RU2845159C2 - Electronic nebulizer for generating aerosol, method for controlling same, controller and non-volatile computer-readable medium for aerosol-generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: simulated smoking devices.

SUBSTANCE: inventions group relates to tobacco industry, in particular, to devices simulating the tobacco smoking process. Electronic spray device for generating an aerosol includes a liquid cavity for storing a liquid substrate, a heating element for heating the liquid substrate, an accumulator for providing output power. Controller is configured to periodically re-execute a control step in order to control the accumulator for direct or indirect power supply to the heating element. Control step includes determining a predetermined target temperature, obtaining a current temperature of the heating element and determining the power required to heat the heating element to the target temperature or to maintain the target temperature during a predetermined time interval in one period based on the heating element current temperature or the difference between the current temperature and the target temperature. During control step re-execution target temperature remains constant or unchanged. Disclosed are a method of controlling an electronic spray device for generating an aerosol, a controller therefor and a non-volatile computer-readable medium.

EFFECT: increased rate of aerosol generation due to heating from initial temperature to target temperature in constant temperature control mode.

19 cl, 13 dwg, 2 tbl

Description

Cross references to relevant applications

[1] This application claims priority to Provisional Application No. 202210239470.8, “Electronic Spraying Device and Method for Controlling an Electronic Spraying Device,” filed in the China Patent Office on March 11, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Field of technology

[2] Embodiments of the present application relate to the field of electronic atomization technology, in particular to an electronic atomization device for generating an aerosol, a method for controlling the same, a controller, and a non-volatile computer-readable medium for the aerosol generating device.

State of the art

[3] Tobacco smoke is produced by the combustion of tobacco during the smoking of tobacco products (e.g. cigarettes, cigars, etc.). Attempts have been made to provide alternatives to these types of products that burn tobacco by creating products that release compounds without burning.

[4] Examples of such articles are so-called electronic atomizing articles, which generate an inhalable vapor or aerosol by heating a liquid substrate to vaporize it. The liquid substrate may contain nicotine and/or aromatic substances and/or aerosol-generating substances (e.g. glycerin). In the known electronic atomizing articles, the battery directly supplies power to the resistive heating element by turning on and off the switching tube, so that the liquid substrate is heated and atomized to generate an aerosol; with regard to the control of the heating process, Patent No. CN 112189907 A proposes a typical output control method, which consists in controlling the power supply to the resistive heating element in a constant power output mode to heat the liquid substrate; as a result, it is necessary to determine the temperature of the resistive heating element in real time during heating in order to prevent the temperature of the resistive heating element in the constant power output mode from rising to a target temperature or higher, causing "dry burn".

The essence of the invention

[5] One embodiment of the present application provides an electronic atomizer device for generating an aerosol, including:

[6] a liquid cavity intended for storing a liquid substrate;

[7] a heating element designed to heat a liquid substrate for the purpose of generating an inhalable aerosol;

[8] a battery designed to provide output power;

[9] a controller configured to periodically repeat a control step for the purpose of controlling the accumulator to directly or indirectly supply power to the heating element to cause the heating element to heat the liquid substrate; wherein the control step includes:

[10] determination of a preset target temperature;

[11] obtaining a current temperature of the heating element, and determining a power required to heat the heating element to a target temperature or to maintain the target temperature for a predetermined time interval in one period based on the current temperature of the heating element or a difference between the current temperature and the target temperature;

[12] control of the battery to directly or indirectly supply the required power to the heating element until the end of a preset time interval;

[13] During the repeated execution of the control step, the target temperature remains constant or unchanged.

[14] A more preferred embodiment further includes:

[15] a first switching tube through which the accumulator directly or indirectly supplies power to the heating element;

[16] controlling the accumulator for directly or indirectly supplying the required power to the heating element comprises: determining a required switching time of the first switching tube during a predetermined time interval based on the required power, and controlling switching on and off the first switching tube based on the required switching time.

[17] In a more preferred embodiment, the target temperature is in the range of 150 to 300°C.

[18] In a more preferred embodiment, the predetermined time interval is in the range of 1 to 100 ms.

[19] In a more preferred embodiment, the controller is configured to:

[20] controlling the battery to supply power to the heating element during a first heating time interval to heat the heating element from an initial temperature to a target temperature;

[21] maintaining the temperature of the heating element at the target temperature during the second heating time interval.

[22] In a more preferred embodiment, the controller is configured to repeatedly perform the control step at the first frequency during the first heating time interval, and to repeatedly perform the control step at the second frequency during the second heating time interval;

[23] The first frequency is greater than the second frequency.

[24] In a more preferred embodiment, the predetermined time interval for performing the control step during the first heating time interval is less than the predetermined time interval for performing the control step during the second heating time interval.

[25] In a more preferred embodiment, the controller is configured to control the power supplied by the battery to the heating element during the first heating time interval to be greater than the power supplied to the heating element during the second heating time interval.

[26] In a more preferred embodiment, the predetermined time interval for performing the control step during the first heating time interval is in the range of 1 to 20 ms;

[27] and/or, the predetermined time interval for performing the control step during the second heating time interval is in the range of 20 to 100 ms.

[28] In a more preferred embodiment, the controller is further configured to determine adverse conditions based on the power supplied by the battery to the heating element; and to prevent the battery from supplying power to the heating element when adverse conditions exist.

[29] In a more preferred embodiment, the controller is configured to determine a deficiency or depletion of liquid substrate supplied to the heating element depending on the fact that the power supplied by the accumulator to the heating element is less than a predetermined threshold value.

[30] In a more preferred embodiment, the controller is configured to obtain a current temperature of the heating element by monitoring a resistance value of the heating element.

[31] A more preferred embodiment further includes:

[32] voltage dividing resistor;

[33] a second switching tube capable of creating a series controlled circuit consisting of a voltage dividing resistor and a heating element;

[34] a controller configured to monitor the electrical characteristics of a voltage dividing resistor and/or a heating element in a controlled circuit to obtain a current temperature of the heating element.

[35] A more preferred embodiment further includes:

[36] A voltage booster unit designed to increase the output voltage of the battery.

[37] In a more preferred embodiment, the controller is configured to control the on/off switching of the first switching tube by pulse width modulation.

[38] and, in the control step, the controller is configured to adjust the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation based on the required turn-on time to control turning on and off the first switching tube.

[39] In a more preferred embodiment, the power supplied by the battery to the heating element varies or is inconsistent.

[40] Another embodiment of the present application provides a method of controlling an electronic atomizing device for generating an aerosol, wherein the electronic atomizing device includes:

[41] a liquid cavity intended for storing a liquid substrate;

[42] a heating element designed to heat a liquid substrate for the purpose of generating an inhalable aerosol;

[43] a battery designed to provide output power;

[44] The method includes:

[45] periodically repeating a control step for the purpose of controlling the accumulator to directly or indirectly supply power to the heating element to cause the heating element to heat the liquid substrate; wherein the control step includes:

[46] determination of a preset target temperature;

[47] obtaining a current temperature of the heating element, and determining a power required to heat the heating element to a target temperature or to maintain the target temperature for a predetermined time interval in one period based on the current temperature of the heating element or a difference between the current temperature and the target temperature;

[48] control of the accumulator to directly or indirectly supply the required power to the heating element until the end of a preset time interval;

[49] During the repeated execution of the control step, the target temperature remains constant or unchanged.

[50] Another embodiment of the present application further provides a controller for an aerosol generating device, including:

[51] at least one processor; and

[52] a memory communicatively coupled to at least one processor; wherein

[53] instructions executable by at least one processor are stored in the memory, wherein the instruction is executable by at least one processor to allow at least one processor to perform the above-mentioned method.

[54] Another embodiment of the present application further provides a non-volatile computer-readable medium for an aerosol generating device, wherein the computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a controller, cause the controller to perform the above-mentioned method.

[55] In the case where the above-mentioned electronic atomizing device provides power in a constant temperature control mode, the heating rate from the initial temperature to the target temperature is faster compared with the conventional constant power output control mode, which is favorable for rapid aerosol generation.

Description of drawings

[56] One or more embodiments of the invention are schematically illustrated by means of corresponding images in the drawings, which do not limit the embodiments of the invention; in particular, elements having the same reference numerals in the drawings are designated as similar elements. And the figures in the drawings are not limited in scale, unless this is specifically stated.

[57] Fig. 1 is a diagram of an electronic atomizer device according to one embodiment;

[58] Fig. 2 shows a diagram of one embodiment of the sprayer of Fig. 1;

[59] In FIG. 3 shows a diagram of one viewing angle of the porous body in FIG. 2;

[60] Fig. 4 shows a diagram of another viewing angle of the porous body in Fig. 2;

[61] Fig. 5 shows a diagram of another embodiment of the sprayer of Fig. 1;

[62] Fig. 6 is a structural block diagram of one embodiment of the circuit board of Fig. 1;

[63] Fig. 7 shows a diagram of a controlled circuit consisting of a resistor for dividing the voltage and the heating element of Fig. 6;

[64] Fig. 8 is a diagram of a predetermined heating curve for controlling a heating element in one embodiment;

[65] Fig. 9 is a diagram of a step of controlling the supply of power to the heating element in one embodiment;

[66] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a curve of change in resistance of a heating element during heating according to a predetermined heating curve in one embodiment and a comparative embodiment;

[67] Fig. 11 shows a diagram of an electronic atomizer device according to another embodiment;

[68] Fig. 12 shows a diagram of a spray unit according to another embodiment;

[69] Fig. 13 shows a block diagram of the hardware of a controller according to another embodiment.

Examples of implementation of the invention

[70] To facilitate understanding of the present application, a more detailed description thereof is provided below in combination with drawings and specific examples of the invention.

[71] As shown in Fig. 1, the present application provides an electronic atomizer device including an atomizer 100 containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate that is heated and evaporated to generate an aerosol, and a power mechanism 200 for supplying power to the atomizer 100.

[72] In one alternative embodiment of the invention, as shown in Fig. 1, the feeding mechanism 200 includes a receiving cavity 270 located at one end in the longitudinal direction and intended to receive and accommodate at least a portion of the sprayer 100, and a first electrical contact 230, which is at least partially exposed on the surface of the receiving cavity 270; the first electrical contact 230 is intended to be electrically connected to the sprayer 100 when at least a portion of the sprayer 100 is received and accommodated in the receiving cavity 270, and thereby provides power to the sprayer 100.

[73] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the sprayer 100 is provided with a second electrical contact 21 at the end located opposite the feed mechanism 200 in the longitudinal direction, wherein, when at least part of the sprayer 100 is in the receiving cavity 270, the second electrical contact 21 forms an electrical conductivity, contacting the first electrical contact 230.

[74] A sealing element 260 is provided in the feeding mechanism 200, and with the help of the sealing element 260 at least a part of the internal space of the feeding mechanism 200 is separated, forming the above-mentioned receiving cavity 270. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the sealing element 260 extends along the cross-section of the feeding mechanism 200, and is preferably made of a flexible material (for example, silicone), which prevents the liquid substrate from entering from the atomizer 100 to the receiving cavity 270 into the circuit board 220, the air flow sensor 250 and other components inside the feeding mechanism 200.

[75] In a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the power supply mechanism 200 further includes a battery 210 for supplying power and spaced longitudinally from the receiving cavity 270; and a circuit board 220 located between the battery 210 and the receiving cavity, wherein the circuit board 220 is capable of directing current between the battery 210 and the first electrical contact 230.

[76] The power supply mechanism 200 further includes an air flow sensor 250, such as a microphone, a barometric sensor, etc., for detecting the flow of suction air generated by the atomizer 100, in turn, the circuit board 220 controls the battery 210 to supply power to the atomizer 100 according to a signal received from the air flow sensor 250.

[77] Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the power supply mechanism 200 is provided with a charging interface 240 at the other end, extended from the receiving cavity 270, intended for charging the battery 210.

[78] In the embodiments shown in Figs. 2-4, a structural diagram of one embodiment of the atomizer 100 in Fig. 1 is shown, comprising a main body 10, a porous body 30 and a heating element 40:

[79] As shown in Fig. 2, the main body 10 is in the form of a flattened cylinder, inside which there is a hollow structure for storing the sprayed liquid substrate and accommodating other necessary functional elements; in the upper part of the main body 10, a neck A is placed for sucking in the aerosol;

[80] A liquid cavity 12 for storing a liquid substrate is provided inside the main body 10; in a particular embodiment, a flue gas transfer pipe 11 is provided in the main body 10, located in the axial direction, wherein the space between the outer wall of the flue gas transfer pipe 11 and the inner wall of the main body 10 forms the liquid cavity 12 for storing the liquid substrate; the upper part of the relative proximal end 110 of the flue gas transfer pipe 11 is connected to the neck A;

[81] The porous body 30 is used to obtain a liquid substrate in the liquid cavity 12 through the liquid passage channel 13, wherein the transfer of the liquid substrate is shown by the arrow R1 in Fig. 2; the porous body 30 has a flat spray surface 310, wherein a heating element 40 is formed on the spray surface 310, which heats at least a portion of the liquid substrate absorbed by the porous body 30 to generate an aerosol.

[82] In particular, referring to Figs. 3 and 4, one side of the porous body 30, which is separated from the spray surface 310, is in fluid communication with the liquid passage channel 13 to absorb the liquid substrate and then transfer the liquid substrate to the spray surface 310 for heating and atomization.

[83] Both ends of the assembled heating element 40 form an electrical conductivity, contacting the second electrical contact 21, and the heating element 40 heats at least a portion of the liquid substrate absorbed by the porous body 30, in the process of supplying energy to generate an aerosol. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the porous body 30 includes flexible fibers, such as cotton, non-woven, glass fiber, etc., or a porous ceramic with a microporous structure, such as a porous ceramic body of the shape shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

[84] The heating element 40 may be connected to the spray surface 310 of the porous body 30 by printing, deposition, sintering, or physical assembly. In other embodiments of the invention, the porous body 30 may have a flat or curved surface supporting the heating element 40, wherein the heating element 40 is formed on the flat or curved surface of the porous body 30 by gluing, printing, deposition, etc.

[85] The heating element 40 may be made of metallic materials, metallic alloys, graphite, carbon, electrically conductive ceramics or other composite materials of ceramic and metallic materials with appropriate resistances. Suitable metallic materials or alloys include at least one of nickel, cobalt, zirconium, titanium, nickel alloys, cobalt alloys, zirconium alloys, titanium alloys, nickel-chromium alloys, nickel-iron alloys, iron-chromium alloys, iron-chromium-aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, iron-manganese alloys based on aluminum or stainless steel. The resistive material of the heating element 40 may be made of a metal or alloy having a suitable temperature coefficient of resistance (e.g., a positive temperature coefficient or a negative temperature coefficient), so that the heating line can be used both for heating and as a sensor for measuring the temperature of the spray unit in real time.

[86] Fig. 5 shows a structural diagram of another embodiment of the atomizer 100a; the porous body 30a is formed in the form of an empty cylinder elongated along the longitudinal axis of the atomizer 100a; the heating element 40a is formed inside the cylindrical cavity of the porous body 30a. When used, as shown by the arrow R1, the liquid substrate in the liquid cavity 20a is absorbed along the outer surface in the radial direction of the porous body 30a, and then heated and evaporated in the heating element 40a located on the inner surface to generate an aerosol; the generated aerosol exits from the cylindrical cavity of the porous body 30a along the longitudinal direction of the atomizer 100a.

[87] And in some conventional embodiments, the heating element 40/40a may have an initial resistance value of about 0.3 to 1.5 ohms.

[88] Further, in order for the power supply mechanism 200 to control and manage the heating process of the heating element 40/40a, the circuit board 220 of the power supply mechanism 200 has a hardware structure in one embodiment shown in Fig. 6, wherein the circuit board 220 includes:

[89] a voltage boosting unit 221 for boosting the voltage output by the battery 210 and outputting a boosted voltage; the voltage boosting unit 221, on the one hand, boosts the output voltage value; on the other hand, the boosted output voltage value is stable, so as to avoid a situation in which the output voltage of the battery 210 gradually decreases or becomes unstable in the process of discharging;

[90] In some specific embodiments, the voltage booster unit 221 is a widely used voltage booster chip, such as the LP6216B6F semiconductor micropower supply chip, which is capable of converting the voltage output by the battery 210 (approximately 3.7 to 4.5 V) to a standard 6.0 V output voltage.

[91] Further, the circuit board 220 additionally includes:

[92] a switching tube 222 designed to direct current between the heating element 40 and the voltage booster unit 221, i.e. to supply power to the heating element 40;

[93] an MCU controller 223 for controlling the power supplied to the heating element 40 by controlling the switching on or off of the switching tube 222;

[94] a resistor for dividing the voltage 224, intended for forming a controlled circuit consisting of it and the heating element 40, in order to determine the electrical characteristic parameters of the heating element 40, controlled by the controller MCU 223. The electrical characteristic parameters usually include voltage, current, resistance, etc. of the heating element 40; then, the controller MCU 223 obtains the temperature of the heating element 40 based on the selected electrical characteristics. For example, based on the dependence of the resistance on the temperature of the heating element with a given resistance 44, the controller MCU 223 can calculate and obtain the temperature of the heating element 44 in real time by determining the resistance of the heating element 40.

[95] In particular, Fig. 7 further shows a diagram of a controlled circuit consisting of a resistor for dividing the voltage 224 and a heating element 40 according to one embodiment. In the heating process, the MCU controller 223 controls the switching tube 222 to be turned on, thereby providing power to the heating element 40. In the monitoring process, the MCU controller 223 controls the switching tube 222 to be turned off and the MOS tube Q1 to be turned on, and the electrical characteristics of the heating element 40, such as the resistance, can be calculated by sampling the voltage at point b between the series resistor for dividing the voltage 224 and the heating element 40 according to the voltage division formula, and then the temperature of the heating element 40 can be calculated and obtained. That is, the power supply to the heating element 40 and the monitoring of the electrical characteristics or temperature of the heating element 40 are not performed at the same time.

[96] Next, Fig. 8 shows a diagram of a heating curve for controlling the heating of the heating element 40 based on a target temperature in one embodiment; in this embodiment, the target temperature T0 of the heating element 40 remains constant and unchanged, and the MCU 223 controls the power supply to the heating element 40 in a mode in which the target temperature T0 is constant. In embodiments, the target temperature T0 is higher than the minimum evaporation temperature of the liquid substrate, so that the heating temperature of the heating element 40 can reach the temperature required to evaporate the liquid substrate. In some specific embodiments, the target temperature T0 suitable for the liquid substrate may be set at a level of from 150 to 300°C, which is appropriate; more preferably, the target temperature T0 suitable for the liquid substrate may be set at a level of from 200 to 280°C.

[97] In one specific embodiment, the target temperature T0 determined in the above-mentioned control step is previously stored in the memory unit of the MCU controller 223. Or in another specific embodiment, the target temperature T0 determined in the above-mentioned control step is input by the user using input elements such as an input button, an interactive screen, etc., installed on the electronic atomizer. Or in another specific embodiment, the target temperature T0 determined in the above-mentioned control step is stored by the manufacturer in a readable memory unit (for example, an eeprom memory) installed in the atomizer 100 depending on the type of the liquid substrate; then, when the atomizer 100 is received by the power mechanism 200, the MCU controller 223 obtains the target temperature by reading the readable memory unit in the atomizer 100.

[98] Further, the above-mentioned control method always controls the power supply based on a constant target temperature T0, then the heating element 40 cannot be heated to a temperature higher than the dry firing temperature at which harmful substances are generated, regardless of the amount of liquid substrate supplied to the heating element 40, which is advantageous for preventing dry firing.

[99] Further, in the process of heating the electronic atomizing device, the heating duration of the heating element 40 is determined by the inhalation time of the user detected by the air flow sensor 250. That is, when the air flow sensor 250 senses that the user is inhaling, the MCU controller 223 controls the heating of the heating element 40 based on the target temperature T0; When the air flow sensor 250 senses that the inhalation action of the user has stopped, the power supply is stopped to stop the heating. The heating duration of the heating element 40 is determined by the air flow sensor 250 detecting the inhalation duration of the user. For example, in some conventional embodiments, the time of each inhalation of the user is about 3 to 5 s.

[100] Next, Fig. 9 shows a diagram of a power supply control step performed by the MCU 223 to the heating element 40 in one embodiment, wherein the control process includes:

[101] S10, determining the current temperature of the heating element 40 by monitoring the resistance of the heating element 40;

[102] S20, determining the power required to heat the heating element 40 to a target temperature within a predetermined time interval based on the current temperature of the heating element 40;

[103] S30, calculating a turning-on time of the switching tube 222 during a predetermined time interval based on the required power, and controlling the turning-on of the switching tube 222 based on the turning-on time, thereby supplying power to the heating element 40 to heat the heating element 40 to a target temperature.

[104] In a specific embodiment of the control process, based on the characteristics of the temperature coefficient of resistance of the heating element 40, the controller MCU 223 may store a table of the dependences of the resistance on the temperature of the heating element 40; in step S10, the temperature of the heating element 40 may be determined by looking at the table based on the determined resistance.

[105] And in some other specific embodiments, in step S20, the MCU controller 223 may calculate the power required to determine heating to a set temperature based on the current temperature of the heating element 40, according to the energy conversion formula. In a more preferred embodiment, the power required to determine heating to a target temperature is also obtained by looking at a table; for example, for different atomizers 100, the heating element 40 is heated in advance from different current temperatures to a target temperature, or a comparison table is made between the differences between the current temperature and the target temperature, the consumed powers, and then the MCU controller 223 can obtain the power required to heat the heating element 40 from the current temperature to the target temperature by looking at the table.

[106] And in some more conventional embodiments, the MCU controller 223 controls the switching tube 222 to be turned on by PWM (pulse width modulation) modulation, thereby providing power to the heating element 40. Accordingly, in a particular embodiment of step S30, the MCU controller 223 controls the timing of turning on and off the switching tube 222 by adjusting the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation, thereby changing the duty cycle of the DC voltage or DC current supplied to the heating element 40 so that the power supplied to the heating element 40 corresponds to the required power.

[107] In some specific embodiments, during a complete inhalation, the above-mentioned control process is repeatedly performed during predetermined time intervals. For example, in a complete duration of the user's inhalation from 3 to 5 s, the time is divided by the MCU controller 223 into predetermined time intervals, and the above-mentioned steps S10-S30 are repeated to control the heating; the duration of each predetermined time interval is approximately from 1 to 100 ms.

[108] In one specific embodiment, at a target temperature T0 of 260 °C, an output voltage of 6.0 V of the voltage boosting unit 221 and an initial resistance value of 0.783 mΩ of the heating element 40, during an inhalation duration of 4 s, the time is divided into predetermined time intervals to control the power supply to the heating element 40 in accordance with the above-mentioned steps S10 to S30; and the duration of each predetermined time interval is set at 20 ms. Further, the curve L1 in Fig. 10 illustrates a curve of the change in the resistance of the heating element 40 when the MCU controller 223 controls the heating of the heating element 40 in accordance with the above settings. And the following table 1 respectively shows the data on the real-time resistance of the heating element 40 and the power supplied to the heating element 40:

Time, ms Sampling resistance, mOhm Power, mW 0 783 15662 100 907 13604 200 902 11004 300 905 10956 400 903 9835 500 905 9813 600 908 9205 700 904 8668 800 905 8635 900 905 8635 1000 903 8221 1100 902 8217 1200 903 8208 1300 903 8208 1400 903 8198 1500 904 8176 1600 905 8157 1700 905 8166 1800 906 8148 1900 906 8157 2000 903 7745 2100 903 7732 2200 904 7737 2300 904 7724 2400 905 7715 2500 905 7715 2600 902 7728 2700 901 7737 2800 901 7737 2900 901 7728 3000 902 7719 3100 903 7711 3200 904 7689 3300 905 7681 3400 905 7672 3500 905 7681 3600 906 7664 3700 903 7676 3800 905 7672 3900 906 7651

[109] Also further, curve L2 in Fig. 10 illustrates a resistance change curve in a comparative embodiment in which the MCU 223 controls heating of the heating element 40 to a target temperature in a commonly used typical constant output power mode; similarly, in the comparative embodiment, the target temperature T0 is 260°C, the output power is constant at 7.2 W, and the initial resistance value of the heating element 40 is 0.783 mΩ. And the following table 2 respectively shows the real-time resistance of the heating element 40 and the power supplied to the heating element 40 during the heating process in the comparative embodiment:

Time, ms Sampling resistance, mOhm Power, mW 0 784 7200 100 855 7200 200 865 7200 300 868 7200 400 871 7200 500 872 7200 600 874 7200 700 876 7200 800 878 7200 900 880 7200 1000 883 7200 1100 886 7200 1200 889 7200 1300 896 7200 1400 899 7200 1500 900 7200 1600 900 7200 1700 902 7200 1800 902 7200 1900 903 7200 2000 904 7200 2100 904 7200 2200 904 7200 2300 904 7200 2400 905 7200 2500 905 7200 2600 906 7200 2700 907 7200 2800 906 7200 2900 906 7200 3000 907 7200 3100 907 7200 3200 906 7200 3300 907 7200 3400 908 7200 3500 907 7200 3600 908 7200 3700 910 7200

[110] From the curve L1 in Fig. 10 obtained in the control process in the embodiment, it is known that the resistance remains substantially stable until the end of inhalation after it increases from the initial state to the target value for approximately the time t1 (0.1 s); based on the dependence of the resistance on the temperature, that is, the curve L1 illustrates that the heating temperature of the heating element 40 is basically maintained at the target temperature until the end of inhalation after heating from the room or initial temperature to the target temperature for approximately the time t1 (0.15 s). And, from Table 1, it is known that in the process before the heating element 40 reaches the target temperature, the power supplied to the heating element 40 is greater compared to this power in the temperature maintaining step; that is, the output power changes depending on the difference between the current temperature and the target temperature, at least, it is an inconsistent power.

[111] In the L2 curve of the heating control mode output in a typical constant power output mode, the resistance remains essentially stable until the end of inhalation after it increases from the initial state to the target value in approximately time t2 (1.6 s).

[112] As can be seen from the curve L1 in the embodiment and the curve L2 in the comparative embodiment, the heating rate from the room temperature or the initial temperature to the target temperature in the output power control mode in the embodiment is faster compared to the commonly used constant output power control mode, which is favorable for rapid aerosol generation. Meanwhile, in the embodiment, the target temperature is used as a basis for calculating the power, so that the temperature is always maintained at the target temperature in the heating process with a sufficient or insufficient amount of the liquid substrate, i.e., a "dry firing" situation does not occur where the temperature suddenly rises above the target temperature.

[113] Further, in a more preferred embodiment, based on the data shown in Table 1, the MCU controller 223 also sets a predetermined power depending on the power required to maintain the above-mentioned target temperature; and determines unfavorable conditions when the actual power supplied to the heating element 40 does not correspond to the predetermined power.

[114] In one particular embodiment, the above-mentioned unfavorable conditions are situations where the liquid substrate transferred or supplied to the heating element 40 is insufficient, or the liquid substrate in the liquid cavity 12 is depleted. In general, when the liquid substrate supplied to the heating element 40 is insufficient or depleted, the power required to maintain the heating element 40 at a target temperature level is lower than the power required for normal evaporation of the liquid. Depending on whether the power is at a level below a minimum predetermined power, it can be determined that the liquid substrate supplied to the heating element 40 is insufficient or the liquid substrate in the liquid cavity 12 is depleted. For example, based on the test results shown in Table 1, a value of 7.5 W is used as a minimum preset power, and when the power required to maintain the target temperature of 260°C of the heating element 40 is below the minimum preset power of 7.5 W, it can be assumed that the liquid substrate transferred or supplied to the heating element 40 is insufficient, or the liquid substrate in the liquid cavity 12 is depleted.

[115] In another possible specific embodiment, the unfavorable conditions are situations where the atomizer 100 connected to the power mechanism 200 is counterfeit or unqualified or damaged. For a counterfeit or unqualified or damaged atomizer 100, the power supplied to maintain the target temperature of the heating element 40 differs from the predetermined power of the qualified atomizer 100, or exceeds the predetermined power.

[116] In another possible specific embodiment, unfavorable conditions are situations where the liquid substrate supplied by the atomizer 100 to the heating element 40 is not desired; in particular, the undesirable liquid substrate may have a different composition than the desired liquid substrate, as a result of which it has a different viscosity, heat capacity, boiling point, etc., and then has a higher or lower temperature or power during the heating and atomization process than would be expected. When the heating element 40 vaporizes the undesirable liquid substrate, the power required for the evaporation differs significantly from the power required to vaporize the desired liquid substrate, then based on this difference in power it can be determined whether this is an unfavorable condition.

[117] Based on the curve of change of resistance L1 in the actual heating process in Fig. 10, the execution frequency and/or response speed of the control process of the MCU 223 is different throughout the inhalation process corresponding to different heating time intervals. Thus, the operating power consumption of the MCU 223 can be reduced while accurately maintaining heating at the target temperature.

[118] In particular, in one preferred embodiment, based on the curve of change of resistance L1 in the actual heating process in Fig. 10, includes:

[119] the first heating time interval, i.e. from 0 to t1, during which the resistance of the heating element 40 increases from the initial value to a predetermined value;

[120] the second heating time interval, i.e. from t1 until the end of inhalation, during which the resistance of the heating element 40 is maintained at a constant level.

[121] Or, based on the dependence of resistance on temperature, the time of heating the heating element 40 from the initial temperature to the target temperature is determined as the first heating time interval, i.e. from 0 to t1; and the time of maintaining the heating element 40 at the target temperature level is determined as the second heating time interval, i.e. from t1 to the end of inhalation.

[122] And, in combination with the integral-differential control method of the MCU controller 223, the MCU controller 223 repeats steps S10-S30 during the first heating time interval divided into predetermined time intervals, ultimately, as a whole, achieving heating the heating element 40 to a target temperature during the first heating time interval; similarly, the MCU controller 223 repeats steps S10-S30 during the first heating time interval divided into predetermined time intervals to control the power supplied to the heating element 40. Of course, the target temperature during each predetermined time interval in the control process is the same or constant.

[123] Next, the MCU controller 223 repeats steps S10-S30 during the first heating time interval, and the duration of each preset time interval is shorter than the duration of each preset time interval during the second heating time interval. For example, the MCU controller 223 sets the duration of each preset time interval from 1 to 20 ms or less during the first heating time interval; and the duration of each preset time interval from 20 to 100 ms or more during the second heating time interval.

[124] Or, based on the above, the MCU controller 223 controls the execution of steps S10-S30 at a higher frequency during the first heating time interval than during the second heating time interval; or, the MCU controller 223 controls the execution of steps S10-S30 at a higher response speed during the first heating time interval than during the second heating time interval.

[125] And, the MCU controller 223 controls the supply of power from the battery 210 to the heating element 40 with a higher output power during the first heating time interval than during the second heating time interval. Also, according to the power data given in Table 1, the output power of the battery 210 controlled by the MCU controller 223 during the first heating time interval is substantially the maximum power that the battery 210 is capable of outputting; for example, during the time interval from 0 to 100 ms, the output power is 15662 mW, which is substantially the maximum power that the battery 210 is capable of outputting.

[126] Also, according to the specific embodiment shown in Table 1, when the maximum power that the battery 210 is capable of delivering is less than the required power, for example, during the time interval from 0 to 100 ms shown in Table 1, the MCU controller 223 controls the battery 210 to deliver the full maximum power, i.e., controls the full switching on of the switching tube 222 at this stage until the end of this stage.

[127] Fig. 11 shows a diagram of an electronic atomizer according to another embodiment, wherein the electronic atomizer according to the embodiment includes:

[128] an atomizer 200e comprising a liquid aerosol-forming substrate that is atomized to generate an aerosol, and a power supply 100e configured to supply power to the atomizer 200e. In this embodiment, the aerosol-forming substrate is liquid, typically including liquid nicotine or nicotine salt, glycerin, propylene glycol, etc., and is heated and vaporized to form an inhalable aerosol.

[129] The 200e atomizer includes:

[130] a liquid cavity 210e intended for storing a liquid substrate that forms an aerosol;

[131] a liquid conducting element 220e that at least partially extends into the liquid cavity 210e for sucking in a liquid substrate that forms an aerosol;

[132] an inductive heating element 30e connected to the liquid-conducting element 220e for heating a portion of the liquid substrate in the liquid-conducting element 220e by generating heat upon penetration of the changing magnetic field to generate an aerosol. In some alternative embodiments of the invention, the liquid-conducting element 220e may be in the form of a rod or a tube, or a bar, etc.; the liquid-conducting element 220e may be made of a porous material having a porous material such as fibrous cotton, sponges, porous ceramic bodies, etc., which in turn is capable of absorbing and transmitting the liquid substrate forming the aerosol by internal capillary action; the inductive heating element 30e may be in the form of a strip, a tube, or a mesh, etc., surrounding the liquid-conducting element 220e.

[133] The 100e power supply includes:

[134] a receiving cavity 130e located at one end in the longitudinal direction, wherein at least a portion of the sprayer 200e can be placed in the receiving cavity 130e with the possibility of removal during its use;

[135] an induction coil 50e at least partially surrounding the receiving cavity 130e to create a changing magnetic field;

[136] 110e battery, designed to supply power;

[137] a circuit board 120e, suitably electrically connected to the rechargeable battery 110e, and designed to convert the direct current output from the battery 110e into an alternating current of a suitable frequency, then to supply it to the induction coil 50e. By supplying power to the induction coil 50e, the changing magnetic field generated by the induction coil 50e, in turn, converts the energy of the magnetic field into an eddy current of the induction heating element 30e for heating the liquid substrate. The circuit board 120e indirectly supplies power to the induction heating element 30e through the induction coil 50e by means of the power output from the battery 110e.

[138] Similarly, the circuit board 120e may also control the power supplied to the induction coil 50e by repeatedly executing control steps S10-S30 to maintain the temperature of the induction heating element 30e at a desired target temperature.

[139] Or in another embodiment, Fig. 12 shows a diagram of a liquid-conducting element 220f according to another embodiment; the liquid-conducting element 220f has at least a part of a surface connected to a liquid cavity 210e for receiving a liquid substrate that forms an aerosol; the liquid-conducting element 220f has a flat spray surface 221f; an inductive heating element 30f is attached to the spray surface 221f by gluing, co-firing, deposition, etc., and for heating the liquid substrate by generating heat upon penetration of a changing magnetic field to generate an aerosol. The inductive heating element 30f has a hollow cavity 31f, which in turn defines a channel for overflowing the aerosol from the spray surface 221f. Or, in some embodiments, the inductive heating element 30f may be in the form of a grid, or a strip, or have a tortuous shape, etc.

[140] Or, in still other embodiments, the fluid conducting element 220f may have the shape of a flat plate, or a concave shape with a concave cavity on the surface, or an arcuate shape, etc.

[141] Or in another embodiment, Fig. 13 is a block diagram of the hardware of the MCU controller 223 according to another embodiment, as shown in Fig. 13, the MCU controller 223 includes:

[142] one or more processors 2231 and memory 2232, as shown in Fig. 13, processor 2231 is taken as an example.

[143] The processor 2231 and the memory 2232 may be connected via a bus or otherwise, as shown in Fig. 13, taking a bus connection as an example.

[144] Memory 2232, as a non-volatile computer-readable medium, can be used to store non-volatile programs, non-volatile computer-executable programs and modules, such as program instructions/modules, corresponding to the method of controlling the electronic atomizing device in the embodiment of the present application. Processor 2231 performs various functional applications and data processing of the heating element 40 by running non-volatile programs, instructions and modules stored in memory 2232, i.e., implements the method of controlling the electronic atomizing device in the embodiment of the method.

[145] The memory 2232 may include a program storage area and a data storage area, in particular, the program storage area may store application programs required by the operating system and at least one function; and the data storage area may store data generated in accordance with the use of the electronic spray device, etc. In addition, the memory 2232 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory such as at least one magnetic disk storage device, a flash memory device, or another non-volatile solid-state memory device.

[146] The controller can execute the method provided in the embodiments of the present application, and has functional modules and useful effects corresponding to the execution method. Technical details not described in this embodiment are given in the method provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[147] Embodiments of the present application provide a non-volatile computer-readable medium for an aerosol generating device, wherein the non-volatile computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions executable by one or a plurality of processors, such as one of the processors 2231 in Fig. 13, that cause the one or a plurality of processors to perform a method of controlling an electronic atomizer device in any of the embodiments of the method.

[148]

[149] As can be seen from the description of the embodiments, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the embodiment can be implemented using software of a general hardware platform, as well as, of course, using hardware. It is clear to those skilled in the art that the implementation of all or part of the process in the above-mentioned embodiments of the methods can be performed using a computer program directing the corresponding hardware, wherein the program can be stored on a computer-readable medium, and when executed, the program can include the process as in the embodiments of the methods. In particular, a magnetic disk, a compact disk, a read-only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), etc. can be used as the information medium.

[150] It should be noted that the description and drawings of this application provide the best embodiments of the invention, but are not limited to the embodiments described in the description; further, specialists in this field can make various modifications and changes to this application, but all such modifications and changes must be within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims (50)

1. An electronic spray device for generating an aerosol, characterized in that it includes: a liquid cavity intended for storing a liquid substrate; a heating element designed to heat a liquid substrate to generate an inhalable aerosol; a battery designed to provide output power; a controller configured to periodically repeat a control step for the purpose of controlling the accumulator to directly or indirectly supply power to the heating element to cause the heating element to heat the liquid substrate; wherein the control step includes: determination of a preset target temperature; obtaining a current temperature of the heating element, and determining a power required to heat the heating element to a target temperature or to maintain the target temperature for a predetermined time interval in one period based on the current temperature of the heating element or the difference between the current temperature and the target temperature; control of the battery to directly or indirectly supply the required power to the heating element until the end of a preset time interval; During the repeated execution of the control step, the target temperature remains constant or unchanged. 2. An electronic spray device according to paragraph 1, characterized in that it additionally includes: a first switching tube through which the battery directly or indirectly supplies power to the heating element; controlling the accumulator for directly or indirectly supplying the required power to the heating element comprises: determining a required switching time of the first switching tube during a predetermined time interval based on the required power, and controlling switching on and off of the first switching tube based on the required switching time. 3. An electronic atomizing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the target temperature is in the range from 150 to 300°C. 4. An electronic spray device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the preset time interval is in the range from 1 to 100 ms. 5. An electronic spray device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the controller is configured to: controlling the battery to supply power to the heating element during the first heating time interval in order to heat the heating element from the initial temperature to the target temperature; maintaining the temperature of the heating element at the target temperature during the second heating time interval. 6. An electronic atomizing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the controller is configured to repeatedly perform the control step at the first frequency during the first heating time interval, and to repeatedly perform the control step at the second frequency during the second heating time interval; the first frequency is greater than the second frequency. 7. An electronic atomizing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the predetermined time interval for performing the control step during the first heating time interval is less than the predetermined time interval for performing the control step during the second heating time interval. 8. An electronic atomizing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the controller is configured to control the power supplied by the battery to the heating element during the first heating time interval, which is greater than the power supplied to the heating element during the second heating time interval. 9. An electronic atomizing device according to claim 7, characterized in that the predetermined time interval for performing the control step during the first heating time interval is in the range from 1 to 20 ms; and/or, the preset time interval for performing the control step during the second heating time interval is in the range of 20 to 100 ms. 10. An electronic atomizing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the controller is further configured to determine unfavorable conditions based on the power supplied by the battery to the heating element; and to prevent the battery from supplying power to the heating element when unfavorable conditions exist. 11. An electronic atomizing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the controller is configured to determine a shortage or depletion of liquid substrate supplied to the heating element, depending on the fact that the power supplied by the battery to the heating element is less than a predetermined threshold value. 12. An electronic atomizing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the controller is configured to obtain the current temperature of the heating element by monitoring the resistance value of the heating element. 13. An electronic spray device according to paragraph 1 or paragraph 2, characterized in that it additionally includes: voltage dividing resistor; a second switching tube capable of creating a series controlled circuit consisting of a resistor for dividing the voltage and a heating element; a controller configured to monitor the electrical characteristics of a voltage dividing resistor and/or a heating element in a controlled circuit to obtain a current temperature of the heating element. 14. An electronic spray device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it additionally includes: A voltage booster unit designed to increase the output voltage of the battery. 15. An electronic spray device according to claim 2, characterized in that the controller is configured to control the switching on and off of the first switching tube by means of pulse width modulation; and, in the control step, the controller is configured to adjust the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation based on the required turn-on time to control turning on and off the first switching tube. 16. An electronic atomizing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the power supplied by the battery to the heating element changes or is not constant. 17. A method for controlling an electronic atomizing device for generating an aerosol, wherein the electronic atomizing device includes: a liquid cavity intended for storing a liquid substrate; a heating element designed to heat a liquid substrate to generate an inhalable aerosol; a battery designed to provide output power; characterized in that the method includes: periodically repeating the control step for the purpose of controlling the accumulator to directly or indirectly supply power to the heating element to cause the heating element to heat the liquid substrate; wherein the control step includes: determination of a preset target temperature; obtaining a current temperature of the heating element, and determining a power required to heat the heating element to a target temperature or to maintain the target temperature for a predetermined time interval in one period based on the current temperature of the heating element or the difference between the current temperature and the target temperature; control of the battery to directly or indirectly supply the required power to the heating element until the end of a preset time interval; During the repeated execution of the control step, the target temperature remains constant or unchanged. 18. A controller for an aerosol generating device, characterized in that it includes: at least one processor; and memory communicatively connected to at least one processor; wherein the memory stores instructions executable by at least one processor, wherein the instruction is executable by at least one processor to allow at least one processor to perform the method according to claim 17. 19. A non-volatile computer-readable medium for an aerosol generating device, characterized in that the non-volatile computer-readable medium stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a controller, cause the controller to perform the method according to paragraph 17.