Heating circuit, and aerosol generation apparatus and heating method therefor

Abstract

Disclosed in the embodiments of the present application are a heating circuit, and an aerosol generation apparatus and a heating method therefor. The heating circuit comprises: an optical heater, which is used for emitting light to irradiate an object to be heated, thereby heating said object by means of light; and a power source, which is used for providing electrical energy for the optical heater. The heating circuit further comprises at least one switching element and at least one energy storage element, wherein the switching element is configured to receive a PWM signal and turn on or off on the basis of the level of the PWM signal, thereby causing the optical heater to be connected to or disconnected from the power source; and the energy storage element is configured to store energy when the switching element is turned on to cause the optical heater to be connected to the power source, and release energy to provide electrical energy for the optical heater when the switching element is turned off to cause the optical heater to be disconnected from the power source. In this way, the service life of an optical heater, such as a tungsten filament lamp, can be prolonged.

Description

Heating circuit, aerosol generating device and heating method thereof

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application entitled “Heating circuit, aerosol generating device and heating method thereof” filed with the Patent Office of China on December 27, 2023, with application number 202311837877.1, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of aerosol technology, and in particular to a heating circuit, an aerosol generating device, and a heating method thereof. Background Art

[0004] Traditional tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, etc.) burn tobacco to produce tobacco smoke during use. Products that release compounds through heating without combustion are already available to replace these traditional tobacco products. Examples of such products are aerosol-generating devices, which typically include a heating element and an aerosol-generating product used in conjunction with the aerosol-generating device. The aerosol-generating product can be a solid tobacco or non-tobacco filler, such as a cigarette. When the aerosol-generating product is housed in the aerosol-generating device, the heating element heats the aerosol-generating product, causing at least a portion of the active substance in the aerosol-generating product to volatilize and generate an aerosol.

[0005] In the prior art, there is a method of using a tungsten filament lamp as a heating element to heat an aerosol-generating product. When the tungsten filament lamp is powered on, the temperature of the tungsten filament gradually increases to an incandescent state, generating a large amount of heat radiation. This heat radiation is transmitted to the aerosol-generating product, thereby causing the tobacco or non-tobacco filler in the aerosol-generating product to volatilize due to heat to generate an aerosol.

[0006] To prevent aerosol-generating products from being overbaked, a switching element is usually used to control the power output to the tungsten filament lamp. The power output to the tungsten filament lamp can be adjusted by high-speed conduction and cutoff of the switching element. However, each time the switching element is turned on, the tungsten filament lamp generates current through the tungsten filament. At the initial stage of power-on, a momentary large current shock will be generated, causing a "hot spot effect" in the relatively weak parts of the tungsten filament, causing excessive evaporation of the tungsten filament. After multiple cycles, it will eventually break. In other words, frequent current on and off will greatly reduce the service life of the tungsten filament.

[0007] Application Contents

[0008] The embodiment of the present application provides a heating circuit to solve the technical problem that when using a tungsten filament lamp or other optical heater to heat an object, the tungsten filament frequently generates a "hot spot effect" due to frequent power on and off, thereby reducing the life of the tungsten filament.

[0009] A heating circuit comprising:

[0010] A light heater for emitting light to illuminate an object to be heated, thereby heating the object to be heated by the light;

[0011] a power supply for providing electrical energy to the light heater;

[0012] The heating circuit further includes at least one switching element and at least one energy storage element, wherein the switching element is configured to receive a PWM signal and be turned on or off according to the level of the PWM signal, thereby electrically connecting or disconnecting the light heater from the power supply;

[0013] The energy storage element is configured such that: when the switch element is turned on to connect the light heater to the power supply, the energy storage element stores energy; when the switch element is turned off to disconnect the light heater from the power supply, the energy storage element releases energy to provide electrical energy to the light heater.

[0014] In one embodiment, the heating circuit includes a power control module configured to provide different powers to the light heater according to whether the switching element is turned on or off.

[0015] In one embodiment, the power control module includes a buck circuit and a boost circuit, and the switch element is used to switch the buck circuit and the boost circuit, thereby enabling the light heater to have different powers.

[0016] In one embodiment, the step-down circuit includes a Buck step-down circuit, the step-up circuit includes a Boost step-up circuit, and the energy storage element is provided in the Buck step-down circuit and the Boost step-up circuit.

[0017] In one embodiment, the Buck circuit and the Boost circuit share a common energy storage element.

[0018] In one embodiment, the switching elements include a first switching element, a second switching element, a third switching element and a fourth switching element, the energy storage element includes an inductor and a capacitor, the first switching element and the second switching element are connected in series, the third switching element and the fourth switching element are connected in series, one end of the inductor is electrically connected between the first switching element and the second switching element, the other end of the inductor is electrically connected between the third switching element and the fourth switching element, the positive pole of the power supply is electrically connected to one end of the first switching element, the negative pole of the power supply is electrically connected to one end of the second switching element, one end of the photoheater is electrically connected to one end of the third switching element, the other end of the photoheater is electrically connected to one end of the fourth switching element, one end of the capacitor is electrically connected between the photoheater and the third switching element, and the other end of the capacitor is electrically connected to the reference ground, and the controller is configured to input a PWM signal to the control ends of the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element and the fourth switching element.

[0019] In one embodiment, the switching element includes an NMOS tube, the D pole of the first switching element is electrically connected to the positive pole of the power supply, the S pole is electrically connected to the D pole of the second switching element, the S pole of the second switching element is electrically connected to the negative pole of the power supply, the D pole of the third switching element is electrically connected to one end of the photoheater and one end of the capacitor respectively, the S pole is connected to the D pole of the fourth switching element, the S pole of the fourth switching element is electrically connected to the other end of the photoheater, the S pole of the first switching element, the D pole of the second switching element and one end of the inductor are commonly connected to point A, and the S pole of the third switching element, the D pole of the fourth switching element and the other end of the inductor are commonly connected to point B.

[0020] In one embodiment, the light emitting element of the light heater comprises a tungsten filament.

[0021] An embodiment of the present application further provides an aerosol generating device, comprising the heating circuit of the above embodiment, wherein the light heater is used to emit light to irradiate the aerosol generating article, thereby heating the aerosol generating article by light to generate aerosol.

[0022] The present application also provides a heating method for an aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device includes a heating circuit for heating an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol. The heating circuit includes a light heater, a power supply for providing electrical energy to the light heater, at least one switching element, and at least one energy storage element. The switching element is configured to be turned on or off according to the level of a PWM signal. The heating circuit includes a step-down circuit and a step-up circuit. The switching element is used to switch between the step-down circuit and the step-up circuit. The energy storage element is used to provide electrical energy to the light heater when the light heater is disconnected from the power supply. The heating method includes:

[0023] Obtaining the operating time period of the aerosol generating device;

[0024] If the working time period is the preheating stage, the control switches the heating circuit to a boost circuit to provide the first power to the optical heater;

[0025] If the working time period is the suction stage, the control switches the heating circuit to a step-down circuit to provide a second power to the optical heater;

[0026] The first power is greater than the second power.

[0027] In one embodiment, the switching element includes a first switching element, a second switching element, a third switching element and a fourth switching element, the energy storage element includes an inductor and a capacitor, the first switching element and the second switching element are connected in series, the third switching element and the fourth switching element are connected in series, one end of the inductor is electrically connected between the first switching element and the second switching element, the other end of the inductor is electrically connected between the third switching element and the fourth switching element, the positive pole of the power supply is electrically connected to one end of the first switching element, the negative pole of the power supply is electrically connected to one end of the second switching element, one end of the photoheater is electrically connected to one end of the third switching element, the other end of the photoheater is electrically connected to one end of the fourth switching element, one end of the capacitor is electrically connected between the photoheater and the third switching element, and the other end of the capacitor is electrically connected to a reference ground;

[0028] The heating method specifically includes:

[0029] If the working time period is the preheating stage, the first switch element is controlled to be maintained in the on state, and the second switch element is controlled to be maintained in the off state, so as to switch the heating circuit to the boost circuit;

[0030] If the working time period is the inhalation stage, the third switch is controlled to maintain in the on state, and the fourth switch element is controlled to maintain in the off state, so as to switch the heating circuit to the step-down circuit.

[0031] The heating circuits provided in the above embodiments utilize an energy storage element. This element is charged and stored when the switch is on. When the switch is off, it begins releasing this stored energy to a tungsten filament lamp or other optical heater, allowing the lamp to continue operating. This prevents the current flowing through the tungsten filament lamp or other optical heater from reaching zero when the switch is off, thereby preventing the "hotspot effect" in the tungsten filament lamp when the switch is turned back on, effectively extending the service life of the tungsten filament lamp or other optical heater. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] One or more embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by pictures in the corresponding drawings. These exemplifications do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0033] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an aerosol generating device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a heating circuit structure of an aerosol generating device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a heating circuit structure of an aerosol generating device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a heating circuit structure of an aerosol generating device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a heating circuit structure of an aerosol generating device provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent circuit of FIG5 under one situation;

[0039] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of an equivalent circuit of FIG5 in another case;

[0040] FIG8 is a schematic flow chart of a heating method for an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a controller of an aerosol generating device provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is described as being "fixed to" / "fixed to" another element, it can be directly on the other element, or one or more intermediate elements can exist therebetween. When an element is described as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or one or more intermediate elements can exist therebetween. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside" and similar expressions used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only.

[0043] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0044] In addition, the technical features involved in different embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0045] In the embodiments of the present application, the "installation" includes fixing or restricting a component or device to a specific position or place by welding, screwing, clamping, bonding, etc. The component or device can remain stationary at a specific position or place or can move within a limited range. After the component or device is fixed or restricted to a specific position or place, it may or may not be disassembled, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0046] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. Throughout the description of this application, "plurality" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0047] One embodiment of the present application provides an aerosol generating device 100. As shown in FIG1 , the aerosol generating device 100 includes a battery cell 10, a mainboard 20, and a heating element 30. The mainboard 20 is provided with a controller for the aerosol generating device 100. The battery cell 10 and the heating element 30 are electrically connected to the controller, respectively, so that the controller can control the battery cell 10 to provide electrical energy to the heating element 30. The aerosol generating device 100 also includes a longitudinally extending chamber 40 for accommodating an aerosol generating product 200 for use with the aerosol generating device 100. The heating element 30 is disposed at the bottom of the chamber 30 to heat the aerosol generating product 200 in the chamber 40. A portion of the active material filled in the aerosol generating product 200 evaporates upon heating to generate an aerosol, which a user inhales by inhaling the aerosol generating product 200.

[0048] The aerosol-generating article 200 preferably comprises a tobacco-containing material that releases volatile compounds from the article upon heating; alternatively, it may comprise a non-tobacco material that is suitable for electrically heated smoking after heating. The aerosol-generating article 200 preferably comprises a solid substrate that may comprise one or more of powder, granules, shredded strips, ribbons, or flakes of one or more of herb leaves, tobacco leaves, homogenized tobacco, and expanded tobacco; alternatively, the solid substrate may contain additional tobacco or non-tobacco volatile flavor compounds that are released upon heating of the substrate.

[0049] The heating element 30 uses a light heater to heat the aerosol-generating article 200. For example, in this embodiment, the light heater is a tungsten filament lamp. The operating principle of a tungsten filament lamp is that a voltage is applied across the tungsten filament. When current flows through the tungsten filament, the temperature of the tungsten filament material increases. Specifically, when power is applied to the tungsten filament, heat is generated due to Joule's law, causing the tungsten filament's temperature to continuously increase until it reaches an incandescent state. At the same time, visible light is emitted to radiate toward the aerosol-generating article 200, thereby heating the aerosol-generating article 200 through light. Due to the high temperature of the tungsten filament, the generated heat radiation is transmitted outward to the aerosol-generating article 200 in the chamber 40. The tobacco or non-tobacco filler in the aerosol-generating article 200 is heated and volatilized to produce an aerosol. The user inhales the aerosol-generating article 200 and inhales the aerosol.

[0050] It should be noted that the light emitting element in the optical heater 30 is not limited to a tungsten filament. In other embodiments, the light emitting element in the optical heater 30 may also be a carbon fiber filament or a tin oxide filament. Alternatively, in some alternative embodiments, the light emitting element 32 may include a luminescent metal or alloy, such as an Fe-Mn-Cu alloy.

[0051] In some embodiments, the controller can be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a single-chip microcomputer, an ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination of these components. In addition, the controller can also be any traditional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The controller can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP, and / or any other such configuration. The controller 6 can also be a frequency converter board or main control board of a washing machine.

[0052] As shown in Figure 2, the aerosol generating device 100 includes a heating circuit 50, which includes a power supply 51, at least one switching element 52, at least one energy storage element 53 and a tungsten filament lamp 30. The switching element 52 is electrically connected between the power supply 51 and the tungsten filament lamp 30, and the energy storage element 53 is electrically connected to the tungsten filament lamp 30. The power supply 51 serves as an input voltage source of the heating circuit 50 for providing electrical energy to the tungsten filament lamp 30. It can be a battery cell 10, or it can be other voltages converted from the voltage at both ends of the battery cell 10 through a voltage conversion circuit.

[0053] The switching element 52 can be a triode, a MOS tube (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) or an IGBT tube (Insulate-Gate Bipolar Transistor), preferably a MOS tube. The switching element 52 is electrically connected to the controller, and the controller can output a PWM signal to control the conduction or cutoff of the switching element 52. The switching element 52 usually has a control end, which is used to receive the PWM signal and turn on or off according to the level of the PWM signal.

[0054] When the controller turns on the switch element 52, the tungsten filament lamp 30 is electrically connected to the power supply 51. The power supply 51 supplies power to the tungsten filament lamp 30, causing it to operate and generate heat radiation. Simultaneously, the power supply 51 charges the energy storage element 53, causing it to store a certain amount of energy. When the controller turns off the switch element 52, the tungsten filament lamp 30 is disconnected from the power supply 51, and the power supply 51 is no longer able to supply power to the tungsten filament lamp 30. At this point, the energy storage element 53 begins releasing energy to the tungsten filament lamp 30 to maintain the electrical energy required for its operation. When the switch element 52 turns on again, the energy storage element 53 resumes charging, and the tungsten filament lamp 30 is once again powered by the power supply 51.

[0055] Therefore, since the energy storage element 53 is used in the heating circuit 50, the energy storage element 53 is in a charging and energy storage state when the switch element 52 is turned on, and begins to release the internally stored energy to the tungsten filament lamp 30 when the switch element 52 is turned off, so that the tungsten filament lamp 30 can continue to work. This can avoid the current flowing through the tungsten filament lamp 30 being zero when the switch element 30 is turned off, and further avoid the "hot spot effect" on the tungsten filament lamp 30 when the switch element 52 is turned on again, which can effectively extend the service life of the tungsten filament lamp 30.

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the heating circuit 50 includes a power control module 54, which is used to adjust the power output to the tungsten filament lamp 30. The switching element 52 includes multiple switching elements 52, and the multiple switching elements 52 are arranged in the power control module 54. The controller controls a part of the switching elements 52 to be turned on so that the power control module outputs a first power to the tungsten filament lamp 30. When the controller controls another part of the switching elements 52 to be turned on, the power control module outputs a second power to the tungsten filament lamp 30, and the power values ​​of the first power and the second power are different.

[0057] The aerosol-generating device 100 typically has a preheating phase and a puffing phase. During the preheating phase, when the aerosol-generating device is activated, the battery cell 10 supplies a relatively high power to the heating element 30 of the aerosol-generating device, rapidly raising the temperature of the heating element 30 to a preset temperature at which the aerosol-generating article can be heated and volatilized to produce a suitable aerosol. The puffing phase, when the user begins to puff from the aerosol-generating article, requires only a relatively low power supply from the battery cell 10 to maintain the temperature of the heating element 30 at the preset temperature.

[0058] Thus, when the aerosol generating device 100 is in the preheating stage, the controller can control a part of the switch elements 52 to be turned on, so that the power control module 54 provides the first power to the tungsten filament lamp 30, so that the temperature of the tungsten filament lamp 30 can quickly rise to the preset temperature; when the aerosol generating device 100 enters the inhalation stage, the controller can control the switch elements 52 of this part to be turned off, and control the switch elements 52 of another part to be turned on, so as to provide the tungsten filament lamp 30 with a second power, which is less than the first power. Under the action of the second power, the temperature of the tungsten filament lamp 30 can basically be maintained at the preset temperature.

[0059] Further in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4, the power control module 54 includes a boost circuit 541 and a buck circuit 542, a part of the switching element 52 is connected to the boost circuit 541, and the other part is connected to the buck circuit 542, the boost circuit 541 is used to increase the voltage of the power supply 51, and the buck circuit 542 is used to reduce the voltage of the power supply 51.

[0060] When the aerosol generating device 100 is in the preheating stage, the controller controls the switch element 52 connected to the boost circuit 541 to be turned on, and at the same time controls the switch element connected to the buck circuit 542 to be turned off, so that the power supply 51 is connected to the tungsten filament lamp 30 through the boost circuit 541. The boost circuit 541 increases the voltage of the power supply 51 and loads it on both ends of the tungsten filament lamp 30, so that the tungsten filament lamp 30 can obtain a larger first power.

[0061] When the aerosol generating device 100 is in the inhalation stage, the controller controls the switch element 52 connected to the step-down circuit 542 to be turned on, and at the same time controls the switch element 52 connected to the step-up circuit 541 to be turned off, so that the power supply 51 is connected to the tungsten filament lamp 30 through the step-down circuit 541. The step-down circuit 542 reduces the voltage of the power supply 51 and loads it on both ends of the tungsten filament lamp 30, so that a smaller second power can be obtained on the tungsten filament lamp 30.

[0062] As a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the switching element 52 includes a first NMOS transistor 521, a second NMOS transistor 522, a third NMOS transistor 523 and a fourth NMOS transistor 524, the energy storage element 53 includes an energy storage inductor 531 and a capacitor 532, and the control terminals G of the first NMOS transistor 521, the second NMOS transistor 522, the third NMOS transistor 523 and the fourth NMOS transistor 524 are all electrically connected to the controller to receive a PWM signal, the D terminal of the first NMOS transistor is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the power supply 51, the S terminal is electrically connected to the D terminal of the second NMOS transistor, and the S terminal of the second NMOS transistor is electrically connected to the reference ground and the negative electrode of the power supply 51.

[0063] The D-pole of the third NMOS transistor is electrically connected to one end of the tungsten filament lamp 30, and its S-pole is electrically connected to the D-pole of the fourth NMOS transistor. The S-pole of the fourth NMOS transistor is electrically connected to the reference ground and the other end of the tungsten filament lamp 30, respectively. One end of the energy storage inductor 531, the S-pole of the first NMOS transistor, and the D-pole of the second NMOS transistor are collectively connected at point A. The other end of the energy storage inductor 531, the S-pole of the third NMOS transistor, and the D-pole of the fourth NMOS transistor are collectively connected at point B. One end of the capacitor 532 is electrically connected to one end of the tungsten filament lamp 30 and the D-pole of the third NMOS transistor, and the other end of the capacitor 532 is electrically connected to the reference ground.

[0064] When the aerosol generating device 100 is in the preheating stage, the controller controls the PWM signal input to the G-pole of the first NMOS tube to be high to maintain the first NMOS tube in the on state, and at the same time controls the PWM signal input to the G-pole of the second NMOS tube to be low to maintain the second NMOS tube in the off state. At this time, the equivalent circuit of the heating circuit 50 is shown in Figure 7. The circuit is a Boost circuit, which can increase the voltage of the power supply 51, so that the tungsten filament lamp 30 can obtain a larger first power.

[0065] Specifically, the controller controls the third NMOS tube and the fourth NMOS tube to be alternately turned on or off. When the controller controls the third NMOS tube to be turned off and the fourth NMOS tube to be turned on, the tungsten filament lamp 30 and the power supply 51 are disconnected, and the power supply 51 cannot provide power to the tungsten filament lamp 30. The power supply 51 charges the energy storage inductor 531, and the energy storage inductor 531 begins to store energy, and the capacitor 532 begins to release energy through the tungsten filament lamp 30 to keep the tungsten filament lamp 30 working, so that the current on the tungsten filament lamp 30 is not zero.

[0066] When the controller turns on the third NMOS transistor and turns off the fourth NMOS transistor, the tungsten lamp 30 is electrically connected to the power supply 51. Since the energy storage inductor 531 already stores energy, the power supply 51 and the energy storage inductor 531 simultaneously supply energy to the tungsten lamp 30. The voltage across the tungsten lamp 30 is higher than the voltage across the power supply 51, thereby increasing the voltage across the power supply 51 and providing a higher first power to the tungsten lamp 30. By controlling the PWM duty cycle, a higher duty cycle increases the voltage across the tungsten lamp 30, and thus, a higher second power. Simultaneously, the power supply 51 and the energy storage inductor 531 recharge the capacitor 532, allowing it to discharge again when the third NMOS transistor turns off and the fourth NMOS transistor turns on, maintaining the continued operation of the tungsten lamp 30.

[0067] When the aerosol generating device 100 is in the inhalation stage, the controller controls the PWM signal input to the G terminal of the third NMOS tube to be high to maintain the third NMOS tube in the on state, and at the same time controls the PWM signal input to the G terminal of the fourth NMOS tube to be low to maintain the fourth NMOS tube in the off state. At this time, the equivalent circuit of the heating circuit 50 is shown in Figure 6. The circuit is a Buck step-down circuit, which can reduce the voltage of the power supply 51, so that the tungsten filament lamp 30 can obtain a smaller second power.

[0068] Specifically, the controller controls the first and second NMOS transistors to alternately turn on and off. When the controller turns the first NMOS transistor on and the second NMOS transistor off, the tungsten filament lamp 30 is electrically connected to the power supply 51. Due to the presence of the energy storage inductor 531, the current flowing through the tungsten filament lamp 30 slowly increases, energy begins to accumulate in the energy storage inductor 531, and the voltage across the tungsten filament lamp 30 also slowly increases. By controlling the PWM duty cycle, the voltage across the tungsten filament lamp 30 can be made lower than the voltage of the power supply 51, thereby achieving a voltage reduction effect and providing a lower second power to the tungsten filament lamp 30. During this process, the power supply 51 also charges the capacitor 532.

[0069] When the controller controls the first NMOS tube to be turned off and the second NMOS tube to be turned on, the tungsten filament lamp 30 and the power supply 51 are disconnected, and the power supply 51 can no longer provide power to the tungsten filament lamp 30. However, since the energy storage inductor 531 has stored energy, the energy storage inductor 531 now serves as the power supply of the heating circuit 50 and discharges through the tungsten filament lamp 30 to keep the tungsten filament lamp 30 working, so that the current on the tungsten filament lamp 30 is not zero.

[0070] Therefore, through the above-mentioned Buck and Boost circuits, the current of the tungsten filament lamp 30 will not drop to zero during the preheating stage and the inhalation stage of the aerosol generating device 100. The tungsten filament lamp 30 will only produce a "hotspot effect" when the aerosol generating device 100 is started, and will not produce a "hotspot effect" during the preheating stage and the inhalation stage, thereby effectively reducing the frequency of the "hotspot effect" generated by the tungsten filament lamp 30 and thereby increasing the service life of the tungsten filament lamp 30.

[0071] In addition, by providing the capacitor 532 , the charging and discharging of the capacitor 532 can also play a filtering role, so that a relatively smooth voltage can be obtained at both ends of the tungsten filament lamp 30 .

[0072] It should be noted that the Buck circuit and the Boost circuit in this embodiment share the energy storage inductor 531 and the capacitor 532. That is, when the controller controls the first NMOS tube to be maintained in the on state and controls the second NMOS tube to be maintained in the off state, the heating circuit 50 forms a Boost circuit through the energy storage inductor 531 and the capacitor 532; and when the controller controls the third NMOS tube to be maintained in the on state and controls the fourth NMOS tube to be maintained in the off state, the heating circuit 50 forms a Buck circuit through the energy storage inductor 531 and the capacitor 532, which can save components and thus reduce the manufacturing cost of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0073] It is easy to understand that the Buck step-down circuit and the Boost step-up circuit can also be independently configured, without sharing the energy storage inductor 531 and capacitor 532. In addition, in some embodiments, the boost circuit 541 and the buck circuit 542 can also be implemented using other circuit methods. In this embodiment, the boost and buck circuits are used to achieve boost and buck. Since the boost and buck circuits achieve boost and buck through energy storage elements, the energy storage elements can discharge into the tungsten filament lamp 30 when the tungsten filament lamp 30 and the power supply 51 are disconnected, thereby maintaining the tungsten filament lamp 30 to continue operating and keeping the current in the tungsten filament lamp 30 non-zero.

[0074] Furthermore, it should be noted that the heating circuit 50 is not limited to the aerosol generating device 100. Any electronic device that requires a tungsten filament lamp 30 for heating can use the heating circuit 50 to avoid the frequent generation of a "hot spot effect" by the tungsten filament lamp 30, thereby extending the service life of the tungsten filament lamp 30.

[0075] Based on the above-mentioned aerosol generating device 100, an embodiment of the present application further provides a heating method for the aerosol generating device, as shown in FIG8 , the method comprising:

[0076] S10, obtaining the working time period of the aerosol generating device;

[0077] According to the above content, the aerosol generating device 100 generally includes a preheating stage and a puffing stage, and the working time period of the aerosol generating device 100 is the preheating stage and the puffing stage.

[0078] Specifically, in some embodiments, a temperature sensing element is provided in the aerosol generating device 100, and the temperature sensing element is used to sense the temperature of the tungsten filament lamp 30. When the aerosol generating device 100 is started, the temperature sensing element begins to obtain the temperature of the tungsten filament lamp 30 and sends the obtained temperature to the controller. The controller determines whether the current temperature reaches the preset temperature of the preheating stage. If the preset temperature is not reached, it means that the aerosol generating device 100 is in the preheating stage; if the current temperature reaches the preset temperature, it means that the preheating stage has been completed.

[0079] At the same time, a feedback element may be provided in the aerosol generating device 100, and the feedback element may include a vibration motor or a buzzer. When the controller determines that the current temperature has reached the preset temperature, the controller controls the vibration motor to start vibrating, or controls the buzzer to start buzzing. The user can sense the oscillation of the vibration motor or hear the buzzing sound of the buzzer to know that the aerosol generating device 100 has been preheated, and the user can start using the aerosol generating product 200 for inhalation.

[0080] Alternatively, in some embodiments, a timing unit is provided in the aerosol generating device 100, and the timing unit is electrically connected to the controller. When the aerosol generating device 100 is started, the tungsten filament lamp 30 starts working, and at the same time, the timing unit starts recording the heating time. The controller is pre-set with the time for the temperature to rise to a preset temperature. If the heating time is longer than the preset time, it means that the aerosol generating device 100 has been preheated; if the heating time is less than the preset time, it means that the aerosol generating device 100 is still in the preheating stage.

[0081] S20, if the working time period is a preheating stage, controlling the heating circuit to switch to a boost circuit to provide a first power to the optical heater;

[0082] If the working time period is the suction stage, the control switches the heating circuit to a step-down circuit to provide the second power to the optical heater, wherein the first power is greater than the second power.

[0083] According to the above content, when the aerosol generating device 100 is in the preheating stage, the controller controls the first NMOS tube to maintain in the on state and controls the second NMOS tube to maintain in the off state. At this time, the heating circuit 50 forms a Boost circuit, which increases the voltage of the power supply 51 and applies it to the tungsten filament lamp 30, so that the tungsten filament lamp 30 has a larger first power.

[0084] When the aerosol generating device 100 is in the inhalation stage, the controller controls the third NMOS tube to be maintained in the on state and controls the fourth NMOS tube to be maintained in the off state. At this time, the heating circuit 50 forms a Buck step-down circuit, which reduces the voltage of the power supply 51 and applies it to the tungsten filament lamp 30, so that the tungsten filament lamp 30 has a smaller second power.

[0085] When the heating circuit 50 forms a Boost circuit, the controller controls the third NMOS tube to be turned off and the fourth NMOS tube to be turned on. At this time, the tungsten filament lamp 30 and the power supply 51 are disconnected, and the power supply 51 cannot provide power to the tungsten filament lamp 30. The power supply 51 charges the energy storage inductor 531, and the energy storage inductor 531 begins to store energy, and the capacitor 532 begins to release energy through the tungsten filament lamp 30 to keep the tungsten filament lamp 30 working, so that the current on the tungsten filament lamp 30 is not zero.

[0086] When the heating circuit 50 forms a Buck step-down circuit, the controller controls the first NMOS transistor to be turned off and the second NMOS transistor to be turned on. At this time, the tungsten filament lamp 30 and the power supply 51 are disconnected, and the power supply 51 can no longer provide power to the tungsten filament lamp 30. Since the energy storage inductor 531 has stored energy, the energy storage inductor 531 now serves as the power supply of the heating circuit 50 and discharges through the tungsten filament lamp 30 to keep the tungsten filament lamp 30 working, so that the current in the tungsten filament lamp 30 is not zero.

[0087] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9 , the controller includes: at least one processor; and a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor. Figure 9 uses a single processor as an example. The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, which are executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the control method of the above-described embodiment. The processor and memory can be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 9 uses a bus connection as an example.

[0088] The processor may be implemented by using at least one of the following: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a digital signal processing device (DSPD), a programmable logic device (PLD), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a processor, a controller, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, or other electronic units that perform these functions.

[0089] The memory includes high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, flash memory device, or other non-volatile solid-state memory device. In some embodiments, the memory may optionally include a memory located remotely from the processor, and such remote memory may be connected to the aerosol-generating device via a network. Examples of such networks include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0090] The memory is used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer-executable programs, and modules, such as the program instructions / units corresponding to the control methods / devices described herein. The processor executes the non-volatile software programs, instructions, and units stored in the memory to execute various functional applications and data processing of the aerosol generating device, thereby implementing the control methods described in the above embodiments.

[0091] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Based on the concept of the present application, the technical features in the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations in different aspects of the present application as described above. For the sake of simplicity, they are not provided in detail. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A heating circuit, characterized in that, Comprising: A light heater for emitting light to irradiate an object to be heated, thereby heating the object to be heated by the light; A power supply for supplying electrical energy to the light heater; The heating circuit further includes at least one switching element and at least one energy storage element. The switching element is configured to receive a PWM signal and conduct or cut off according to the level of the PWM signal, thereby electrically connecting or disconnecting the light heater to the power supply; Wherein, the energy storage element is configured to: store energy when the switching element conducts to connect the light heater to the power supply; release energy to supply electrical energy to the light heater when the switching element cuts off to disconnect the light heater from the power supply.

2. The heating circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating circuit includes a power control module configured to supply different powers to the light heater according to the conduction or cutoff of the switching element.

3. The heating circuit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The power control module includes a buck circuit and a boost circuit. The switching element is used to switch between the buck circuit and the boost circuit, thereby enabling the light heater to have different powers.

4. The heating circuit according to claim 3, characterized in that, The buck circuit includes a Buck buck circuit, the boost circuit includes a Boost boost circuit, and the energy storage element is arranged in the Buck buck circuit and the Boost boost circuit.

5. The heating circuit according to claim 4, characterized in that The Buck buck circuit and the Boost boost circuit share the energy storage element.

6. The heating circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The switching element includes a first switching element, a second switching element, a third switching element, and a fourth switching element. The energy storage element includes an inductor and a capacitor. The first switching element and the second switching element are connected in series. The third switching element and the fourth switching element are connected in series. One end of the inductor is electrically connected between the first switching element and the second switching element, and the other end of the inductor is electrically connected between the third switching element and the fourth switching element. The positive pole of the power supply is electrically connected to one end of the first switching element, the negative pole of the power supply is electrically connected to one end of the second switching element, one end of the light heater is electrically connected to one end of the third switching element, and the other end of the light heater is electrically connected to one end of the fourth switching element. One end of the capacitor is electrically connected between the light heater and the third switching element, and the other end of the capacitor is electrically connected to the reference ground. The controller is configured to input PWM signals to the control terminals of the first switching element, the second switching element, the third switching element, and the fourth switching element.

7. The heating circuit according to claim 6, characterized in that, The switching element includes an NMOS tube, the D pole of the first switching element is electrically connected to the positive pole of the power supply, the S pole is electrically connected to the D pole of the second switching element, the S pole of the second switching element is electrically connected to the negative pole of the power supply, the D pole of the third switching element is electrically connected to one end of the photo heater and one end of the capacitor respectively, the S pole is connected to the D pole of the fourth switching element, the S pole of the fourth switching element is electrically connected to the other end of the photo heater, the S pole of the first switching element, the D pole of the second switching element and one end of the inductor are connected together at point A, and the S pole of the third switching element, the D pole of the fourth switching element and the other end of the inductor are connected together at point B.

8. The heating circuit according to claim 1, wherein The light emitting element of the light heater includes a tungsten filament.

9. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that, The heating circuit comprises the heating circuit of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the light heater is used to emit light to illuminate the aerosol-generating article, thereby heating the aerosol-generating article by the light to generate an aerosol.

10. A heating method for an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device comprising a heating circuit for heating an aerosol generating article to generate an aerosol, characterized in that, The heating circuit includes a light heater, a power supply for providing electric energy to the light heater, at least one switching element and at least one energy storage element, wherein the switching element is configured to be turned on or off according to the level of a PWM signal, the heating circuit includes a buck circuit and a boost circuit, the switching element is used to switch the buck circuit and the boost circuit, and the energy storage element is used to provide electric energy to the light heater when the light heater is disconnected from the power supply, and the heating method includes: Obtaining a working time period of the aerosol generating device; If the working time period is a preheating stage, controlling the heating circuit to be switched to the boost circuit to provide the first power to the optical heater; If the working time period is the suction stage, controlling the heating circuit to be switched to the step-down circuit to provide the second power to the optical heater; Wherein, the first power is greater than the second power.

11. The heating method according to claim 10, wherein The switch element comprises a first switch element, a second switch element, a third switch element and a fourth switch element, the energy storage element comprises an inductor and a capacitor, the first switch element and the second switch element are connected in series, the third switch element and the fourth switch element are connected in series, one end of the inductor is electrically connected between the first switch element and the second switch element, the other end of the inductor is electrically connected between the third switch element and the fourth switch element, the positive electrode of the power supply is electrically connected to one end of the first switch element, the negative electrode of the power supply is electrically connected to one end of the second switch element, one end of the photoheater is electrically connected to one end of the third switch element, the other end of the photoheater is electrically connected to one end of the fourth switch element, one end of the capacitor is electrically connected between the photoheater and the third switch element, and the other end of the capacitor is electrically connected to a reference ground; The method specifically comprises: If the working time period is the preheating stage, the first switch element is controlled to be maintained in an on state, and the second switch element is controlled to be maintained in an off state, so as to switch the heating circuit to the boost circuit; If the working time period is the pumping stage, control the third switch to maintain the conducting state, and at the same time control the fourth switching element to maintain the cut-off state, so as to switch the heating circuit to the buck circuit.

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