Aerosol generation device

Abstract

An aerosol generation device according to one embodiment comprises: an oscillation unit for generating microwaves; a resonance unit which accommodates an aerosol generation article, and which resonates the microwaves to heat the aerosol generation article; and a processor which applies a control signal to the oscillation unit so as to control the output frequency of the microwaves output from the oscillation unit.

Description

Aerosol generating device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device for heating an aerosol generating article by a genetic heating method.

[0002] Recently, there has been a growing demand for alternative methods that overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is a growing demand for systems that generate aerosol by heating cigarettes (or "aerosol-generating articles") using an aerosol-generating device, rather than by burning the cigarette itself.

[0003] Meanwhile, conventional aerosol generators heat aerosol-generating items using resistance heating, induction heating, and ultrasonic heating. However, these conventional aerosol generators suffer from slow preheating speeds and inability to achieve uniform heating compared to dielectric heating methods.

[0004] In addition, some of the conventional aerosol generating devices use a dielectric heating method, but this is only a microwave radiation method using an antenna, so there is a problem that the power transmission efficiency is significantly low.

[0005] The technical challenge of the present disclosure is to provide an aerosol generating device capable of heating an aerosol generating article through a dielectric heating method using microwave resonance in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other technical problems can be inferred from the following examples.

[0007] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes: a generator for generating microwaves; a resonator for receiving an aerosol generating article and resonating the microwaves to heat the aerosol generating article; and a processor for applying a control signal to the generator to control an output frequency of microwaves output from the generator.

[0008] The aerosol generating device of the present disclosure has the advantage of significantly increasing power transmission efficiency by heating the dielectric material using microwave resonance.

[0009] In addition, the aerosol generating device estimates the resonance frequency of microwave resonance in real time and matches the output frequency of the generator with the resonance frequency, thereby significantly increasing power transmission efficiency and providing a uniform taste sensation until the latter half of the heating process.

[0010] In addition, since the aerosol generating device heats the aerosol generating article using microwave resonance, the aerosol generating article can be heated uniformly throughout.

[0011] In addition, the aerosol generating device heats the aerosol generating article using microwave resonance, so the aerosol generating article can be quickly preheated.

[0012] Additionally, the aerosol generating device can significantly reduce power consumption when heating an aerosol generating article using microwave resonance.

[0013] The effects of the invention are not limited to those exemplified above, and more diverse effects are included in this specification.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0015] Figure 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0016] Fig. 3 is an internal block diagram of the dielectric heating unit of Fig. 2.

[0017] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly of Figure 4.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0020] Fig. 7 is an internal block diagram for explaining an output control method of a generator according to one embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method for tracking a resonant frequency using the output microwave power of an oscillator and the reflected microwave power of a resonator, according to one embodiment.

[0022] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes: a generator for generating microwaves; a resonator for receiving an aerosol generating article and resonating the microwaves to heat the aerosol generating article; and a processor for applying a control signal to the generator to control an output frequency of microwaves output from the generator.

[0023] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment further includes a DAC that receives the control signal in digital format from the processor, converts the received digital control signal into an analog control signal, and transmits the analog control signal to the oscillator.

[0024] The above-mentioned oscillator determines the output frequency of the microwave based on the voltage magnitude of the analog control signal.

[0025] The output frequency of the above microwave is linearly proportional to the voltage magnitude of the above analog control signal.

[0026] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment further includes a power monitoring unit that measures reflected microwave power reflected from the resonator unit and input to the oscillating unit, and the processor generates the control signal based on the reflected microwave power measured by the power monitoring unit.

[0027] The resonant frequency of the microwave varies as the dielectric material contained in the aerosol generating article is heated and consumed by the microwave.

[0028] The resonant frequency of the resonant portion increases with a decrease in the dielectric material contained in the aerosol generating article.

[0029] The above power monitoring unit measures the reflected microwave power corresponding to the variation of the resonant frequency.

[0030] The processor controls the output of the oscillator so that the reflected microwave power measured by the power monitoring unit falls within a preset reference power range.

[0031] The processor sweeps the output frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillator within the preset reference band range, and adjusts the output frequency of the microwave power so that the reflected microwave power falls within the reference power range.

[0032] The processor sweeps the output frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillator within the reference band range between 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz.

[0033] The processor adjusts the output frequency of the microwave power to any one frequency selected from the reference band range, thereby matching the output frequency with the resonant frequency of the resonant section.

[0034] The above processor adjusts the magnitude of microwave power output from the oscillator according to a preset power profile, and independently controls the magnitude of the microwave power and the output frequency of the microwave power.

[0035] The resonating portion includes a first inner conductor in the shape of a hollow cylinder surrounding one area of ​​the aerosol generating article and a second inner conductor in the shape of a hollow cylinder that is spaced apart from the first inner conductor by a predetermined distance and surrounds another area of ​​the aerosol generating article, and the microwave is resonated by the first inner conductor and the second inner conductor.

[0036] The resonating portion includes a first plate surrounding one area of ​​the aerosol generating article, and a second plate spaced apart from the first plate along a circumferential direction of the aerosol generating article and surrounding another area of ​​the aerosol generating article, wherein the microwave is resonated by the first plate and the second plate.

[0037] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or similar components are given the same reference numbers and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0038] The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are given or used interchangeably only for the convenience of writing specifications, and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves.

[0039] In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0040] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0041] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0042] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating device (100) according to one embodiment may include a housing (110) capable of accommodating an aerosol generating article (10) and a heater assembly (200) for heating the aerosol generating article (10) accommodated in the housing (110).

[0045] The housing (110) can form the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device (100), and components of the aerosol generating device (100) can be arranged in the internal space (or 'mounting space') of the housing (110). For example, a heater assembly (200), a battery, a processor, and / or a sensor can be arranged in the internal space of the housing (110), but the components arranged in the internal space are not limited thereto.

[0046] An insertion hole (110h) may be formed in one area of ​​the housing (110), and at least one area of ​​the aerosol generating article (10) may be inserted into the interior of the housing (110) through the insertion hole (110h). For example, the insertion hole (110h) may be formed in one area of ​​the upper surface (e.g., the surface facing the z direction) of the housing (110), but the position at which the insertion hole (110h) is formed is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the insertion hole (110h) may be formed in one area of ​​the side surface (e.g., the surface facing the x direction) of the housing (110).

[0047] The heater assembly (200) is arranged in the interior space of the housing (110) and can heat an aerosol generating article (10) inserted or accommodated in the interior of the housing (110) through the insertion port (110h). For example, the heater assembly (200) can be arranged to surround at least one area of ​​the aerosol generating article (10) inserted or accommodated in the interior of the housing (110) and heat the aerosol generating article (10).

[0048] According to one embodiment, the heater assembly (200) can heat the aerosol generating article (10) by dielectric heating. In the present disclosure, the term "dielectric heating" refers to a method of heating a dielectric, which is a heated object, by utilizing microwaves and / or the resonance of an electric field (or magnetic field) of microwaves. Microwaves are an energy source for heating the heated object and are generated by high-frequency power. Therefore, hereinafter, microwaves may be used interchangeably with microwave power.

[0049] The charges or ions of the dielectric contained within the aerosol generating article (10) can vibrate or rotate due to microwave resonance within the heater assembly (200), and the frictional heat generated in the process of the charges or ions vibrating or rotating generates heat in the dielectric, thereby heating the aerosol generating article (10).

[0050] An aerosol may be generated from the aerosol generating article (10) as the aerosol generating article (10) is heated by the heater assembly (200). In the present disclosure, 'aerosol' may mean gas particles generated by mixing vapor and air generated as the aerosol generating article (10) is heated.

[0051] The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article (10) can pass through the aerosol generating article (10) or be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device (100) through the empty space between the aerosol generating article (10) and the insertion port (110h). The user can smoke by bringing the mouth into contact with an area of ​​the aerosol generating article (10) exposed to the outside of the housing (110) and inhaling the aerosol discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device (100).

[0052] An aerosol generating device (100) according to one embodiment may further include a cover (111) movably arranged in the housing (110) to open or close the insertion port (110h). For example, the cover (111) may be slidably coupled to the upper surface of the housing (110) and may expose the insertion port (110h) to the outside of the aerosol generating device (100), or may cover the insertion port (110h) so that the insertion port (110h) is not exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device (100).

[0053] In one example, the cover (111) may be configured such that the insertion port (110h) is exposed to the exterior of the aerosol generating device (100) in the first position (or 'open position'). When the aerosol generating device (100) is exposed to the exterior, the aerosol generating article (10) may be inserted into the interior of the housing (110) through the insertion port (110h).

[0054] In another example, the cover (111) can prevent the insertion port (110h) from being exposed to the outside of the aerosol generating device (100) by covering the insertion port (110h) in the second position (or 'closed position'). In this case, the cover (111) can prevent external foreign substances from entering the interior of the heater assembly (200) through the insertion port (110h) when the aerosol generating device (100) is not in use.

[0055] Although FIG. 1 only illustrates an aerosol generating device (100) for heating a solid-state aerosol generating article (10), the aerosol generating device (100) is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

[0056] An aerosol generating device according to another embodiment may generate an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating material in a liquid or gel state rather than a solid aerosol generating article (10) through a heater assembly (200).

[0057] According to another embodiment, an aerosol generating device includes a heater assembly (200) for heating an aerosol generating article (10) and an aerosol generating substance in a liquid or gel state, and may also include a cartridge (or 'vaporizer') for heating the aerosol generating substance. The aerosol generated from the aerosol generating substance may travel to the aerosol generating article (10) along an airflow passage connecting the cartridge and the aerosol generating article (10), be mixed with the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article (10), and then pass through the aerosol generating article (10) and be delivered to a user.

[0058] Figure 2 is an internal block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 2, the aerosol generating device (100) may include an input unit (102), an output unit (103), a sensor unit (104), a communication unit (105), a memory (106), a battery (107), an interface unit (108), a power conversion unit (109), and a dielectric heating unit (200).

[0060] The input unit (102) can receive user input. For example, the input unit (102) can be provided as a single pressure-sensitive push button. As another example, the input unit (120) can be a touch panel including at least one touch sensor. The input unit (120) can transmit an input signal to the processor (101). The processor (101) can control the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit (200) based on the user input, or control the output unit (103) to output a user notification.

[0061] The output unit (103) can output information about the status of the aerosol generating device (100). The output unit (103) can output the charge / discharge status of the battery (107), the heating status of the dielectric heating unit (200), the insertion status of the aerosol generating article (10), and error information of the aerosol generating device (100). For this purpose, the output unit (103) can include a display, a haptic motor, and an audio output unit.

[0062] The sensor unit (104) can detect the status of the aerosol generating device (100) or the surrounding status of the aerosol generating device (100) and transmit the detected information to the processor (101). Based on the detected information, the processor (101) can control the aerosol generating device (100) so that various functions such as heating control of the dielectric heating unit (200), smoking restriction, determining whether an aerosol generating article (10) is inserted, and displaying a notification are performed.

[0063] The sensor unit (104) may include a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, and an insertion detection sensor.

[0064] The temperature sensor can detect the temperature inside the dielectric heating unit (200) in a non-contact manner, or can directly obtain the temperature of the resonator by contacting the dielectric heating unit (200). In some embodiments, the temperature sensor can also detect the temperature of the aerosol generating article (10). In addition, the temperature sensor can be placed adjacent to the battery (107) to obtain the temperature of the battery (107). The processor (101) can control the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit (200) based on the temperature information of the temperature sensor.

[0065] The puff sensor can detect the user's puff. The puff sensor can detect the user's puff based on at least one of temperature change, flow change, power change, and pressure change. The processor (101) can control the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit (200) based on the puff information of the puff sensor. For example, the processor (101) can count the number of puffs and cut off the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit (200) when the number of puffs reaches a preset maximum number of puffs. As another example, the processor (101) can cut off the power supplied to the dielectric heating unit (200) when no puffs are detected for a preset period of time.

[0066] The insertion detection sensor may be positioned inside the receiving space (220h in FIG. 4) or adjacent to the receiving space (220h) to detect insertion and removal of an aerosol generating article (10) received in the insertion port (110h). For example, the insertion detection sensor may include an inductive sensor and / or a capacitance sensor. The processor (101) may supply power to the dielectric heating unit (200) when an aerosol generating article (10) is inserted into the insertion port (110h).

[0067] Depending on the embodiment, the sensor unit (104) may additionally include a reuse detection sensor, a motion detection sensor, a humidity sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, a cover removal detection sensor, a location sensor (GPS), and a proximity sensor. Since the function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred from its name, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0068] The communication unit (105) may include at least one communication module for communicating with an external electronic device. The processor (101) may control the communication unit (105) to transmit information about the aerosol generating device (100) to the external electronic device. Alternatively, the processor (101) may receive information from the external electronic device through the communication unit (105) and control components included in the aerosol generating device (100). For example, information transmitted between the communication unit (105) and the external electronic device may include user authentication information, firmware update information, and user smoking pattern information.

[0069] The memory (106) is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device (100), and can store data processed by the processor (101) and data to be processed. For example, the memory (106) can store data on the operating time of the aerosol generating device (100), the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern.

[0070] The battery (107) can supply power to the dielectric heating element (200) so that the aerosol generating article (10) can be heated. In addition, the battery (107) can supply power necessary for the operation of other components provided in the aerosol generating device (100). The battery (107) can be a rechargeable battery or a detachable battery.

[0071] The interface unit (108) may include a connection terminal that can be physically connected to an external electronic device. The connection terminal may include at least one or a combination of an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector). The interface unit (108) may transmit and receive information to and from an external electronic device or charge power through the connection terminal.

[0072] The power conversion unit (109) may include a DC-DC converter that adjusts the voltage level of the DC power supplied from the battery (107), and an inverter that converts the DC power into AC power. The power conversion unit (109) may provide the converted AC power to the dielectric heating unit (200). The inverter may include at least one switching element. The inverter may be configured as a full bridge or a half bridge. The processor (101) may control ON / OFF of the switching element included in the inverter by applying a first control signal to the power conversion unit (109). In addition, the processor (101) may set a feedback voltage value that adjusts the output voltage of the DC-DC converter by applying a first control signal to the power conversion unit (109).

[0073] The dielectric heating unit (200) can heat the aerosol generating article (10) using a dielectric heating method. The dielectric heating unit (200) may have a configuration corresponding to the heater assembly (200) of FIG. 1.

[0074] The dielectric heating unit (200) can heat the aerosol generating article (10) using microwaves and / or an electric field of microwaves (hereinafter, referred to as microwaves or microwave power when no distinction is necessary). The heating method of the dielectric heating unit (200) may be a method of heating the object to be heated by forming microwaves within a resonant structure, rather than a method of radiating microwaves using an antenna. The resonant structure will be described later with reference to FIG. 4 and below.

[0075] The dielectric heating unit (200) can output high-frequency microwaves to the resonance unit (220 in FIG. 3). The microwaves may be power in the ISM (Industrial Scientific and Medical equipment) band permitted for heating, but are not limited thereto. The resonance unit (220) can be designed taking into account the wavelength of the microwaves so that the microwaves can resonate within the resonance unit (220).

[0076] The aerosol generating article (10) is inserted into the resonator (220), and the dielectric material within the aerosol generating article (10) can be heated by the resonator (220). For example, the aerosol generating article (10) can include a polar substance, and molecules within the polar substance can be polarized within the resonator (220). The molecules can vibrate or rotate due to the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol generating article (10) can be heated by frictional heat generated during this process. The dielectric heating unit (200) will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3.

[0077] The processor (101) can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device (100). The processor (101) may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable on the microprocessor. Additionally, the processor (101) may be implemented as other types of hardware.

[0078] The processor (101) can control the direct current power supplied from the battery (107) to the power conversion unit (109) and / or the alternating current power supplied from the power conversion unit (109) to the dielectric heating unit (200) according to the power required by the dielectric heating unit (200). In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device (100) includes a DC-DC converter that boosts or lowers the direct current power, and the processor (101) can control the DC-DC converter by applying a first control signal, thereby adjusting the magnitude of the direct current power. In addition, the processor (101) can control the alternating current power supplied to the dielectric heating unit (200) by applying a first control signal to adjust the switching frequency and duty ratio of the switching element included in the power conversion unit (109).

[0079] The processor (101) can control the heating temperature of the aerosol generating article (10) by applying a second control signal to the dielectric heating unit (200) to control the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit (200) and the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit (200). Accordingly, the oscillation unit (210), the isolation unit (240), the power monitoring unit (250), and the matching unit (260) of FIG. 3 described below may be part of the processor (101).

[0080] The processor (101) can control the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit (200) based on the temperature profile information stored in the memory (106). In other words, the temperature profile includes information about the target temperature of the dielectric heating unit (200) over time, and the processor (101) can control the microwave power of the dielectric heating unit (200) over time.

[0081] The processor (101) can adjust the frequency of the microwave so that the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit (200) is constant. The processor (101) can track in real time the change in the resonant frequency of the dielectric heating unit (200) according to the heating of the object to be heated, and control the dielectric heating unit (200) so that the microwave frequency according to the changed resonant frequency is output. In other words, the processor (101) can change the microwave frequency in real time regardless of the pre-stored temperature profile.

[0082] Fig. 3 is an internal block diagram of the dielectric heating unit of Fig. 2.

[0083] Referring to FIG. 3, the dielectric heating unit (200) may include a oscillation unit (210), an isolation unit (240), a power monitoring unit (250), a matching unit (260), a microwave output unit (230), and a resonance unit (220).

[0084] The oscillator (210) can receive AC power from the power converter (109) and generate high-frequency microwave power. According to an embodiment, the power converter (109) may be a component included in the oscillator (210). The microwave power may be selected from the 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and 5.8 GHz frequency bands included in the ISM bands.

[0085] The oscillator (210) includes a solid-state-based RF generator, which can be used to generate microwave power. The solid-state-based RF generator can be implemented using a semiconductor. When the oscillator (210) is implemented using a semiconductor, the dielectric heating unit (200) can be miniaturized, and the device lifespan can be extended.

[0086] The oscillator (210) can output microwave power toward the resonator (220). The oscillator (210) can include a power amplifier that increases or decreases the microwave power. The power amplifier can adjust the magnitude of the microwave power by receiving a second control signal from the processor (101). For example, the power amplifier can decrease or increase the amplitude of the microwave. By adjusting the amplitude of the microwave, the microwave power can be adjusted.

[0087] In one embodiment, the oscillator (210) may be configured as a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The processor (101) may adjust the frequency of the microwave output by the oscillator (210) through a second control signal. Specifically, the oscillator (210) may receive an analog control signal. The frequency of the microwave output by the oscillator (210) may be determined based on the voltage magnitude of the input control signal. The frequency of the microwave may be determined in linear proportion to the voltage magnitude of the control signal. That is, the frequency of the microwave output by the oscillator (210) ) and the control signal applied to the oscillator (210) ( ) can be expressed by the following mathematical expression 1.

[0088]

[0089] Here is a constant value determined by the design of the voltage-controlled oscillator, and K is the gain or sensitivity determined by the design of the oscillator. Control signal ( ) may be a value converted into analog by a second control signal received from a processor (101) by a digital-to-analog converter (hereinafter, DAC).

[0090] The processor (101) can generate a second control signal based on a pre-stored temperature profile and adjust the magnitude of microwave power output from the generator (210) through the second control signal. For example, the temperature profile includes target temperature information according to the preheating section and the smoking section, and the generator (210) can supply microwave power at a first power in the preheating section and supply microwave power at a second power that is lower than the first power in the smoking section.

[0091] The isolation unit (240) can block the microwave power input from the resonance unit (220) toward the oscillation unit (210). Most of the microwave power output from the oscillation unit (210) is absorbed by the heated object, but depending on the heating pattern of the heated object, some of the microwave power may be reflected by the heated object and transmitted back toward the oscillation unit (210). This is because the impedance viewed from the oscillation unit (210) toward the resonance unit (220) changes according to the exhaustion of polar molecules due to the heating of the heated object. The meaning of 'the impedance viewed from the oscillation unit (210) toward the resonance unit (220) changes' may be the same as the meaning of 'the resonant frequency of the resonance unit (220) changes'. If the microwave power reflected from the resonator (220) is input to the oscillation unit (210), the oscillation unit (210) may malfunction and the expected output performance may not be achieved. The isolation unit (240) can absorb the microwave power reflected from the resonator (220) by directing it in a predetermined direction, rather than returning it to the oscillation unit (210). For this purpose, the isolation unit (240) may include a circulator and a dummy load.

[0092] The power monitoring unit (250) can monitor the microwave power output from the oscillator unit (210) and the reflected microwave power reflected from the resonator unit (220). The power monitoring unit (250) can transmit information about the microwave power and the reflected microwave power to the matching unit (260).

[0093] The matching unit (260) can match the impedance of the resonance unit (220) viewed from the oscillation unit (210) and the impedance of the resonance unit (220) viewed from the oscillation unit (210) so that the reflected microwave power is minimized. Impedance matching may have the same meaning as matching the frequency of the oscillation unit (210) with the resonance frequency of the resonance unit (220). Therefore, the matching unit (260) can vary the frequency of the oscillation unit (210) in order to match the impedance. In other words, the matching unit (260) can adjust the frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillation unit (210) so that the reflected microwave power is minimized. The impedance matching of the matching unit (260) can be performed in real time regardless of the temperature profile.

[0094] Meanwhile, the above-described oscillator (210), isolation unit (240), power monitoring unit (250), and matching unit (260) are separate components distinct from the microwave output unit (230) and resonance unit (220) described later, and may be implemented as a microwave source in the form of a chip. In addition, according to an embodiment, at least one of the above-described oscillator (210), isolation unit (240), power monitoring unit (250), and matching unit (260) may be implemented as a part of the processor (101).

[0095] The microwave output unit (230) is configured to input microwave power into the resonance unit (220), and may have a configuration corresponding to the coupler of FIG. 4 or lower. The microwave output unit (230) may be implemented in the form of an SMA, SMB, MCX, or MMCX connector. The microwave output unit (230) connects a chip-type microwave source and the resonance unit (220) to each other, and can transmit microwave power generated from the microwave source to the resonance unit (220).

[0096] The resonant section (220) can heat a heated object by forming microwaves within a resonant structure. The resonant section (220) includes a receiving space in which an aerosol generating article (10) is received, and the aerosol generating article (10) can be dielectrically heated by exposure to microwaves. For example, the aerosol generating article (10) can include a polar substance, and molecules within the polar substance can be polarized by microwaves within the resonant section (220). The molecules can vibrate or rotate due to the polarization phenomenon, and the aerosol generating article (10) can be heated by frictional heat generated during this process.

[0097] The resonant portion (220) includes at least one internal conductor so that microwaves can resonate, and microwaves can resonate inside the resonant portion (220) depending on the arrangement, thickness, and length of the internal conductor.

[0098] The resonator (220) can be designed considering the wavelength of the microwave so that the microwave can resonate within the resonator (220). In order for the microwave to resonate within the resonator (220), a closed end (short end) and an open end (open end) with at least one area of ​​the cross-section open in the direction opposite the closed end are required. In addition, the length between the closed end and the open end must be set to an integer multiple of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength. The resonator (220) of the present disclosure selects a length of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength for device miniaturization. In other words, the length between the closed end and the open end of the resonator (220) can be set to a length of 1 / 4 of the microwave wavelength.

[0099] The resonant portion (220) may include a dielectric receiving space. The dielectric receiving space has a configuration distinct from the receiving space of the aerosol generating article (10), and a material capable of changing the overall resonant frequency of the resonant portion (220) and miniaturizing the resonant portion (220) is disposed therein. In one embodiment, a dielectric with low microwave absorption may be received in the dielectric receiving space. This is to prevent a phenomenon in which energy that should be transmitted to the heated object is transmitted to the dielectric and the dielectric itself is heated. The microwave absorption may be expressed by the loss tangent, which is the ratio of the real part to the imaginary part of the complex dielectric constant. In one embodiment, the dielectric receiving space (227) may receive a dielectric with a loss tangent less than a preset size, and the preset size may be 1 / 100. For example, the dielectric may be, but is not limited to, at least one or a combination of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene, and aluminum oxide.

[0100] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a heater assembly according to one embodiment.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 4, a heater assembly (200) according to one embodiment may include an oscillating unit (210) and a resonating unit (220). FIG. 4 may be an embodiment of the heater assembly (200) and the dielectric heating unit (200) described above, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0102] The oscillator (210) can generate microwaves of a specified frequency band as power is supplied. The microwaves generated by the oscillator (210) can be transmitted to the resonator (220) through a coupler (not shown).

[0103] The resonating portion (220) may include a receiving space (220h) for receiving at least one area of ​​the aerosol generating article (10), and may heat the aerosol generating article (10) by a dielectric heating method by resonating microwaves generated from the oscillating portion (210). For example, charges of glycerin included in the aerosol generating article (10) may vibrate or rotate due to resonance of microwaves, and heat may be generated in the glycerin due to frictional heat generated when the charges vibrate or rotate, thereby heating the aerosol generating article (10).

[0104] According to one embodiment, the resonator (220) may be formed of a material having a low microwave absorption rate to prevent microwaves generated in the oscillation unit (210) from being absorbed by the resonator (220).

[0105] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, the specific structure of the resonant part (220) of the heater assembly (200) will be examined.

[0106] Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heater assembly of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 shows a cross-section of the heater assembly (200) of Fig. 4 taken along the line AA'.

[0107] Referring to FIG. 5, a heater assembly (200) according to one embodiment may include an oscillator (210), a resonator (220), and a coupler (230). The components of the heater assembly (200) may be identical or similar to at least one of the components of the heater assembly (200) of FIG. 4, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

[0108] The oscillator (210) can generate microwaves of a specified frequency band when an AC voltage is applied, and the microwaves generated in the oscillator (210) can be transmitted to the resonator (220) through the coupler (230).

[0109] According to one embodiment, the oscillating unit (210) may be fixed to the resonating unit (220) to prevent separation from the resonating unit (220) during use of the aerosol generating device. In one example, the oscillating unit (210) may be fixed on the resonating unit (220) by being supported by a bracket (220b) protruding along the x direction in one area of ​​the resonating unit (220). In another example, the oscillating unit (210) may be fixed on the resonating unit (220) by being attached to one area of ​​the resonating unit (220) without the bracket (220b).

[0110] Although the drawing only shows an embodiment in which the oscillating unit (210) is fixed to an area facing the x direction of the resonating unit (220), the position of the oscillating unit (210) is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. In another embodiment, the oscillating unit (210) may be fixed to another area facing the -z direction of the resonating unit (220).

[0111] The resonator (220) is arranged to surround at least one area of ​​an aerosol generating article (10) inserted into the interior of an aerosol generating device, and can heat the aerosol generating article (10) through microwaves generated from the generator (210). For example, dielectric materials included in the aerosol generating article (10) can generate heat by an electric field generated inside the resonator (220) by microwaves, and the aerosol generating article (10) can be heated by the heat generated from the dielectric.

[0112] According to one embodiment, the aerosol generating article (10) may include a tobacco rod (11) and a filter rod (12).

[0113] The tobacco rod (11) contains an aerosol-generating substance and may be manufactured in the form of a sheet or strand, or may be manufactured as a tobacco sheet cut into small pieces. For example, the aerosol-generating substance may include, but is not limited to, at least one of glycerin, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol. In addition, the tobacco rod (11) may contain other additives such as a flavoring agent, a humectant, and / or an organic acid. In addition, a flavoring agent such as menthol or a humectant may be added to the tobacco rod (11) by spraying it onto the tobacco rod (11).

[0114] The filter rod (12) may be a cellulose acetate filter. Meanwhile, there is no limitation on the shape of the filter rod (12). For example, the filter rod (12) may be a cylindrical rod or a tubular rod having a hollow portion therein. In addition, the filter rod (12) may be a recessed rod. If the filter rod (12) is composed of a plurality of segments, at least one of the segments may be manufactured in a different shape.

[0115] At least a portion of the aerosol generating material (e.g., glycerin) included in the aerosol generating article (10) may be a dielectric material having polarity in an electric field, and at least a portion of such aerosol generating material may generate heat in a dielectric heating manner to heat the aerosol generating article (10).

[0116] According to one embodiment, the resonant portion (220) may include an outer conductor (221), a first inner conductor (223), and a second inner conductor (225).

[0117] The outer conductor (221) can form the overall appearance of the resonant portion (220), and can be formed in a hollow shape with an empty interior so that components of the resonant portion (220) can be placed inside the outer conductor (221). The outer conductor (221) can include a receiving space (220h) in which an aerosol generating article (10) can be received, and the aerosol generating article (10) can be inserted into the interior of the outer conductor (221) through the receiving space (220h).

[0118] According to one embodiment, the outer conductor (221) may include a first surface (221a), a second surface (221b) arranged to face the first surface (221a), and a side surface (221c) surrounding a space between the first surface (221a) and the second surface (221b). At least some of the components of the resonant portion (220) (e.g., the first inner conductor (223), the second inner conductor (225)) may be arranged in the inner space of the resonant portion (220) formed by the first surface (221a), the second surface (221b), and the side surface (221c).

[0119] The first inner conductor (223) can be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending from the first surface (221a) of the outer conductor (221) in a direction toward the inner space of the outer conductor (221).

[0120] According to one embodiment, a region of the first inner conductor (223) may be in contact with a coupler (230) connected to the oscillating unit (210), and microwaves generated in the oscillating unit (210) may be transmitted to the first inner conductor (233) through the coupler (230). For example, the coupler (230) may be arranged to penetrate the outer conductor (221) and have one end in contact with the oscillating unit (210) and the other end in contact with a region of the first inner conductor (223), and microwaves generated in the oscillating unit (210) may be transmitted to the first inner conductor (223) through the coupler (230).

[0121] At this time, the coupler (230) may be arranged to penetrate the outer conductor (221) without contacting the outer conductor (221) for transmission of microwaves, but the arrangement structure of the coupler (230) is not limited thereto as long as the microwaves generated in the oscillating unit (210) can be transmitted to the first inner conductor (223).

[0122] The first region formed between the outer conductor (221) and the first inner conductor (223) can operate as a 'first resonator' that generates an electric field through resonance of microwaves. The first region can refer to a space formed by the first surface (221a), the side surface (221c) of the outer conductor (221) and the first inner conductor (223), and inside the first region, microwaves transmitted through the coupler (230) can resonate to generate an electric field.

[0123] The second inner conductor (225) may be formed in a hollow cylindrical shape extending from the second surface (221b) of the outer conductor (221) in a direction toward the inner space of the outer conductor (221). The second inner conductor (225) may be arranged in the inner space of the outer conductor (221) at a predetermined distance from the first inner conductor (223), and a gap (226) may be formed between the first inner conductor (223) and the second inner conductor (225).

[0124] The second region formed between the outer conductor (221) and the second inner conductor (225) can operate as a 'second resonator' that generates an electric field through resonance of microwaves. The second inner conductor (225) can be coupled (e.g., capacitively coupled) with the first inner conductor (223), and when an electric field is generated inside the first region by the above-described coupling relationship, an induced electric field can also be generated inside the second region. In the present disclosure, 'capacitive coupling' can mean a coupling relationship in which energy can be transferred by electrostatic capacity (capacitance) between two conductors.

[0125] For example, as microwaves generated from the oscillating portion (210) are transmitted to the first inner conductor (223), an electric field may be generated inside the first region by resonance, and an induced electric field may be generated inside the second region formed by the outer conductor (221) and the second inner conductor (225) coupled with the first inner conductor (223).

[0126] According to one embodiment, the first region and the second region of the resonator (220) can operate as a resonator having a length of 1 / 4 wavelength (λ / 4) of a microwave.

[0127] In one example, one end of the first region (e.g., the end in the -z direction) may be formed as a short end because the cross-section of the first region is closed by the first face (221a) of the outer conductor (221), and the other end of the first region (e.g., the end in the z direction) may be formed as an open end because the cross-section is open because the first face (221a) is not arranged. In another example, one end of the second region (e.g., the end in the -z direction) may be formed as an open end because the cross-section is open, and the other end of the second region (e.g., the end in the z direction) may be formed as a closed end because the cross-section of the second region is closed by the second face (221b) of the outer conductor (221).

[0128] That is, the first region and the second region can be formed as a whole in a “ㄷ” shape, including closed ends and open ends, when viewed on the xz plane, and through the above-described structure, the first region and the second region can operate as a resonator having a 1 / 4 wavelength length of a microwave.

[0129] According to one embodiment, the first inner conductor (223) and the second inner conductor (225) may be formed to have the same length with respect to the z-axis so that the first region and the second region may be arranged symmetrically with each other, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0130] An aerosol generating article (10) inserted into the inner space of the outer conductor (221) through the receiving space (220h) can be surrounded by the first inner conductor (223) and the second inner conductor (225) and heated by a dielectric heating method.

[0131] At least a portion of the electric field generated by the resonance of the microwave in the first region and / or the second region can propagate toward the interior of the first inner conductor (223) and / or the second inner conductor (225) through the gap (226) between the first inner conductor (223) and the second inner conductor (225), and the aerosol-generating article (10) surrounded by the first inner conductor (223) and the second inner conductor (225) can be heated by the propagated electric field. For example, a dielectric included in the aerosol-generating article (10) can be heated by the electric field propagating through the gap (226), and the aerosol-generating article (10) can be heated by the heat generated from the dielectric.

[0132] According to one embodiment, the heater assembly (200) can prevent an electric field propagated into the interior of the first inner conductor (223) and / or the second inner conductor (225) from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly (200) or the resonant portion (220) by ensuring that the diameters of the first inner conductor (223) and the second inner conductor (225) are less than a specified value.

[0133] In the present disclosure, the 'specified value' may mean a diameter value at which an electric field begins to leak out of the first inner conductor (223) and / or the second inner conductor (225). For example, when the diameter of the first inner conductor (223) and / or the second inner conductor (225) is equal to or greater than the specified value, a situation may occur in which a portion of the electric field introduced into the interior of the first inner conductor (223) and / or the second inner conductor (225) leaks out of the resonant portion (220).

[0134] On the other hand, the heater assembly (200) according to one embodiment can prevent an electric field from being transmitted to the outside of the resonant section (220) through a structure in which the diameters of the first inner conductor (223) and the second inner conductor (225) are less than a specified value, and as a result, the electric field can be prevented from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly (200) or the resonant section (220) without a separate shielding member.

[0135] According to one embodiment, when the aerosol generating article (10) is inserted into the resonator (220) through the receiving space (220h), the tobacco rod (11) of the aerosol generating article (10) can be placed at a position corresponding to the gap (226) between the first inner conductor (223) and the second inner conductor (225).

[0136] As the electric field generated in the first region and the electric field generated in the second region flow into the interior of the first internal conductor (223) and / or the second internal conductor (225) through the gap (226), the strongest electric field can be generated in the area surrounding the gap (226) among the internal areas of the resonant portion (220).

[0137] In a heater assembly (200) according to one embodiment, the heating efficiency (or 'dielectric heating efficiency') of the heater assembly (200) can be improved by positioning the tobacco rod (11) containing the dielectric that generates heat by an electric field at a position corresponding to the gap (226) where the electric field is strongest.

[0138] According to one embodiment, the resonator (220) may further include a closure (224) positioned inside the first inner conductor (223) and configured to close a cross-section of the first inner conductor (223) to limit a flow direction of aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article (10). For example, the closure (224) may block a flow of aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article (10) in the -z direction by closing a cross-section of the first inner conductor (223).

[0139] If the aerosol generated from the aerosol generating article (10) or the droplets generated as the aerosol is liquefied flows in the -z direction and flows into other components of the aerosol generating device (e.g., the aerosol generating device (100) of FIG. 1), it may cause malfunction or damage to the components of the aerosol generating device. On the other hand, the heater assembly (200) according to one embodiment can prevent malfunction or damage to the components of the aerosol generating device due to the aerosol or droplets by restricting the flow direction of the aerosol through the closing portion (224).

[0140] According to one embodiment, the resonant portion (220) may further include a dielectric accommodation space (227) for accommodating a dielectric. The dielectric accommodation space (227) may refer to an empty space formed between the outer conductor (221) and the first inner conductor (223) and the second inner conductor (225), and a dielectric having low microwave absorption may be accommodated in the dielectric accommodation space (227). For example, the dielectric may be at least one of quartz, tetrafluoroethylene, and aluminum oxide, or a combination thereof, but is not limited thereto.

[0141] A heater assembly (200) according to one embodiment can generate an electric field similar to a resonance unit (220) that does not include a dielectric while reducing the overall size of the resonance unit (220) by arranging a dielectric inside a dielectric receiving space (227). That is, the heater assembly (200) according to one embodiment can reduce the size of the resonance unit (220) through the dielectric arranged inside the dielectric receiving space (227), thereby reducing the mounting space of the resonance unit (220) within the aerosol generating device, and as a result, the aerosol generating device can be miniaturized.

[0142] FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

[0143] The heater assembly (300) according to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 may include a resonant portion (320) that generates microwave resonance and a coupler (311) that supplies microwaves to the resonant portion (320).

[0144] The resonance unit (320) may include a case (321), a plurality of plates (323a, 323b), and a connecting portion (322) connecting the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) and the case (321).

[0145] The coupler (311) can supply microwaves to at least one of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) to generate microwave resonance in the resonator (320).

[0146] The resonant portion (320) can surround at least a portion of an aerosol generating article (10) inserted into the interior of the aerosol generating device. The coupler (311) can supply microwaves generated from a generator (not shown) to the resonant portion (320). When microwaves are supplied to the resonant portion (320), microwave resonance occurs in the resonant portion (320), and the resonant portion (320) can heat the aerosol generating article (10). For example, dielectrics included in the aerosol generating article (10) can generate heat by an electric field generated inside the resonant portion (220) by microwaves, and the aerosol generating article (10) can be heated by the heat generated in the dielectrics.

[0147] The case (321) of the resonant section (320) functions as an 'outer conductor'. Since the case (321) is formed in a hollow shape with an empty interior, components of the resonant section (320) can be placed inside the case (321).

[0148] The case (321) may include a receiving space (320h) in which an aerosol generating article (10) can be received, and an opening (321a) into which the aerosol generating article (10) can be inserted. The opening (321a) is connected to the receiving space (320h). Since the opening (321a) is open toward the outside of the case (321), the receiving space (320h) is connected to the outside through the opening (321a). Accordingly, the aerosol generating article (10) can be inserted into the receiving space (320h) of the case (321) through the opening (321a) of the case (321).

[0149] Although the case (321) illustrated in the drawing has a square cross-sectional shape, the shape of the case (321) can be modified into various shapes. For example, the structure of the case (321) can be modified to have various cross-sectional shapes such as a rectangle, an ellipse, or a circle. The case (321) can be extended in one direction.

[0150] Inside the case (321), a plurality of plates (323a, 323b) that can function as ‘internal conductors’ of the resonant section (320) can be arranged.

[0151] A plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be arranged spaced apart from each other along the circumference of the aerosol generating article (10) accommodated in the accommodation space (320h). The plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may include a first plate (323a) arranged to surround one area of ​​the aerosol generating article (10) and a second plate (323b) arranged to surround another area of ​​the aerosol generating article (10).

[0152] A plurality of plates (323a, 323b) can be connected to a case (321) by a connecting portion (322). In addition, one end of a first plate (323a) and one end of a second plate (323b) of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) can be connected to each other by the connecting portion (322). Accordingly, a closed end can be formed at one end of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) by the connecting portion (322).

[0153] The other end (323af) of the first plate (323a) and the other end (323bf) of the second plate (323b) of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) can be opened by being spaced apart from each other. Since the other ends of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) are spaced apart from each other, an open end can be formed at the other ends of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b).

[0154] A resonator assembly can be completed by connecting a plurality of plates (323a, 323b) and a connecting portion (322) to each other. The shape of a cross-section cut along the longitudinal direction of the resonator assembly can include a 'horseshoe shape'.

[0155] A plurality of plates (323a, 323b) extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating article (10). At least a portion of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be curved to protrude outward from the longitudinal center of the aerosol generating article (10).

[0156] For example, when the aerosol generating article (10) is manufactured in a cylindrical shape, the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be formed to be curved in the circumferential direction along the outer surface of the aerosol generating article (10). The radius of curvature of the cross-sections of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be the same as the radius of curvature of the aerosol generating article (10). The radius of curvature of the cross-sections of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be modified in various ways. For example, the radius of curvature of the cross-sections of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be larger or smaller than the radius of curvature of the aerosol generating article (10).

[0157] According to the structure in which a plurality of plates (323a, 323b) are formed to be curved in the circumferential direction along the outer surface of the aerosol generating article (10), a more uniform electric field is formed in the resonance section (320), so that the heater assembly (300) can uniformly heat the aerosol generating article (10).

[0158] The open ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be positioned so as to face the opening (321a) of the case (321). The opening (321a) of the case (321) may be positioned so as to be spaced apart from the ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b).

[0159] The open ends of the other ends of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) can be aligned with respect to the opening (321a) of the case (321). Therefore, when the aerosol generating article (10) is inserted through the opening (321a) of the case (321) and positioned in the receiving space (320h), a portion of the aerosol generating article (10) positioned in the receiving space (320h) can be surrounded by the plurality of plates (323a, 323b).

[0160] A plurality of plates (323a, 323b) are arranged in two opposite positions with respect to the longitudinal center of the aerosol generating article (10). The embodiments are not limited by the number of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b), and the number of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be, for example, three, or four or more.

[0161] A plurality of plates (323a, 323b) can be arranged symmetrically with respect to each other with respect to the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol generating article (10), i.e., the direction in which the aerosol generating article (10) extends.

[0162] At least one of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be in contact with a coupler (311) connected to a generator (not shown). Specifically, at least a portion of the first plate (323a) may be in contact with the coupler (311). When microwaves are transmitted to the first plate (323a) through the coupler (311), microwave resonance is formed between the plurality of plates (323a, 323b). In addition, microwave resonance is also formed between the first plate (323a) and the upper plate of the case (321), and between the second plate (323b) and the lower plate of the case (321). Accordingly, an electric field can be generated between the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) and the connecting portion (322), between the first plate (323a) and the upper plate of the case (321), and between the second plate (323b) and the lower plate of the case (321).

[0163] A coupler (311) may penetrate the case (321) so that one end of the coupler (311) may contact a oscillating portion (not shown) and the other end of the coupler (311) may contact a region of a first plate (323a). As microwaves generated in the oscillating portion (not shown) are transmitted to a plurality of plates (323a, 323b) and a connecting portion (322) through the coupler (311), an electric field may be generated inside an assembly of a plurality of plates (323a, 323b) and a connecting portion (322).

[0164] In addition, according to the structure of the resonance part (320) of the heater assembly (300), a triple resonance mode can be formed in the resonance part (320). A resonance of the TEM mode (transverse electric & magnetic mode) of microwaves is formed between the plurality of plates (323a, 323b). In addition, a resonance of a TEM mode different from the resonance formed between the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) is formed between the first plate (323a) and the upper plate of the case (321), and between the second plate (323b) and the lower plate of the case (321), respectively. Since the resonance unit (320) of Fig. 6 is capable of resonance in the TEM mode by a plurality of plates (323a, 323b), it can be manufactured to a smaller size than the resonance unit (220) of Fig. 5, which is capable of only the TE (transverse electric) and TM (transverse magnetic mode) modes.

[0165] As triple resonance occurs in the resonance section (320) of the heater assembly (300), the aerosol generating article (10) can be heated more effectively and uniformly.

[0166] The resonator (320) according to the embodiment described above may include a closed end (short end) whose cross-section is closed to have a length (λ / 4) that is 1 / 4 of the wavelength (λ) of the microwave, and an open end (open end) located in the opposite direction to the closed end and having at least one area of ​​the cross-section open.

[0167] In Fig. 6, one end of the resonance unit (320) corresponding to the left area forms a closed end by a structure in which one end of a plurality of plates (323a, 323b) and a connection unit (322) are connected to the case (321). In Fig. 6, the other end of the resonance unit (320) corresponding to the right area forms an open end by having the opening (321a) of the case (321) open to the outside. By this structure of the resonance unit (320), the resonance unit (320) can operate as a resonator having a wavelength of 1 / 4 of a microwave.

[0168] According to the resonance structure of the resonant portion (320) described above, an electric field may not be transmitted to an external region of the resonant portion (320). Therefore, the heater assembly (300) can prevent an electric field from leaking to the outside of the heater assembly (300) even without a separate shielding member for shielding the electric field.

[0169] The aerosol generating article (10) inserted into the receiving space (320h) of the case (321) may be surrounded by the first plate (323a) and the second plate (323b) and heated by a dielectric heating method. For example, a part including the medium of the aerosol generating article (10) inserted into the receiving space (320h) of the case (321) may be placed in the space between the first plate (323a) and the second plate (323b). The aerosol generating article (10) may be heated by the dielectric contained in the aerosol generating article (10) generating heat by the electric field generated in the space between the first plate (323a) and the second plate (323b).

[0170] Additionally, a secondary heating effect on the aerosol generating article (10) can be achieved by the action of an electric field due to a resonance mode formed between the first plate (323a) and the upper plate of the case (321) and between the second plate (323b) and the lower plate of the case (321).

[0171] When the aerosol generating article (10) is inserted into the resonator (320) through the receiving space (320h), the tobacco rod (11) of the aerosol generating article (10) can be positioned between a plurality of plates (323a, 323b).

[0172] The length (L4) of the tobacco rod (11) can be formed to be longer than the length (L1) of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b). Accordingly, the front end (11f) of the tobacco rod (11) in contact with the filter rod (12) is positioned at a position that protrudes more than the other end (323af) of the first plate (323a) and the other end (323bf) of the second plate (323b) in the direction toward the opening (321a) of the case (321).

[0173] A resonance peak is formed at the other end of a plurality of plates (323a, 323b) that operate as resonators, thereby generating a stronger electric field compared to other regions. When an aerosol generating article (10) is inserted into the heater assembly (300), a tobacco rod (11) containing a dielectric capable of generating heat by an electric field is arranged to correspond to the region where the electric field is strongest, thereby improving the heating efficiency (or 'dielectric heating efficiency') of the heater assembly (300).

[0174] Referring to FIG. 6, the length (L1) of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be set to be smaller than the length (L1+L2) of the internal space of the case (321). Accordingly, the other ends of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be positioned further inside the case (321) than the opening (321a). That is, the other ends of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b) may be positioned at a distance of L2 from the rear end of the opening (321a).

[0175] The length from the rear end of the opening (321a) where the opening (321a) is connected to the case (321) to the front end of the opening (321a) where the opening (321a) is opened may be L3. The total length of the case (321) along the longitudinal direction of the case (321) may be L. The total length L of the case (321) may be determined by the sum of the lengths (L1) of the plurality of plates (323a, 323b), the length (L2) of the rear end of the opening (321a) separated from the plurality of plates (323a, 323b), and the length (L3) of the opening (321a) protruding from the case (321).

[0176] In order to prevent leakage of microwaves, the front end of the opening (321a) where the opening (321a) is opened is positioned to protrude from the case (321) by a length of L3. By protruding from the case (321), the opening (321a) of the case (321) can function to prevent microwaves inside the case (321) of the resonator (320) from leaking to the outside of the case (321).

[0177] The resonant portion (320) may further include a dielectric receiving space (327) for receiving a dielectric. The dielectric receiving space (327) may be formed in an empty space between the case (321) and the plurality of plates (323a, 323b). A dielectric with low microwave absorption may be received in the dielectric receiving space (327).

[0178] The heater assembly (300) can generate an electric field at the same level as an electric field generated in a resonant section that does not include a dielectric by arranging a dielectric inside the dielectric receiving space (327), thereby reducing the overall size of the resonant section (320). That is, by reducing the size of the resonant section (320) through the dielectric arranged inside the dielectric receiving space (327), the mounting space of the resonant section (320) within the aerosol generating device can be reduced, and as a result, the aerosol generating device can be miniaturized.

[0179] Fig. 7 is an internal block diagram for explaining an output control method of a generator according to one embodiment.

[0180] Fig. 7 illustrates only the configurations for controlling the output of the generator (210) among the configurations of Figs. 3 and 4 included in the aerosol generating device (100). The output of the generator (210) may refer to the magnitude and frequency of microwave power. Therefore, the description overlapping with Figs. 3 and 4 is omitted below.

[0181] Referring to FIG. 7, the aerosol generating device (100) may include a generator (210), a power monitoring unit (250), a resonator unit (220), a DAC (710), and a processor (101).

[0182] The oscillator (210) may be configured as a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). The processor (101) may apply a second control signal to the oscillator (210) to vary the frequency of microwaves output by the oscillator (210). The processor (101) may generate a second control signal in digital format. The DAC (710) may convert the second control signal received from the processor (101) into an analog signal and transmit the converted signal to the oscillator (210). The oscillator (210) receives the second control signal in analog format from the DAC (710), and the frequency of microwaves output by the oscillator (210) may be determined based on the voltage magnitude of the input second control signal. The frequency of microwaves output by the oscillator (210) may be determined in linear proportion to the voltage magnitude of the second control signal. For example, the processor (101) can control the oscillator (210) through the second control signal so that the oscillator (210) can output a microwave having any one output frequency selected from the range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz or the range of 5.7 GHz to 5.9 GHz.

[0183] In one embodiment, the oscillator (210) includes at least one switching element, and the processor (101) may vary the output frequency of the microwave by controlling the on / off of the switching element through a second control signal.

[0184] In addition, the oscillator (210) includes a power amplifier, and the power amplifier can adjust the power size of the output microwave by increasing or decreasing the amplitude of the microwave by a second control signal of the processor (101). For example, the processor (101) can control the oscillator (210) by applying a second control signal to the oscillator (210) so that the oscillator (210) can output a microwave having a power size selected from a range of 3 W to 20 W.

[0185] Microwaves generated in the oscillation unit (210) can be output to the resonance unit (220).

[0186] The resonator (220) accommodates an aerosol generating article (10) and can heat the aerosol generating article (10) by resonating microwaves provided from the generator (210). The internal structure of the resonator (220) may be as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6.

[0187] A power monitoring unit (250) may be provided to track changes in the resonance frequency of the resonance unit (220) in real time.

[0188] More specifically, the impedance of the resonator (220) may vary as the dielectric material included in the aerosol generating article (10) is heated and consumed by microwaves. When the oscillation unit (210) is controlled to a fixed output even though the impedance of the resonator (220) varies, the first impedance (Zeq1) as viewed from the oscillation unit (210) toward the resonator (220) and the second impedance (Zeq2) as viewed from the resonator unit (220) toward the oscillation unit (210) may not match. In other words, the first impedance (Zeq1) and the second impedance (Zeq2) may not match each other. In addition, since the impedance matching is related to the maximum power transfer condition, the maximum power transfer condition may not be satisfied. Accordingly, the power supplied from the oscillating unit (210) may not be fully transmitted to the resonating unit (220), and some of it may be reflected from the resonating unit (220) and input again toward the oscillating unit (210).

[0189] The power monitoring unit (250) can measure the reflected microwave power reflected from the resonator unit (220) and input to the oscillation unit (210) in order to match the first impedance (Zeq1) and the second impedance (Zeq2). According to an embodiment, the power monitoring unit (250) can additionally measure the output microwave power output from the oscillation unit (210) and input to the resonator unit (220). Hereinafter, the output microwave power may be referred to as the first power (P1), and the reflected microwave power may be referred to as the second power (P2). The first power (P1) and the second power (P2) may indicate the magnitude of the power.

[0190] The power monitoring unit (250) can provide information about the first power (P1) and / or the second power (P2) to the processor (101).

[0191] The processor (101) can match the first impedance (Zeq1) and the second impedance (Zeq2) based on information about the first power (P1) and / or the second power (P2) provided from the power monitoring unit (250). The impedance matching can be achieved by adjusting the output frequency of the oscillator (210). This is because the impedance is a parameter related to frequency.

[0192] The processor (101) can adjust the output frequency of the oscillator (210) so that the second power (P2) measured by the power monitoring unit (250) falls within a reference power range. According to an embodiment, the processor (101) can adjust the output frequency of the oscillator (210) so that the difference between the first power (P1) and the second power (P2) measured by the power monitoring unit (250) falls within a preset reference power range. For example, the reference power range may be between 0 W and 1 W, but is not limited thereto.

[0193] The processor (101) may control the oscillator (210) so that the second power (P2) is included in the reference power range while sweeping the output frequency output from the oscillator (210) within a preset reference band range. According to an embodiment, the processor (101) may control the oscillator (210) so that the difference between the first power (P1) and the second power (P2) is included in the preset range. For example, the reference band range may be a range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz or a range of 5.7 GHz to 5.9 GHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0194] Meanwhile, the output frequency adjustment of the processor (101) described above can be performed in real time. In other words, the processor (101) can adjust the output frequency of the oscillator (210) independently of the power size adjustment of the oscillator (210) described below.

[0195] The processor (101) can adjust the size of the microwave power output from the oscillator (210) according to a preset temperature profile and / or power profile, regardless of the output frequency control of the oscillator (210).

[0196] The temperature profile may include information about the target temperature of the aerosol generating device (10) over time. Additionally, the power profile may include information about the target power of the generator (210) over time. In other words, the temperature profile and power profile may each include information about the target temperature and target power for the preheating and smoking periods, respectively.

[0197] The processor (101) can control the generator (210) to output a first magnitude of microwave power in the preheating section through a second control signal. In addition, the processor (101) can control the generator (210) to output a second magnitude of microwave power, which is smaller than the first magnitude, in the smoking section after the preheating section through a second control signal. In addition, the processor (101) can control the magnitude of the microwave power output by the generator (210) in the smoking section to be progressively increased.

[0198] The processor (101) can adjust the size of the microwave power output from the oscillator (210) according to a preset profile, and can match the output frequency of the oscillator (210) and the resonance frequency of the resonator (220) in real time. As the output frequency of the oscillator (210) and the resonance frequency of the resonator (220) are matched, the power transfer efficiency is significantly increased, and the aerosol generating article (10) can be uniformly heated.

[0199] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a method for tracking a resonant frequency using the output microwave power of an oscillator and the reflected microwave power of a resonator, according to one embodiment.

[0200] Referring to FIG. 8, the processor (101) detects the mismatch between the first impedance (Zeq1) and the second impedance (Zeq2) as a difference between the first power (P1) and / or the second power (P2), and may adjust the output frequency of the oscillator (210) to match the impedances. As the output frequency of the oscillator (210) is adjusted, the output frequency of the oscillator (210) and the resonance frequency of the resonator (220) may be matched. The matching of the present disclosure includes not only complete matching but also a case where the output frequency is included in the upper limit threshold value and the lower limit threshold value range of the resonance frequency. This is to take into account the loss due to the internal components of the dielectric heating unit (200). For example, the matching means a case where the output frequency is included in the range of the resonance frequency -α to the resonance frequency +α, where α may be 10 kHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0201] In Fig. 8, the x-axis represents frequency, and the y-axis represents the amount of power transmitted to the resonant unit (220) according to frequency. Fig. 8 shows a drawing (810) when the output frequency f1 of the oscillating unit (210) and the resonant frequency f2 of the resonant unit (220) match each other, and a drawing (820) for matching the output frequency f1 of the oscillating unit (210) and the varied resonant frequency f2' of the resonant unit (220) by varying the resonant frequency of the resonant unit (220) to f2'.

[0202] In FIG. 8, the output frequency f1 of the oscillator (210) and the resonant frequency f2 of the resonant unit (220) can be matched. For example, when the processor (101) receives a user input for heating the device, it can sweep the output frequency of the oscillator (210) and select Fa, which is a frequency at which the second power (P2) reflected from the resonant unit (220) and input to the oscillator (210) becomes minimum, as the output frequency. According to an embodiment, the processor (101) can select Fa, which is a frequency at which the difference between the first power (P1) transmitted from the oscillator (210) to the resonant unit (220) and the second power (P2) reflected from the resonant unit (220) and input to the oscillator (210) becomes minimum, as the output frequency. As the output frequency f1 of the oscillating unit (210) and the resonant frequency f2 of the resonant unit (220) match, the maximum power Pa can be provided to the resonant unit (220). The resonant unit (220) can heat the aerosol generating article (10) using the power provided from the oscillating unit (210).

[0203] Meanwhile, as the dielectric material included in the aerosol generating article (10) is heated and consumed by microwaves, the impedance of the resonant portion (220) may vary, and thus, the resonant frequency f2 may also vary. In one embodiment, the resonant frequency f2 of the resonant portion (220) may increase to f2' as the dielectric material included in the aerosol generating article (10) decreases. When the oscillation portion (210) is controlled to a fixed output frequency even though the resonant frequency of the resonant portion (220) increases to f2', the maximum power Pa' may not be transmitted to the resonant portion (220), and power Pb, which is smaller than Pa', may be transmitted to the resonant portion (220). In other words, the resonant portion (220) may consume power Pb, and the remaining power may be reflected and output toward the oscillation portion (210).

[0204] The processor (101) can adjust f1 so that maximum power is transmitted to the resonance unit (220) by matching f1, which is the output frequency of the oscillator (210), with f2', which is the variable resonance frequency. To this end, the processor (101) can receive information about the first power (P1) output from the oscillator (210) to the resonance unit (220) from the power monitoring unit (250). In addition, the processor (101) can receive information about the second power (P2) reflected from the resonance unit (220) and input toward the oscillator (210). The processor (101) can receive information about the second power (P2) corresponding to the variation of the resonance frequency of the resonance unit (220) in real time from the power monitoring unit (250).

[0205] The processor (101) can control the oscillator (210) so that the second power (P2) measured by the power monitoring unit (250) falls within a reference power range. According to an embodiment, the processor (101) can control the output of the oscillator (210) so that the difference between the first power (P1) and the second power (P2) measured by the power monitoring unit (250) falls within a preset reference power range. For example, the reference power range may be between 0 W and 1 W, but is not limited thereto.

[0206] The processor (101) can sweep the frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillator (210) within a preset reference band range (Fre) and control the oscillator (210) so that the second power (P2) is included in the reference power range. According to an embodiment, the processor (101) can adjust the output frequency of the microwave power so that the difference between the first power (P1) and the second power (P2) is included in the reference power range. For example, the reference band range (Fre) may be, but is not limited to, a range of 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz or a range of 5.7 GHz to 5.9 GHz.

[0207] The processor (101) can align the output frequency and the resonant frequency by adjusting the output frequency of the microwave power to any one frequency selected from the reference band range (Fre) so that the difference between the first power (P1) and the second power (P2) falls within the reference power range. In other words, the processor (101) can adjust the output frequency of the oscillation unit (210) from Fa to Fb, which is the resonant frequency of the resonant unit (210). The above-described adjustment of the output frequency of the microwave power can be performed independently of the magnitude of the microwave power.

[0208] The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect and should be considered illustrative only. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A generator that generates microwaves; A resonator for receiving an aerosol generating article and resonating the microwave to heat the aerosol generating article; and A processor that controls the output frequency of microwaves output from the oscillation unit by applying a control signal to the oscillation unit; Aerosol generating device.

2. In paragraph 1, A DAC further comprising: a control signal transmitted in digital format from the processor, converting the transmitted digital control signal into an analog control signal and transmitting the same to the oscillator; Aerosol generating device.

3. In paragraph 2, The above oscillator determines the output frequency of the microwave based on the voltage size of the analog control signal. Aerosol generating device.

4. In paragraph 3, The output frequency of the above microwave is linearly proportional to the voltage magnitude of the analog control signal. Aerosol generating device.

5. In paragraph 1, Further comprising a power monitoring unit for measuring reflected microwave power reflected from the resonant unit and input to the oscillating unit; The above processor generates the control signal based on the reflected microwave power measured by the power monitoring unit. Aerosol generating device.

6. In paragraph 5, The above resonant part The resonant frequency of the microwaves changes as the genetic material contained in the aerosol generating article is heated and consumed by the microwaves. Aerosol generating device.

7. In paragraph 6, The resonant frequency of the resonant portion increases with a decrease in the dielectric material contained in the aerosol generating article. Aerosol generating device.

8. In paragraph 6, The above power monitoring unit Measuring the reflected microwave power corresponding to the variation of the resonant frequency. Aerosol generating device.

9. In paragraph 5, The above processor Controlling the output of the oscillation unit so that the reflected microwave power measured by the power monitoring unit falls within a preset reference power range. Aerosol generating device.

10. In paragraph 9, The above processor The output frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillator is swept a number of times within the above-mentioned preset reference band range, and the output frequency of the microwave power is adjusted so that the reflected microwave power is included in the above-mentioned reference power range. Aerosol generating device.

11. In paragraph 10, The above processor In the reference band range between 2.4 GHz and 2.5 GHz, the output frequency of the microwave power output from the oscillator is swept. Aerosol generating device.

12. In paragraph 10, The above processor By adjusting the output frequency of the microwave power to one of the frequencies selected from the above reference band range, the output frequency and the resonant frequency of the resonant section are matched. Aerosol generating device.

13. In paragraph 1, The above processor According to a preset power profile, the size of the microwave power output from the oscillator is adjusted, and the size of the microwave power and the output frequency of the microwave power are independently controlled. Aerosol generating device.

14. In paragraph 1, The above resonant part A hollow cylindrical first inner conductor surrounding one area of ​​the aerosol generating article and a hollow cylindrical second inner conductor arranged at a predetermined distance from the first inner conductor and surrounding another area of ​​the aerosol generating article, The microwave is resonated by the first internal conductor and the second internal conductor. Aerosol generating device.

15. In paragraph 1, The above resonant part A first plate surrounding one area of ​​the aerosol-generating article, and a second plate spaced apart from the first plate along the circumferential direction of the aerosol-generating article and surrounding another area of ​​the aerosol-generating article, The microwave is resonated by the first plate and the second plate, Aerosol generating device.

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