Power supply unit for aerosol generation device

Abstract

A power supply unit (110) for an inhalation device (100) that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol comprises: a power supply portion (111); a step-up DC / DC converter (82); a charging IC (81) and / or an MCU (1); and a main substrate (50). The charging IC (81) and / or the MCU (1) includes a power supply voltage measurement portion (Ps1, Ps2) for measuring the voltage of the power supply portion (111). The power supply voltage measurement portion (Ps1, Ps2) is connected, via voltage measurement wiring (530, 540), in a position closer to the step-up DC / DC converter (82) than to a power supply connection portion (51) in power supply wiring (510) connecting the power supply connection portion (51) and the step-up DC / DC converter (82).

Description

Aerosol generator power supply unit

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol.

[0002] Conventionally, there have been known aerosol generating devices that generate aerosols containing flavor components and allow a user to inhale the generated aerosols. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an aerosol generating device that includes a heater, an MCU (microcontroller unit), and a battery for supplying power to the heater and the MCU.

[0003] As described in Patent Document 1, the MCU operates using power supplied from a battery, but to ensure proper operation of the MCU, a voltage greater than a predetermined minimum voltage must be input to the MCU.

[0004] Japan Special Table No. 2020-509760

[0005] In an aerosol generating device, if a discrepancy occurs between the voltage input to the control unit and the measured voltage, it may not be possible to guarantee that the control unit is operating correctly. Particularly during discharge (heating), a voltage drop occurs due to wiring resistance between the battery and the control unit, resulting in a large discrepancy between the actual input voltage and the measured voltage. For this reason, it is desirable to improve the measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage during discharge.

[0006] The present disclosure provides a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device with improved measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage during discharge.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source, comprising: a power supply that supplies power to a heating section that heats the aerosol source; a power conversion section that converts power from the power supply and supplies heating power to the heating section; a control section that controls the operation of the power supply unit; and a board on which a power connection section to which power from the power supply is supplied, the power conversion section, and the control section are mounted, wherein the control section has a power supply voltage measuring section that measures the voltage of the power supply, and the power supply voltage measuring section is connected via voltage measurement wiring to a position closer to the power conversion section than the power supply connection section in the power supply wiring connecting the power supply connection section and the power conversion section.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the accuracy of measuring the power supply voltage during discharge.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of the configuration of a suction device (suction device 100A). FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the configuration of a suction device (suction device 100B). FIG. 3 is a front view of the exterior of the suction device 100. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the internal unit 20 of the suction device 100. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating elements mounted on the front surface 501 of the main substrate 50. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating elements mounted on the back surface 502 of the main substrate 50. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the main conductive tracks of the first conductive layer L1 to the tenth conductive layer L10 (layers L1 to L10 in the figure) provided on the main substrate 50. FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram showing the electrical connections of the main elements of the internal unit 20.

[0010] An embodiment of a power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is an example in which the aerosol generating device according to the present disclosure is applied to an inhalation device. The drawings should be viewed in the direction indicated by the reference numerals. In the following description, identical or similar elements will be designated by identical or similar reference numerals, and their description may be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] 1. Configuration Example of Inhalation Device An inhalation device is a device that generates a substance to be inhaled by a user. In the following description, the substance generated by the inhalation device is assumed to be an aerosol. Alternatively, the substance generated by the inhalation device may be a gas.

[0012] 1-1. First Configuration Example FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first configuration example of an inhalation device. As shown in FIG. 1, an inhalation device 100A according to this configuration example includes a power supply unit 110, a cartridge 120, and a flavor imparting cartridge 130. The power supply unit 110 includes a power supply section 111A, a sensor section 112A, a notification section 113A, a memory section 114A, a communication section 115A, and a control section 116A. The cartridge 120 includes a heating section 121A, a liquid guiding section 122, and a liquid storage section 123. The flavor imparting cartridge 130 includes a flavor source 131 and a mouthpiece 124. An air flow path 180 is formed in the cartridge 120 and the flavor imparting cartridge 130.

[0013] The power supply unit 111A stores electric power. The power supply unit 111A supplies electric power to each component of the suction device 100A under the control of the control unit 116A. The power supply unit 111A may be configured by, for example, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery.

[0014] The sensor unit 112A acquires various types of information related to the suction device 100A. As one example, the sensor unit 112A is configured with a pressure sensor such as a condenser microphone, a flow rate sensor, a temperature sensor, or the like, and acquires values ​​associated with suction by the user. As another example, the sensor unit 112A is configured with an input device such as a button or a switch that accepts information input from the user.

[0015] The notification unit 113A notifies the user of information. The information notified to the user by the notification unit 113A includes, for example, various information such as the SOC (State Of Charge) indicating the charge state of the power supply unit 111A, the preheating time for suction, the period during which suction is possible, etc. The notification unit 113A is configured, for example, by a light-emitting device that emits light, a display device that displays images, a sound output device that outputs sound, or a vibration device that vibrates.

[0016] The storage unit 114A stores various types of information for the operation of the suction device 100 A. The storage unit 114A is configured by a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example.

[0017] The communication unit 115A is a communication interface capable of performing communication in accordance with any wired or wireless communication standard, such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy (registered trademark)), NFC (Near Field Communication), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

[0018] The control unit 116A functions as an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, and controls the overall operation of the suction device 100A in accordance with various programs. The control unit 116A is realized by an electronic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a microprocessor.

[0019] The liquid reservoir 123 stores an aerosol source. The aerosol source is atomized to generate an aerosol. The aerosol source is a liquid, such as a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water. The aerosol source may contain a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the inhalation device 100A is a medical inhaler, such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may contain a drug.

[0020] The liquid guide portion 122 guides and holds the aerosol source, which is a liquid stored in the liquid storage portion 123, from the liquid storage portion 123. The liquid guide portion 122 is, for example, a wick formed by twisting a fiber material such as glass fiber or a porous material such as porous ceramic. In this case, the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage portion 123 is guided by the capillary effect of the wick.

[0021] The heating unit 121A generates aerosol by heating the aerosol source and atomizing the aerosol source. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the heating unit 121A is configured as a coil and wound around the liquid guide unit 122. When the heating unit 121A generates heat, the aerosol source held in the liquid guide unit 122 is heated and atomized, generating aerosol. The heating unit 121A generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111A. For example, power may be supplied to the heating unit 121A when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has started inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input. Then, power supply to the heating unit 121A may be stopped when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has stopped inhaling and / or that predetermined information has been input. Note that the user's inhalation operation on the inhalation device 100A can be detected, for example, based on the pressure (internal pressure) within the inhalation device 100A detected by a puff sensor exceeding a predetermined threshold.

[0022] The flavor source 131 is a component for imparting flavor components to the aerosol. The flavor source 131 may include tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor components.

[0023] The air flow path 180 is a path for air inhaled by the user. The air flow path 180 has a tubular structure with an air inlet 181, which is an entrance for air into the air flow path 180, and an air outlet 182, which is an exit for air from the air flow path 180, at both ends. A liquid guide section 122 is disposed on the upstream side (closer to the air inlet 181) of the air flow path 180, and a flavor source 131 is disposed on the downstream side (closer to the air outlet 182). Air flowing in through the air inlet 181 as the user inhales is mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating section 121A and, as shown by arrow 190, is transported through the flavor source 131 to the air outlet 182. When the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air passes through the flavor source 131, flavor components contained in the flavor source 131 are imparted to the aerosol.

[0024] Mouthpiece 124 is a member that is held in the mouth by the user when inhaling. Air outlet holes 182 are arranged in mouthpiece 124. By holding mouthpiece 124 in the mouth and inhaling, the user can take in the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air into the oral cavity.

[0025] The above describes an example of the configuration of the suction device 100A. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100A is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0026] As an example, the inhalation device 100A may not include the flavoring cartridge 130. In that case, the cartridge 120 is provided with the mouthpiece 124.

[0027] As another example, the inhalation device 100A may include multiple types of aerosol sources. Multiple types of aerosols generated from the multiple types of aerosol sources may be mixed in the air flow path 180 and undergo a chemical reaction to generate additional types of aerosols.

[0028] Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121 A. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be vibration atomization or induction heating.

[0029] 1-2. Second Configuration Example FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second configuration example of a suction device. As shown in FIG. 2, a suction device 100B according to this configuration example includes a power supply unit 111B, a sensor unit 112B, a notification unit 113B, a memory unit 114B, a communication unit 115B, a control unit 116B, a heating unit 121B, a housing unit 140, and a heat insulating unit 144. In the suction device 100A according to the first configuration example, the power supply unit 110 housing the power supply unit 111A and the heating unit 121A are separate entities. However, in the suction device 100B according to the second configuration example, the power supply unit 111B and the heating unit 121B are integrated. In other words, the suction device 100B according to the second configuration example can also be described as a power supply unit 110B with a built-in heating unit.

[0030] Each of the power supply unit 111B, sensor unit 112B, notification unit 113B, memory unit 114B, communication unit 115B, and control unit 116B is substantially identical to the corresponding components included in the suction device 100A according to the first configuration example.

[0031] The storage unit 140 has an internal space 141 and holds the stick-shaped substrate 150 while accommodating a portion of the stick-shaped substrate 150 in the internal space 141. The storage unit 140 has an opening 142 that connects the internal space 141 to the outside and accommodates the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 through the opening 142. For example, the storage unit 140 is a cylindrical body with the opening 142 and a bottom 143 as its bottom surface, and defines a columnar internal space 141. An air flow path that supplies air to the internal space 141 is connected to the storage unit 140. An air inlet, which is an air inlet to the air flow path, is arranged, for example, on a side surface of the suction device 100. An air outlet, which is an air outlet from the air flow path to the internal space 141, is arranged, for example, on the bottom 143.

[0032] The stick-shaped substrate 150 includes a substrate portion 151 and a mouthpiece portion 152. The substrate portion 151 includes an aerosol source. The aerosol source includes a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the inhalation device 100B is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may include a medicament. The aerosol source may be, for example, a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerin or propylene glycol, or water, containing a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component, or a solid containing a tobacco-derived or non-tobacco-derived flavor component. When the stick-shaped substrate 150 is held in the storage portion 140, at least a portion of the substrate portion 151 is housed in the internal space 141, and at least a portion of the mouthpiece portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. When a user holds the mouthpiece portion 152 protruding from the opening 142 in their mouth and inhales, air flows into the internal space 141 via an air flow path (not shown) and reaches the user's mouth along with the aerosol generated from the substrate portion 151.

[0033] 2, the heating unit 121B is configured in a film shape and is arranged to cover the outer periphery of the storage unit 140. When the heating unit 121B generates heat, the substrate unit 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the outer periphery, and an aerosol is generated.

[0034] The heat insulating section 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating section 121B to other components. For example, the heat insulating section 144 is made of a vacuum heat insulating material, an aerogel heat insulating material, or the like.

[0035] The above is a description of an example of the configuration of the suction device 100B. Of course, the configuration of the suction device 100B is not limited to the above, and various configurations such as those exemplified below may be used.

[0036] As one example, the heating unit 121B may be configured in a blade shape and disposed so as to protrude from the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140 into the internal space 141. In this case, the blade-shaped heating unit 121B is inserted into the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 and heats the substrate 151 of the stick-shaped substrate 150 from the inside. As another example, the heating unit 121B may be disposed so as to cover the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140. Furthermore, the heating unit 121B may be configured as a combination of two or more of a first heating unit covering the outer periphery of the storage unit 140, a blade-shaped second heating unit, and a third heating unit covering the bottom 143 of the storage unit 140.

[0037] As another example, the accommodation unit 140 may include an opening / closing mechanism such as a hinge that opens and closes a portion of the outer shell that forms the internal space 141. The accommodation unit 140 may then open and close the outer shell to accommodate the stick-shaped substrate 150 inserted into the internal space 141 while clamping it. In this case, the heating unit 121B may be provided at the clamping location in the accommodation unit 140 and heat the stick-shaped substrate 150 while pressing it.

[0038] Furthermore, the means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121B. For example, the means for atomizing the aerosol source may be induction heating. In that case, the suction device 100B has at least an electromagnetic induction source such as a coil that generates a magnetic field, instead of the heating unit 121B. A susceptor that generates heat by induction heating may be provided in the suction device 100B, or may be included in the stick-shaped substrate 150.

[0039] Furthermore, the suction device 100B may further include the heating unit 121A, the liquid guide unit 122, the liquid storage unit 123, and the air flow path 180 according to the first configuration example, and the air flow path 180 may supply air to the internal space 141. In this case, the mixed fluid of the aerosol and air generated by the heating unit 121A flows into the internal space 141 and is further mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating unit 121B, and reaches the oral cavity of the user.

[0040] In the following description, the suction device 100A and the suction device 100B will be referred to as the "suction device 100" without distinction, and the power supply unit 110A and the power supply unit 110B will be referred to as the "power supply unit 110" without distinction. Similarly, the power supply units 111A and 111B will be referred to as the "power supply unit 111," the sensor units 112A and 112B as the "sensor unit 112," the notification units 113A and 113B as the "notification unit 113," the memory units 114A and 114B as the "memory unit 114," the communication units 115A and 115B as the "communication unit 115," the control units 116A and 116B as the "control unit 116," and the heating units 121A and 121B as the "heating unit 121."

[0041] 2. Structural Configuration Example of Suction Device Next, a structural configuration example of the suction device 100 (power supply unit 110) will be described. For ease of explanation, the following description will be given by defining the insertion / removal direction of the stick-shaped substrate 150 into / from the suction device 100 as the up-down direction, the sliding movement direction of the shutter 12 (described later) as the front-to-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-to-rear direction as the left-to-right direction. As shown in the figure, the front is defined as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left side as L, the right side as R, the top as U, and the bottom as D.

[0042] 3 is a front view of the appearance of the suction device 100. The suction device 100 has an overall rounded rectangular parallelepiped shape and is elongated in the vertical direction. For example, a user holds the suction device 100 in one hand while touching the surface of the suction device 100 with their fingertips. Note that the shape of the suction device 100 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape and can be any shape.

[0043] The suction device 100 includes a housing 10 that forms the exterior of the suction device 100 , and an internal unit 20 housed in the housing 10 .

[0044] An opening 11 through which the stick-shaped substrate 150 (see FIG. 2) is inserted and removed, and a shutter 12 that can slide back and forth are provided on the top surface of the housing 10. The opening 11 communicates with a storage section 140 that stores the stick-shaped substrate 150. The shutter 12 selectively takes an open state in which the opening 11 is open to allow the stick-shaped substrate 150 to be inserted and removed, and a closed state in which the opening 11 is closed.

[0045] A USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 13 is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 10. The USB connector 13 is configured to be electrically connectable to an external power source that can supply power to charge the power supply unit 111. The USB connector 13 is a receptacle into which a mating plug can be inserted, and is, for example, a USB Type-C shaped receptacle.

[0046] An operation unit 14 and a light emitting unit 15, each connected to a main board 50 (described later), are provided on the front surface of the housing 10. The operation unit 14 is disposed below the light emitting unit 15.

[0047] The operation unit 14 is a button-type switch that can be operated by the user, and is an input device that accepts information input from the user. For example, when the user presses the operation unit 14, an MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 1 and a heating unit 121, which will be described later, are activated.

[0048] The light-emitting unit 15 has a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). A plurality of light-emitting elements are provided, and the light-emitting unit 15 is configured to emit light in a plurality of colors. The light-emitting unit 15 is an example of the notification unit 113, and emits light in a predetermined light-emitting pattern in response to a command from the MCU 1 to notify the user of predetermined information. The predetermined light-emitting pattern can be, for example, a pattern in which light is emitted in different colors depending on the predetermined information, but is not limited to this. For example, the predetermined information can be, for example, varying lighting intensity or a lighting pattern (e.g., blinking at a predetermined time interval). Furthermore, the predetermined information is, for example, operational information indicating whether the suction device 100 is powered on.

[0049] Next, the internal unit 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4, the internal unit 20 includes a chassis 21, a main board 50, a power supply unit 111, a power supply FPC (Flexible printed circuits) 101, a heater assembly 30, a vibration device 60, a main FPC 70, and a plurality of temperature sensors 66 to 68.

[0051] The chassis 21 has a power supply arrangement section 22 in which the power supply section 111 is arranged, a board arrangement section 23 in which the main board 50 is arranged, a heater arrangement section 24 in which the heater assembly 30 is arranged, and a USB connector arrangement section 25 in which the USB connector 13 is arranged.

[0052] The power supply arrangement section 22 has a cylindrical shape with a portion of the side cut out, in other words, a roughly semi-cylindrical shape. The power supply arrangement section 22 has a bottom wall section 21 a, a side wall section 21 b having an arc shape and extending upward from the bottom wall section 21 a, and an upper wall section 21 c provided at the upper end of the side wall section 21 b. The power supply section 111 is disposed in a space surrounded by the bottom wall section 21 a, the side wall section 21 b, and the lower surface of the upper wall section 21 c.

[0053] The board placement section 23 is provided on a standing wall section 21d that stands upward from the upper wall section 21c of the power supply placement section 22. The board placement section 23 is provided on one side of the standing wall section 21d in the front-rear direction, and the main board 50 is fixed to the board placement section 23 by a bracket 27.

[0054] The heater arrangement section 24 is provided on the opposite side of the standing wall section 21d in the front-rear direction from the substrate arrangement section 23. The heater arrangement section 24 has a space surrounded by the standing wall section 21d, a pair of left and right wall sections 21e extending in the front-rear direction from the standing wall section 21d, and the upper surface of the upper wall section 21c, and the heater assembly 30 is disposed in this space.

[0055] The USB connector placement section 25 extends downward from the bottom wall section 21 a of the power supply placement section 22 .

[0056] The main board 50 is a rigid circuit board with multiple electronic components (elements) mounted on both sides. Rigid circuit boards are not flexible and generally have a thickness of 300 μm to 1600 μm. For example, the main board 50 is mounted with an MCU 1, a communication unit 115, a charging IC (Integrated Circuit) 81, a heating element, and a light-emitting element (not shown). In the following description, the surface of the main board 50 facing the standing wall portion 21d is referred to as the back surface 502, and the surface opposite the back surface 502 is referred to as the front surface 501.

[0057] On a surface 501 of the main substrate 50, for example, a power supply connection portion 51 to which the power supply FPC 101 is connected and a main FPC connection portion 52 to which the main FPC 70 is connected are provided.

[0058] 6, heater connectors 57a and 57b to which the heating section 121 of the heater assembly 30 is connected are provided on the rear surface 502 of the main substrate 50. The heater connectors 57a and 57b are provided in a lower region of the main substrate 50. Details of the main substrate 50 will be described later.

[0059] Returning to Fig. 4, the power supply unit 111 is, for example, a lithium-ion secondary battery and has a cylindrical shape. The power supply unit 111 is electrically connected to the power supply connection unit 51 of the main board 50 via the power supply FPC 101. The power supply unit 111 is provided with a positive electrode tab 111a and a negative electrode tab 111b. The power supply FPC 101 is connected to the positive electrode tab 111a and the negative electrode tab 111b of the power supply unit 111, and is also connected to the power supply connection unit 51 of the main board 50. Power supplied from the power supply unit 111 is transmitted to the main board 50 through the conductive pattern formed on the power supply FPC 101 and supplied to each component.

[0060] The heater assembly 30 includes a heating section 121, a housing section 140, and a heat insulating section 144. The heating section 121 is, for example, a film heater, and is wound around the outer periphery of the housing section 140. The heating section 121 is provided with a connection section 32 that extends from the bottom and is connected to the heater connection sections 57a and 57b of the main board 50. The connection section 32 is connected to the heater connection sections 57a and 57b through a through-hole 26 provided in the bottom of the standing wall section 21d.

[0061] The heater assembly 30 is provided with a stick guide 31. The stick guide 31 is provided on the upper part of the heater assembly 30 and guides the stick-shaped substrate 150 into the housing part 140. The stick guide 31 is a cylindrical member and constitutes a part of the housing part 140.

[0062] The heater assembly 30 is also provided with a heater temperature sensor 66 that can detect the temperature of the heating portion 121. The heater temperature sensor 66 is, for example, a thermistor, and an output corresponding to the electrical resistance value is input to the MCU 1.

[0063] The vibration device 60 includes a vibration element such as a vibration motor. The vibration device 60 is disposed between the upper surface of the power supply unit 111 and the upper wall portion 21c, and a lead wire 61 of the vibration device 60 extends upward and is connected to the main FPC 70. The vibration device 60 is an example of the notification unit 113, and vibrates in a predetermined vibration pattern in response to a command from the MCU 1 to notify the user of predetermined information. For example, when heating of the stick-shaped substrate 150 starts or ends, the vibration device 60 vibrates in a predetermined vibration pattern to notify the user of the start or end of heating.

[0064] The main FPC 70 is a flexible circuit board that is elongated in the vertical direction and connects various components of the power supply unit 110 to the main board 50. The main FPC 70 has a higher degree of freedom in placement within the housing 10 compared to a rigid circuit board, allowing the power supply unit 110 to be made smaller.

[0065] The main FPC 70 is provided on the left side of the chassis 21 and has a long main body portion 71 extending in the vertical direction, a board connection portion 72 connected to the main board 50, a USB connector connection portion 73 to which the USB connector 13 is connected, a housing temperature sensor connection portion 74 to which a housing temperature sensor 67 that detects the temperature of the housing 10 is connected, a heater temperature sensor connection portion 75 to which the heater temperature sensor 66 is connected via a lead wire 66a, a vibration device connection portion 76 to which the vibration device 60 is connected, and a power supply temperature sensor connection portion 77 to which a power supply temperature sensor 68 is connected. Note that the target components may be directly connected to each of the connections 72 to 77, or may be indirectly connected via a lead wire or the like, for example.

[0066] Next, details of the main substrate 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams of the front surface 501 and back surface 502 of the main substrate 50, respectively. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the main conductive tracks of the first conductive layer L1 to the tenth conductive layer L10 provided on the main substrate 50. The first conductive layer L1 is a conductive track exposed on the back surface 502, and the tenth conductive layer L10 is a conductive track exposed on the front surface 501. Note that FIG. 7 shows the first conductive layer L1 to the tenth conductive layer L10 as viewed from the back surface 502 side of the main substrate 50. FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram showing the electrical connections of the main elements of the internal unit 20. In FIG. 8, the wiring indicated by thick solid lines is wiring (wiring connected to a ground provided in the internal unit 20) that has the same potential as the reference potential (ground potential) of the internal unit 20.

[0067] 5, the power supply connection portion 51 is provided at the right end in the lower region of the surface 501 of the main substrate 50, and has a positive electrode side connection portion 51a and a negative electrode side connection portion 51b provided above the positive electrode side connection portion 51a. The power supply connection portion 51 is electrically connected to the power supply unit 111 via the power supply FPC 101. The main FPC connection portion 52 is provided at the left end in the approximately central region in the up-down direction of the main substrate 50. The main FPC 70 is connected to the main FPC connection portion 52 from the front.

[0068] Although a plurality of circuit components and the like are mounted on the surface 501 of the main board 50, for simplicity, only a resistor 88 and a switching element 89 (details of which will be described later) which are part of the plurality of circuit components are shown in FIG. 5 .

[0069] 6, the MCU 1, charging IC 81, step-up DC / DC converter 82, inductor L, high-potential side heating switch 85 (P-channel FET in the figure), low-potential side heating switch 86 (N-channel FET in the figure), heater connectors 57a, 57b, etc. are mounted on the back surface 502 of the main board 50. In the following description, the step-up DC / DC converter 82, inductor L, and heating switches 85, 86 may also be referred to as heating elements.

[0070] The MCU 1 is mounted in an upper region of the rear surface 502 of the main board 50. The MCU 1 functions as the control unit 116 described above and controls the heating of the heating unit 121. The MCU 1 may also be mounted with a communication unit 115 that is a communication interface capable of wireless communication with external devices.

[0071] The charging IC 81 is mounted in the central region of the back surface 502 of the main board 50. The charging IC 81 controls charging by supplying power from an external power source (not shown) input via the USB connector 13 to the power supply unit 111. The charging IC 81 also supplies power from the power supply unit 111 to various electronic components mounted on the main board 50 during charging and / or discharging.

[0072] The step-up DC / DC converter 82 and inductor L are mounted below the charging IC 81 on the back surface 502 of the main board 50. The step-up DC / DC converter 82 is used in combination with the inductor L provided on the input side, and is an IC that functions as a switching regulator that converts an input DC voltage to a predetermined voltage. As shown in Fig. 8 , one end of the inductor L is connected to a switching terminal SW of the step-up DC / DC converter 82, and the other end of the inductor L is connected to an input terminal VIN of the step-up DC / DC converter 82. The step-up DC / DC converter 82 controls the on / off of an internal transistor connected to the switching terminal SW, thereby stepping up the voltage input to the switching terminal SW via the inductor L and outputting it from the output terminal VOUT.

[0073] 6 , the heating switch 85 is mounted on the left side of the step-up DC / DC converter 82. The heating switch 86 is mounted on the right end of the lower region of the rear surface 502 of the main board 50. The heating switches 85 and 86 are, for example, field effect transistors (FETs).

[0074] The heater connection portions 57a and 57b are provided in the center of the lower region of the rear surface 502 of the main board 50. The heater connection portions 57a and 57b are connected to the connection portion 32 extending from below the heater assembly 30, and power from the power supply portion 111 is supplied to the heating portion 121 of the heater assembly 30.

[0075] In this way, by providing the power supply connection part 51 on the front surface 501 and mounting the heating element on the back surface 502, it is possible to arrange the heating element and the power supply connection part 51 closer to each other, thereby reducing power loss during heating.

[0076] Regarding the flow of power during discharge (heating), power from the power supply unit 111 input from the positive electrode side connection unit 51a of the power supply connection unit 51 is supplied to the heater connection unit 57a through the power supply wiring 510, the step-up DC / DC converter 82, and the high-potential side heating switch 85, which will be described later.

[0077] Regarding the flow of power during charging, power supplied from the USB connector 13 to the charging IC 81 via the main FPC 70 and the main FPC connection part 52 flows from the power connection pin Pb of the charging IC 81 through the power wiring 510 described later to the positive side connection part 51a of the power connection part 51.

[0078] 7, the first conductive layer L1 of the main board 50 is connected to the MCU 1, charging IC 81, step-up DC / DC converter 82, inductor L, and heating switches 85 and 86, which are mounted on the back surface 502. Part of the tenth conductive layer L10 (the lower ends of conductive tracks 810 and 820, which will be described later) forms a positive electrode side connection portion 51a and a negative electrode side connection portion 51b.

[0079] The conductive track 810 of the tenth conductive layer L10, which serves as the positive electrode side connecting portion 51a, is connected to the conductive tracks 809-805 of the ninth conductive layer L9 to the fifth conductive layer L5, which are formed at approximately the same position. The conductive track 805 of the fifth conductive layer L5 extends upward on the main substrate 50 in FIG. 7 and is connected to the conductive track 804 of the fourth conductive layer L4. The conductive track 804 of the fourth conductive layer L4 is connected to the conductive tracks 803-801 of the third conductive layer L3 to the first conductive layer L1, which are formed at approximately the same position. The conductive tracks of different conductive layers are connected to each other via vias (not shown).

[0080] The conductive track 801 is provided with a converter connection part 801a to which the step-up DC / DC converter 82 is connected, and the conductive tracks 801 to 810 form a power supply wiring 510 that connects the power supply connection part 51 and the step-up DC / DC converter 82. During discharge (heating), power is supplied from the power supply connection part 51 to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 through the power supply wiring 510.

[0081] Furthermore, the conductive track 801 is provided with a charging IC connection portion 801b to which the charging IC 81 is connected, at a position above the connection portion with the step-up DC / DC converter 82. The power connection pin Pb of the charging IC 81 is connected to the power supply wiring 510 at the charging IC connection portion 801b. As a result, power from the power supply unit 111 is supplied to the charging IC 81 from the charging IC connection portion 801b connected to the power supply wiring 510. Furthermore, power supplied to the charging IC 81 from the USB connector 13 during charging is transmitted from the charging IC connection portion 801b to the power supply unit 111 through the power supply wiring 510.

[0082] In this way, the conductive tracks 801-810 are shared by the power path during discharge and the power path during charge on the multiple conductive layers L1-L10. When heating and charging are not performed simultaneously, some of the conductive tracks are shared by the power path during discharge and the power path during charge, thereby making it possible to reduce the size of the main substrate 50. Note that it is not necessary to share all of the conductive tracks 801-810 between the power path during discharge and the power path during charge; for example, the conductive tracks 802-810 may be shared, with the conductive track 802 branching off.

[0083] The conductive track 820 of the tenth conductive layer L10, which becomes the negative electrode side connecting portion 51b, extends upward in Fig. 7 and is connected to a ground wiring formed over a wide area from the tenth conductive layer L10 to the first conductive layer L1. The description of the ground wiring is omitted.

[0084] The power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81 is connected to a conductive track 831 formed on the first conductive layer L1. The conductive track 831 is connected to the conductive track 801 of the first conductive layer L1 via a conductive track 832 formed on the second conductive layer L2. The conductive tracks 831 and 832 form a voltage measurement wiring 530 for measuring the output voltage (hereinafter also referred to as the power supply voltage) of the power supply unit 111, and the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 measures the power supply voltage at the connection between the voltage measurement wiring 530 and the power supply wiring 510. The voltage measurement wiring 530 has a smaller current flowing therethrough than the power supply wiring 510, and therefore can be formed with a narrower width than the power supply wiring 510.

[0085] The power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81 is used for charging control by the charging IC 81, voltage error detection, etc. Specifically, regarding voltage error detection, the charging IC 81 compares the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 during charging, discharging, etc. with a first threshold value (e.g., 2.5 V), which is the lower limit of the power supply voltage at which the charging IC 81 can operate. If the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 is lower than the first threshold value, the charging IC 81 stops operating. For example, the charging IC 81 stops charging control and power supply to various electronic components mounted on the main board 50.

[0086] When the power supply unit 111 discharges and a current flows through the power supply wiring 510, a voltage drop occurs due to wiring resistance in the power supply wiring 510 from the power supply connection unit 51 side (current upstream side) to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 side (current downstream side). In particular, the conductive track 805 of the fifth conductive layer L5 extends from the lower region to the central region of the main substrate 50, and is therefore longer than the conductive tracks of the other layers, resulting in a larger wiring area. That is, the conductive track 805 of the fifth conductive layer L5 is a location where a large voltage drop occurs in the power supply wiring 510 during discharge.

[0087] Since a voltage drop occurs in the power supply wiring 510 during discharge, the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81 takes on different values ​​depending on the connection position between the voltage measurement wiring 530 and the power supply wiring 510.

[0088] 8 , a discrepancy occurs in the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 depending on whether the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81 is connected via the voltage measurement wiring 530 to a position P1 on the power supply wiring 510 that is closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 or to a position P0 that is closer to the power supply connection 51. Here, position P1 is, for example, a position closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the conductive track 805, which has a large voltage drop during discharge in the power supply wiring 510. In this embodiment, as described above, position P1 is located near the step-up DC / DC converter 82 on the conductive track 801. Position P0 is, for example, a position closer to the power supply connection 51 than the conductive track 805. Furthermore, the larger the current flowing through the power supply wiring 510 during discharge, the larger the voltage drop, so the voltage difference depending on the measurement position of the power supply voltage is likely to be large.

[0089] Since the power supply voltage near the step-up DC / DC converter 82 is input to the power supply connection pin Pb of the charging IC 81, if the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81 is connected to a position P0 close to the power supply connection part 51 via the voltage measurement wiring 530, a discrepancy will occur between the power supply voltage input to the charging IC 81 and the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 during discharging.

[0090] Therefore, in this embodiment, the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81 is connected via the voltage measurement wiring 530 to a position P1 that is closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the power supply connection part 51 of the power supply wiring 510. This allows the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 to measure the power supply voltage taking into account the voltage drop that occurs in the power supply wiring 510 during discharge, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage during discharge.

[0091] In addition, the power supply connection pin Pb of the charging IC 81 is connected to the power supply wiring 510 near position P1 and the power supply voltage is input, so the difference between the power supply voltage input to the charging IC 81 and the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 can be reduced.

[0092] Furthermore, as described above, when the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 is less than the first threshold, the charging IC 81 stops operation of the charging IC 81. Specifically, when the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 is less than the first threshold, the charging IC 81 stops supplying power to the various electronic components mounted on the main board 50.

[0093] If the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 were connected to position P0 close to the power supply connection portion 51, a value greater than the power supply voltage input to the charging IC 81 would be measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1, and so the operation of the charging IC 81 may continue even if the voltage input to the charging IC 81 falls below the first threshold. In this embodiment, the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 is connected to position P1 close to the step-up DC / DC converter 82, so that a voltage close to the power supply voltage input to the charging IC 81 can be measured, and it is possible to appropriately determine whether to stop the operation of the charging IC 81.

[0094] 8, position P1 is located between the power supply connection portion 51 and the inductor L on the power supply wiring 510, and is closer to the inductor L than the power supply connection portion 51. Specifically, position P1 is located immediately before the inductor L in the direction of current flow during discharge.

[0095] 7, position P1 is located closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the conductive track 805, which has the largest wiring area among the conductive tracks 801 to 810 formed on each conductive layer. The portion of the power supply wiring 510 formed on the conductive track 805 has the largest wiring area and experiences a large voltage drop during discharge. Therefore, by measuring the power supply voltage on the step-up DC / DC converter 82 side of the conductive track 805 (in other words, on the downstream side of the conductive track 805 in the current flow during discharge), the measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage during discharge can be improved.

[0096] 6, the charging IC 81 is disposed on the main board 50 at a position closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the power supply connection part 51. This allows the voltage measurement wiring 530 connected near the input side of the step-up DC / DC converter 82 to be short, thereby further improving the accuracy of power supply voltage measurement by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1.

[0097] As shown in Figure 7, the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 (see Figure 6) of the MCU1 is connected to a resistor 88 mounted on the back surface 502 of the main board 50 via a conductive track or via formed on the first conductive layer L1 to the tenth conductive layer L10. The resistor 88 is connected to a branch wiring 512 branching from the power supply wiring 510 via a switching element 89 (e.g., a MOSFET). In the figure, the branch point, which is the connection between the power supply wiring 510 and the branch wiring 512, is denoted by the symbol 512a. The branch wiring 512 is composed of a conductive track or via formed on the fifth conductive layer L5 to the tenth conductive layer L10, and branches off from a conductive track 805 formed on the fifth conductive layer L5.

[0098] The conductive tracks or vias formed in the first conductive layer L1 to the tenth conductive layer L10 between the MCU1 and the resistor 88 constitute a voltage measurement wiring 540 for measuring the power supply voltage, and the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 measures the power supply voltage near the end of the resistor 88 on the MCU1 side. The voltage measurement wiring 540 has a smaller current flowing therethrough than the power supply wiring 510, and therefore can be formed with a narrower width than the power supply wiring 510.

[0099] The power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU 1 is used, for example, to determine whether heating by the heating unit 121 is permitted or not, and to detect deep discharge and over-discharge. Specifically, the determination of whether heating is permitted or not is explained by the MCU 1 comparing the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 with a second threshold value, which is the lower limit of the power supply voltage at which heating control for one heating session can be executed. A heating session is the period from the start of heating by the heating unit 121 until heating is stopped due to the satisfaction of predetermined conditions. In other words, it is the period from the start of the process of generating an aerosol using the stick-shaped substrate 150 (specifically, the start of power supply to the heating unit 121) to its end (specifically, the end of aerosol generation). The heating session may end when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of heating, or when a predetermined number of inhalations have occurred since the start of heating. For example, in response to a predetermined user operation, such as pressing the operation unit 14, the MCU 1 measures the power supply voltage while supplying power to the heating unit 121, separate from the heating session. If the measured power supply voltage is equal to or greater than a second threshold, the MCU 1 permits heating by the heating unit 121. If the measured power supply voltage is less than the second threshold, the MCU 1 does not permit heating by the heating unit 121 the next time. The predetermined user operation may be an operation to start heating. Furthermore, for example, if the power supply voltage measured at the end of a heating session is equal to or greater than the second threshold, the MCU 1 may permit heating by the heating unit 121 the next time, but if the measured power supply voltage is less than the second threshold, the MCU 1 may not permit heating by the heating unit 121 the next time. This prevents the heating control from being terminated midway through the next heating session due to an inability to secure power to supply to the heating unit 121 during the next heating control. In this way, the MCU 1 uses the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 to determine whether heating control for one heating session can be executed.

[0100] Like the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81, the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU 1 varies depending on the connection position between the voltage measurement wiring 540 and the power supply wiring 510. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 , the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 varies depending on whether the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU 1 is connected via the voltage measurement wiring 540 to a position P2 on the power supply wiring 510 that is closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 or to a position P0 on the power supply wiring 510 that is closer to the power supply connection 51. Here, position P2 is, for example, a position closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the conductive track 805, which experiences a large voltage drop during discharge in the power supply wiring 510; in other words, a position on the opposite side of the branch point 512a from the power supply connection 51. Furthermore, the larger the current flowing through the power supply wiring 510 during discharge, the larger the voltage drop, and therefore the larger the voltage difference depending on the measurement position of the power supply voltage tends to be.

[0101] When the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU1 is connected to a position P0 close to the power supply connection part 51 via the voltage measurement wiring 540, a discrepancy occurs between the power supply voltage input to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 during discharge and the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2.

[0102] Therefore, in this embodiment, the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU1 is connected via the voltage measurement wiring 540 to a position P2 that is closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the power supply connection part 51 on the power supply wiring 510. This allows the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 to measure the power supply voltage taking into account the voltage drop that occurs in the power supply wiring 510 during discharge, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage during discharge. Furthermore, the difference between the power supply voltage input to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 and the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 can be reduced.

[0103] Furthermore, as described above, the MCU 1 does not permit heating by the heating unit 121 if the power supply voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 is less than the second threshold. If the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 were connected to position P0 close to the power supply connection unit 51, the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 would measure a value greater than the power supply voltage input to the step-up DC / DC converter 82, which could result in heating being permitted when heating should not be permitted. In this embodiment, the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 is connected to position P2 close to the step-up DC / DC converter 82, so a voltage close to the power supply voltage input to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 can be measured, making it possible to appropriately determine whether or not to permit heating.

[0104] In particular, as mentioned above, the second threshold is set based on the power supply voltage at which heating control for one heating session can be executed, so that the MCU 1 can prevent the heating control from being terminated midway through a heating session due to an inability to secure power to supply to the heating unit 121 in the next heating session.

[0105] Circuit components (in this embodiment, a resistor 88 and a switching element 89) are mounted on the main board 50 and are connected in series between the power supply unit 111 and the MCU1, and a voltage measurement wiring 540 connected to the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU1 is electrically connected to a contact of the circuit component on the MCU1 side. Because the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU1 measures the voltage on the MCU1 side rather than the circuit component, it is possible to measure the power supply voltage taking into account the effect of the voltage drop due to the circuit component.

[0106] Furthermore, position P2 is a position closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the conductive track 805, which has the largest wiring area among the conductive tracks 801 to 810 formed on each conductive layer. Specifically, the branch wiring 512 branches off from a branch point 512a provided on the step-up DC / DC converter 82 side of the conductive track 805, and is connected to the voltage measurement wiring 540 via a switching element 89 and a resistor 88 on the tenth conductive layer L10. Position P2 is a position on the voltage measurement wiring 540. Because the portion of the power supply wiring 510 formed on the conductive track 805 has the largest wiring area and the largest voltage drop, measuring the power supply voltage on the step-up DC / DC converter 82 side than the conductive track 805 can further improve the measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage during discharge.

[0107] 6, the MCU1 is disposed on the main board 50 closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the power supply connection part 51. The power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU1 measures the power supply voltage at a position closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82, so by disposing the MCU1 closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82, the voltage measurement wiring 540 of the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 can be shortened. This makes it possible to further improve the accuracy of power supply voltage measurement by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2.

[0108] As described above, in this embodiment, the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81 and the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU 1 are connected via the voltage measurement wiring 530 and 540, respectively, to positions P1 and P2 that are closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the power supply connection part 51 on the power supply wiring 510, thereby improving the measurement accuracy during discharge for both the power supply voltage measured by the charging IC 81 and the power supply voltage measured by the MCU 1. Note that this configuration is not necessarily limited to this, and for example, a configuration may be adopted in which either the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81 or the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of the MCU 1 is connected to position P0 that is closer to the power supply connection part 51 on the power supply wiring 510.

[0109] Here, the relationship between the charging IC 81 and the MCU 1 will be explained. The charging IC 81 is arranged on the main board 50 closer to the power supply connection part 51 than the MCU 1. By arranging the charging IC 81 closer to the power supply connection part 51 in this way, prioritizing it over the MCU 1, the power supply wiring 510, through which a large current flows, can be shortened, and power loss during charging and / or discharging can be reduced.

[0110] Furthermore, the charging IC 81 is located closer to the step-up DC / DC converter 82 than the MCU 1 on the main board 50, which prioritizes improving the accuracy of power supply voltage measurement by the power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of the charging IC 81. This improves the accuracy of the operation stop determination of the charging IC 81, and prevents unnecessary operation stoppages.

[0111] 7, the voltage measurement wiring 530 of the charging IC 81 is configured to be shorter than the voltage measurement wiring 540 of the MCU 1. This allows the voltage measurement accuracy of the charging IC 81 to be improved with priority.

[0112] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the invention.

[0113] This specification and the like describes at least the following: In parentheses, components corresponding to those in the above-described embodiments are shown as examples, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0114] (1) A power supply unit (power supply unit 110) of an aerosol generation device (inhalation device 100) that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source, comprising: a power supply (power supply unit 111) that supplies power to a heating unit (heating unit 121) that heats the aerosol source; a power conversion unit (step-up DC / DC converter 82) that converts power from the power supply and supplies heating power to the heating unit; a control unit (charging IC 81, MCU 1) that controls the operation of the power supply unit; a power connection unit (power supply connection unit 51) to which power from the power supply is supplied, and a board (main board 50) on which the power conversion unit and the control unit are mounted; the control unit has a power supply voltage measurement unit (power supply voltage measurement pin Ps1 of charging IC 81, power supply voltage measurement pin Ps2 of MCU 1) that measures the voltage of the power supply; and the power supply voltage measurement unit is connected via voltage measurement wiring to positions (positions P1 and P2) on a power wiring (power wiring 510) that connects the power supply connection unit and the power conversion unit and is closer to the power conversion unit than the power supply connection unit. Power supply unit for the aerosol generator.

[0115] According to (1), the power supply voltage measurement unit of the control unit is connected to a position on the power supply wiring close to the power conversion unit, so that the power supply voltage can be measured taking into account the voltage drop that occurs in the power supply wiring during discharge, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage during discharge.

[0116] (2) A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device described in (1), wherein the control unit (charging IC 81) is connected to a position on the power supply wiring closer to the power conversion unit than the power supply connection unit, and the voltage of the power supply is input, and the control unit stops operating when the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measuring unit is less than a first threshold value, which is the lower limit of the voltage at which the control unit can operate.

[0117] According to (2), the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measuring unit is used to determine whether to stop the operation of the control unit. The control unit is connected to a position on the power supply wiring close to the power conversion unit, and the power supply voltage is input to the control unit, and the power supply voltage measuring unit of the control unit is connected to a position on the power supply wiring close to the power conversion unit, so that it is possible to appropriately determine whether to stop the operation of the control unit based on the power supply voltage measured with high accuracy.

[0118] (3) A power supply unit of the aerosol generating device described in (2), wherein the control unit supplies power from the power supply to an electronic component mounted on the board, and stops supplying power to the electronic component when the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measuring unit is less than the first threshold value.

[0119] According to (3), the control unit can appropriately determine whether to stop the power supply operation to the electronic component based on the voltage of the power supply measured with high accuracy.

[0120] (4) A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to (2) or (3), wherein the power supply voltage measuring unit is connected via the voltage measurement wiring between the power supply connection unit in the power supply wiring and an inductor (inductor L) provided on the input side of the power conversion unit, at a position closer to the inductor than the power supply connection unit.

[0121] According to (4), the voltage of the power supply before power conversion can be measured.

[0122] (5) A power supply unit for the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the control unit includes a first control unit (charging IC 81) that controls charging of the power supply.

[0123] According to (5), it is possible to appropriately determine whether to stop the operation of the first control unit that controls charging of the power source.

[0124] (6) The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to (1), wherein the control unit includes a second control unit (MCU1) that controls heating by the heating unit.

[0125] According to (6), the power supply voltage measuring unit of the second control unit that controls heating accurately measures the voltage of the power supply located near the power conversion unit, so heating can be controlled appropriately.

[0126] (7) The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to (6), wherein the second control unit does not permit heating by the heating unit when the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measuring unit is less than a second threshold value.

[0127] According to (7), it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to permit heating by the heating unit based on the voltage of the power supply measured with high accuracy.

[0128] (8) A power supply unit of the aerosol generating device described in (7), wherein the second control unit is configured to be able to control a heating session from the start of heating by the heating unit to the end of heating when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and the second threshold is set based on a power supply voltage capable of executing heating control for one heating session.

[0129] According to (8), it is possible to appropriately determine whether to permit heating control for one heating session by the heating unit based on the voltage of the power supply measured with high accuracy.

[0130] (9) A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device described in any one of (6) to (8), wherein the substrate is mounted with circuit components (resistor 88, switching element 89) that are connected in series between the power supply and the second control unit, and the voltage measurement wiring of the second control unit is electrically connected to the contact of the circuit components on the second control unit side.

[0131] According to (9), since the voltage measurement wiring of the second control unit is connected to the power supply wiring at a position away from the power supply connection unit, the measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage during discharge can be improved. That is, since the voltage measurement wiring of the second control unit measures the voltage on the second control unit side rather than the circuit components as viewed from the power supply connection unit, it is possible to measure the battery voltage taking into account the effect of voltage drop due to the circuit components.

[0132] (10) A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (9), wherein the substrate has a multi-layer structure, the power supply wiring is formed across multiple layers (first conductive layer L1 to tenth conductive layer L10), and the power supply voltage measurement unit is connected to the power supply wiring via the voltage measurement wiring on the power conversion unit side of the power supply wiring (conductive track 805) having the largest wiring area among the power supply wirings formed across the multiple layers.

[0133] According to (10), the power supply voltage is measured taking into account the voltage drop that occurs in the power supply wiring with the largest wiring area among the power supply wirings formed in multiple layers, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage during discharge.

[0134] (11) A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the control unit is disposed on the substrate at a position closer to the power conversion unit than the power supply connection unit.

[0135] According to (11), the control unit is disposed in a position close to the power conversion unit, so that the voltage measurement wiring can be shortened.

[0136] (12) A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device described in any one of (1) to (11), wherein the control unit includes a first control unit (charging IC81) that controls charging of the power supply and a second control unit (MCU1) that controls heating by the heating unit, and the power supply voltage measuring unit of the first control unit and the power supply voltage measuring unit of the second control unit are connected via the voltage measurement wiring to positions (position P1, position P2) closer to the power conversion unit than the power supply connection unit on the power supply wiring.

[0137] According to (12), the measurement accuracy of the power supply voltage can be improved for both the first control unit and the second control unit.

[0138] (13) The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to (12), wherein the first control unit is disposed on the substrate at a position closer to the power supply connection unit than the second control unit.

[0139] According to (13), since the first control unit is arranged near the power supply connection unit, the power supply wiring connecting the first control unit and the power supply connection unit can be shortened, thereby reducing power loss during charging and / or discharging.

[0140] (14) The power supply unit of the aerosol generation device according to (12) or (13), wherein the voltage measurement wiring of the first control unit is shorter than the voltage measurement wiring of the second control unit.

[0141] According to (14), the voltage measurement accuracy of the first control unit can be improved with priority.

[0142] 1 MCU (control unit, second control unit) 50 Main board (board) 51 Power supply connection unit 510 Power supply wiring 81 Charging IC (control unit, first control unit) 82 Step-up DC / DC converter (power conversion unit) 100 Suction device (aerosol generating device) 110 Power supply unit 111 Power supply unit (power supply) 121 Heating unit L Inductor L1 to L10 First conductive layer to tenth conductive layer (multiple layers) Ps1 Power supply voltage measurement pin of charging IC Ps2 Power supply voltage measurement pin of MCU

Claims

1. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device that heats an aerosol source to generate an aerosol, the power supply unit including: a power supply that supplies power to a heating unit that heats the aerosol source; a power conversion unit that converts the power from the power supply and supplies heating power to the heating unit; a control unit that controls the operation of the power supply unit; and a substrate on which a power supply connection unit to which power from the power supply is supplied, the power conversion unit, and the control unit are mounted. The control unit includes a power supply voltage measurement unit that measures the voltage of the power supply. The power supply voltage measurement unit is connected at a position closer to the power conversion unit than to the power supply connection unit in a power supply wiring that connects the power supply connection unit and the power conversion unit via a voltage measurement wiring. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device.

2. The power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit: is connected at a position closer to the power conversion unit than to the power supply connection unit in the power supply wiring, and the voltage of the power supply is input thereto; and stops the operation when the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement unit is less than a first threshold value that is the lower limit value of the voltage at which the control unit can operate. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device.

3. The power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit: supplies power from the power supply to electronic components mounted on the substrate; and stops the supply of power to the electronic components when the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measurement unit is less than the first threshold value. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device.

4. The power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the power supply voltage measurement unit is connected via the voltage measurement wiring between the power supply connection unit and an inductor provided on the input side of the power conversion unit in the power supply wiring, at a position closer to the inductor than to the power supply connection unit. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device.

5. The power supply unit for an aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit includes a first control unit that controls the charging of the power supply. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device.

6. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a second control unit that controls heating by the heating unit, and is the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

7. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 6, wherein the second control unit does not permit heating by the heating unit when the voltage measured by the power supply voltage measuring unit is less than a second threshold value, and is the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

8. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 7, wherein the second control unit is configured to be able to control a heating session from the start of heating by the heating unit until heating is stopped by satisfying a predetermined condition, and the second threshold value is set based on a power supply voltage at which heating control of one heating session can be executed, and is the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

9. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein circuit components connected in series between the power supply and the second control unit are mounted on the substrate, and the voltage measurement wiring of the second control unit is electrically connected to a contact on the second control unit side of the circuit components, and is the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

10. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the substrate has a multilayer structure, the power supply wiring is formed across a plurality of layers, and the power supply voltage measuring unit is connected to the power supply wiring on the power conversion unit side rather than to the power supply wiring having the largest wiring area among the power supply wirings formed in the plurality of layers via the voltage measurement wiring, and is the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

11. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control unit is arranged at a position closer to the power conversion unit than the power supply connection portion on the substrate, and is the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device.

12. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the control unit includes a first control unit that controls charging of the power supply and a second control unit that controls heating by the heating unit, and the power supply voltage measurement unit of the first control unit and the power supply voltage measurement unit of the second control unit are connected via the voltage measurement wiring to a position closer to the power conversion unit than the power supply connection portion in the power supply wiring. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

13. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to claim 12, wherein the first control unit is arranged on the substrate at a position closer to the power supply connection portion than the second control unit. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

14. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the voltage measurement wiring of the first control unit is shorter than the voltage measurement wiring of the second control unit. A power supply unit of an aerosol generating device.

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