WO2024253478A1 - Heater having plurality of heating regions and aerosol-generating device including same - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a heater having a plurality of heating regions and an aerosol-generating device including the same and, more particularly, to: a heater that has a plurality of heating regions directly formed on a heating pipe and can improve the amount of mist that is generated and power efficiency through the individual control of each of the heating regions; and an aerosol-generating device including the same. The heater according to embodiments includes: a pipe-shaped metal structure capable of accommodating a cigarette; a first insulating layer directly formed on the outer circumferential surface of the metal structure; an electrode layer directly formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first insulating layer; a heat generating layer directly formed on the outer circumferential surface of the first insulating layer and electrically connected to the electrode layer; and a second insulating layer protecting the first insulating layer, the electrode layer, and the heat generating layer. The heat generating layer includes a plurality of heat generating regions arranged in the flow direction of an air current, and the heating of each of the heat generating regions is individually controlled.

Description

Heater having multiple heating zones and aerosol generating device including the same

The embodiments relate to a heater having a plurality of heating zones and an aerosol generating device including the same, and more specifically, to a heater having a plurality of heating zones formed directly on a heating pipe, and capable of improving the amount of smoke generated and power efficiency through individual control of each heating zone, and an aerosol generating device including the same.

Inhalation of aerosols, or fine particles in the air, can be achieved by inhaling a substance, such as smoking. In the past, cigarettes were almost the only means of inhaling such substances, but recently, electronic cigarettes have also established themselves as another means. Electronic cigarettes vaporize the substance into vapor by applying heat or ultrasound to a cartridge containing the substance in liquid form, thereby generating fine particles. Therefore, they are completely different in method from conventional cigarettes that generate smoke by combustion, and have the advantage of being able to prevent the generation of various harmful substances that can be generated by combustion.

In addition, in response to the needs of consumers who prefer conventional cigarettes in the form of a cigarette, an aerosol-forming article having the shape of a conventional cigarette's filter portion and a cigarette portion has also been proposed. This method has a configuration in which an aerosol-forming substrate included in the cigarette portion (substrate portion) of the cigarette-shaped aerosol-forming article is vaporized by an electronic heater, while the user inhales through the filter portion having the same configuration as a conventional cigarette. That is, when the cigarette-shaped aerosol-forming article is placed in a holder and a heater inside the holder is heated to vaporize the aerosol-forming substrate inside the substrate portion, the user can inhale the vaporized aerosol-forming substrate through the filter portion.

The heater included in the aerosol generating device is a key element directly related to the user experience of the aerosol generating device, and in particular, it must be able to quickly heat up to the operating temperature and uniformly transfer heat to the aerosol-forming article inserted inside throughout the heating cycle. In addition, providing a uniform taste and a rich amount of vapor from the initial operation of the aerosol generating device to the final completion of operation is an important element for the user experience. Therefore, as a prior art for improving the heater structure, Korean Patent No. 10-2323782 discloses a heater structure including a heat-resistant metal pipe, a heating pattern, and a sensor pattern. However, there is room for improvement in terms of improving the user experience through providing a rich amount of vapor and a uniform taste.

Fig. 1 is a drawing showing an example of a heater of an aerosol generating device according to the prior art. The heater of the aerosol generating device according to the prior art is of a blade type, and a blade-type heater is inserted into an aerosol-forming article (A). The blade-type heater is electrically insulated and has a plurality of electrically conductive tracks (13) formed on a solid substrate (11), and a wiring (15) for applying power to the conductive tracks (13) is extended outside the substrate (11).

FIG. 2 is a drawing showing another example of a heater of an aerosol generating device according to the prior art. The heater of the aerosol generating device includes a first part (29) having a conductive track (23) formed on an electrically insulating substrate (21) and a wiring (25) for applying power to the conductive track (23), and a second part (31) having an insulating reflective honeycomb structure (27) formed on an electrically insulating substrate (21). The first part (29) is positioned on the inside and the second part (31) is positioned on the outside, thereby forming a heater by winding it into a tube shape.

However, the heater of the aerosol generating device according to the prior art has the disadvantage that the installation of a sensor for measuring the temperature of the heater is complicated, and the heat generated from the conductive track (23) is difficult to evenly transfer to the aerosol generating article.

To improve these points, the applicant has proposed a structure in which a heating element (20) having a heating pattern attached to an insulating film is installed on the outer surface of a cylindrical metal structure (10), as illustrated in FIG. 3. A temperature sensor (30) is installed on the outer surface of the heating element (30), and then a shrink tube (40) is heated and shrunk to secure the heating layer (20) to the metal structure (10). However, since the shrink tube (40) used at this time is a PTFE series material containing fluorine, there is a problem in that toxic chemical substances are emitted when heated above 200°C.

The embodiments aim to provide a heater having a plurality of heating zones by forming a heating pattern directly on the outer surface of a heating pipe, which is easy to assemble and at the same time improves thermal efficiency, and an aerosol generating device including the heater.

In addition, the embodiments aim to provide a heater having multiple heating zones and an aerosol generating device including the same, which can selectively control heating for each of the multiple heating zones to increase the preheating speed and heating efficiency and increase the amount of smoke, thereby improving the user experience.

In addition, the embodiments aim to provide a heater having a plurality of heating zones and an aerosol generating device including the same, which can prevent a burnt taste while improving power efficiency through heating zone-specific control.

In one embodiment, a heater having a plurality of heating regions comprises a substrate portion positioned upstream in the flow of airflow and a filter portion positioned downstream, for heating a cigarette inserted therein to generate an aerosol, the heater comprising: a pipe-shaped metal structure capable of accommodating a cigarette; a first insulating layer formed directly on an outer surface of the metal structure; an electrode layer formed directly on the outer surface of the first insulating layer; a heating layer formed directly on the outer surface of the first insulating layer and electrically connected to the electrode layer; and a second insulating layer protecting the first insulating layer, the electrode layer and the heating layer, wherein the heating layer comprises a plurality of heating regions arranged in the direction of the flow of airflow, and heating of each heating region is individually controlled.

In another embodiment, a heater having a plurality of heating zones is formed by applying a glass component and then sintering the first insulating layer.

In another embodiment, a heater having a plurality of heating zones is formed by applying a metal paste and then sintering the heating layer.

In another embodiment, a heater having a plurality of heating zones is provided, wherein the metal paste is formed by mixing at least one of graphene, platinum-based ruthenium (ruthenox), palladium, and silver.

In another embodiment, the heater has a plurality of heating zones, each heating zone being composed of a heating pattern, multiple heating patterns, or a planar heating element.

In another embodiment, a heater having a plurality of heating regions is provided, wherein the first insulating layer, the heating layer, and the second insulating layer have holes at the same location, such that a metal structure is exposed through the holes, and a thermocouple wire for detecting the temperature of the heater is directly connected to the metal structure exposed through the holes.

In one embodiment, an aerosol generating device comprises a heater having a plurality of heating zones of any embodiment, a case forming an exterior and protecting internal components, a control unit individually controlling the plurality of heating zones of the heater, and a battery for supplying power, wherein the plurality of heating zones include a first heating zone arranged furthest downstream, the first heating zone extending further downstream from a downstream boundary of a substrate portion of a cigarette accommodated in a metal structure.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device has a first heating region extending downstream from the downstream boundary of the substrate portion for a length of no more than 7 mm.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that controls the temperature of the heating region using a temperature change resistance (TCR) of the heating layer.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a substrate portion of a cigarette housed in a metal structure including a tobacco layer and an aerocore layer, and different heating regions among a plurality of heating regions of the heater heat the tobacco layer and the aerocore layer, respectively.

In another embodiment, the aerosol-generating device comprises a cigarette housed in a metal structure having a sensible pattern comprising cigarette information, the aerosol-generating device further comprising an inductive sensor for detecting the sensible pattern of the cigarette, and the metal structure has an opening with a portion of a lower portion removed to expose the sensible pattern so as to be sensed by the inductive sensor.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device has the inductive sensor extending to a position that overlaps the opening.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that controls, within a single heating cycle, the heating timing of at least one of the plurality of heating zones to be different.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device has a heating temperature of the plurality of heating zones not exceeding 350°C.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that controls, within a single heating cycle, a first heating zone among a plurality of heating zones to heat first.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that controls the plurality of heating zones to heat in a sequence from downstream to upstream within a single heating cycle.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a heating layer comprising at least three heating zones.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device further comprises an air heater positioned upstream of the heater for heating an airflow flowing into the heater.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a heating layer including a second heating region arranged directly upstream of a first heating region, a third heating region arranged directly upstream of the second heating region, and a fourth heating region arranged directly upstream of the third heating region.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that controls either one of the first heating zone and the second heating zone, or one of the third heating zone and the fourth heating zone to generate heat simultaneously.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device has a drive circuit connected to the electrical path between the battery and the heater that applies power from the battery to a plurality of heating regions included in the heating layer of the heater.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device has a plurality of heating zones connected one-to-one with a plurality of driving circuits, and the control unit controls the heating temperature of each heating zone by controlling each driving circuit.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device has a switching element connected to an electrical path between a driving circuit and a heater, a plurality of heating regions are connected one-to-one with the plurality of switching elements, and a control unit controls the heating temperature of each heating region by controlling each driving circuit and each switching element.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is controlled by the control unit outputting a signal with a fixed duty ratio to the first heating region.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device further includes a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the first heating region, and the control unit performs feedback control by adjusting a duty ratio of a signal output to the first heating region based on detection results of the first temperature sensor.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a heating cycle performed by the control unit including a preheating step and an aerosol generating step divided into a plurality of sections, wherein the control unit controls such that in all sections of the aerosol generating step, at least two or more energized operating sections and at least one or more non-energized non-energized operating sections are included among the plurality of heating sections.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that, during the aerosol generating step, switches at least one of the operative regions to a non-operative region when the section is switched.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that, during the aerosol generating step, switches at least one non-operating region to an operating region when the region is switched.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that, during the aerosol generating step, controls at least one operative region that is not switched to a non-operative region during any transition.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that, in the aerosol generating step, controls each of the plurality of heating zones to become an operating zone at least once.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that, in the aerosol generating step, controls each of the plurality of heating zones to become a non-operating zone at least once.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that controls the operating area so that, in the aerosol generating step, the heating temperature of the operating area is maintained above a predetermined aerosol generating temperature.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device has at least two heating zones having different aerosol generating temperatures.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a heating cycle performed by the control unit, wherein a preheating step is followed by an aerosol generating step, and the control unit controls at least one of the plurality of heating zones to maintain an aerosol generating temperature above a predetermined temperature throughout the aerosol generating step.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that, in the aerosol generating step, controls the heating temperature of each heating region among the plurality of heating regions to reach a predetermined aerosol generating temperature or higher at least once.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that controls the average of the heating temperatures of a plurality of heating regions to remain below a predetermined threshold temperature throughout the aerosol generating step.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that controls the aerosol generating device such that, throughout the aerosol generating step, an average of the heating temperatures of a plurality of heating regions is maintained above a predetermined aerosol generating temperature.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that, in the aerosol generating step, controls a plurality of heating regions to generate heat with a predetermined phase, amplitude, cycle, and waveform, respectively.

In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device comprises a control unit that, in the aerosol generating step, controls a plurality of heating regions to all generate heat with the same amplitude, cycle, and waveform.

According to embodiments, rather than forming the heating pattern on a separate film and then installing it on the outer surface of the heating pipe, the heating pattern is formed directly on the heating pipe, thereby omitting the film assembly process and also omitting a separate component, such as a shrink tube, for fixing and sealing the film.

In addition, according to embodiments, since the heater has multiple heating zones, customized heating of each zone of the cigarette is possible through individual control of the heating temperature and heating timing.

Additionally, according to embodiments, individual control of multiple heating zones can increase the initial smoke output and improve the sensory sensation in the latter half.

In addition, according to the embodiments, in the heating step, at least two or more of the plurality of heating regions are heated simultaneously, so that the heating area is expanded compared to the conventional simple cross-heating control, thereby increasing the amount of smoke, and at the same time, there is an effect of enabling faster temperature increase compared to a single heater configuration.

Additionally, according to embodiments, at least one heater in each section of the heating step heats two sections in succession, so that the amount of smoke does not decrease in the crossing section.

Additionally, according to embodiments, in the heating step, at least one heating zone is not operated, thereby preventing overheating, burnt taste, and power waste.

In addition, according to embodiments, since at least two of the plurality of heating regions have different heating temperatures, they can be appropriately heated according to the difference in the transport speed of the aerosol-forming substrate by region, thereby preventing a burnt taste and increasing power efficiency.

Figure 1 is a drawing showing an example of a heater of an aerosol generating device according to the prior art;

Figure 2 is a drawing showing another example of a heater of an aerosol generating device according to the prior art;

Figure 3 is a drawing showing the heating element installation structure of the heater of an aerosol generating device according to another conventional technology.

Figure 4 is a schematic exploded view of a heater having multiple heating regions according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a temperature sensor soldering part of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to the first embodiment;

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a heating layer of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to the second embodiment;

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a heating layer of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a drawing illustrating a temperature sensor soldering part of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional drawing of an aerosol generating device including a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to the fourth embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a metal structure (100a) of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to the fifth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an aerosol generating device including a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing a cigarette sensing appearance of an aerosol generating device including a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to the fifth embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the internal configuration of an aerosol generating device (1) including a heater (1000) having a plurality of heating regions according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a block diagram illustrating functional components to explain the control relationship of the aerosol generating device (1).

Figure 15 is an enlarged view of a heater (1000) having a plurality of heating regions and a cigarette accommodated therein, among the cross-sectional views of Figure 13.

FIG. 16 is a circuit diagram for explaining the connection relationship between the control unit (300) of the aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the battery (400), a plurality of heating areas (141, 142, 143, 144), and the air heater (500).

Figure 17 is a flow chart showing a control method of an aerosol generating device (1) that can be performed by a control unit (300) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 18 is a flow chart for explaining the detailed steps of the aerosol generation step (s200) that can be performed by the control unit (300) according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a method for controlling multiple heating zones in an aerosol generation step (s200) that can be performed by a control unit (300) according to the first embodiment of the present invention ((a) of FIG. 19)) and a method for controlling multiple heating zones according to the prior art ((b) of FIG. 19).

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a method of controlling multiple heating areas in an aerosol generation step (s200) that can be performed by a control unit (300) of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a graph of the heating temperature of a plurality of heating regions in the aerosol generating step (s200) to explain a control method that can be performed by the control unit (300) of the aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a graph of the heating temperature of a plurality of heating regions in the aerosol generating step (s200) to explain a control method that can be performed by the control unit (300) of the aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 23 is a graph of the heating temperature of a plurality of heaters to explain a control method that can be performed by a control unit of an aerosol generating device according to the prior art.

Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a schematic exploded view of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to the first embodiment. The heater can be used for generating an aerosol in an aerosol generating device. In particular, the heater accommodates and heats an aerosol-forming article in the form of a cigarette (hereinafter referred to as a “cigarette”) therein, thereby converting an aerosol-forming substrate contained in the cigarette into an aerosol so that the user can inhale it. At this time, the user can inhale the aerosol derived from the aerosol-forming substrate by generating an airflow from the bottom to the top with reference to FIG. 4 and the drawings below through a puffing action. In a general usage pattern of such an aerosol generating device, assuming an airflow from the bottom to the top, the bottom may be conveniently referred to as “upstream” and the top may be referred to as “downstream.”

A cigarette inserted into a heater having a plurality of heating zones as described above may include, for example, a substrate portion positioned upstream and a filter portion positioned downstream. The substrate portion may include an aerosol-forming substrate for conversion into an aerosol, such as nicotine or VG (vegetable glycerin) or PG (propylene glycol). The filter portion may also include a filter for filtering out incompletely vaporized liquid, which is intended to come into contact with the user's lips, and may further include a cooling structure, such as a cavity of a predetermined length, for cooling the heated airflow.

Looking at the structure of the heater of this embodiment, a first insulating layer (120) is formed on the outer surface of a pipe-shaped metal structure (100) capable of accommodating a cigarette, an electrode layer (130) and a heating layer (140) are formed on the outer surface of the first insulating layer (120), and a second insulating layer (150) is formed to protect these.

The metal structure (100) is generally manufactured from stainless steel and has sufficient strength and heat resistance. Unlike the conventional technique where a separate heat-generating film is manufactured and attached to the metal structure (100), the heat-generating layer (140) formed on the outer surface of the metal structure (100) is formed through direct coating and sintering on the outer surface of the metal structure (100).

First, a first insulating layer (120) is formed on the outer surface of the metal structure (100), and the first insulating layer (120) forms a high-strength glass coating layer through a process in which a glass layer is applied and then sintered. The glass layer is heated to 1000° C. and sintered to form the first insulating layer (120). The first insulating layer (120) formed by sintering the glass coating layer has a thin thickness of about 0.1 mm and can smoothly transfer heat from the heating layer (140) to the metal structure (100).

Afterwards, an electrode layer (130) and a heating layer (140) are patterned on the outer surface of the first insulating layer (120) using a metal paste, and a sintering process is performed again. The metal paste forming the electrode layer (130) is formed by mixing at least one of graphene, platinum-based ruthenium (ruthenox), palladium, and silver.

The heating layer (140) may include a plurality of heating regions arranged in the direction of the airflow. In the present embodiment, the heating layer (140) includes a first heating region (141) arranged at the most downstream side to heat a downstream portion of the substrate portion of the cigarette being received, and a second heating region (142) arranged directly upstream therefrom to heat an upstream portion of the substrate portion of the cigarette being received. In the embodiments, the heating of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142) included in the heating layer (140) may be controlled separately. In the present embodiment, the heating layer (140) is formed as a planar heating layer rather than a form in which heating lines are formed.

Afterwards, a second insulating layer (150) is formed again, and, in the formation of the second insulating layer (150), a glass coating layer can be utilized, similar to the first insulating layer (120).

At this time, masking areas (125, 135, 145, 155) may be formed in the first insulating layer (120), the electrode layer (130), the heating layer (140), and the second insulating layer (150) in order to attach a temperature sensor so as to measure the heating temperature of the heater. Before forming the first insulating layer (120), the electrode layer (130), the heating layer (140), and the second insulating layer (150), masking may be performed using a masking member, and after forming the first insulating layer (120), the electrode layer (130), the heating layer (140), and the second insulating layer (150), the masking member may be removed, thereby forming a masking area in which the metal structure (100) is exposed.

FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a temperature sensor soldering portion of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to the first embodiment. The masking region can be utilized as a soldering portion of a temperature sensor directly attached to a metal structure (100). Since separate heating regions are formed in the metal structure (100) by a plurality of heating regions (141, 142), temperature sensors can also be provided separately for each heating region.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a heating layer of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to a second embodiment. The heating layer illustrated in Fig. 6 illustrates one heating region among a plurality of heating regions formed in a metal structure. In the heating layer of the heater according to the second embodiment, each heating region is formed by one heating pattern. That is, for example, a first heating region is formed by one heating pattern, and a second heating region is formed by one heating pattern.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a heating layer of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to a third embodiment. The heating layer of the heater according to the third embodiment is formed of a plurality of heating patterns in which each heating region is formed in parallel. That is, for example, a plurality of parallel heating patterns are formed between electrodes that apply power to a first heating region, and a plurality of parallel heating patterns are formed between electrodes that apply power to a second heating region.

Fig. 8 is a drawing illustrating a temperature sensor soldering portion of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to a third embodiment. Referring to Figs. 7 and 8, the heater according to the third embodiment does not have a masking region formed. Instead, the temperature of the heater can be controlled using the temperature change resistance (TCR) of the heating layer.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-section of an aerosol generating device including a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to a fourth embodiment. An aerosol-generating article, a cigarette, used in the aerosol generating device includes a substrate part and a filter part as described above, and in particular, in the present embodiment, the substrate part is configured to further include a first substrate part (T1) as an aerocore layer and a second substrate part (T2) as a tobacco body layer. The first substrate part (T1) and the second substrate part (T2) may be formed with different compositions. For example, the first substrate part (T1) as an aerocore layer may be a mixture including at least one of VG (vegetable glycerin), PG (propylene glycol), a flavoring agent, and a drug, which are liquid, gel, or solid at room temperature as an aerosol-forming substrate. In addition, the second substrate part (T2) as a tobacco body layer may be composed of a general curing agent used in conventional cigarettes. In this example, the aerosol generated from the first substrate portion (T1), which is the aerocore layer, assists the aerosol generated by heating the second substrate portion (T2), which is the tobacco body layer, thereby increasing the amount of smoke. The aerosol generated from the first substrate portion (T1) and the second substrate portion (T2) passes through the filter portion (F) and is inhaled by the user. In addition, in this example, the second substrate portion (T2), which is the tobacco body layer, is positioned upstream of the cigarette, and the first substrate portion (T1), which is the aerocore layer, is positioned downstream of the cigarette.

A heater having multiple heating regions can heat different substrate parts (T1, T2) among the multiple heating regions included in the heating layer. For example, a first heating region (141) can heat a first substrate part (T1) that is an aerocore layer, and a second heating region (142) can heat a second substrate part (T2) that is a tobacco layer.

At this time, it is preferable that the first heating region, which is arranged furthest downstream among the plurality of heating regions, extends further in the downstream direction from the downstream boundary of the substrate portion of the cigarette accommodated in the metal structure. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 9, it is preferable that the height (h2) at which the first heating region (141) extends downstream is longer than the height (h1) of the downstream boundary of the first substrate portion (T1). That is, the first heating region (141) extends further downstream than the end of the substrate portion to heat up to a part of the filter (F). Accordingly, when the first substrate portion (T1), particularly the first substrate portion (T1), is an aerocore layer, there is an advantage in that the aerosol can be vaporized more easily, thereby increasing the amount of smoke.

FIG. 10 is a drawing illustrating a metal structure (100a) of a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to a fifth embodiment, FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an aerosol generating device including a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to a fifth embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cigarette sensing appearance of an aerosol generating device including a heater having a plurality of heating regions according to a fifth embodiment.

The aerosol-generating article, a cigarette, used in the aerosol-generating device according to the fifth embodiment includes, similarly to the fourth embodiment, a first substrate portion (T1) as an aerocore layer, a second substrate portion (T2) as a tobacco body layer, and a filter portion (F). In this embodiment, it is preferable that the height of the upstream end of the second heating region extending downstream is higher than or equal to the height of the upstream end of the second substrate portion (T2), and FIG. 11 illustrates an example in which the height of the upstream end of the second substrate portion (T2) and the height of the upstream end of the second heating region are formed to be the same (h3).

A cigarette accommodated in a metal structure (100a) of an aerosol generating device according to a fifth embodiment may have a sensible pattern (P) including information about the cigarette in wrapping paper, such that the aerosol generating device can automatically control a heating profile of the cigarette by sensing. The sensible pattern (P) may be printed, for example, with a conductive material, and may be detected by an inductive sensor (S) included in the aerosol generating device.

However, the metal structure (100a) forming the heater into which the cigarette is inserted makes it impossible to sense the sensible pattern (P) by the inductive sensor (S). Therefore, an opening (102a) is provided by removing a portion of the lower part of the metal structure (100a) so that the sensible pattern (P) can be exposed so that it can be sensed by the inductive sensor (S). A portion of the lower part is not removed and is utilized as a supporter (103a) for setting the installation height of the heater within the device.

At this time, it is preferable that the height of the upper part (downstream end) of the inductive sensor (S) be extended to a position higher than the lower part of the supporter (103a), that is, to a position that can overlap with the open part (102a).

FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the internal configuration of an aerosol generating device (1) including a heater (1000) having a plurality of heating regions according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating functional components in order to explain the control relationship of the aerosol generating device (1). The aerosol generating device (1) of the present embodiment is a portable aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol by heating a cigarette-shaped aerosol-forming article (cigarette) including a substrate portion (T) and a filter portion (F) when the article is inserted, and may include a case (210) that forms an exterior and accommodates and protects other components, and a heater (1000) having the aforementioned plurality of heating regions that accommodates and heats the cigarette inside the case (210). In the drawings below, a heater (1000) having a plurality of heating regions is illustrated as a metal structure (100), a heating layer (140), and heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144), and the illustration of the first insulating layer (120), the electrode layer (130), and the second insulating layer (150) is omitted. This is for convenience of explanation, and it is to be made clear that such omission does not necessarily mean that the implementation is omitted.

The aerosol generating device (1) of Fig. 13 also includes a control unit (300) for individually controlling a plurality of heating areas (141, 142, 143, 144) of the heater (1000) and a battery (400) for supplying power to the components. In addition, other known elements for operating the aerosol generating device (1) may also be included. For example, input elements such as operation buttons and display means such as LEDs may also be included, but detailed drawings and descriptions of known elements that can be sufficiently predicted by those skilled in the art are omitted.

The case (210) is made of a rigid material with a size that a person can carry, and can accommodate and protect other components inside it. The airflow path (230) has at least one side communicating with the outside of the case (210), and the other side communicating with the inside of the heater (1000), that is, the inside of the metal structure (100), so as to introduce outside air into the inside of the heater (1000), thereby generating an inhalation flow mixed with aerosol generated from a cigarette accommodated by the heater (1000). Accordingly, depending on the user's puffing action, the aerosol mixed with outside air flows along the airflow path (230) in the direction of the airflow indicated by the arrow, and can be inhaled by the user.

The heater (1000) is configured to heat at least a substrate portion (T) of an accepted cigarette to generate an aerosol. A plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) included in the heater (1000) can be individually controlled by the control unit (300). In the present embodiment and the following embodiments, the heating layer (140) of the heater (1000) is configured with four heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) as a preferred embodiment. That is, the heating layer (140) of the heater (1000) in the present embodiment is configured to include a first heating region (141) arranged at the most downstream, a second heating region (142) arranged directly upstream thereof, a third heating region (143) arranged directly upstream thereof, and a fourth heating region (144) arranged directly upstream thereof. Of course, this is only an example, and there is no special limitation on the number of heating regions as long as there are two or more, and more preferably, the heating layer (140) includes three or more heating regions. If the number of heating regions included in the heater (1000) is two or more, the advantageous effects described below and which can also be inferred can be expected.

The control unit (300) may include, for example, an MCU (Micro-Controller Unit) capable of performing command processing, various operations, and device control, and controls the heating of each heating area (141, 142, 143, 144) by controlling the power supplied to the heater (1000). For example, the control unit (300) may control the heating temperature of each heating area (141, 142, 143, 144) by PWM control that adjusts the duty ratio of the output signal. In addition, the control unit (300) may control the heating temperature of each heating area (141, 142, 143, 144) to follow a temperature profile, which is a temperature change scenario over time that is preset and stored. In order to control to follow a predetermined temperature profile stored in advance, the control unit (300) may use means such as a PID (Proportional-Integral-Differential) controller or/and an RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector) sensor. In addition, the control unit (300) may perform a device control function over the entire operation cycle of the aerosol generating device (1). In particular, the control unit (300) may individually control a plurality of heating areas (141, 142, 143, 144) included in the heating layer (140) of the heater (1000), and particularly preferably, the control unit (300) controls the heating timing or heating temperature of at least one of the plurality of heating areas (141, 142, 143, 144) to be different within one heating cycle.

For example, the heating cycle may mean a typical one-time use unit of the aerosol generating device, which is a period from when power from the battery (400) is supplied to the heater (1000) for the generation of an aerosol until the supply is normally terminated. For example, when a normal heating termination condition is satisfied, such as when the number of puffs is counted or the consumption amount of the aerosol-forming substrate contained in the received cigarette (10) is measured and reaches an arbitrary reference value, or when an arbitrary heating time has elapsed, rather than when heating is arbitrarily stopped by the user, heating may be stopped under the control of the control unit (300), thereby completing one operation cycle.

A plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) included in the heating layer (140) of the heater (1000) are arranged in a straight line in the direction of the airflow (as shown by arrows in FIG. 13), that is, from the bottom to the top, as shown in FIG. 13. The configuration of a plurality of individually controlled heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) as in the present embodiment provides a heater having independently controllable divided regions. Since the airflow of the aerosol generating device (1) moves from the upstream to the downstream, that is, from the bottom to the top in the drawing, individually controlling the heating timing of each different heating region arranged in the direction of the airflow can provide an advantageous effect to the user. In addition, compared to having only one heating area to cover the entire substrate (T), the individual heating areas (141, 142, 143, 144) have a reduced individual heating area, so there is an advantage in that the heating area can be heated more quickly with less power.

In the embodiments, in particular, the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) include a first heating region (141) for heating a downstream end of a substrate portion (T) of an accepted cigarette. Preferably, the first heating region (141) is arranged at the most downstream end among the plurality of heating regions. As described above, the first heating region (141) has the characteristic of heating the downstream end of the substrate portion (T), that is, the substrate portion (T) near the boundary with the filter portion (F).

The downstream end of the substrate portion (T) is the portion located most downstream of the substrate portion (T) and is the portion closest to the filter portion (F), and thus can be said to be the portion that contributes most to the initial smoke formation compared to other portions of the substrate portion (T). For example, when the aerosol generating device (1) starts operating and the heating cycle begins, as a preferred embodiment, the control unit (300) can control the first heating region (141) among the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) to heat up first.

As described above, since the individual heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) have smaller heating areas than a single heating region that completely surrounds the substrate portion (T), the first heating region (141) can be heated faster than the heater of the aerosol generating device of the prior art to generate an aerosol. In addition, since the first heating region (141) heats the most downstream portion of the substrate portion (T), the generated aerosol can enter the filter portion (T) directly and be inhaled by the user. If, by the partial heating method as described above, a portion of the substrate portion (T) that is far away from the filter portion (T) rather than the portion adjacent to it is heated first, the generated aerosol can move downstream along the airflow and be cooled while passing through the unheated substrate portion (T), and thus the advantage of partial heating cannot be fully enjoyed.

Based on this principle, the control unit (300) can control the heating order of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) to proceed from downstream to upstream within one heating cycle. That is, it can control to heat in the order of the first heating region (141), the second heating region (142), the third heating region (143), and the fourth heating region (144), whereby the effect of a rich amount of smoke from the beginning as described above can be achieved. In addition, since the third heating region (143) and the fourth heating region (144), which heat the upstream portion of the substrate (T), are heated in the latter half of the heating cycle, the sense of power in the latter half can be improved.

In addition, the control unit (300) may control at least two of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) to generate heat at the same time. As described above, preferably, when the heating cycle starts, the first heating region (141) generates heat first, but at the same time, the control unit (300) may control, for example, any one of the second heating region (142), the third heating region (143), and the fourth heating region (144) to generate heat. In addition, as a preferred embodiment, the control unit (300) may control any one of the first heating region (141) and the second heating region (142), and any one of the third heating region (143) and the fourth heating region (144) to generate heat at the same time. In this way, by targeting the divided heating regions for the heating of the heater (1000), a variety of user experiences can be provided compared to a single heater of the prior art.

Preferably, all of the multiple heating zones (141, 142, 143, 144) heat up to a temperature range not exceeding 350° C.

The air heater (500) is an element for heating the outside air that is introduced into the heater (1000) from the outside due to the user's puffing action. For this purpose, the air heater (500) may be placed upstream of a plurality of heating areas (141, 142, 143, 144) of the heater (1000). Preferably, the air heater (500) is installed to heat the airflow path (230) between the outside and the heater (1000), as illustrated in FIG. 13. The air heater (500) is also substantially composed of a heating element that generates heat when power is applied, and may be a heating element that generates heat by a resistance heating method or an induction heating method. The air heater (500) may also be independently controlled by the control unit (300).

FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of a heater (1000) having a plurality of heating regions among the cross-sectional views of FIG. 13 and a cigarette accommodated therein. As described above, the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) may be arranged in the direction of airflow (from bottom to top). In addition, in particular, the first heating region (141) is arranged so as to heat the downstream end of the substrate portion (T) of the accommodated cigarette. To this end, the first heating region (141) is preferably arranged at the farthest downstream end among the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144), and further, the first heating region (141) extends further in the downstream direction to a range within 7 mm from the downstream boundary of the substrate portion (T) of the accommodated cigarette. For example, the first heating region (141) can be extended so that the deviation (k1) in the upper direction from the boundary between the substrate portion (T) and the filter portion (F) is within 7 mm. Experimentally, it was found that such an arrangement and extended length of the first heating region (141) could sufficiently heat the downstream end of the substrate portion (T) as well as a part of the filter portion (F), thereby achieving the intended effect of generating abundant initial smoke.

FIG. 16 is a circuit diagram for explaining a connection relationship between a control unit (300) of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment of the present invention, a battery (400), a plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144), and an air heater (500). The plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) may be connected to one or more driving circuits (310, 320) independently controlled by the control unit (300). The driving circuits (310, 320) are installed in an electrical path between the battery (400) and the heater (1000), receive power from the battery (400), and supply current to the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) of the heater (1000). The control unit (300) controls the operation of the driving circuit (310, 320) and can control the heating temperature of a plurality of heating areas (141, 142, 143, 144). The air heater (500) can also receive power from the battery (400) through the driving circuit (330).

According to an embodiment, in order for a plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) to be independently controlled by the control unit (300), each heating region may be connected one-to-one with a driving circuit. Or, as in the embodiment of FIG. 16, a switching element (311, 312, 321, 322) may be connected to an electrical path between the driving circuit (310, 320) and each heating region (141, 142, 143, 144). In this case, the control unit (300) may control the heating of each heating region (141, 142, 143, 144) by controlling each driving circuit (310, 320) and the switching element (311, 312, 321, 322).

In a case where a plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143, 144) are connected one-to-one with a plurality of switching elements (311, 312, 321, 322) as in the present embodiment, the control unit (300) can independently control the heating timing or heating temperature of each heating region (141, 142, 143, 144) by controlling each driving circuit (310, 320) and the switching elements (311, 312, 321, 322). The switching elements (311, 312, 321, 322) may be, for example, FETs, and more specifically, may be N-channel MOSFETs or P-channel MOSFETs. The connection relationship between the battery (400) including such driving circuits and switching elements may be equally applied to the air heater (500).

The control unit (300) can control the heating temperature of the heating region connected thereto by outputting a signal of a predetermined changing or fixed duty ratio to the driving circuits (310, 320, 330). In addition, the control unit (300) can output a signal of a predetermined voltage to the switching elements (311, 312, 321, 322) to allow or block current to flow to the heating region connected thereto.

In addition, the control unit (300) can control by outputting a signal with a fixed duty ratio, not a feedback control, especially to the first heating region (141). In another embodiment, the aerosol generating device (1) can further include a temperature sensor (600) that detects the temperature of the first heating region (141). The control unit (300) can perform feedback control to adjust the duty ratio of the signal output to the first heating region (141) based on the detection content of the temperature sensor (600), that is, the heating temperature of the first heating region (141).

Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing a control method of an aerosol generating device (1) that can be performed by a control unit (300) according to one embodiment of the present invention. Although not shown separately, the heater (1000) included in the aerosol generating device (1) of the present embodiment includes a total of three heating areas (141, 142, 143).

The control unit (300) can start a heating cycle by automatic control based on a user's button input or detection of cigarette insertion. When the heating cycle starts in this way, the control unit (300) first performs a preheating step (s100) that controls the heating temperature of at least two heating areas to reach a predetermined aerosol generation temperature or higher. This is because the temperatures of the multiple heating areas (141, 142, 143) will be close to room temperature before the aerosol generating device is operated, and thus it is necessary to heat them to a predetermined aerosol generation temperature or higher to prepare for aerosol generation.

The predetermined aerosol generation temperature may mean a temperature at which an aerosol is generated at a considerable rate, and may vary depending on the composition of an aerosol-forming substrate mixture included in an inserted cigarette, but may generally be determined within a temperature range of about 120° C. to 300° C. The predetermined aerosol generation temperature may be determined in advance through an experiment and may be stored as data in advance in the control unit (300). In addition, the predetermined aerosol generation temperature may not be the same for each heating region (141, 142, 143). That is, the predetermined aerosol generation temperatures of at least two heating regions among a plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) may be set differently and stored in the control unit (300). For example, since the speed at which the aerosol-forming substrate is transferred to the portion heated by each heating region (141, 142, 143) may be different, or the amount of the aerosol-forming substrate contained in each portion may be different, or the composition of the aerosol-forming substrate contained in each portion may be different, it is efficient for the predetermined aerosol generation temperature to be set differently for each heating region (141, 142, 143) as needed.

After a preheating step (s100) in which the heating temperature of at least two heating regions is increased to a predetermined aerosol generation temperature, the control unit (300) performs an aerosol generation step (s200) in which each of a plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) is controlled to generate aerosols. The aerosol generation step (s200) is a step in which the control unit (300) controls each of a plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) to generate aerosols in earnest. The aerosol generation step (s200) may be continued, for example, after the preheating step (s100) until the end of the heating cycle.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart for explaining detailed steps of an aerosol generation step (s200) that can be performed by a control unit (300) according to an embodiment of the present invention. The aerosol generation step (s200) can be divided into a plurality of sections. Accordingly, the aerosol generation step (s200) can include steps (s210 to s240) for controlling each section. The sections can be divided, for example, by time, and can all last for the same time or for different times. Alternatively, the sections can be divided, for example, by the number of puffs of a user, and each section can last for a predetermined number of puffs. Alternatively, each section can be switched by user control such as button input. In the present embodiment, the aerosol generation step (s200) includes a total of four sections (the first section to the fourth section), but this is only an example, and the number of sections may vary depending on the embodiment. In addition, the steps (s210 to s240) of controlling each section above may be repeated as needed by the control unit (300). In this case, there is an effect of substantially increasing the number of sections included while reducing the complexity of control.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a method for controlling multiple heating regions in an aerosol generation step (s200) that can be performed by a control unit (300) according to the first embodiment of the present invention (FIG. 19 (a)) and a method for controlling multiple heating regions according to the prior art (FIG. 19 (b)). The control unit (300) controls, particularly, in all sections of the aerosol generation step (s200), at least two or more movable regions and at least one or more non-movable regions among the multiple heating regions (141, 142, 143) to be included. The movable region may mean any heating region that receives power from a battery (400) and generates heat under the control of the control unit (300) among the multiple heating regions (141, 142, 143). In addition, the non-operating area may mean any heating area in a resting state that does not receive power from the battery (400) under the control of the control unit (300) among the plurality of heating areas (141, 142, 143). In particular, it is preferable that the heating temperature of the operating area be controlled to be maintained above the predetermined aerosol generation temperature described above, and further, as described above, the predetermined aerosol generation temperatures of any two operating areas may be set differently.

Referring to (a) of FIG. 19, in the first section, the control unit (300) controls to include a first heating region (141), a second heating region (142), which are operative regions, and a third heating region (143), which is a non-operative region. In addition, in the second section, the operative regions are the second heating region (142) and the third heating region (143), and the non-operative region is the first heating region (141). In addition, in the third section, the first heating region (141) and the third heating region (143) are operative regions, and the second heating region (142) is a non-operative region. In addition, in the fourth section, similar to the first section, the operative regions are the first heating region (141), the second heating region (142), and the non-operative region is the third heating region (143).

Also, as a preferred embodiment, in the aerosol generation step (s200), the control unit (300) switches at least one movable region to a non-movable region and also switches at least one non-movable region to an movable region when the section is switched. By switching between operation and non-operation, even heating of multiple heating areas is possible, and there is an effect of extending the life of each heating region through operation-rest. Preferably, the control unit (300) controls each heating region among the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) to become an movable region and a non-operable region at least once in the aerosol generation step (s200). This means that all heating regions (141, 142, 143) participate in the generation of aerosol through heating in the aerosol generation step (s200). Since all heating regions (141, 142, 143) are involved in aerosol generation, the received cigarette or the aerosol-forming substrate contained therein can be evenly heated, and the practical benefit of configuring a plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) can be secured.

As in the present embodiment, by ensuring the operation of multiple heating areas included in the heating layer of the heater in all sections, the heating area is expanded compared to the conventional simple cross-heating control, thereby increasing the amount of smoke, while at the same time, the temperature can be raised more quickly than with a single heater configuration.

In addition, preferably, the control unit (300) controls so that at least one movable region is not converted to a non-movable region in the transition of any section in the aerosol generation step (s200). For example, in the first embodiment of (a) of Fig. 19, the second heating region (142) is not converted to a non-movable region when transitioning from the first section to the second section. In addition, the third heating region (143) is not converted to a non-movable region when transitioning from the second section to the third section, and the first heating region (141) is not converted to a non-movable region when transitioning from the third section to the fourth section, but maintains heat generation as an movable region continuously over both sections. This preferred embodiment can prevent the aerosol generation amount from decreasing or can minimize the decrease since at least one heating region can continue to maintain a predetermined aerosol generation temperature or higher regardless of the transition of any section.

For example, referring to (b) of the prior art, in the configuration of multiple heating regions, a single heating region is cross-operated for each heating section. That is, the first section includes a first heating region as a single operating region, the second section includes a second heating region, the third section includes a third heating region, and the fourth section includes the first heating region again as an operating region.

In the prior art, for example, when switching from the first section to the second section, a preheating time is required for the second heating section, which was a non-operating section, to heat up to a temperature capable of generating an aerosol, and therefore, in the crossing section, the heating temperatures of both the first heating section and the second heating section may drop below the aerosol generation temperature. Therefore, in the crossing section when switching between each section in the prior art, no aerosol may be generated or only a very small amount may be generated, which may significantly deteriorate the user experience.

On the other hand, according to the first embodiment of (a) of Fig. 19, even if multiple heating regions (141, 142, 143) are cross-controlled by section, at least one heating region maintains a temperature higher than the aerosol generation temperature, so that the generation of aerosol can be continued without stopping throughout the aerosol generation step (s200).

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a method for controlling multiple heating zones in an aerosol generating step (s200) that can be performed by a control unit (300) of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. In particular, the embodiments of (a) and (b) of FIG. 20 show different exemplary control methods for an aerosol generating device including a total of four heating zones.

In (a) of Fig. 20, two movable areas and two non-movable areas are included across all sections. In addition, in the transition of sections, the movable areas and non-movable areas alternate, but one movable area is included that does not transition to a non-movable area. In (b) of Fig. 20, three movable areas and one non-movable area are included across all sections. In addition, in the transition of sections, the movable areas and non-movable areas alternate, but two movable areas are included that do not transition to a non-movable area.

Below, a control method of a control unit (300) according to another embodiment is described. The heater (1000) included in the aerosol generating device (1) of this embodiment includes a total of three heating areas (141, 142, 143).

The control unit (300) controls, particularly in the aerosol generation step (s200), the generation temperature of at least one of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) to be maintained above a predetermined aerosol generation temperature throughout the entire aerosol generation step (s200). Through this control, even if control is performed to cross-control the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143), at least one heating region maintains the aerosol generation temperature or higher, so that the generation of aerosol can be continued without stopping throughout the aerosol generation step (s200).

In addition, it is preferable that the control unit (300) controls the heating temperature of each heating region among the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) to reach a predetermined aerosol generation temperature or higher at least once in the aerosol generation step (s200). This means that all heating regions (141, 142, 143) participate in the generation of aerosol through heating in the aerosol generation step (s200). Since all heating regions (141, 142, 143) participate in the generation of aerosol, the received cigarette or the aerosol-forming substrate included therein can be evenly heated, and the practical benefit of configuring the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) can be secured.

In addition, it is preferable that the control unit (300) controls the aerosol generation step (s200) so that the average of the heating temperatures of the plurality of heating areas (141, 142, 143) is maintained below a predetermined critical temperature throughout the aerosol generation step (s200). Such control can prevent a rapid increase in power consumption due to the simultaneous operation of the plurality of heating areas (141, 142, 143), and prevent the reduction in the lifespan of the heater and the occurrence of a burnt taste due to overheating. Preferably, the predetermined critical temperature, like the predetermined aerosol generation temperature, can be determined in advance through experiments and can be stored as data in advance in the control unit (300).

In addition, the control unit (300) can control the aerosol generation step (s200) so that the average of the heating temperatures of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) is maintained above a predetermined aerosol generation temperature throughout the aerosol generation step (s200). With this control, it is possible to ensure the uninterrupted and abundant generation of aerosol throughout the aerosol generation step (s200).

FIG. 21 is a graph of the heating temperature of a plurality of heating regions, i.e., a first heating region (141), a second heating region (142), and a third heating region (143), in an aerosol generation step (s200) for explaining a control method that can be performed by a control unit (300) of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention. The X-axis of this graph represents time in units of ‘intervals’, which are arbitrary units, and the Y-axis represents heating temperature in units of Celsius.

Also shown on the graph of Fig. 21 are an aerosol generation temperature guide line (L), a critical temperature guide line (U), and an average temperature graph (V). In this embodiment, an exemplary predetermined aerosol generation temperature is 130°C as indicated by the aerosol generation temperature guide line (L). In addition, an exemplary predetermined critical temperature is 210°C as indicated by the critical temperature guide line (U).

Comparing the heating temperature graphs of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) with the aerosol generation temperature guide line (L), the control unit (300) controls the heating temperature of at least one heating region among the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) to always be maintained at 130° C. or higher, which is a predetermined aerosol generation temperature, throughout the entire aerosol generation step (s200).

Also, as can be seen in the heat generation temperature graphs of the multiple heat generation areas (141, 142, 143) of FIG. 21, each heat generation temperature graph forms a predetermined waveform with periodicity. That is, the control unit (300) can control the multiple heat generation areas (141, 142, 143) to generate heat with a predetermined phase, amplitude, period, and waveform, respectively, in the aerosol generation step (s200). In particular, it is preferable that the control unit (300) control the multiple heat generation areas (141, 142, 143) to all generate heat with the same amplitude, period, and waveform, and such control has the advantage of mathematically simplifying the heat generation control of each heat generation area.

For example, in Fig. 21, the control unit (300) controls so that all of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) generate heat with the same amplitude, cycle, and waveform, but only the timing of the heating of each heating region, i.e. the phase, is different by 120 degrees. In this case, as can be seen in the average temperature graph (V) of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143), the average of the heating temperatures can always be maintained at a constant value throughout the aerosol generation step (s200).

As described above, the control unit (300) controls the average (V) of the heating temperatures of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142, 143) throughout the aerosol generation step (s200) to be maintained below a predetermined critical temperature (U) and above a predetermined aerosol generation temperature (L).

Fig. 22 is a graph of the heating temperatures of a plurality of heating regions, i.e., a first heating region (141) and a second heating region (142), in an aerosol generation step (s200) for explaining a control method that can be performed by a control unit (300) of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is the same as the embodiment of Fig. 21 above, but differs in that the heating layer includes only two heating regions (141, 142). It is assumed that a predetermined aerosol generation temperature and a predetermined critical temperature are also set in the same manner as in the embodiment of Fig. 21.

In this embodiment, each of the heating temperature graphs of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142) forms a triangular wave having a periodicity. In particular, the heating temperature graphs of the first heating region (141) and the second heating region (142) have the same amplitude, period, and waveform, and only the phase is different by 180 degrees. The control unit (300) controls so that at least one heating region is maintained at a predetermined aerosol generation temperature of 130° C. or higher throughout the aerosol generation step (s200). In addition, the control unit (300) controls so that the average (V) of the heating temperatures of the plurality of heating regions (141, 142) is maintained at a predetermined critical temperature (U) or lower and a predetermined aerosol generation temperature (L) or higher throughout the aerosol generation step (s200).

A comparative example to emphasize the effects of the above embodiments is illustrated in FIG. 23. FIG. 23 is a graph of the heating temperatures of a plurality of heaters, that is, heaters A and B, for explaining a control method that can be performed by a control unit of an aerosol generating device according to the prior art. In this graph, even in a section after preheating is completed, in a section where the heating of the two heaters intersects, for example, in section (y1), section (y2), and section (y3), the heating temperatures of both heaters A and B drop below 130°C, which is a predetermined aerosol generation temperature (L). Therefore, in the above-described intersecting sections (y1, y2, y3), no aerosol may be generated, or only a very small amount may be generated, which may significantly reduce the user experience.

As described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above, and anyone having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention claimed in the claims, and such modifications are within the scope of the claims.

Claims (39)

In the flow of air, when a cigarette is inserted, including a substrate portion located upstream and a filter portion located downstream, a heater for heating it and generating an aerosol is provided. A pipe-shaped metal structure capable of accommodating a cigarette; A first insulating layer formed directly on the outer surface of a metal structure; An electrode layer formed directly on the outer surface of the first insulating layer; A heating layer formed directly on the outer surface of the first insulating layer and electrically connected to the electrode layer; and It includes a first insulating layer, an electrode layer, and a second insulating layer protecting the heating layer; A heater having a plurality of heating regions, the heating layer including a plurality of heating regions arranged in the direction of the flow of air current, and the heating of each heating region being individually controlled. In the first paragraph, A heater having a plurality of heating regions, the first insulating layer being formed by applying a glass component and then sintering it. In the first paragraph, A heater having a plurality of heating regions, the heating layer being formed by applying a metal paste and then sintering it. In the third paragraph, A heater having multiple heating zones, wherein the metal paste is a mixture of at least one of graphene, platinum-based ruthenium (ruthenox), palladium, and silver. In the first paragraph, A heater having multiple heating zones, each heating zone comprising a heating pattern, multiple heating patterns or planar heating elements. In the first paragraph, The first insulating layer, the heating layer, and the second insulating layer have holes at the same locations, so that the metal structure is exposed through the holes. A heater having a plurality of heating zones, with thermocouple wires directly connected to the exposed metal structure through the hole to sense the temperature of the heater. A heater according to any one of claims 1 to 6; A case that forms the exterior and protects the internal components; A control unit for individually controlling multiple heating zones of the heater; including a battery for power supply; An aerosol generating device, wherein the plurality of heating zones include a first heating zone arranged most downstream, the first heating zone extending further downstream from a downstream boundary of a substrate portion of a cigarette accommodated in the metal structure. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein the first heating region extends downstream from the downstream boundary of the substrate by a length of less than 7 mm. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls the temperature of the heating area by using the temperature change resistance (TCR) of the heating layer. In Article 7, The substrate portion of the cigarette accommodated in the metal structure includes a tobacco layer and an aerocore layer, An aerosol generating device, wherein different heating zones among a plurality of heating zones of the heater heat the tobacco body layer and the aerocore layer, respectively. In Article 7, The cigarette accommodated in the metal structure has a sensible pattern containing cigarette information, The aerosol generating device further comprises an inductive sensor for detecting a sensorable pattern of a cigarette; An aerosol generating device, wherein the metal structure has an opening with a portion of its lower portion removed to expose a sensible pattern so that the sensible pattern can be sensed by an inductive sensor. In Article 11, An aerosol generating device, wherein the inductive sensor extends to a position overlapping the opening. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls the heating timing of at least one of a plurality of heating zones to be different within one heating cycle. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein the heating temperature of a plurality of heating zones does not exceed 350°C. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls the first heating region among a plurality of heating regions to heat first within one heating cycle. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls a plurality of heating zones to generate heat in a sequence from downstream to upstream within a single heating cycle. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein the heating layer comprises at least three heating zones. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device further comprising an air heater disposed upstream of the heater and configured to heat airflow flowing into the heater. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein the heating layer includes a second heating region arranged directly upstream of a first heating region, a third heating region arranged directly upstream of the second heating region, and a fourth heating region arranged directly upstream of the third heating region. In Article 19, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls either one of the first heating zone and the second heating zone, or either one of the third heating zone and the fourth heating zone to generate heat simultaneously. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein an electrical path between the battery and the heater includes a driving circuit connected thereto, which applies power from the battery to a plurality of heating areas included in the heating layer of the heater. In Article 21, An aerosol generating device in which a plurality of heating zones are connected one-to-one with a plurality of driving circuits, and a control unit controls each driving circuit to control the heating temperature of each heating zone. In Article 21, A switching element is connected to the electrical path between the driving circuit and the heater. An aerosol generating device in which a plurality of heating regions are connected one-to-one with a plurality of switching elements, and a control unit controls each driving circuit and each switching element to control the heating temperature of each heating region. In Article 7, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit outputs a signal of a fixed duty ratio to the first heating region to control the device. In Article 7, Further comprising a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the first heating region; An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit performs feedback control by adjusting the duty ratio of a signal output to the first heating area based on the detection contents of the first temperature sensor. In Article 7, A single heating cycle performed by the control unit comprises a preheating phase followed by an aerosol generation phase divided into multiple segments, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls such that, in all sections of the aerosol generating step, among a plurality of heating regions, at least two operative regions that receive power and at least one non-operative region that does not receive power are included. In Article 26, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit switches at least one operative region to a non-operative region when the section is switched during the aerosol generating step. In Article 27, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit, in the aerosol generating step, switches at least one non-operating region to an operating region when the region is switched. In Article 27, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls the aerosol generating step so that at least one operative area is included that is not converted to a non-operative area during a transition of any section. In Article 26, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls, in the aerosol generating step, each of the plurality of heating regions to become an operating region at least once. In Article 26, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls, in the aerosol generating step, each heating region among a plurality of heating regions to become a non-operating region at least once. In Article 26, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls the operating area so that the heating temperature of the operating area is maintained above a predetermined aerosol generating temperature during the aerosol generating step. In Article 32, An aerosol generating device, wherein at least two of the heating regions have different aerosol generation temperatures. In Article 7, A single heating cycle performed by the control unit comprises a preheating step followed by an aerosol generation step, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls at least one of a plurality of heating regions to maintain a predetermined aerosol generating temperature or higher throughout the aerosol generating step. In Article 34, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls, in the aerosol generating step, the heating temperature of each heating region among a plurality of heating regions to reach a predetermined aerosol generating temperature or higher at least once. In Article 34, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls the average of the heating temperatures of a plurality of heating regions to be maintained below a predetermined threshold temperature throughout the aerosol generating step. In Article 34, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls the average of the heating temperatures of a plurality of heating regions to be maintained above a predetermined aerosol generating temperature throughout the aerosol generating step. In Article 34, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls a plurality of heating regions to generate heat with a predetermined phase, amplitude, cycle, and waveform in the aerosol generating stage. In Article 38, An aerosol generating device, wherein the control unit controls, in the aerosol generating stage, a plurality of heating regions to all generate heat with the same amplitude, cycle, and waveform.

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