Aerosol generation apparatus and vaping action detection method therefor

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are an aerosol generation apparatus and a vaping action detection method therefor. The aerosol generation apparatus comprises: a chamber, which is used for removably receiving an aerosol generation product; a heating element, at least part of which extends in the chamber, wherein the heating element is configured to be inserted into the aerosol generation product for heating so as to generate an aerosol; a capacitor, which is configured to change a capacitance value thereof when the aerosol generation product is accommodated in the chamber or removed therefrom, wherein the capacitor comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, and the heating element extending in the chamber is located between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a controller, which is configured to acquire a first capacitance value and a second capacitance value of the capacitor at any two adjacent instances in a constant temperature stage, and determine, on the basis of a calculation result of the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value, whether to generate a vaping action. By means of the method, a vaping action can be accurately determined.

Description

Aerosol-generating device and puff action detection method thereof

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411070501.7 filed on August 5, 2024, and entitled “Aerosol-generating device and puff action detection method thereof”, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the field of aerosol technology, in particular to an aerosol-generating device and a puff action detection method thereof. BACKGROUND

[0004] Traditional tobacco products (e.g., cigarettes, cigars, etc.) burn tobacco during use to produce tobacco smoke. The art has sought to replace these traditional tobacco products with products that release compounds by heating, but not burning. An example of such products is an aerosol-generating device, which generally comprises a heating element and a heating chamber. When an aerosol-generating article that is used in conjunction with the aerosol-generating device is received in the heating chamber, the heating element heats the aerosol-generating article, causing at least a portion of active substances in the aerosol-generating article to volatilize and generate an aerosol for a user to inhale.

[0005] Such devices are often designed to count the number of puffs. When the number of puffs counted reaches a predetermined number, the aerosol-generating device stops heating the aerosol-generating article in time, which can avoid waste of energy and reduce the power consumption of the aerosol-generating device.

[0006] The existing method for counting the number of puffs is usually to monitor the change in energy output to the heating element during the puffing process. When the temperature of the heating element decreases during the puffing process, the energy output to the heating element increases to increase the temperature of the heating element. The aerosol-generating device can count the number of puffs accordingly. However, because of the difference between the heating element and the aerosol-generating article, the controller cannot accurately detect the change in temperature of the heating element, which can easily lead to misjudgment of the puffing action.

[0007] SUMMARY

[0008] The present application provides an aerosol-generating device to accurately detect the puffing action and count the number of puffs.

[0009] At least one embodiment of the present application provides an aerosol-generating device, comprising:

[0010] a chamber configured to removably receive an aerosol-generating article;

[0011] a heating element extending at least partially in the chamber, the heating element being configured to be inserted into the aerosol generating article for heating to generate aerosol;

[0012] a capacitor configured to change its capacitance value when the aerosol generating article is received in or removed from the chamber, the capacitor including a first electrode and a second electrode, the heating element extending in the chamber being located between the first electrode and the second electrode;

[0013] a controller configured to obtain a first capacitance value and a second capacitance value of the capacitor at any two adjacent times in a constant temperature phase, and determine whether a puffing action is generated based on a calculation result of the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value.

[0014] In one of the embodiments, the first electrode and the second electrode are attached to an outer wall of the chamber.

[0015] In one of the embodiments, the aerosol generating device includes a tubular body having a hollow, a portion of the chamber being defined by a hollow region of the tubular body, the heating element extending in the tubular body, and the first electrode and the second electrode being attached to an outer surface of the tubular body.

[0016] In one of the embodiments, the first electrode and the second electrode are spaced apart along a circumferential direction of the tubular body.

[0017] In one of the embodiments, the first electrode and the second electrode have an axial extension length identical to an extension length of the tubular body.

[0018] In one of the embodiments, the first electrode and the second electrode are spaced apart along an axial direction of the tubular body.

[0019] In one of the embodiments, the aerosol generating device includes a metal housing, and a spacing of at least 0.5 mm is maintained between the first electrode and the second electrode and the metal housing.

[0020] Embodiments of the present application also provide a puffing action detection method of an aerosol generating device, the aerosol generating device including:

[0021] a chamber for removably receiving an aerosol generating article;

[0022] a heating element extending at least partially in the chamber, the heating element being configured to be inserted into the aerosol generating article for heating to generate aerosol;

[0023] a capacitor configured to change in capacitance value when the aerosol generating article is housed in or removed from the chamber, the capacitor comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, the heating element being positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode;

[0024] The method comprises:

[0025] In the constant temperature phase, a first capacitance value and a second capacitance value of the capacitor are obtained;

[0026] The first capacitance value and the second capacitance value are calculated to obtain a calculation result;

[0027] It is determined whether the calculation result satisfies a first preset condition,

[0028] If the first preset condition is satisfied, it is determined that a puffing action is generated.

[0029] In one embodiment, the calculation of the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value to obtain a calculation result specifically comprises:

[0030] The difference between the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value is taken as the calculation result;

[0031] In one embodiment, after the step of calculating the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value to obtain a calculation result, the detection method further comprises:

[0032] It is determined whether the calculation result satisfies a second preset condition;

[0033] If the second preset condition is satisfied, the heating element is controlled to stop heating.

[0034] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises an inductive element for generating a start signal, and the detection method further comprises:

[0035] The start signal is obtained;

[0036] According to the start signal, the capacitance value of the capacitor is started to be obtained;

[0037] The change amount of the capacitance value of any two adjacent times is calculated;

[0038] It is determined whether the change amount satisfies a third preset condition;

[0039] If the third preset condition is satisfied, the heating element is controlled to start heating, so that the aerosol generating device enters a preheating phase.

[0040] The embodiment of the present application further provides an aerosol generating device, comprising a controller, wherein the controller comprises a processor and a memory, the memory stores a computer program, and the processor realizes the smoking action detection method of the aerosol generating device according to the computer program.

[0041] The aerosol generating device provided by the above embodiment obtains the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value of the capacitor in the constant temperature stage, and calculates the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value, so as to confirm whether the smoking action is generated based on the calculation result. This method does not need to monitor the change of the energy output to the heating element to determine whether the smoking action is generated, but only needs to monitor the change of the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value, so that the accuracy of determining the smoking action is high. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0042] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example in the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like elements, and in which:

[0043] Fig. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Fig. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Fig. 3 is a flowchart of a smoking action detection method of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0046] Fig. 4 is a flowchart of a smoking action detection method of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Fig. 5 is a flowchart of a smoking action detection method of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present application;

[0048] Fig. 6 is a hardware structural schematic diagram of a controller according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0049] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the change of the capacitance value of the capacitor of the aerosol generating device in the constant temperature stage. Embodiments of the present application

[0050] For the purpose of understanding the present application, the present application will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It has to be noted that, when referring to elements as being "fixedly attached" to or "connected" to another element, it can be directly attached to the other element or one or more intermediate elements can be present therebetween. As used in the present description, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer" and the like are merely used for the purpose of illustration and description.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the present description have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in the description of the present application merely describes specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the application. As used in the present description, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0052] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present application described below can be combined with each other as long as there is no conflict.

[0053] In the embodiments of the present application, the "mounting" includes welding, screwing, clamping, bonding and the like to fix or limit an element or device to a specific position or place, and the element or device can be kept stationary or movable within a limited range in the specific position or place. The element or device fixed or limited to the specific position or place can be disassembled or cannot be disassembled, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0054] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for the purpose of description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features limited by "first", "second" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0055] An embodiment of the present application provides an aerosol generating device 100 as shown in FIG. 1, which comprises an electric cell 10, a main board 20 and a heating element 30. The main board 20 is provided with a controller of the aerosol generating device 100, and the electric cell 10 and the heating element 30 are electrically connected to the controller, so that the controller can control the electric cell 10 to supply electric energy to the heating element 30. The aerosol generating device 100 is further provided with a longitudinally extending chamber 40, which is used to accommodate an aerosol generating article 200 used in conjunction with the aerosol generating device 100. When the aerosol generating article 200 is accommodated in the chamber 40, the heating element 30 heats the aerosol generating article 200 in the chamber 40, so that the active substance filled in the aerosol generating article 200 is volatilized by heat to generate aerosol. The electric cell 10 is a power supply of the aerosol generating device 100, which can be a rechargeable cell or a non-rechargeable cell.

[0056] The aerosol generating device 100 further comprises an air passage 50 communicating the chamber 40 with the outside air. When a user sucks on the aerosol generating article 200, the outside air enters the chamber 40 through the air passage 50 and further enters the aerosol generating article 200, and then carries the aerosol in the aerosol generating article 200 to escape along the airflow passage in the aerosol generating article 200 for the user to smoke.

[0057] The aerosol generating article 200 preferably employs a tobacco-containing material that releases volatilized compounds from the article upon heating; or can also be a non-tobacco material suitable for electrically heated smoking after heating. The aerosol generating article 200 preferably employs a solid substrate, which can include one or more of a powder, granules, shreds, strips or sheets of one or more of tobacco leaf, tobacco leaf, homogenized tobacco, expanded tobacco; or the solid substrate can contain additional tobacco or non-tobacco volatile flavor compounds to be released upon heating of the substrate.

[0058] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device 100 employs electromagnetic induction heating to heat the aerosol generating article 200 as shown in FIG. 1. The heating element 30 extends at least partially into the chamber 40, and the end thereof extending into the chamber 40 is configured in the shape of a pin or a sheet, so that the heating element 30 can be smoothly inserted into the aerosol generating article 200 for heating. The outer wall of the chamber 40 is wound with a coil (not shown in the figure), and the controller controls the electric cell 10 to pass an alternating current into the coil. The coil generates a changing magnetic field under the action of the alternating current, which penetrates the heating element 30 and further induces eddy current in the heating element 30. The heating element 30 generates heat under the action of the eddy current effect and the magnetic hysteresis effect, and thus can heat the aerosol generating substrate 200.

[0059] Suitable materials for the heating element 30 can be any one of graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, stainless steel, niobium, aluminum, nickel, iron, copper, nickel-containing compounds, titanium, and metal material composites. In some embodiments, to better induce eddy currents for improved heating efficiency, the material of the heating element 30 is preferably ferromagnetic or consists of ferromagnetic materials, such as ferritic iron, ferromagnetic alloys (e.g., ferromagnetic steel or stainless steel), ferromagnetic particles, and ferrite.

[0060] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the heating element 30 can also be a ceramic heating element when the heating element 30 is inserted into the aerosol generating article 200 for heating. The ceramic heating element is a heating element made by sintering an electrothermal element and a ceramic together at a high temperature. The heating element 30 is directly electrically connected to the controller of the main board 20, so that the controller can control the power supply of the battery 10 to the heating element 30. After the heating element 30 obtains the power, it can generate heat.

[0061] The aerosol generating device 100 has a preheating stage and a constant temperature stage. In the preheating stage, the controller controls the battery 10 to supply a large power to the heating element 30, so that the temperature of the heating element 30 rapidly rises to a target temperature. At the target temperature, the tobacco or non-tobacco solid substrate in the aerosol generating article 200 is heated to volatilize and generate aerosol with a better taste.

[0062] When the preheating stage is completed, the aerosol generating device 100 enters the constant temperature stage. The constant temperature stage is used to maintain the temperature of the heating element 30 at the target temperature, that is, to make the temperature of the heating element 30 fluctuate around the target temperature. In the constant temperature stage, the user can use the aerosol generating article 200 for smoking. When the user does not smoke, the controller controls the battery 10 to supply a small power to the heating element 30, so as to maintain the temperature of the heating element 30 around the target temperature.

[0063] When the user smokes the aerosol generating article 200 in the constant temperature stage, the external cold air entering the aerosol generating article 200 will cool the heating element 30, causing the temperature of the heating element 30 to decrease. The controller then controls the battery 10 to supply a large power to the heating element 30, so that the temperature of the heating element 30 rapidly recovers.

[0064] In some embodiments, the aerosol generating device 100 further includes a feedback element for providing feedback to the user to prompt that the preheating stage has been completed and the user can start to smoke the aerosol generating article 200. The feedback element can be a buzzer or a vibration motor. When the preheating is completed, the controller can control the buzzer to produce a beep or control the vibration motor to produce a vibration, thereby providing feedback information to the user.

[0065] Please continue to refer to FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 100 further comprises a capacitor 70, the capacitor 70 comprises a first electrode 71 and a second electrode 72, the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 are arranged on both sides of the chamber 40, so that when the aerosol generating article 200 is inserted into the chamber 40, the dielectric material between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 changes from air to the aerosol generating article 200, causing the dielectric constant between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 to change, in turn causing the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 to change.

[0066] And when the aerosol generating article 200 is removed from the chamber 40, the dielectric material between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 changes from the aerosol generating article 200 to air again, causing the dielectric constant between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 to change again, in turn causing the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 to change again.

[0067] The aerosol generating device 100 further comprises a capacitance sensor for reading the capacitance value of the capacitor 70, or a capacitance detection circuit. The capacitance sensor is electrically connected to the controller of the main board 20, and in turn can send the read capacitance value to the controller. 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 microcontroller unit (MCU), an ARM (Acorn RISC Machine), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination of these components. Also, the controller can also be any conventional 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 in conjunction with a DSP, and / or any other such configuration.

[0068] The capacitance value of the capacitor 70 is related to the temperature of the dielectric material between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72, when the temperature of the dielectric material between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 increases, the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 also increases accordingly; and when the temperature of the dielectric material between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 decreases, the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 also decreases accordingly.

[0069] Therefore, in the constant temperature phase, the user performs suction on the aerosol generating article 200, at this time, external cold air enters the aerosol generating article 200, under the action of the external cold air, the temperature of the aerosol generating article 200 decreases, that is, the temperature of the dielectric material between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 decreases, in turn causing the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 to decrease, and the controller can detect the suction action of the user according to the change of the capacitance value.

[0070] Specifically, when the aerosol generating device 100 enters the constant temperature stage, the controller controls the capacitive sensor to read the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 at a preset interval, and then the controller can obtain the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value of the capacitor 70 at any two adjacent times. The controller calculates the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value according to a preset calculation formula, and compares the calculation result with the first preset condition. If the calculation result meets the first preset condition, it means that the capacitance value changes due to suction. Then the controller can confirm that a suction has occurred, and increase the number of suctions by one in order to count the number of suctions. When the number of suctions reaches a preset number, the controller controls the heating element 30 to stop heating.

[0071] It should be noted that the heating element 30 extending in the chamber 40 is located between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72. When the aerosol generating article 200 is received in the chamber 40, the section of the aerosol generating article 200 containing the tobacco or non-tobacco aerosol substrate material is also located between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72. The heating element 30 can be inserted into the section to heat the tobacco or non-tobacco aerosol substrate material to generate aerosol. When the user sucks the aerosol generating article 200, the temperature of the section is relatively low, which can cause the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 to change.

[0072] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, to improve the sensitivity of the capacitance value change caused by the temperature drop due to suction, the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 are attached to the outer wall of the chamber 40. Specifically, in one embodiment, the aerosol generating device 100 includes a hollow tubular body 60, a portion of the chamber 40 is defined by the hollow area of the tubular body 60, the heating element 30 extends in the hollow area of the tubular body 60, and the tubular body 60 is made of a heat insulating material to avoid heat loss of the heating element 30. The first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 can be attached to the outer surface of the tubular body 60.

[0073] The first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 can be made of any one of copper foil, aluminum foil or stainless steel foil. A groove (not shown in the figure) can be provided on the outer surface of the tubular body 60, and the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 can be attached to the groove by adhesive.

[0074] Further in some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 are arranged on the outer surface of the tubular body 60 along the circumferential direction of the tubular body 60, and a portion of the chamber 40 is located between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72. When the aerosol generating article 200 is received in or removed from the chamber 40, the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 changes.

[0075] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, when the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 are arranged along the circumference of the tubular body 60, the extension length of the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 along the axial direction is substantially the same as the extension length of the tubular body 60, so that the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 can cover the outer surface of the tubular body 60 as much as possible, which is conducive to the more obvious change of the capacitance value during suction.

[0076] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 are arranged along the axial direction of the tubular body 60, that is, along the length direction of the tubular body 60, and the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 can also form a capacitor 70, and the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 changes when the aerosol generating article 200 is received in or removed from the chamber 40. In addition, when the user sucks during the constant temperature stage, the temperature of the dielectric material between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 decreases, and the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 also decreases accordingly.

[0077] In some embodiments, the shell of the aerosol generating device 100 is metal, and in order to avoid the influence of the metal shell on the capacitance value measurement, the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 are kept at a distance of at least 0.5 mm from the metal shell.

[0078] In addition, it should be noted that the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 can also not be arranged on the outer wall of the chamber 40, for example, the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 can be arranged near the chamber 40, as long as the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 changes when the aerosol generating article 200 is received in or removed from the chamber 40 and the temperature of the aerosol generating article 200 decreases during suction.

[0079] Based on the above-described aerosol generating device 100, the embodiments of the present application further provide a suction action detection method of the aerosol generating device 100, as shown in FIG. 3, the suction action detection method comprises:

[0080] S10, obtaining the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value of the capacitor at any two adjacent times during the constant temperature stage;

[0081] S20, calculating the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value;

[0082] S30, determining whether the calculation result meets the first preset condition, and if so, confirming that the suction action is generated.

[0083] From the above embodiment, it can be seen that the capacitance sensor continuously reads the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 according to the preset interval duration, and sends the read capacitance value to the controller, so that the controller can obtain any two adjacent first capacitance value and second capacitance value of the capacitor 70, and then the controller calculates the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value according to the preset calculation relationship, and compares the calculation result with the first preset condition. If the first preset condition is met, it means that the capacitance value has changed as expected, and the controller confirms that the puffing action has occurred.

[0084] In a specific embodiment, after the controller obtains the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value, the difference between the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value can be calculated, and the difference is compared with the first preset condition. If the difference is too small and does not meet the first preset condition, it means that the user does not puff during this period, and the temperature of the aerosol generating article 200 does not change substantially, so the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value are not much different, and the difference between the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value will be small.

[0085] When the difference meets the first preset condition, it means that the difference is large, that is, the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value are quite different, and the controller determines that a puffing action has occurred during this period. Puffing causes the temperature of the aerosol generating article 200 to decrease, that is, the temperature of the dielectric material between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 decreases, thereby causing the capacitance value to be lower, so that the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value are quite different, resulting in a large difference.

[0086] In some embodiments, the controller can also calculate the rate of change of the capacitance value in the interval duration, that is, the ratio of the difference between the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value to the interval duration. Whether the rate of change meets the first preset condition determines whether a puffing action has occurred. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the controller can also calculate the ratio of the first capacitance value to the second capacitance value, and determine whether a puffing action has occurred by whether the ratio meets the first preset condition.

[0087] It is easy to understand that the first preset condition is different for different calculation relationships, and the first preset condition can be adjusted according to different calculation formulas. The first preset condition can be a threshold range, or a specific threshold value. When the calculation result falls within the threshold range, or reaches the threshold value, it can be considered that the first preset condition is met.

[0088] In addition, it should be noted that the interval duration for measuring the capacitance value should not be too long. If it is too long, it may lead to multiple puffs by the user within the interval duration, and the controller only records once, which may result in missed counting of the number of puffs. Preferably, the interval duration can be 30ms to 50ms.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 7, FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of the change of the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 in the constant temperature phase. After the aerosol generating device 100 enters the constant temperature phase, when the user does not use the aerosol generating article 200 for puffing, the temperature of the heating element 30 fluctuates around the target temperature, so the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 is basically maintained at C1. When the user puffs at t1, t2, t3, t4 and t5, the temperature of the heating element 30 decreases due to the puffing, so the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 decreases at t1, t2, t3, t4 and t5. For example, at t1, the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 decreases from C1 to C2, at t2, from C1 to C3, at t3, from C1 to C2, at t4, from C1 to C4, and at t5, from C1 to C2. As can be seen from FIG. 7, the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 decreases the most at t4, so it can be judged that the puffing strength of the user at t4 is the largest. The greater the puffing strength, the more external air enters the aerosol generating article 200, and the greater the decrease in the temperature of the heating element 30.

[0090] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, after the controller obtains the calculation result, the above-mentioned detection method further comprises:

[0091] S40, judging whether the calculation result satisfies a second preset condition;

[0092] S50, if yes, controlling the heating element to stop heating.

[0093] In the constant temperature phase, the user may remove the aerosol generating article 200 from the chamber 40, at which time the heating element 30 needs to be controlled to stop heating to avoid dry burning of the heating element 30, and thus to avoid the decrease in the heating efficiency of the heating element 30.

[0094] As can be known from the above description of the embodiments, when the aerosol generating article 200 is removed from the chamber 40, the dielectric material between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 changes from the aerosol generating article 200 to air, that is, the dielectric constant between the first electrode 71 and the second electrode 72 changes, so as to cause the change of the capacitance value of the capacitor 70. The change is greater than the change of the capacitance value caused by the decrease in the temperature due to the puffing, so the controller can compare the calculation result of the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value with the second preset condition, and the second preset condition is a condition satisfied by the change of the capacitance value after the aerosol generating article 200 is removed from the chamber 40, so the threshold range or the threshold of the second preset condition is different from the threshold range or the threshold of the first preset condition.

[0095] When the calculation result meets the second preset condition, the controller determines that the aerosol generating article 200 has been removed from the chamber 40, and thus the controller can stop the power supply of the heating element 30 by the power supply unit 10, so that the heating element 30 stops heating.

[0096] In this embodiment, the change of the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 can also be used to determine whether the aerosol generating article 200 is removed from the chamber 40.

[0097] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5, the detection method described above further includes:

[0098] S100, obtaining the start signal;

[0099] S110, starting to obtain the capacitance value of the capacitor according to the start signal;

[0100] S120, calculating the change amount of the capacitance value of the capacitor at any two adjacent times;

[0101] S130, determining whether the change amount meets a third preset condition; if yes, controlling the heating element to start heating, so that the aerosol generating device enters a preheating stage.

[0102] The aerosol generating device 100 further includes a sensing element (not shown in the figure) for sensing the start of the aerosol generating device 100. The sensing element is electrically connected to the controller and can generate a start signal, so that the controller can obtain the start signal. When the controller obtains the start signal, the controller determines that the user needs to use the aerosol generating device 100, and the controller can control the capacitance sensor to start reading the capacitance value of the capacitor 70.

[0103] In some embodiments, the sensing element is a pressure sensor or a touch switch. The aerosol generating device 100 includes a sliding cover (not shown in the figure) for shielding or exposing the chamber 40. The sliding cover can slide between a first position and a second position, so as to shield or expose the chamber 40. When the user does not need to use the aerosol generating device 100, the user can slide the sliding cover to the first position to shield the chamber 40, so as to prevent dust in the air from falling into the chamber 40, thereby reducing the heating efficiency of the heating element 30. When the user needs to use the aerosol generating device 100, the user can slide the sliding cover to the second position, so that the chamber 40 is exposed, and the user can insert the aerosol generating article 200 into the chamber 40 for smoking.

[0104] The sensing element is arranged at the second position. When the sliding cover slides to the second position, the sliding cover contacts the sensing element, so that the sensing element generates a start signal, and the controller can obtain the start signal.

[0105] Alternatively, in some embodiments, the inductive element is a separate key switch, the key switch and the controller are electrically connected, and a key is arranged on the shell of the aerosol generating device 100, and the user presses the key to trigger the key switch to generate the start signal. It is easy to understand that the inductive element can also be arranged in other ways as long as it can generate the start signal described above.

[0106] After the controller obtains the start signal, the controller controls the capacitance sensor or the capacitance detection circuit to start reading the capacitance value of the capacitor 70. After the controller obtains the capacitance value, the controller calculates the change amount of any two adjacent capacitance values. If the change amount meets the third preset condition, it means that the aerosol generating article 200 has been stored in the chamber 40, and then the controller can control the battery 10 to provide power to the heating element 30, so that the heating element 30 starts heating, that is, the aerosol generating device 100 starts entering the preheating stage, and the heating element 30 quickly rises to the target temperature.

[0107] It is easy to understand that since the aerosol generating article 200 is inserted into the chamber 40 after the aerosol generating device 100 is started, the temperature in the aerosol generating article 200 is relatively low at this time. The change amount of the capacitance value of the capacitor 70 is different from that when the aerosol generating article 200 is removed from the chamber 40 in the constant temperature stage, and the change of the capacitance value caused by the temperature drop due to suction is also different. Therefore, the threshold range or threshold of the third preset condition is different from the threshold range or threshold of the first preset condition and the second preset condition, and the controller can determine whether the aerosol generating article 200 is inserted into the chamber 40 according to whether the change amount of the capacitance value meets the third preset condition.

[0108] By the method provided in the embodiment, the capacitor 70 can also be used to determine whether the aerosol generating article 200 is inserted into the chamber 40. If it is determined that the aerosol generating article 200 has been inserted into the chamber 40, the heating of the heating element 30 is started, thereby realizing the function of automatically starting the heating of the aerosol generating device 100.

[0109] Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the controller includes at least one processor and a memory connected with the at least one processor in communication, and FIG. 6 takes one processor as an example. The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor, and the instructions are executed by the at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to perform the control method of the above embodiments. The processor and the memory can be connected through a bus or other means, and FIG. 6 takes the connection through the bus as an example.

[0110] The processor can be implemented by using at least one of application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), digital signal processors (DSP), digital signal processing devices (DSPD), programmable logic devices (PLD), field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, other electronic units, which perform the functions.

[0111] The memory includes a high-speed random access memory, and can further include a nonvolatile memory, such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other nonvolatile solid-state memory device. In some embodiments, the memory can optionally include a memory that is remotely located with respect to the processor, which can be connected to the aerosol-generating appliance through a network. Examples of the above network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0112] The memory is used to store non-volatile software programs, non-volatile computer executable programs and modules, such as program instructions / cells corresponding to the control method / apparatus as described herein. The processor performs various functional applications and data processing of the aerosol-generating appliance by running the non-volatile software programs, instructions and units stored in the memory, i.e. implements the control method as described in the above embodiments.

[0113] Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and not to limit them; under the idea 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 changes of different aspects of the present application as described above, which are not provided in detail; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand: it can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacement to part of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. An aerosol generating device, characterized in that, include: A chamber for removably receiving aerosol-generated articles; A heating element, at least a portion of which extends into the chamber, is configured to be inserted into the aerosol generating article for heating to generate an aerosol; A capacitor is configured such that its capacitance changes when the aerosol generating article is contained in or removed from the chamber, the capacitor including a first electrode and a second electrode, and a heating element extending into the chamber located between the first electrode and the second electrode; The controller is configured to acquire a first capacitance value and a second capacitance value of the capacitor at any two consecutive times during the constant temperature phase, and determine whether to generate a suction action based on the calculation results of the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value.

2. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first electrode and the second electrode are attached to the outer wall of the chamber.

3. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aerosol generating device includes a hollow tubular body, a portion of which is defined by the hollow region of the tubular body, a heating element extending within the tubular body, and a first electrode and a second electrode attached to the outer surface of the tubular body.

4. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first electrode and the second electrode are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the tubular body.

5. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that, The axial extension lengths of the first electrode and the second electrode are the same as the extension length of the tubular body.

6. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first electrode and the second electrode are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the tubular body.

7. The aerosol generating apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The aerosol generating device includes a metal casing, and the first electrode and the second electrode maintain a distance of at least 0.5 mm from the metal casing.

8. A method for detecting the suction action of an aerosol generating device, characterized in that, The aerosol generating device includes: A chamber for removably receiving aerosol-generated articles; A heating element, at least a portion of which extends into the chamber, is configured to be inserted into the aerosol generating article for heating to generate an aerosol; A capacitor configured to change its capacitance when the aerosol generating article is contained in or removed from the chamber, the capacitor including a first electrode and a second electrode, and a heating element positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode; The method includes: During the constant temperature stage, the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value of the capacitor are obtained in any two consecutive adjacent measurements. Calculate the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value to obtain the calculation result; Determine whether the calculation result meets the first preset condition. If the conditions are met, then a suction action is confirmed.

9. The suction action detection method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The calculation of the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value to obtain the calculation result specifically includes: The difference between the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value is taken as the calculation result.

10. The suction action detection method according to claim 8, characterized in that, After calculating the first capacitance value and the second capacitance value in the above step to obtain the calculation result, the detection method further includes: Determine whether the calculation result meets the second preset condition; If the conditions are met, the heating element is controlled to stop heating.

11. The suction action detection method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The aerosol generating device further includes a sensing element for generating a start signal, and the detection method further includes: Obtain the start signal; Based on the start signal, the capacitance value of the capacitor is acquired. Calculate the change in capacitance value between any two consecutive intervals; Determine whether the change satisfies the third preset condition; If the conditions are met, the heating element is controlled to start heating so that the aerosol generating device enters the preheating stage.

12. An aerosol generating device, comprising a controller, characterized in that, The controller includes a processor and a memory, the memory storing a computer program, and the processor executing the computer program implements the suction action detection method of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 8-11.

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