USB connection is made, the bipolar transistor S2 connected to the LSW 103 is turned off by the MCU 101. When the bipolar transistor S2 is turned off, the USB voltage V divided by the voltage divider circuit Pf is ＵＳＢ is input to the control terminal ON of the LSW 103. Therefore, when the USB connection is made and the bipolar transistor S2 is turned off, a high-level signal is input to the control terminal ON of the LSW 103. As a result, the LSW 103 receives the USB voltage V supplied from the USB cable. ＵＳＢ Even if a USB connection is made with the bipolar transistor S2 turned off, the control terminal ON of the LSW 103 is connected to the ground line via the bipolar transistor S2, and therefore a low-level signal continues to be input to the control terminal ON of the LSW 103 unless the MCU 101 turns off the bipolar transistor S2.

[0045] The positive terminal of the battery 50 is connected to the power supply terminal VDD of the protection IC 202, the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 201, and the charging terminal bat of the charging IC 102. Therefore, the power supply voltage V ＢＡＴ is supplied to the protection IC 202, the charging IC 102, and the step-up DC / DC converter 201. A resistor Ra, a switch Sa configured with a MOSFET, and a switch Sb configured with a MOSFET are connected in series to the negative terminal of the battery 50 in this order. A current detection terminal CS of the protection IC 202 is connected to the connection point between the resistor Ra and the switch Sa. The control terminals of the switches Sa and Sb are connected to the protection IC 202.

[0046] The protection IC 202 obtains the value of the current flowing through the resistor Ra during charging or discharging of the battery 50 from the voltage input to the current detection terminal CS, and if this current value becomes excessive (in the case of an overcurrent), it controls the opening and closing of the switches Sa and Sb to stop charging or discharging of the battery 50, thereby protecting the battery 50. More specifically, if the protection IC 202 obtains an excessively large current value during charging of the battery 50, it turns off the switch Sb to stop charging of the battery 50. If the protection IC 202 obtains an excessively large current value during discharging of the battery 50, it turns off the switch Sa to stop discharging of the battery 50. Furthermore, if the voltage value of the battery 50 becomes abnormal based on the voltage input to the power supply terminal VDD (in the case of a charging overcurrent or a discharging overcurrent), the protection IC 202 controls the opening and closing of the switches Sa and Sb to stop charging or discharging of the battery 50, thereby protecting the battery 50. More specifically, when the protection IC 202 detects a charging overcurrent of the battery 50, it turns off the switch Sb to stop charging the battery 50. When the protection IC 202 detects a discharging overcurrent of the battery 50, it turns off the switch Sa to stop discharging the battery 50.

[0047] One end of a reactor Lc is connected to the switching terminal SW of the step-up DC / DC converter 201. The other end of this reactor Lc is connected to the input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 201. The step-up DC / DC converter 201 controls the on / off of an internal transistor connected to the switching terminal SW to boost the input voltage and output it from the output terminal VOUT. The input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 201 constitutes the high-potential power supply terminal of the step-up DC / DC converter 201. The step-up DC / DC converter 201 performs a boost operation when a signal input to an enable terminal EN is at a high level. When connected via USB, the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the step-up DC / DC converter 201 may be controlled to a low level by the MCU 101. Alternatively, in the state where the USB is connected, the MCU 101 may not control the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the step-up DC / DC converter 201, thereby making the potential of the enable terminal EN indefinite.

[0048] The output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 201 is connected to the source terminal of a switch S4 configured by a P-channel MOSFET. The gate terminal of the switch S4 is connected to the MCU 101. One end of a resistor Rs is connected to the drain terminal of the switch S4. The other end of the resistor Rs is connected to a positive heater connector Cn connected to one end of the heater HTR. A voltage divider circuit Pb consisting of two resistors is connected to the connection point between the switch S4 and the resistor Rs. The connection point of the two resistors that make up the voltage divider circuit Pb is connected to the MCU 101.

[0049] The source terminal of switch S3, which is configured by a P-channel MOSFET, is connected to the connection line between the output terminal VOUT of the step-up DC / DC converter 201 and the source terminal of switch S4. The gate terminal of switch S3 is connected to the MCU 101. The drain terminal of switch S3 is connected to the connection line between resistor Rs and the positive electrode side heater connector Cn. In this way, a circuit including switch S3 and a circuit including switch S4 and resistor Rs are connected in parallel between the output terminal VOUT of step-up DC / DC converter 201 and the positive electrode side of heater connector Cn. Because the circuit including switch S3 does not have a resistor, it has lower resistance than the circuit including switch S4 and resistor Rs.

[0050] The non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the connection line between the resistor Rs and the positive heater connector Cn. The inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the negative heater connector Cn, which is connected to the other end of the heater HTR, and to the drain terminal of a switch S5 composed of an N-channel MOSFET. The source terminal of the switch S5 is connected to the ground line. The gate terminal of the switch S5 is connected to the MCU 101, the anode of a diode D4, and the enable terminal EN of the step-up DC / DC converter 201. The cathode of the diode D4 is connected to a flip-flop (not shown) that outputs a low-level signal when the temperature of the heater HTR becomes excessive. One end of a resistor R4 is connected to the output terminal of the operational amplifier OP1. The other end of the resistor R4 is connected to the MCU 101.

[0051] The charging IC 102 receives the USB voltage V ＵＳＢ The charging IC 102 acquires the charging current and charging voltage of the battery 50 from terminals and wiring (not shown), and controls charging of the battery 50 (controls the power supply from the charging terminal bat to the battery 50) based on these.

[0052] The charging IC 102 further ＢＡＴ Equipped with power pass function and OTG function. ＢＡＴThe power path function is to protect the power supply voltage V ＢＡＴ The OTG function is a function that outputs a system power supply voltage Vcc0 from the output terminal SYS that is approximately equal to the power supply voltage V ＢＡＴ The OTG function of the charging IC 102 is controlled by the MCU 101 through serial communication using the communication line LN. ＢＡＴ may be output directly from the input terminal VBUS. ＢＡＴ and the system power supply voltage Vcc4 are approximately equal. Note that, although serial communication requires multiple signal lines, such as a data line for data transmission and a clock line for synchronization, only one signal line is shown for simplicity.

[0053] The output terminal SYS of the charging IC 102 is connected to the input terminal VIN of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104. One end of a reactor La is connected to a switching terminal SW of the charging IC 102. The other end of the reactor La is connected to the output terminal SYS of the charging IC 102. A charging enable terminal CE( ) of the charging IC 102 is connected to the MCU 101 via a resistor.

[0054] A resistor is connected between the input terminal VIN and enable terminal EN of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104. When the system power supply voltage Vcc0 is input from the output terminal SYS of the charging IC 102 to the input terminal VIN of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104, the signal input to the enable terminal EN of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 becomes high level, and the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 starts step-up or step-down operation. The step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 generates a system power supply voltage Vcc1 by controlling the switching of an internal transistor connected to the reactor Lb, and outputs the system power supply voltage Vcc1 from the output terminal VOUT. The output terminal VOUT of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 is connected to the feedback terminal FB of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 and the power supply terminal VDD of the MCU 101. The wiring that supplies the system power supply voltage Vcc1 output from the output terminal VOUT of the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 is referred to as a power supply line PL1. The positive power supply terminal of the operational amplifier OP1 is connected to the power supply line PL1. The step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 is an example of a power supply unit that supplies power supply power to a control unit.

[0055] Now, assuming that the output terminal OUT of the overvoltage protection IC 203 is connected to the MCU 101, when a USB plug connected to an external device is connected to the USB connector 21, a high-level signal is input to the MCU 101. However, if a high-level signal is input to the MCU 101 when the system power supply voltage Vcc1 is not applied to the MCU 101, the MCU 101 may malfunction, preventing normal heating control and possibly causing overheating. Therefore, in the first embodiment, a high-level signal is prevented from being input to the MCU 101 when the system power supply voltage Vcc1 is not applied to the MCU 101.

[0056] Specifically, the acknowledge terminal ACK of the overvoltage protection IC 203 is connected to the MCU 101, and a signal from the acknowledge terminal ACK is transmitted to the signal line L ＤＥＴThe output from the acknowledge terminal ACK is an open-drain type. That is, when the output from the acknowledge terminal ACK is at a low level, it is connected to the ground, and when it is at a high level, it is not connected to anything. By connecting this output to the power supply line PL1 via a resistor Rp, when it is at a high level, the system power supply voltage Vcc1 is applied to the MCU 101. When the USB plug is connected to the USB connector 21, a low-level signal is output.

[0057] As a result, when the system power supply voltage Vcc1 is not applied to the MCU 101, even if the USB plug is connected to the USB connector 21, a low-level signal is transmitted to the signal line L ＤＥＴ On the other hand, when the system power supply voltage Vcc1 is applied to the MCU 101, when the USB plug is connected to the USB connector 21, a high-level signal is input to the signal line L ＤＥＴ This configuration makes it possible to prevent a high-level signal from being input to the MCU 101 when power is not being supplied to the MCU 101, without inserting a switch such as an FET.

[0058] In this case, the signal line L ＤＥＴ is an example of a connection signal line, the overvoltage protection IC 203 is an example of an output unit that outputs a low signal to the control unit via the connection signal line when connected to an external device, and the step-up / step-down DC / DC converter 104 is an example of a power supply unit that is connected to the connection signal line via a resistor.

[0059] <Effects> In the aerosol generating device 1 according to the present embodiment, when connected to an external device, the signal line L ＤＥＴ A low level signal is output to the MCU 101 via the signal line L ＤＥＴIn this embodiment, when the system power supply voltage Vcc1 is not applied to the MCU 101, the MCU 101 is connected to an external device and a high-level signal is output to the MCU 101, which reduces the possibility of the MCU 101 breaking down.

[0060] Other Embodiments (1) Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the scope of the above-described embodiments. It is clear from the claims that various modifications or improvements to the above-described embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (2) In the above-described embodiments, the aerosol source is solid, but the aerosol source may be liquid. When the aerosol source is liquid, a method is adopted in which the aerosol source is guided into a thin tube called a wick using capillary action and evaporated by heating a coil wrapped around the wick. (3) In the above-described embodiments, an aerosol generator that generates aerosol by heating a solid aerosol source is described. However, an aerosol generator that generates aerosol by separately heating a solid aerosol source and a liquid aerosol source may also be used. This type of aerosol generator is also called a hybrid aerosol generator.

[0061] Summary The present disclosure includes the following configurations: (1) an aerosol generation device including a heating unit that heats a substrate including an aerosol source, a control unit that controls heating by the heating unit, a power supply unit that supplies power to the control unit, and an output unit that outputs a low signal to the control unit via a connection signal line when connected to an external device, the power supply unit being connected to the connection signal line via a resistor; (2) a power supply unit for an aerosol generation device including a control unit that controls heating of a substrate including an aerosol source, a power supply unit that supplies power to the control unit, and an output unit that outputs a low signal to the control unit via the connection signal line when connected to an external device, the power supply unit being connected to the connection signal line via a resistor.

[0062] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... aerosol generating device, 10... front panel, 20... main body device, 21... USB connector, 22... insertion hole, 24... LED, 30... shutter, 40... heater unit, 50... battery, 60... vibrator, 100... MCU board, 101... MCU, 104... step-up / step-down DC / DC converter, 200... USB connector board, 203... overvoltage protection IC, 300... LED board, 400... Hall IC board, 500... chassis

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device comprising: a heating unit that heats a substrate including an aerosol source; a control unit that controls heating by the heating unit; a power supply unit that supplies source power to the control unit; and an output unit that outputs a low signal to the control unit via a connection signal line when connected to an external device, wherein the power supply unit is connected to the connection signal line via a resistor.

2. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device comprising: a control unit that controls the heating of a substrate including an aerosol source; a power supply unit that supplies power source power to the control unit; and an output unit that outputs a low signal to the control unit via a connection signal line when connected to an external device, wherein the power supply unit is connected to the connection signal line via a resistor.

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