RU2800812C1 - Inhalator and method of its operation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: inhalers.

SUBSTANCE: group of inventions relates to an inhaler and a method for its operation. The inhaler comprises a receiver for receiving an inhalation product, a heater for heating the inserted inhalation product, a power supply for supplying electric power to the heater, a memory for storing data related to a plurality of heating profiles, a controller for controlling the operation of the inhaler based on a plurality of heating profiles, and a temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the heater. The controller performs a preheat operation that is common to many heating profiles. The preheating operation that is common to the plurality of heating profiles includes a first preheating operation to maintain the temperature of the heater at an identical first heating temperature level during the first heating period that is common to the plurality of heating profiles.

EFFECT: inhaler that improves inhalation sensation and allows the user to flexibly select and switch the operating mode so that the user does not notice switching between operating modes.

19 cl, 12 dwg

Description

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

[0001] The present invention relates to an inhaler, as well as a method and program for inhalation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] As one of the electronic devices, an inhaler is known that generates an inhalable component such as a flavored aerosol. Typically, a flavored inhalation product (also referred to as a plug-in module) is attached to such an inhaler and the user performs the act of inhaling.

[0003] Among inhalers, an inhaler is known that prepares in advance a plurality of kinds of heating profiles that are used when heating inhaled components and allows selection of heating profiles. For example, in an inhaler that allows the user to select a heating profile, the user is provided with an inhalation experience that matches the user's preferences. On the other hand, in an inhaler that is designed to be able to automatically select a heating profile according to a characteristic of an inhalation product, the user is enabled to obtain an inhalation experience corresponding to the inhalation product. In this regard, inhalation sensations are understood to mean, for example, the sensations that a user receives as a result of inhaling an aerosol when at least one of the user's five senses is stimulated.

[0004] For example, Patent Literature L1 discloses an electronic vapor inhaler in which an operating temperature is selectively provided for heating according to the heating profile of the element to be heated at high or low temperature.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] L1: Japanese Patent Application Published No. 2018-534926

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEM

[0006] In order to provide the user with an inhalation experience that matches the user's preference and/or flavor type, it is desirable that the user be given the ability to select an appropriate mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation corresponding to a plurality of heating profiles and/or be able to switch to operating mode taking into account the environment. On the other hand, for example, in the case where the period from the start of heating after turning on the power supply to the point in time when inhalation is allowed in each heating profile is different from the period in other modes in a plurality of heating profiles, the user who intentionally switched the operation mode to a specific mode work, may feel uncomfortable. That is, it is desirable to provide a plurality of heating profiles that do not require the user to pay special attention to switching between operating modes.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above points. That is, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an inhaler that can further improve the inhalation experience (ie, the feeling of satisfaction during inhalation) that is provided to the user. More specifically, the goal is to provide an inhaler that allows the user to flexibly select and switch the mode of operation. Moreover, it is an object to provide an inhaler that can realize inhalation without the user noticing switching between modes of operation.

SOLUTION

[0008] According to the present invention, in a first aspect, an inhaler is provided. The inhaler contains: a receiving unit for receiving an inhalation product; a heater for heating the inserted inhalation product; a power source for supplying electrical power to the heater; a memory for storing data relating to a plurality of heating profiles; a controller for controlling the operation of the inhaler based on a plurality of heating profiles; and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the heater. In addition, the controller performs a preheating operation that is common to a plurality of heating profiles, and a preheating operation that is common includes a first preheating operation for maintaining the temperature of the heater at a level substantially identical to the first heating temperature for a first a heating period that is common to a plurality of heating profiles.

[0009] According to the inhaler described above, a general preheating operation is provided. Accordingly, the user can make the inhaler 10 resolve the inhalation action at the same time without paying much attention to switching between operation modes, so that the user feels that the inhaler is intuitive and easy to use, and the quality of the inhalation experience can be improved.

[0010] The inhaler in the second aspect is the inhaler of the first aspect, wherein the first heating temperature is a predetermined highest heating temperature of the heater, as determined by a temperature sensor, with respect to a plurality of heating profiles.

[0011] The inhaler in the third aspect is the inhaler of the second aspect, in which the set maximum heating temperature is 240 degrees Celsius.

[0012] The inhaler in the fourth aspect is an inhaler of any one of the first to third aspects, in which the preheating operation, which is common, further includes a second preheating operation, which is performed before the first preheating operation to raise the temperature of the heater to the first temperature. heating by supplying electrical power, which is common to multiple heating profiles, from the power source to the heater.

[0013] The inhaler in the fifth aspect is the fourth aspect inhaler in which the amount of electric power supplied during the second preheating operation is based on the largest output power of the power supply during the second preheating operation.

[0014] The inhaler in the sixth aspect is a fourth aspect or fifth aspect inhaler and further comprises a first notifier; wherein the controller causes the first notifier to perform a notification action in the first form during the first preheating operation, and causes the first notifier to perform a notification action in the second form, which is different from the first form, during the second preheating operation.

[0015] The inhaler in the seventh aspect is the sixth aspect inhaler, in which the first notifier comprises a plurality of LEDs, and the first shape and the second shape are constructed using different light emission patterns generated by combinations of the plurality of LEDs.

[0016] The inhaler in the eighth aspect is an inhaler of any of the first to seventh aspects, and further comprises a second notifier; wherein the controller causes the second notifier to perform a notification action for notifying the completion at a time that is common to the plurality of heating profiles in response to the completion of the preheating operation that is common.

[0017] The inhaler in the ninth aspect is an inhaler of the eighth aspect, in which the second notifier comprises a vibration motor, and the completion notification is a vibration of the vibration motor.

[0018] The inhaler in the tenth aspect is an inhaler of any of the first to ninth aspects, and further comprises a manipulation button to which a pressing force is applied by the user, wherein the controller, in response to the pressing action, which is performed a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period of time , performs switching between a plurality of operating modes based on a plurality of heating profiles.

[0019] The inhaler in the eleventh aspect is the inhaler of the tenth aspect, and further comprises a third notifier; wherein the controller causes the third notifier to perform a notification action in the third form for the switch notification.

[0020] The inhaler in the twelfth aspect is an inhaler of any of the first to eleventh aspects, and further comprises a shutter that can open an opening related to the receiving unit, and an open state sensor for detecting a state in which the opening is open; wherein the controller allows, only when the opening is open, to switch between the plurality of operating modes based on the plurality of heating profiles.

[0021] The inhaler in the thirteenth aspect is an inhaler of any one of the first to twelfth aspects, in which, after the preheating operation, the controller performs an inhalation heating operation, the inhalation heating operation is an operation to maintain the temperature of the heater at the first heating temperature in during the second heating period, and the respective second heating periods in the respective profiles of the plurality of heating profiles are different from each other.

[0022] The inhaler in the fourteenth aspect is the inhaler of the thirteenth aspect, wherein the plurality of heating profiles comprises a first heating profile and a second heating profile, wherein the second heating period in the first heating profile is shorter than the second heating period in the second heating profile, and

The inhaler is constructed such that the temperature of the heater at the end time of the second heating period in the first heating profile drops to the second heating temperature faster than the temperature of the heater at the end time of the second heating period in the second heating profile.

[0023] Further, in a fifteenth aspect, a method for operating an inhaler into which an inhalation article is inserted is provided. The method includes: the step of setting one of the plurality of heating profiles; a start detecting step for starting heating of the inhalation product; a preheating step in accordance with one of the heating profiles of the inhalation product, this step including determining the temperature of the heater and maintaining substantially the same first heating temperature during the first heating period, which is common to a plurality of heating profiles; and the step of forming components for inhalation by heating the inhalation article in accordance with the heating profile.

[0024] According to the method, a general preheating operation is provided. Accordingly, the user can make the inhaler 10 resolve the inhalation action at the same time without paying much attention to switching between operation modes, so that the user feels that the inhaler is intuitive and easy to use, and the quality of inhalation can be improved.

[0025] The method in the sixteenth aspect includes the method of the fifteenth aspect, wherein the first heating temperature is a predetermined highest heating temperature of the heater for the heating profile.

[0026] The method in the seventeenth aspect includes the method of the fifteenth aspect or the sixteenth aspect, wherein the step of preheating further includes raising the temperature of the heater to a first heating temperature by supplying electrical power that is common to a plurality of heating profiles.

[0027] The method of the eighteenth aspect includes the method of any one of the fifteenth to seventeenth aspects, wherein the step of forming the inhalation components includes maintaining the temperature of the heater at a first heating temperature during a second heating period following the first heating period, at in this case, the respective second heating periods in the respective profiles of the plurality of heating profiles differ from each other.

[0028] The method in the nineteenth aspect includes the method of any one of the fifteenth to eighteenth aspects, and further includes the step of detecting a state when the shutter installed in the inhaler has opened the opening for receiving the inhalation product, and the step of executing, in response to a given manipulation of the user with the inhaler, switching between a plurality of modes of operation based on a plurality of heating profiles, while switching is allowed only when the opening is open.

[0029] In addition, the twentieth aspect provides a program that causes the inhaler to perform the method according to any of the fifteenth to nineteenth aspects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of an inhaler according to an embodiment.

Fig. 1B is a general perspective view of the inhaler shown in FIG. 1A in a state where the inhaler holds the inhalation product.

Fig. 1C is a schematic plan view of the inhaler shown in FIG. 1A.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the inhaler shown in FIG. 1A.

Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional example of an inhalation article.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of the inhaler shown in FIG. 1A.

Fig. 5 is an example of a state transition diagram related to the heating operation in FIG. 4.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart of the heating operation performed by the inhaler shown in FIG. 4.

Fig. 7 is an example heating profile graph that the inhaler shown in FIG. 4.

Fig. 8 is another example of a heat profile graph that the inhaler shown in FIG. 4.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart of the preheating operation performed by the inhaler shown in FIG. 4.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart of the heating operation performed by the inhaler shown in FIG. 4, during inhalation.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0031] In the following description, an inhaler according to an embodiment of the present invention, together with the accompanying drawings, will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be recalled that in the embodiment of the present invention, although the inhalers include an electronic cigarette and a nebulizer, the inhalers are not limited to those listed above. In particular, inhalers may include various inhalers for creating an aerosol or flavored aerosol inhaled by users. In addition, the source of the respirable component generated may include invisible vapor in addition to the aerosol.

[0032] In the accompanying drawings, the same or like reference numerals are assigned to the same or like components, and overlapping explanation of the same or like components may be omitted in the explanation of the respective embodiments. In addition, the characteristic shown in each embodiment can be applied to another embodiment as long as they do not conflict with each other. Further, the drawings are drawn schematically, so that actual dimensions, parameter ratios, etc. may not always match those shown in the drawings. In addition, the drawing may include a part for which dimensions, ratios, and the like. different from the corresponding part in the other drawing.

[0033] (1) Basic design of the inhaler (appearance)

The appearance of the inhaler 10 according to the embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. 1A-fig. 1C. 1A is a perspective view of the inhaler 10, FIG. 1B is a general perspective view of the inhaler 10 in a state where it contains an aerosol generating base material, and FIG. 1C is a plan view of the inhaler 10 as viewed from the side from which the aerosol base material is to be inserted into it.

[0034] In this embodiment, the aerosol generating base material, which contains the aerosol source, and the flavoring base material, such as filler and the like, including the flavor source, is attached to the inhaler 10 in an attachable/detachable manner. In addition, the inhaler is designed such that a flavored aerosol is produced by heating the inhalation article 110 attached thereto.

[0035] As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, an aerosol base material is an example of an inhalation article 110 (in the following description, aerosol base materials may be collectively referred to as "inhalation articles"). The aerosol source included in the aerosol base material may be solid or liquid. The aerosol source may be a liquid such as a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerol or propylene glycol, or water, and the like. The source of the aerosol may contain raw tobacco or an extract obtained from tobacco raw materials, which, when heated, releases a flavor component. In the case where the inhaler 10 is a medical use inhaler such as a nebulizer or the like, the aerosol source may contain a drug to be inhaled by the patient. The aerosol base material may not contain a flavor source, depending on its intended use.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1A, the inhaler 10 includes an upper housing 11A, a lower housing 11B, a cover 12, a shutter 13, a manipulation button 14, and an indicator 18. The outer housing 11 of the inhaler 10 consists of connecting the upper housing 11A and the lower housing 11B to each other. The body 11 may be sized to fit the user's hand. In the above case, when the user uses the inhaler 10, the user can hold the inhaler 10 with his hand and inhale the aerosol.

[0037] The upper body 11A contains an opening (which is not shown in the drawings), and the cover 12 is connected to the upper body 11A in such a way that it closes the opening. As shown in FIG. 1B, lid 12 has an opening 12a into which inhalation product 110 can be inserted. The closure 13 is designed to open/close the opening 12a of the lid 12. For example, the closure 13 is preferably a sliding type closure.

[0038] More specifically, the closure 13 is attached to the lid 12 and is movable along the surface of the lid 12 between a first position to close the opening 12a and a second position to open the opening 12a. In the example in FIG. 1C, the shutter 13 is in the first position and the opening 12a will be opened by the user by placing the user's finger on the shutter 13 and moving it in the direction of the arrow. In the state where the opening 12a is open, the inhalation product 110 is inserted into the opening 12a, the receiving device 42 opposite the opening 12a receives the inhalation product 110, and the filler in the inhalation product 110 is held inside it.

[0039] The rocker button 14 is used, for example, to switch the power supply of the inhaler 10 between an on state and an off state. Specifically, the user can adjust the supply of electric power from the power supply 20 to the heater 40 to heat the inhalation product 110 by pressing (long pressing) the operation button 14 in the state where the inhalation product 110 is inserted into the hole 12a, as shown in FIG. 1B. As a result of the inhalation product 110 being heated, an aerosol is generated from the aerosol source included in the inhalation product 110, and the flavorant of the flavor source is entrained in the aerosol. The user can inhale the flavor-containing aerosol by an inhaling action applied to the part of the inhalation product 110 protruding from the inhaler 10. In this description, the insertion direction of the inhalation product 110, which is the base material for generating the aerosol, into the opening 12a is referred to as the longitudinal direction of the inhaler 10 .

[0040] In this embodiment, the keypad 14 can also be used to switch between a plurality of operating modes. In particular, the user can switch between a plurality of operating modes by successively pressing a predetermined number of times within a predetermined time period of the manipulation button 14.

[0041] It should be recalled that the structures of the inhaler 10 shown in each of FIGS. 1A-1C are merely examples of inhaler designs according to the present invention. The inhaler 10 according to the present invention may be constructed in any of various forms that allow an aerosol to be generated by heating an inhalation article 110 (an aerosol generating base material) including an aerosol source and to cause the generated aerosol to be inhaled by a user.

[0042] The indicator 18 is designed to provide a clear notification to the user by providing various forms of indication corresponding to the respective operating states of the inhaler 10. The indicator 18 may be implemented as part of the notifier 60 (this will be explained later). In the example in FIG. 1C, indicator 18 includes five LEDs (light emitting diodes) 18a-18e, and each of them is designed to emit light of one or multiple colors. For example, the LED 18a is an LED that supports multiple colors to display the respective operating modes selected by the user, and each of the LEDs 18b to 18e is an LED that supports one color (white) to display the operating status of the inhaler 10.

[0043] (2) Internal structure of the inhaler

Next, the internal structure of the inhaler 10 according to the present embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a sectional view along arrows 3-3 shown in FIG. 1A. The inhaler 10 contains in the interior of the housing 11 (upper housing 11A and lower housing 11 B) a power supply 20, a circuit 30 and a heater 40. The circuit 30 includes a first printed circuit board 31 and a second printed circuit board 32 electrically connected to the first printed circuit board 31.

[0044] The first printed circuit board 31 may be arranged such that it extends in the longitudinal direction; and in such a case, the power supply 20 and the heater 40 are separated by the first circuit board 31. Thus, the transfer of heat generated by the heater 40 to the power supply 20 is suppressed. The second circuit board 32 may be disposed between the upper case 11A and the power supply 20, and may extend in a direction orthogonal to the direction along which the first circuit board 31 extends. the part with the manipulation button 14 comes into contact with the second printed circuit board 32.

[0045] For example, each of the first circuit board 31 and the second circuit board 32 may include a microprocessor or the like. and may be capable of controlling the supply of electrical power from the power supply 20 to the heater 40. That is, the first circuit board 31 and the second circuit board 32 may be configured as a controller 50 (this will be explained later) to control the heating of the inhalation product 110 by the heater 40.

[0046] The power supply 20 includes a power supply 21 that is electrically connected to the first printed circuit board 31 and the second printed circuit board 32. The power supply 21 may be, for example, a rechargeable battery or a non-rechargeable battery. The power supply 21 is electrically connected to the heater 40 through at least one of the first circuit board 31 and the second circuit board 32. That is, the power supply 21 can supply electrical power to the heater 40 to heat the inhalation product 110. The amount of electrical power supplied to the heater 40 and/or the length of time that electrical power is supplied to the heater 40 from the power supply 21 is controlled by the controller. In addition, the power supply 21 may be located adjacent to the heater 40 and in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction. Thus, even if the size of the power supply 21 is made large, it is possible to prevent the length of the inhaler 10 from increasing in the longitudinal direction.

[0047] In the above construction, the inhaler 10 may include a connector 22, which can be connected to an external power source (not shown in the drawing). Connector 22 may be connected to, for example, a micro-USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or the like. In the case where the power supply 21 is a rechargeable battery, the power supply 21 can be charged by connecting it through the connector 22 to an external power supply, to thereby supply current from the external power supply to the power supply 21. In addition, it is possible to transfer data related to the operation of the inhaler 10 to an external device by connecting a micro-USB data cable or similar to connector 22.

[0048] The heater 40 includes a heating unit 41 extending in the longitudinal direction. The heating unit 41 includes a plurality of cylindrical elements and has a generally cylindrical body. The heating unit 41 is designed to house a portion of the inhalation product 110, and has a function of determining the flow path of the air supplied to the inhalation product 110 and a function of heating the inhalation product 110 from its outer periphery.

[0049] More specifically, heater 40 is a polyimide (PI) film heater which is formed by placing one or a plurality of stainless steel foil conductive tracks (loads) between electrically insulating PI films. In particular, the PI film heater is designed such that the PI film is wound around the outer periphery of the stainless steel tube. In this regard, the stainless steel tube is designed as part of the receiving unit 42 to house the inhalation product 110 within it. When operating under load, resistive heating occurs as a result of current being applied to it, and the heat is transferred to the stainless steel tube through the PI film; and as a result, the inhalation product 110 placed inside the stainless steel tube is heated.

[0050] In an alternative example, the heater may be constructed such that the heating assembly 41 is positioned to heat radially from the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the inhalation product 110.

[0051] In the lower case 11, an air intake vent 15 is configured to supply air to the interior of the heating unit 41. Specifically, the vent 15 is in fluid communication with one end of the heating unit 41 (left side end in FIG. 2 ). In addition, the inhaler 10 includes a cap 16 that can be attached/removed from the vent 15. The cap 16 is designed so that air can enter the inside of the heating unit 41 from the vent 15 even in the state that the cap 16 is attached to the vent 15, and, for example, cap 16 may have a through hole, notch, or the like. (not shown in the drawings). By attaching the cap 16 to the vent 15, it becomes possible to prevent the substance generated in the inhalation product 110 housed in the heating unit 41 from the vent 15 to the outside of the housing 11. In addition, by removing the cap 16, it is possible to clean the inside of the heating unit 41 or the inside cap side 16.

[0052] The other end of the heating unit 41 (end portion on the right in Fig. 2) is in fluid communication with opening 12a. Between the hole 12a and the other end portion of the heating unit 41, an outer rib 17 is installed, which has an approximately cylindrical shape. When the inhalation product 110 enters the interior of the inhaler 10 through the opening 12a (FIG. 1B), the inhalation product 110 passes through the outer fin 17 and a part of it is located inside the heating unit 41. Thus, it is preferable that the outer fin 17 be designed in such a way that the size of the hole 12a on the side of the shutter 13 was larger than the size of the hole on the side of the other end of the heating unit 41. Then it becomes easier for the user to insert the inhalation product 110 towards the inside of the outer rib 17 from the hole 12a.

[0053] In a state where the inhalation product 110 is introduced into the inhaler 10 through the opening 12a (FIG. 1B), if the user performs an inhaling action applied to the part that protrudes from the inhaler 10, the inhalation product 110, i. filter 115 (this will be explained later), in response to this, air enters the inside of the heating unit 41 from the vent 15. The intake air passes through the inside of the heating unit 41 and, together with the aerosol generated from the inhalation product 110, enters the user's mouth. Thus, the side close to the vent 15 of the heating unit 41 can be considered to be the inlet side, and the side close to the opening 12a of the heating unit 41 (the side close to the outer fin 17) is the outlet side.

[0054] It should be remembered that although the vent 15 is provided in the example of FIG. 2 in such a state that the flow path has a straight shape, the structure is not limited to the above-described structure. Other structures exist, such as a structure in which the vent hole 15 is formed at a position that is in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction on the surface of the lower case 11B; and in such a case, the resulting flow path is approximately L-shaped.

[0055] (3) Design of the inhalation product

Next, with reference to FIG. 3 also explains the structure of the inhalation article 110, which is an aerosol base material containing an aroma source and received by the inhaler 10 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the inhalation article 110 along arrows 3-3. The inhalation product 110 comprises a base material part 110A that contains a filler 111 (this corresponds to an example of a fragrance base material) and a first roll paper 112 that is wound around the filler 111, and a suction port part 110B that forms an end part opposite parts 110A with base material. The base material portion 110A and the suction port portion 110B are connected by a second curl paper 113 that is different from the first curl paper 112. By doing so, it is possible to eliminate the second curl paper 113 and use the first curl paper 112 by connecting the base material portion 110A and the suction port portion 110B to each other.

[0056] The suction port portion 110B includes a paper tube portion 114, a filter 115, and a hollow segment portion 116 located between the paper tube portion 114 and the filter 115. For example, the hollow segment portion 116 includes a filler layer including one or a plurality of hollow channels, and an insert wrapper to cover the filler layer. Since the fiber density in the fill layer is high, air and aerosol only pass through the hollow channel, and practically no air and aerosol pass through the fill layer when the inhaling action is performed. With respect to the inhalation article 110, if it is desired to reduce the reduction in the amount of aerosol delivered due to the filtering of the aerosol components in the filter 115, shortening the length of the filter 115 and replacing this part with a hollow segment part 116 will be effective in increasing the amount of aerosol delivered.

[0057] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the suction port portion 110B comprises three segments. However, in another example, the suction port portion 110B may be constructed using one or two segments, or may be constructed using four or more segments. For example, the hollow segment part 116 can be omitted and the suction port part 110B can be formed by placing the paper tube part 114 and the filter 115 next to each other.

[0058] With regard to the length of the inhalation article 110 in the longitudinal direction, it is preferable to set it to 40-90 mm, more preferably to set it to 50-75 mm, and even more preferably to set it to 50-60 mm. As for the circumference of the inhalation product 110, it is preferable to set it at 15-25 mm, more preferably set it at 17 to 24 mm or less than 24 mm, and even more preferably set it at 20-22 mm. In addition, with regard to the inhalation product 110, the length of the base material portion 110A may be 20 mm, the length of the first curl paper 112 may be 20 mm, the length of the hollow segment portion 116 may be 8 mm, and the length of the filter 115 may be 7 mm. . The length of each of the above segments can be suitably modified depending on suitability for manufacture, desired quality, etc.

[0059] The fill 111 in the inhalation article 110 may contain an aerosol source that generates an aerosol when heated to a predetermined temperature. The type of aerosol source is not particularly limited, and the extracted material and/or its components derived from various natural products can be selected as the aerosol source according to the intended use. For example, glycerol, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof, etc., are assumed to be used as aerosol sources. The content of the aerosol source in the filler 111 is not specifically limited; and considering the generation of sufficient aerosol and satisfactory addition of the flavor component, the content of the aerosol source is usually equal to or greater than 5 wt. %, preferably equal to or greater than 10 wt. weight percent.

[0060] The filler 111 in the inhalation product 110 may contain ground tobacco as a flavor source. The material of the ground tobacco is not particularly limited, and generally known material such as lamina, stem, etc. can be used as the material. The content range of the filler 111 in the inhalation article 110 in the case where the circumference is 22 mm and the length is 20 mm is, for example, 200-400 mg, preferably 250-320 mg. The water content of the filler 111 is, for example, 8-18 weight percent, and preferably 10-16 weight percent. In the case where the water content is as described above, the appearance of spots at the time of curling is suppressed, and the curlability at the time of manufacturing the base material portion 110A becomes satisfactory. There are no special restrictions regarding size, cooking method, etc. shredded tobacco used as filler 111. For example, dried tobacco leaves cut into pieces each having a width of 0.8-1.2 mm can be used. In another design, dried tobacco leaves are ground and combined to obtain particles having an average particle size of about 20-200 microns, and these particles are processed to form a leaf; you can use a sheet cut into pieces with a width of 0.8-1.2 mm each. In addition, the above sheet formed by the sheet process can be processed to be assembled without cutting, and the assembled sheet can be used as the filler 111.

[0061] Each sheet of the first and second curl papers 112 and 113 in the inhalation article 110 may be made using a base paper that has a basis weight of, for example, 20-65 g/m ² and preferably 25-45 g/m2. m ² . The thickness of each sheet of the first and second curl papers 112 and 113 is not specifically limited; however, considering the rigidity, gas permeability and ease of control during papermaking, the thickness is set at 10-100 µm, preferably 20-75 µm, and more preferably 30-50 µm.

[0062] The filler may be included in the first and second roll papers 112 and 113 in the inhalation article 110. The filler content may be equal to or greater than 10 weight percent and less than 60 weight percent, and preferably may be 15-45 weight percent with respect to to the total weight of the first paper 112 to curl and the second paper 113 to curl. Preferably, the filler is 15-45 weight percent based on the preferred basis weight range (25-45 g/m ² ). For example, calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin, etc. can be used as filler. A paper containing a filler such as described above has a white color, which is preferable in terms of the appearance of the paper used as the curl paper for the inhalation product 110, and is able to keep its whiteness permanently. By including a large amount of filler such as described above, the ISO whiteness of the roll paper can be increased, for example, to 83% or more. In addition, in view of the practicality of using it as a curl paper in the inhalation product 110, it is preferable that the first paper 112 and the second curl paper 113 have a tear strength of 8N/15 mm or more. Tensile strength can be increased by reducing the filler content. In particular, it can be increased by reducing the filler content to a value less than the upper filler content limit specified for each basis weight range shown in the above description.

[0063] (4) Structure of the functional block of the inhaler

The functional structure of the inhaler 10 according to the present embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram that schematically shows the structure of the inhaler 10. The inhaler 10 includes a power supply 20, a heater 40, a receiving unit 42, a controller 50, a notifier 60, a sensor 70, a memory 80, and a connector 90.

[0064] Power supply 20 is designed to supply power to related components such as heater 40, controller 50, notifier 60, sensor 70, memory 80, connector 90, and so on. In particular, to heat the inhalation product 110, the power supply 20 supplies electrical power to the heater 40, outputting the power specified by the controller in accordance with the predetermined heating profile. In another design, the power supply 20 may be connected to another device containing the power supply 21 .

[0065] With regard to the heater 40, resistive heating occurs therein as a result of being supplied with electric power from the power supply 20, and thus a current is supplied to the load. Thereafter, as a result of heat being transferred from the outer periphery to the inside of the receiving unit 42, the inhalation product 110 which has been received by the receiving unit 42 is heated. The receiver 42 is designed such that it receives the inhalation product 110 through the opening 12a in the direction of the arrow shown in the drawing and holds the filler 111.

[0066] The controller 50 is designed to control the operation of the inhaler 10. In addition, the controller 50 is designed to exchange information between it and the corresponding components included in the inhaler 10. The controller 50 may be an electronic circuit module implemented in the form of a microprocessor or a microcomputer. The controller 50 is programmed to control the operation of the inhaler 10 in accordance with the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory 80. In addition, the controller 50 reads data from the memory 80 and uses the data to control the operation of the inhaler 10 or stores the data in the memory 80.

[0067] In this embodiment, the controller 50 is configured to control the operation of the inhaler 10 in accordance with a plurality of heating profiles stored in the memory 80. In more detail, the controller 50 performs a heating operation in accordance with a predetermined heating profile. The heating operation includes a preheating operation that is common to a plurality of heating profiles. The general preheating operation includes a preheating operation for raising the temperature and a preheating operation for maintaining the temperature. In the temperature-raising preheating operation, the controller 50 causes the power supply 20 to supply an amount of electrical power that is common to a plurality of heating profiles to the heater 40 to thereby raise the temperature of the heater 40 to the highest heating temperature, which is substantially identical to the highest heating temperature. in a variety of heating profiles. In addition, the temperature maintenance preheating operation maintains a substantially identical predetermined maximum heating temperature for a predetermined heating period that is common to a plurality of heating profiles.

[0068] In this regard, in this application, states in which two temperatures are "substantially identical" are states in which, even if the two temperatures are not strictly equal to each other, the difference between the two temperatures is in such a temperature range, that the user does not feel any change (in terms of flavor) associated with it during inhalation. For example, when the inhaler 10 according to the present embodiment is operated to perform a heating operation, a temperature difference of less than 20 degrees Celsius can also be considered as a condition for determining that the temperatures fall within a range of substantially the same temperature. In more detail, as a result of the experiments carried out by the inventor of the present invention, it was found that the user does not feel any change at the time the inhalation action begins, if the temperature difference is in the range from -5 degrees Celsius to less than +10 degrees Celsius, and at other times, except for the time of inhalation, if the temperature difference is between -10 degrees Celsius and less than +10 degrees Celsius.

[0069] As explained above, the inhaler 10 according to the present embodiment implements a preheating operation that is common to a plurality of heating profiles based on operating modes. As a result, when the inhaler 10 is operated during preheating, the period of time required for the inhaler 10 to allow inhalation is made common to a plurality of operating modes. That is, the user can set the inhaler 10 to inhale at the same time without paying much attention to switching between operation modes, so that the user feels that the inhaler is intuitive and easy to use, and the quality of inhalation can be improved.

[0070] For example, there may be a case where, although the time period of the preheating operation as a whole is common, the plurality of heating profiles related to the preheating operation to raise the temperature are different from each other, and the heating periods of these parts are different from each other. In the above case, the manufacturer must standardize the pre-operation as a whole by precisely adjusting the heating profile related to the pre-heating operation with temperature maintenance. When fine-tuning, it is necessary to take into account changes in the environment, such as the ambient temperature during preheating, the residual heat generated during sequential inhalation, etc.; and such mandatory accounting is troublesome for the manufacturer. On the other hand, by standardizing the temperature rise preheating operation in a manner similar to that adopted in this embodiment, the manufacturer is simply required to standardize the setting data of the plurality of heating profiles at the time of manufacture, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified.

[0071] In addition, in particular, in the case where a plurality of heating profiles related to the temperature-keeping preheating operation differ from each other, there may be a case where adjustment related to the side of the inhalation product 110 is required, in addition to the adjustment related to the inhaler 10. However, it is impractical to adjust the inhalation product 110 later, for example, after the sale of the inhalation product 110. above situations.

[0072] Referring again to FIG. 4, the controller 50 may include a timer 55 and may be designed to measure a desired period of time based on a clock (eg, RTC (real time clock)). For example, the controller 50 may timer various periods of operation such as the period during which electrical power is supplied from the power supply 20 to the heater 40, the period during which the heater 40 is controlled so that the desired temperature is maintained by the temperature sensor 72, and the period during which the inhalation action is detected by the inhalation sensor 74 .

[0073] The notifier 60 is for providing an explicit notification to the user. In particular, a notification action is performed corresponding to the operating states and/or state transitions of the inhaler 10. In particular, it is preferred that the notifier 60 provides the user with notification in various forms, through light, display, sound, vibration, and any arbitrary combination thereof. The notifier 60 may include a plurality of LEDs 18a-18e, and each LED may provide different light emission patterns (on, off, and re-on and off) using light having one or more colors. In addition, the notifier 60 may include a vibration motor and generate various vibration patterns, and may also combine the vibration patterns with the light emission patterns of the LEDs 18a-18e. In this embodiment, the notifier 60 may include a mode switch notifier 62, a preheat period notifier 64, a preheat end notifier 66, and a warm up period notifier 68, and each may be configured to include all or part of the LEDs 18a-18e. and vibration motor.

[0074] The controller 50 may cause the mode switch notifier 62 to perform a notification action with respect to switching between the plurality of operating modes. For example, with regard to switching, switching can be indicated to the user by causing the LED 18a to emit light having different colors according to the respective operating modes, while at the same time causing the vibration motor to vibrate with the second notifier. With the above structure, the user can perceive, based on the vibration generated in the inhaler 10, the completion of switching between the plurality of operation modes.

[0075] The controller 50 can cause the preheating period notifier 64 to perform various forms of notification action on the period during which the temperature rise preheating operation is performed and the period during which the temperature-keeping preheating operation is performed. For example, in the period when the preheating operation with temperature increase is performed, the three LEDs 18a-c may be "stepped" for a time to emit light; and in the period when the temperature-holding preheating operation is performed, the five LEDs 18a to e may be activated in steps for a time to emit light, thereby indicating to the user the steps of the preheating operation period. That is, various light emission patterns formed by combinations of a plurality of LEDs can be created.

[0076] By outputting a notification having various forms, the user can intuitively understand the state of the preheating operation. In addition, in each of the notification forms, by creating a light emission pattern used to drive the LEDs to emit light stepwise in time, the user can even more intuitively understand the execution state of the preheating operation.

[0077] The controller 50 may cause the preheating completion notifier 66 to perform, in response to the expiration of the preheating operation period, a notification action regarding the completion of the preheating operation. For example, you can indicate to the user to complete the preheating operation by causing the vibration motor to vibrate for one second. With the above structure, the user can know, based on the vibration generated in the inhaler 10, that the preheating operation is completed.

[0078] The controller can cause the heating period notifier 68 to indicate to the user, during the time period of the inhalation heating operation performed after the preheating operation, the stages of the heating period by performing a process of driving the five LEDs 18a-e to emit light in steps in time. In addition to the above construction, it is possible to indicate to the user, by generating vibration by the vibration motor, a specific time point related to inhalation, such as the time point 30 seconds before the expiration of the inhalation heating time, the time point when the heating period has just expired, and the like. .

[0079] By creating the light emission patterns used to drive the LEDs to emit light stepwise over time, and making the vibration motor vibrate at specific times related to inhalation as explained above, it is possible to give the user an even better intuitive understanding of the heating time progress state. when inhaled.

[0080] As explained above, in this embodiment, the preheating operation is set to be common to a plurality of heating profiles. In addition, during the time from the start of the preheating operation to the end of the preheating operation period, the notification operation is performed by the preheating period notifier 64 and the preheating completion notifier 66 at a time that is common to a plurality of heating profiles. That is, in the preheating operation, a notification action that is common to a plurality of heating profiles is performed, and a notification is provided to the user. In particular, if the user is notified of the completion of preheating at the same time, the user can proceed to the next inhalation action without feeling the difference between the plurality of operating modes. That is, the inhaler 10 according to this embodiment is advantageous in that the user finds it intuitive and easy to use; and the quality of inhalation can be improved.

[0081] The sensor 70 is designed to detect various kinds of operating states of the inhaler 10. In this embodiment, the sensor 70 includes a temperature sensor 72, an inhalation sensor 74, a pressure sensor 76, and an open state sensor 78.

[0082] The temperature sensor 72 is designed to detect the temperature of the heater 40 (more specifically, the load included in the heater 40). For example, the temperature sensor is designed to determine the value of the parameter needed to obtain the load resistance value of the heater 40 (the value of the current flowing through the load in the heater 40, the value of the voltage applied to the load in the heater 40, and so on). In the case where the load resistance value in heater 40 is temperature dependent, the temperature of heater 40 may be estimated based on the detected load resistance value in heater 40. In an alternative design, the temperature sensor may include a temperature sensor to determine the temperature of heater 40.

[0083] The inhalation sensor 74 is designed to detect a series of inhaling actions performed by the user through the suction port portion 110B, using a pressure sensor to detect a change in pressure or a flow rate sensor to determine the flow rate in the aerosol flow path and/or the inhalation air flow path, from the vent 15 to the heater assembly 41. The controller 50 can determine, using the inhalation sensor 74, the number of breaths and/or the duration of the inhalation performed by the user. In addition, the inhalation sensor 74 can be designed to detect the action of inhalation using a weight sensor to determine the weight of the components in the inhalation article 110. In another design, in the case where the aerosol source is a liquid, it can be designed to determine the height of the internal surface of the liquid.

[0084] The pressing force sensor 76 is for detecting an action performed by the user to press the manipulation button 14. In particular, when the user presses the manipulation button 14, an event is detected when the manipulation button part 14 comes into contact with the second printed circuit board 32 located close to her.

[0085] In this embodiment, the controller 50 performs, in response to the sensor 76 detecting a pressing force, switching between a plurality of operating modes based on a plurality of heating profiles. In particular, it is preferable that the controller 50 switches between a plurality of operating modes in response to the detection, by the pressure sensor 76, of the event of pressing the access button 14 a certain number of times within a predetermined period of time. That is, the user can adjust the quality of inhalation according to the user's preferences; and the usability of the inhaler 10 can also be improved.

[0086] The open state sensor 78 is designed to detect the state when the opening 12a is opened (or closed) by the shutter 13. In particular, judging whether the shutter 13 is in the first position to close the opening 12a or in the second position to open the opening 12a on the cover 12 is carried out mechanically. In this embodiment, the open state sensor 78 detects the open state of the opening 12a; and the controller 50 is configured to perform switching between the plurality of operating modes only when the opening 12 is open. By the above-described structure, it becomes possible to prevent unintentional switching between operation modes caused by erroneous manipulation in a case where the user does not expect such switching to occur.

[0087] In addition to the above explanations, the sensor 70 can be used to detect the SOC (State of Charge) of the power supply 20, the state of discharge of the power supply 20, the integral value of current, voltage, and so on. The integral value of the current can be obtained using the current integration method, the SOC-OCV (OCV - Open Circuit Voltage) method, and the like.

[0088] Memory 80 is a storage medium such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), Flash Memory, and the like, and is configured to store various kinds of data, including computer-executable instructions related to operation of the inhaler 10. In this embodiment, the memory 80 may store data relating to a plurality of heating profiles. The heating profile is setting data that determines the operation mode of the inhaler 10 and specifically determines, based on the heating information, which includes the heating temperature and the heating time, the heating mode performed by the heater 40 from start to finish. The controller 50 causes the power supply 20 to supply electrical power to the heater 40 in accordance with such a heating profile. In this regard, the heating profile can be set individually according to each type of flavor contained in the inhalation product, or it can be set manually by the user.

[0089] In addition, the memory 80 stores, in addition to computer-executable instructions, setting data that is necessary to control the operation of the inhaler 10, and programs such as firmware, etc. For example, the memory 80 may store the control method of the notifier 60 (light emitting modes, sound, vibration, etc.) and data related to the values detected by the sensor 70, etc. These settings may be allowed to be set by user input.

[0090] Connector 90 is used when connecting the inhaler 10 to an external device to enable communication between them. Communication in this case may be wired communication and/or wireless communication. In the case of wired communication, data related to the operation of the inhaler 10 is input/output to/from an external device by connecting a micro-USB data cable or similar device using the external connection connector (connector 22). On the other hand, in the case where the communication using the connector 90 is a wireless communication, the communication includes near-field communication using Bluetooth (eg, BLE, Bluetooth Low Energy), etc.; and the connector 90 is configured as a communication module.

[0091] It is preferable to use a structure in which, when the inhaler 10 is connected to an external input device via the connector 22, various kinds of setting data and/or firmware of the inhaler 10 that have been stored in the memory 80 are overwritten in accordance with the instructions of the external input device. For example, it is preferable to design the inhaler 10 such that information relating to the control modes of the notifier 60 (light emission, sound, vibration, etc.) and part of the heating profiles during inhalation (temperature range, heating time, number of inhalation actions, etc.) .d. allowed during heating) is overwritten via connector 90.

[0092] (5) Overview of inhaler operation

A schematic example of operation of the inhaler 10 according to the embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6. FIG. 5 refers to the heating operation performed by the inhaler 10, and is an example of a state transition of the inhaler 10 corresponding to a manipulation performed by the user. Fig. 6 is a flowchart of the entire heating operation performed by the inhaler 10. In this regard, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the above states are merely examples and naturally there are many states in addition to the corresponding states shown in FIG. 5.

[0093] In this embodiment, the states of the inhaler 10 include "unusable state" and "usable state". The inhaler 10 transitions between the above states in response to manipulations performed by the user. The "usable state" includes "waiting state", "heating state" and "heating stop state", and during the heating operation, the inhaler 10 may change its state in the above order of states in response to manipulation performed by the user. In addition, the heating state includes a preheating state and an inhalation permission state following the preheating state.

[0094] The initial state of the inhaler 10 is the state in which the user has not yet performed any manipulations applied to the inhaler 10, and the inhaler 10 is in the "unusable state" in which it has not yet been used (START). The user opens the shutter 13 of the inhaler 10 (OP1). In response to the above action, the open state sensor 78 detects an event when the shutter has opened the hole 12a (step S10).

[0095] As a result of step S10, the inhaler 10 is activated and its state is changed to a "standby state" in a "usable state". In response, the notifier 60 may control the LED 18a to emit light having colors corresponding to the current mode of operation. The "waiting state" is a state before the heating operation of the inhaler 10 is performed, in particular, a state during which the preheating operation is expected to start. In the "standby state", the user inserts the inhalation product 110 into the opening 12a. In response, the receiving unit 42 receives the inhalation product 110 (step S20).

[0096] In addition, in the "standby state", one of the plurality of heating profiles stored in the memory 80 is selected and activated (step S30) before performing the heating operation of the inhaler 10. The plurality of operating modes are associated with the plurality of heating profiles, respectively, and the user himself may select the mode of operation used to operate the inhaler 10. For example, the plurality of modes of operation includes "standard mode" and "power mode". "Standard mode" is a heating mode in which the user can continuously experience a stable aroma. "Powerful mode" is a heating mode in which the user can get a stronger inhalation feeling than the "standard mode", and this mode is designed to providing the user with a better inhalation experience with a single inhalation product 110.

[0097] In this regard, it is preferable that in the initial setting at the time of delivery of the inhaler 10, the operating mode is set to "standard mode", and the heating profile corresponding to the "standard mode" is turned on. It can be configured such that the user selectively switches the mode between "standard mode" and "power mode" by operating mode switching operation (OP2) operation. The switch manipulation may be the act of successively pressing the manipulation button 14 a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period of time; for example, the manipulation may be such that pressing actions are performed twice within a period of 1000 milliseconds after the first pressing action is applied to the manipulation button 14 (in this case, a total of three pressings are sequentially performed). In response to a switch manipulation such as described above, a heating profile corresponding to the selected operating mode is activated.

[0098] The manipulation of the switch is detected by the pressure sensor 76, and in response, the action of notifying the mode switch notifier 62 is performed. In particular, the controller 50 causes the notifier 62 to notify the switch between the plurality of operating modes.

[0099] Next, to change the state of the inhaler 10 from the "standby state" to the "heating state", the user performs a manipulation by pressing the manipulation button 14 (ORS). For example, the manipulation may be a long press manipulation, that is, pressing the manipulation button 14 for, for example, two seconds or more. This act of pressing the manipulation button 14 is detected by the pressing force sensor 76 . That is, the pressure sensor 76 detects the command used to start heating the inhalation product 110 (step S40).

[0100] The "pre-heating state" in the "heating state" is a state during the pre-heating operation period, that is, from the start of supplying electric power from the power supply 20 to the heater 40 until the state becomes the "inhalation permission state", during which the inhalation product 110 can generate an aerosol. In accordance with the heating profile selected in step S30, the heater 40 performs a preheating operation to preheat the inhalation product 110 (step S50). In the preheating operation period, the notification action is performed by the preheating period notifier 64 . In addition, after the preheating period has elapsed, the action of notifying the completion of preheating is performed by the preheating completion notifier 66 . The details of the preheating operation during the preheating operation period will be explained later.

[0101] After the preheating period has elapsed, the state of the inhaler 10 automatically changes from "preheating state" to "inhalation permission state". The "inhalation permission state" is a state in which the inhaler 10 can generate an aerosol in response to the completion of the preheating operation, as well as a state where the inhalation action performed by the user is valid. In accordance with the heating profile selected in step S30, the heater 40 performs an inhalation heating operation to heat the inhalation article 110, thereby generating inhalable components (step S60).

[0102] After the heating of the inhalation product 110 in step S60, the state of the inhaler 10 is automatically changed to the "heating stop state". The “heating stop state” is a state in which the supply of electric power from the power supply 20 to the heater 40 is stopped and the inhalation action performed by the user is still acceptable. That is, a certain operation that is performed after the power supply 20 is controlled by the processor to stop supplying electric power may be included in the inhalation heating operation. In the heating mode during inhalation, the notification action is performed by the heating period notifier 68 . In addition, after the expiration of the heating operation period during inhalation, the notification action regarding this can be performed in the same way. The details of the heating operation during inhalation will be explained later.

[0103] After the expiration of the heating operation period during inhalation, the user finally closes the shutter 13 of the inhaler 10 (OP4). In response, the open state sensor 78 detects the shutter closing event of the opening 12a, and the state of the inhaler 10 changes from "usable state" to "unusable state" to return to the initial state (END).

[0104] (6) Individual operation of the inhaler

Examples of individual operation of the inhaler 10 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. 7-10. Fig. 7 is an example of a heating profile graph corresponding to a "standard mode" in the inhaler 10, and FIG. 8 is an example of a heat profile graph corresponding to "strong mode". In addition, FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the preheating operation in the heating mode performed by the inhaler, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the heating operation during inhalation. For this reason, the heating profiles in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 include profiles corresponding to the preheating operation and the heating operation during inhalation.

[0105] By operating the inhaler 10 according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to provide the user with an appropriate inhalation feeling corresponding to the operating mode selected by the user himself. The operation of such an inhaler 10 is intuitive for the user, and the quality of inhalation can be improved. In particular, each of the example heating profiles in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 is presented as a function having a convex shape. That is, after the heating of the inhaler 10 is started, the quality of the user experience gradually improves; and furthermore, at a certain time, the user's sense of satisfaction reaches its peak. After that, satisfaction peaks and gradually declines. That is, the user can intuitively estimate the time when the allowed smoking period will expire. Thus, the quality of the user's inhalation experience can be further improved.

[0106] (6-1) Preheat operation

As shown in FIG. 9, the preheating operation starts in response to an event where a trigger to start heating the inhalation product 110 is detected in step S40. First, the controller 50 causes the temperature sensor 72 to start detecting the temperature of the heater 40 and causes the internal timer 55 to start measuring (step S52). Then, the controller 50 performs a temperature-raising preheating operation. Specifically, the controller 50 causes the power supply 20 to supply electric power to the heater 40, thereby raising the temperature of the heater 40 to a predetermined heating temperature. In more detail, electrical power, in particular, the maximum output power of the power supply 20 during the preheating operation, is supplied from the power supply 20 to the heater 40, to thereby raise the temperature of the heater 40 to a predetermined maximum heating temperature value (step S54).

[0107] The amount of electric power supplied from the power supply 20 to the heater 40 related to the "standard mode" heating profile is the same as the amount related to the "power mode" heating profile. In addition, the predetermined highest heating temperature is the predetermined highest heating temperature that can be detected by the temperature sensor 72 in the "standard mode" heating profile and the "powerful mode" heating profile, and it is preferable that the above temperature is, for example, 240 degrees. Celsius. With the above construction, it becomes possible to linearly increase the temperature of the heater 40 to 240 degrees Celsius at time t ₀ both in the heating profile of the "standard mode" and in the heating profile of the "powerful mode", in the preheating mode (Fig. 7 and 8 ). Meanwhile, the time t ₀ changes in accordance with the largest output power of the power supply 20 during the preheating operation.

[0108] The controller 50 uses the temperature sensor 72 and the timer 55 to determine whether the temperature of the heater 40 has reached the predetermined highest heating temperature (step S55). If the temperature of the heater 40 has not yet reached the predetermined highest heating temperature (No), the operation in step S54 continues for no more than 30 seconds. In case the temperature of the heater 40 has not reached the predetermined highest heating temperature after 30 seconds, it is preferable to stop the preheating operation on the assumption that the amount of output power of the electric power supply 20 is insufficient.

[0109] If the temperature of the heater 40 has reached the predetermined highest heating temperature in step S55 (YES), the controller 50 performs a temperature-keeping preheating operation that follows the temperature-up preheating operation. Specifically, the controller 50 continues the high temperature heating to maintain the temperature of the heater 40 at the highest heating temperature level for a certain period of time (step S56). The temperature-holding preheating operation of the "standard mode" heating profile is the same as that of the "strong mode" heating profile. In particular, the constant period of time t ₁ during which the highest heating temperature, ie 240 degrees Celsius, must be maintained, is common to all heating profiles; and, for example, it is preferable that the above time period be set in the range of 10 seconds to 15 seconds (14 seconds in this example) (FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0110] If the duration of the period in which high-temperature temperature maintenance heating is performed has reached the value of the constant time period t ₁ , and the preheating period for temperature maintenance has elapsed in step S57 (YES), the controller 50 stops the preheating operation and follows by this, starts the heating operation during inhalation.

[0111] (6-2) Heating operation during inhalation

After the preheating operation, the inhalation heating operation is performed as shown in FIG. 10 if the preheating operation period has elapsed (S57, YES).

[0112] First, the controller 50 continues high-temperature heating to further maintain the highest heating temperature of the heater 40 that was maintained by the temperature-keeping preheating operation (step S61). In the heating mode during inhalation, it is preferable that the constant time period t ₂ during which the high temperature heating is continued to maintain the temperature related to the "standard mode" heating profile is set differently from that related to the "powerful mode" heating profile. In particular, as regards the constant time period t ₂ during which the maximum heating temperature of 240 degrees Celsius must be maintained, it is preferably set to 1 second with respect to the "standard mode" heating profile (FIG. 7). On the other hand, it is preferred that it be set to 36 seconds with respect to the "high mode" heating profile (FIG. 8).

[0113] In this regard, it is not necessary for the "standard mode" heating profile to provide the user with a powerful inhalation feeling as strong as that provided by the "power mode" heating profile. That is, in view of the feeling of satisfaction that the user receives, the constant time period t ₂ during which the highest heating temperature is to be maintained in the "standard mode" heating profile can be set to be shorter than the constant time period t ₂ in the "power mode" heating profile. ".

[0114] It is known to those skilled in the art that the aroma balance of the generated aerosol varies depending on the heating temperature. Thus, the user can choose, depending on the degree of user satisfaction, the inhalation experience during which this balance in terms of aroma does not change, by preparing heating profiles that have been designed in such a way that the corresponding heating periods of the respective heating profiles to maintain the highest heating temperature in the heating mode during inhalation were set different from each other.

[0115] If the duration of the period of time during which the high-temperature heating is performed to maintain the temperature has reached the constant time period t ₂ in step S62 (YES), the controller 50 ends, in the inhalation heating operation, the high-temperature heating operation to maintain the highest heating temperature and starts the temperature reduction operation. Specifically, in order to lower the temperature of the heater 40 to the predetermined temperature at a predetermined rate, the controller 50 executes control such that heating to lower the temperature is performed for a constant time period t ₃ (step S63). Preferably, the constant time period t ₃ for lowering the temperature relating to the "standard mode" heating profile is set to be different from the period relating to the "power mode" heating profile.

[0116] In more detail, it is preferred that the constant time period t ₃ in the case of a "standard mode" heating profile be set in the range of 30 seconds to 50 seconds (45 seconds in this example) (FIG. 7). On the other hand, it is preferable that in the case of a "high mode" heating profile, it be set in the range of 60 seconds to 90 seconds (80 seconds in this example) (FIG. 8). That is, with respect to the constant time period t ₃ , the temperature drops in the "standard mode" heating profile at a rate greater than the temperature drop rate in the "power mode" heating profile. Therefore, in the temperature reduction mode, it is preferable that the temperature of the heater 40 be reduced to 200 degrees Celsius in the "standard mode" heating profile, and on the other hand, it is preferable that the temperature be reduced to 205 degrees Celsius in the "strong mode" heating profile. ". It should be recalled that 200 degrees Celsius can be considered a temperature essentially identical to 205 degrees Celsius, as explained above. This is because the temperature difference between the two is the difference that prevents the user from feeling the change (in terms of flavor).

[0117] In this regard, it is not necessary for the "standard mode" heating profile to provide the user with powerful inhalation sensations as strong as those provided by the "power mode" heating profile. That is, in view of the feeling of satisfaction that the user receives, the constant time period t ₃ in the "standard mode" heating profile can be set to be less than the constant time period t ₃ in the "power mode" heating profile. In addition, with regard to the temperature reduction, the temperatures to be reduced relating to the "standard mode" heating profile can be set to be lower than those pertaining to the "strong mode" heating profile.

[0118] By setting a constant time period t ₁ to maintain the highest heating temperature and a constant time period t ₃ to lower the temperature related to each heating profile to be different from those of other heating profiles, it becomes possible to flexibly provide the user with various inhalation options corresponding to the modes of operation. That is, the user feels that it is intuitive and the quality of inhalation can be improved.

[0119] If the duration of the time period during which heating to lower the temperature is performed has reached the constant time period t ₃ in step S64 (YES), the controller 50 stops the temperature lowering operation and starts the low temperature heating operation in the inhalation heating mode. Specifically, for a period of time until the electric power supply to the heater 40 is stopped, the controller 50 continues the low-temperature heating to maintain the temperature of the heater 40 at the temperature that was reached by lowering the temperature in step S63 (step S65). Preferably, the low temperature heating constant time period t ₄ relating to the "standard mode" heating profile is set differently than the time period relating to the "high mode" heating profile.

[0120] In particular, in this example, it is preferred that the constant time period t ₄ in the case of a "standard mode" heating profile be set to 214 seconds (FIG. 7). On the other hand, it is preferable that in the case of the "high mode" heating profile in this example, the value be set to 144 seconds (FIG. 8). That is, with regard to the constant time period t ₄ , the length of time that the low temperature is maintained in the case of the “standard mode” heating profile is longer than in the case of the “high mode” heating profile, in terms of the degree of satisfaction that the user receives. .

[0121] If the duration of the period during which low-temperature heating is performed has reached the constant time period t ₄ in step S66 (Yes), the controller 50 stops the low-temperature heating and stops the electric power supply from the power supply 20 to the heater 40 in the heating mode during inhalation . Specifically, the controller 50 performs control such that the electric power supply is stopped for a constant time period t ₅ , thereby lowering the temperature of the heater 40 (step S67). More specifically, it is preferred that the constant time period t ₅ be set to a common "standard mode" and "power mode" heating profile of 144 seconds (FIG. 8 and FIG. 9).

[0122] If the duration of the time period during which the electric power supply is stopped has reached the constant time period t ₅ in step S68 (YES), the controller 50 finally stops the heating operation during inhalation (END). Preferably, in this example, the duration of the series of heating operations during inhalation is set to be 270 seconds common between the "standard mode" heating profile and the "power mode" heating profile (FIGS. 8 and 9).

[0123] By setting the heating sequence period during inhalation to be common between the "standard mode" heating profile and the "powerful mode" heating profile, as explained above, the user can terminate the inhalation action at the same time, so that the user will not feel any difference between the modes of operation regarding "standard mode" and "power mode". That is, the user feels that it is intuitive and the quality of inhalation can be improved.

[0124] (7) Modification examples

(7-1) Examples of modifying heating profiles

In the above description it is explained that certain time periods t ₁ -t ₅ that are set in relation to the heating profiles are set to predetermined values. However, the structures are not limited to those described above, and in the modification example, instead of information about certain time periods 11-15, for example, a certain number of inhaling actions of the user can be set. In the case where the heating profile is set using the number of breaths, it is preferable that the controller 50 cause the inhalation sensor 74 to detect the number of breaths during the user's inhalation.

[0125] In the case where the number of inhalation actions as described above is applied, the actual past records of the user's inhalation actions are dynamically returned via feedback; so that the user feels it more intuitively, and the quality of the inhalation experience can be improved.

[0126] In addition, the values of the heating temperature and heating periods in the examples of heating profiles in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are just examples; and the person skilled in the art will appreciate that, in reality, in terms of the quality of inhalation that is provided to the user and/or in terms of user satisfaction, the values can be set differently depending on the characteristics of the inhalation products 110.

[0127] (7-2) Notifier modification examples

The above description explains that the notifier 60 may include a plurality of LEDs 18a-18e, and each of them generates different types of light emission patterns (turning on, off, and turning on and off again) using one or more colors. In addition, it is explained that a vibration motor can be provided to create various types of vibration patterns and combine the vibration patterns with the light emission patterns of the plurality of LEDs 18a to 18e. However, the structures and forms of notification of the notifier 60 are not limited to those described above; and any design for providing explicit notification to the user can be used, and notification can be implemented by light, vibration, display and sound, and combinations thereof, and the like. With the above construction, a more flexible notification mode can be realized for the user.

[0128] For example, notifier 60 may include, in addition to a plurality of LEDs 18a-18e and a vibration motor, one or more speakers and may be designed to provide a sound-based notification to the user. In another design, the notifier 60 may include one or more displays and may be designed to provide a notification to the user by displaying information in the form of letters/images on the display or displays.

[0129] <Other Embodiments>

In the above description, inhalers and methods according to some embodiments have been explained with reference to the drawings. It should be understood that the present invention may be implemented as a program for causing a processor to execute an inhaler control method when the program is executed by the processor, or a computer-readable storage medium on which the program is stored.

[0130] In the above description, embodiments of the present invention have been explained along with their modification examples and application modes; and in this respect it is to be understood that they are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention. It should be understood that a change, addition, modification, etc. with regard to embodiments, can be performed accordingly without deviating from the essence and scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not to be limited by any of the embodiments explained above, and is only defined by the claims and their equivalents.

LIST OF REFERENCES

[0131] 10 - Inhaler; 11 (11A, 11B) - Housing; 12 - Cover; 12a - Hole; 13 - Shutter; 14 - Manipulation button; 110 - Inhalation product (base material for the formation of an aerosol); 110A - Part with base material; 110V - Part with a suction hole; 111 - Filler; 112, 113 - Paper for curling; 114 - Part with paper tube; 115 - Filter; 116 - Part with a hollow segment; 15 - Ventilation hole; 16 - Cover; 17 - Outer rib; 20 - Power supply; 21 - Power supply; 22 - Connector for external connection; 30 - Scheme; 31, 32 - Fee; 40 - Heater; 41 - Heating unit; 42 - Receiving block; 50 - Controller; 60 - Notifier; 62 - Mode switching notifier; 64 - Notifier of the preheating period; 66 - Notifier of completion of preheating; 68 - Notifier of the heating period; 70 - Sensor; 72 - Temperature sensor; 74 - Inhalation sensor; 76 - Pressure sensor; 78 - Open state sensor; 80 - Memory; 90 Connector.

Claims (53)

1. An inhaler containing: a receiving device for receiving an inhalation product; a heater for heating the inserted inhalation product; a power source for supplying electrical power to the heater; a memory for storing data relating to a plurality of heating profiles; a controller for controlling the operation of the inhaler based on a plurality of heating profiles; And temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the heater; wherein the controller performs a preheat operation that is common to multiple heating profiles, and the preheating step that is common to a plurality of heating profiles includes a first preheating step to maintain a heater temperature at an identical first heating temperature level during a first heating period that is common to a plurality of heating profiles. 2. The inhaler according to claim. 1, in which the first heating temperature is the predetermined highest temperature of the heater, as determined by the temperature sensor, for the plurality of heating profiles. 3. The inhaler according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined highest heating temperature is 240 degrees Celsius. 4. The inhaler according to claim 1, in which the preheating operation, which is common to a plurality of heating profiles, further includes a second preheating operation, which is performed before the first preheating operation, to increase the temperature of the heater to the first heating temperature by supplying electric power, which is common to a plurality of heating profiles, from the power supply to the heater. 5. The inhaler according to claim 4, wherein the amount of electrical power supplied during the second preheating operation is based on the maximum power output of the power supply during the second preheating operation. 6. The inhaler according to claim. 4, additionally containing the first notifier, wherein the controller causes the first notifier to perform a notification action in the first form during the first preheating operation, and causes the first notifier to perform a notification action in the second form, which is different from the first form, during the second preheating operation. 7. The inhaler according to claim 6, in which the first notifier contains a plurality of LEDs, and the first shape and the second shape are constructed using different light emission patterns generated by combinations of a plurality of LEDs. 8. The inhaler according to claim. 1, additionally containing a second notifier; wherein the controller causes the second notifier to perform a notification action for notifying the completion at a time that is common to the plurality of heating profiles in response to the completion of the preheating operation that is common to the plurality of heating profiles. 9. The inhaler according to claim 8, in which the second notifier contains a vibration motor, and the completion notice is the vibration of the vibration motor. 10. The inhaler according to claim. 1, further comprising a manipulation button, to which the user applies a pressing force, whereby the controller performs, in response to pressing, which is performed a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period of time, switching between a plurality of operating modes based on a plurality of heating profiles. 11. The inhaler according to claim 10, additionally containing a third notifier, wherein the controller causes the third notifier to perform a notification action in the third form for the switch notification. 12. The inhaler according to claim. 1, additionally containing: a shutter that is capable of opening a hole related to the receiving unit; and an open state sensor for detecting an open state of the hole, wherein the controller is capable of switching between a plurality of operation modes based on a plurality of heating profiles only when the hole is open. 13. The inhaler according to claim 1, in which after the pre-heating operation, the controller performs the heating operation during inhalation, the step of heating during inhalation includes the step of maintaining the temperature of the heater at the first heating temperature during the second heating period, and the respective second heating periods in the respective heating profiles of the plurality of heating profiles are different from each other. 14. The inhaler according to claim 13, in which the plurality of heating profiles include a first heating profile and a second heating profile, the second heating period in the first heating profile is shorter than the second heating period in the second heating profile, and the temperature of the heater after the expiration of the second heating period in the first heating profile falls to the second heating temperature faster than the temperature of the heater after the expiration of the second heating period in the second heating profile. 15. The method of operation of the inhaler, which is inserted into the inhalation product, including: step of setting one of the plurality of heating profiles; a start detecting step for starting heating of the inhalation product; a preheating step in accordance with one of the heating profiles of the inhalation product, this step including determining the temperature of the heater and maintaining the same first heating temperature during the first heating period, which is common among the plurality of heating profiles; And the step of forming the inhalation components by heating the inhalation product in accordance with the heating profile. 16. The method according to claim 15, in which the first heating temperature is a predetermined highest heating temperature of the heater for the heating profile. 17. The method according to claim 15, in which the preheating step further includes raising the temperature of the heater to a first heating temperature by supplying electrical power that is common to the plurality of heating profiles. 18. The method according to claim 15, in which the step of forming the inhalation components includes maintaining the temperature of the heater at the first heating temperature during the second heating period following the first heating period, and the respective second heating periods in the respective heating profiles of the plurality of heating profiles are different from each other. 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising: a step of detecting a state where the shutter provided in the inhaler has opened the opening for receiving the inhalation product, and a step of executing, in response to a predetermined user manipulation applied to the inhaler, switching between a plurality of operating modes based on a plurality of heating profiles, however, switching is only allowed when the opening is open.