Aerosol Inhaler Power Supply Control to Limit Charge Degradation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Aerosol inhalers experience frequent charging and discharging, leading to performance deterioration of their power supplies, which existing technologies fail to effectively suppress.

Innovation Solution

A power supply unit for aerosol inhalers, comprising a power supply and a control unit that manages charging and discharging to prevent the power supply from reaching fully charged or discharging termination states, using a MCU and charging IC to control the state of charge and prevent deterioration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If frequent charging and discharging is performed to meet user usage demands, then user convenience is improved, but power supply performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser convenienceVSAvoidpower supply performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit performs preliminary actions by monitoring charge cycles and preventing charging when the power supply is in a fully charged state or has reached a predetermined number of charge cycles. This proactive approach prevents deterioration before it occurs, allowing frequent usage while protecting power supply performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Use of energy by moving object

If the power supply is charged to a fully charged state to maximize available power, then power availability is improved, but power supply deterioration accelerates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower availabilityVSAvoidpower supply performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit applies partial action by preventing charging before the power supply reaches a fully charged state. By stopping charging at a predetermined condition (fully charged state or predetermined number of charge cycles), it uses only the necessary charging amount rather than charging to maximum capacity, thereby reducing stress on the power supply while maintaining sufficient power availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Duration of action of moving object

If the power supply is discharged to a discharging termination state to maximize usage duration, then operational duration is improved, but power supply deterioration accelerates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational durationVSAvoidpower supply performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit applies partial action by preventing discharge before the power supply reaches a discharging termination state. By stopping discharge at a predetermined condition (discharging termination state or predetermined number of discharge cycles), it uses only the necessary discharge amount rather than depleting to maximum capacity, thereby reducing stress on the power supply while maintaining sufficient operational duration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS11824379B2Power supply unit for aerosol inhaler, aerosol inhaler, power supply control method of aerosol inhaler, and power supply control program of aerosol inhaler

Publication Date: 2023.11.21 JAPAN TOBACCO INC

AI summary

A power supply unit for an aerosol inhaler includes: a power supply that is able to discharge power to a load for generating an aerosol from an aerosol generation source; and a control unit that is configured to control at least one of charging and discharging of the power supply such that the power supply does not become one or both of a fully charged state and a discharging termination state.