WO2025200157A1 - Atomization device and heating and atomization control method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application provides an atomization device and a heating and atomization control method therefor. The atomization device comprises a direct-current power supply and at least one heating member. The heating member is electrically connected to the direct-current power supply by means of a current direction switching circuit. By means of externally input control signals, the current direction of the heating member is selectively or periodically controlled to be switched from flowing from a first pin thereof to a second pin thereof to flowing from the second pin to the first pin, or be switched from flowing from the second pin to the first pin to flowing from the first pin to the second pin.

Description

Atomization equipment and heating atomization control method thereof

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Chinese invention patent application filed on March 29, 2024, with application number 202410381315.9 and titled "Atomization Equipment and Heating Atomization Control Method Thereof," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present application relates to the technical field of electronic atomization equipment, and in particular to an atomization equipment and a heating atomization control method thereof.

Background Art

The atomization device consists of an atomization part, a battery part, and a mouthpiece. The battery part provides DC power to heat the heating wire of the atomization part; the heating wire is wrapped with an oil absorption part. When the atomization matrix cavity is filled with the atomization matrix, the temperature of the heated heating wire rises, and the atomization matrix on the oil absorption part evaporates due to the heat, forming smoke, which is inhaled into the smoker's mouth through the mouthpiece.

Common heating elements mostly use spring heating elements, ceramic cores or MESH cores, which are prone to carbon deposits on their surfaces. Carbon deposits will affect the rate at which the heating element conducts heat to the atomizing matrix, resulting in insufficient atomization of the atomizing matrix, which will have a great impact on the smoking experience. After further analysis, it was found that the heating element always has more serious carbon deposits on its positive electrode side, and the areas with severe discoloration are mostly at the lead.

Summary of the Invention

The present application proposes an atomization device and a heating atomization control method thereof, which can solve the technical problem that the heating element in the existing atomization device has an electrochemical corrosion phenomenon of unilateral carbon deposition, which affects the rate of heat conduction from the heating element to the atomization matrix, resulting in insufficient atomization of the atomization matrix and affecting the puffing taste.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an atomization device, which includes a DC power supply and at least one heating element, wherein the heating element is electrically connected to the DC power supply through a current direction switching circuit; the heating element has a first pin and a second pin, and the current direction switching circuit is used to selectively or periodically control the current direction of the heating element from flowing from the first pin to the second pin to flowing from the second pin to the first pin, or from flowing from the second pin to the first pin to flowing from the first pin to the second pin.

In some embodiments, the current direction switching circuit includes an H-bridge driving circuit or an H-bridge integrated circuit.

In some embodiments, the H-bridge drive control circuit includes a first switch tube, a second switch tube, a third switch tube, and a fourth switch tube;

The first switch tube includes an input end, an output end, and a control end. The input end of the first switch tube is connected to the DC power supply, and the control end of the first switch tube is used to receive a first pulse control signal input from an external source.

The second switch tube includes an input end, an output end, and a control end. The input end of the second switch tube is connected to the DC power supply, and the control end of the second switch tube is used to receive a second pulse control signal input from an external source.

The third switch tube includes an input end, an output end, and a control end. The output end of the third switch tube is connected to the reference ground, the input end of the third switch tube is connected to the output end of the first switch tube, and the control end of the third switch tube is used to receive a third pulse control signal input from an external source. The connecting end of the first switch tube and the third switch tube is connected to the first pin of the heating element.

The fourth switch tube includes an input end, an output end and a control end. The output end of the fourth switch tube is connected to the reference ground, the input end of the fourth switch tube is connected to the output end of the second switch tube, and the control end of the fourth switch tube is used to receive a fourth pulse control signal input from the outside; the connecting end of the second switch tube and the fourth switch tube is connected to the second pin of the heating element.

In some embodiments, the current direction switching circuit includes an inverter circuit; the inverter circuit is used to convert the DC output of the DC power supply into a sinusoidal current, and the current direction switches according to the waveform of the sinusoidal current.

In some embodiments, the current direction switching circuit includes an inverter circuit; the inverter circuit is used to convert the direct current output by the DC power supply into a square wave current, and the square wave current has a positive high level, a low level and a reverse high level. When the inverter circuit outputs current at a positive high level and a low level, the current direction flows from the first pin to the second pin; when the inverter circuit outputs current at a reverse high level and a low level, the current direction flows from the second pin to the first pin.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for controlling heating atomization of an atomizing device, wherein the atomizing device includes a DC power supply and at least one heating element, wherein the heating element is electrically connected to the DC power supply via a current direction switching circuit, and the method includes:

generating a control signal in response to an external input command;

According to the control signal, the current direction switching circuit is selectively or periodically controlled to switch the current direction of the heating element.

In some embodiments, the control signal includes a first pulse control signal, a second pulse control signal, a third pulse control signal, and a fourth pulse control signal;

When the first pulse control signal and the fourth pulse control signal are valid, the first switch tube and the fourth switch tube are turned on, the second switch tube and the third switch tube are turned off, and the current of the heating element flows from the first pin to the second pin;

When the second pulse control signal and the third pulse control signal are valid, the first switch tube and the fourth switch tube are turned off, the second switch tube and the third switch tube are turned on, and the current direction of the heating element flows from the second pin to the first pin.

In some embodiments, the external input command is triggered by an airflow sensor or a button.

In some embodiments, responding to an external input command includes:

A current direction switching frequency is preset, and an external input command is generated according to the preset current direction switching frequency.

In some embodiments, responding to an external input command includes:

Detect whether the user has a puffing action, and obtain puffing parameters based on the detection result;

Wherein, the puffing parameter is the current number of puffs or the current cumulative puffing time;

An external input command is generated according to the puffing parameters.

In some embodiments, the heating atomization control method of the atomization device further includes:

Obtaining an average voltage value required to control the heating element to reach a preset target temperature;

The duty cycle of the control signal is adjusted according to the average voltage value so that the power supply voltage of the heating element reaches the average voltage value, thereby controlling the heating element to heat to the preset target temperature.

In some embodiments, generating a control signal includes:

A PWM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal;

The effective level duration of the pulse control signal in each cycle is different, and the effective level duration in each cycle is determined by the power supply duration or power supply voltage required by the heating element in the corresponding cycle.

In some embodiments, generating a control signal includes:

The PFM control method is used to generate pulse control signals;

The duration of the effective level of the pulse control signal in each cycle is fixed, or the duration of the ineffective level of the pulse control signal in each cycle is fixed.

In some embodiments, generating a control signal includes:

A mixed PWM and PFM control method is used to generate pulse control signals;

When the amount of electricity of the DC power supply in the atomizing device is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, a PWM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal; when the amount of electricity of the DC power supply in the atomizing device is less than a preset threshold, a PFM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal.

The embodiment of the present application provides an atomization device and a heating atomization control method thereof, wherein the atomization device includes a DC power supply and at least one heating element, the heating element being electrically connected to the DC power supply via a current direction switching circuit, and the current direction of the heating element being selectively or periodically controlled by an externally input control signal to switch from its first pin to its second pin to its second pin to its first pin, or from its second pin to its first pin to its second pin. The present application controls the current direction of the switching heating element so that the first pin and the second pin of the heating element can be connected to the positive pole of the DC power supply in turn, thereby reducing the electrochemical corrosion phenomenon of unilateral carbon deposition on the heating element and reducing the influence of the rate of heat conduction from the heating element to the atomization matrix, so that the atomization matrix can be more fully atomized, effectively improving the retention of the suction taste. At the same time, it also slows down the unilateral carbon deposition rate. According to actual measurements, the carbon deposition rate of the heating element can be delayed by at least 2 times, thereby increasing the service life of the atomization device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an atomization device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG2 is a circuit diagram of a current direction switching circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG3 is a circuit diagram of a current direction switching circuit provided by another embodiment of the present application;

FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a current direction switching module provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG5 is a circuit diagram of a control circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application;

FIG6 is a circuit diagram of a battery charging management circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application;

FIG7 is a circuit diagram of a battery protection circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application;

FIG8 is a circuit diagram of an airflow detection circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application;

FIG9 is a circuit diagram of a cigarette cartridge identification and short circuit detection circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG10 is a flow chart of a heating atomization control method provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG11 is a flowchart of generating a control signal according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG12 is a flow chart of a heating atomization control method provided in another embodiment of the present application.

The above drawings illustrate specific embodiments of the present application, which will be described in more detail below. These drawings and the textual description are not intended to limit the scope of the present application in any way, but rather to illustrate the concepts of the present application to those skilled in the art by reference to specific embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application is further described in detail below by means of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Similar elements in different embodiments are numbered with associated similar elements. In the following embodiments, many detailed descriptions are provided to enable the present application to be better understood. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that some of the features may be omitted in different circumstances, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, some operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification. This is to avoid the core portion of the present application being overwhelmed by excessive descriptions. For those skilled in the art, it is not necessary to describe these related operations in detail. They can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and the general technical knowledge in the art.

In addition, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification may be combined in any appropriate manner to form various embodiments. Furthermore, the steps or actions in the method description may be reordered or adjusted in a manner readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the various sequences in the specification and drawings are provided solely for the purpose of clearly describing a particular embodiment and are not intended to be mandatory, unless otherwise specified.

The terms "first," "second," and so on, in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or precedence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of this application can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein. Furthermore, the objects distinguished by "first," "second," and so on generally refer to a class and do not limit the number of objects. For example, the first object can be one or more. Furthermore, the term "and/or" in the specification and claims refers to at least one of the connected objects, and the character "/" generally indicates that the objects connected are in an "or" relationship. The terms "connection" and "coupling" used in this application, unless otherwise specified, include both direct and indirect connections (couplings).

As described in the background technology, atomized cigarettes currently primarily heat the atomizing matrix by heating a heating element (a spring heater, ceramic core, or mesh core) with a unidirectional current, thereby atomizing the atomized matrix and ultimately achieving the desired effect of smoking. However, carbon deposits easily form on the surface of the heating element, which reduces the rate at which the element conducts heat to the atomizing matrix, resulting in incomplete atomization of the atomized matrix and significantly affecting the puffing experience. After disassembling and analyzing e-cigarettes, it was found that the heating element always showed more severe fouling on one side, and the most severe discoloration was found near the leads.

Simulation analysis revealed that the power density at the positive electrode lead is higher than that at the negative electrode lead. Furthermore, at the lead welds, the solder joints are mostly made of iron-chromium-aluminum, while the leads are mostly made of nickel. These two dissimilar materials easily form a "galvanic cell" effect in the atomized matrix, causing electrochemical corrosion. Corrosion can become increasingly severe with increasing numbers of ports, leading to smaller solder joints, higher resistance, and increased power distribution, resulting in more severe heat generation.

In order to solve the above technical problems, commonly used technical means can be summarized as core replacement, multi-core setting or multi-shot setting, but all of them will cause other technical problems.

Therefore, the present application proposes a method of switching the electrode direction of the heating element, i.e., the current direction, without changing the main structure of the existing single-chip heating element, so as to achieve the effect of delaying electrochemical corrosion by making the two electrodes act as positive electrodes back and forth, thereby delaying the carbon deposition speed on one side of the heating element, delaying the time when the mouth is affected by carbon deposition, improving the taste retention time of the atomization equipment, and improving its service life.

The following specific embodiments describe in detail the technical solution of the present application and how the technical solution of the present application solves the above-mentioned technical problems. The following specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present application will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an atomizer device provided in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 1, the atomizer device provided in this embodiment of the present application includes an atomizer unit 10, a DC power supply 20, and a mouthpiece 30. The atomizer unit 10 is connected to the mouthpiece 30. The atomizer unit 10 includes a heating element and an atomizer matrix cavity for storing an atomizer matrix. The heating element has a first pin and a second pin. The DC power supply 20 is used to provide DC power to the heating element so that the heating element heats the atomizer matrix to form smoke that escapes from the mouthpiece 30. The unique feature of this embodiment is that the atomizer device also includes a current direction switching module 40.

Among them, the current direction switching module 40 includes a current direction switching circuit 401 including a first end, a second end, a third end, a fourth end and a control end. The first end of the current direction switching circuit 401 is connected to the DC power supply 20, the second end is connected to the reference ground, the third end is connected to the first pin of the heating element, and the fourth end is connected to the second pin of the heating element. The control end is used to receive a control signal input from the outside.

The current direction switching circuit 401 controls the current direction of the heating element to switch from the first pin to the second pin to the second pin to the first pin, or from the second pin to the first pin to the first pin in response to the control signal.

The atomization device provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a DC power supply and at least one heating element. The heating element is electrically connected to the DC power supply through a current direction switching circuit. The current direction of the heating element is selectively or periodically controlled by an externally input control signal to switch from its first pin to the second pin to its second pin to the first pin, or from its second pin to the first pin to the first pin. The present application controls the current direction of the switching heating element so that the first pin and the second pin of the heating element can be connected to the positive pole of the DC power supply in turn, thereby reducing the electrochemical corrosion phenomenon of unilateral carbon deposition on the heating element and reducing the influence of the rate of heat conduction from the heating element to the atomization matrix, so that the atomization matrix can be more fully atomized, effectively improving the retention of the suction taste. At the same time, it also slows down the unilateral carbon deposition rate. According to actual measurements, the carbon deposition rate of the heating element can be delayed by at least 2 times, thereby increasing the service life of the atomization device.

In some embodiments, the current direction switching circuit 401 may include an H-bridge drive circuit or an inverter circuit. The former switches the connection between the two pins of the heating element and the positive terminal of the DC power supply 20 through the H-bridge drive circuit, thereby switching the current direction between the two pins of the heating element. The latter converts the DC power output of the DC power supply into AC power through the inverter circuit, thereby switching the current direction between the two pins of the heating element along with the AC power.

In some embodiments, when the current direction switching circuit 401 includes an inverter circuit, the inverter circuit can convert the DC output of the DC power supply 20 into a sinusoidal current, and the direction of the current between the two pins of the heating element switches according to the waveform of the sinusoidal current. For example, the inverter circuit can use a sine wave inverter based on EG2113D.

In some embodiments, when the current direction switching circuit 401 includes an inverter circuit, the inverter circuit can also convert the DC output of the DC power supply 20 into a square wave current, wherein the square wave current has a positive high level, a positive low level, a reverse high level, and a reverse low level. When the inverter circuit outputs current at a positive high level and a positive low level, the current direction between the two pins of the heating element flows from the first pin to the second pin; when the inverter circuit outputs current at a reverse high level and a reverse low level, the current direction between the two pins of the heating element flows from the second pin to the first pin. For example, the inverter circuit can be a square wave output voltage type inverter based on an inverter chip such as the TGPS series, IR2110 produced by the International Rectifier Company of the United States, or TL494, EG8010 produced by companies such as EGmicro of China, and other auxiliary side circuits such as filtering circuits and control circuits.

In some embodiments, when the current direction switching circuit 401 includes an H-bridge driving circuit, it can be an H-bridge driving circuit, an H-bridge integrated circuit, or an integrated chip having the same function as an H-bridge driving circuit, for example, a common H-bridge driving circuit or an SS6285L H-bridge integrated circuit.

Without changing the main structure of a traditional monolithic heater, the switching of the heater's current direction is driven by an H-bridge drive circuit or an H-bridge integrated circuit. This is equivalent to placing an AC drive power supply between the two pins of the heater, so that the two pins are alternately connected to the positive terminal of a DC power supply 20. This reduces the electrochemical corrosion at the positive terminal and reduces corrosion at the negative terminal. Theoretically, this can delay the rate of carbon deposition by 100%, and actual measurements have shown that the rate of carbon deposition can be delayed by at least 200%, effectively improving flavor retention and extending the life of the heater.

Taking an H-bridge drive circuit with a basic structure as an example, in some embodiments, the external input control signal includes a first pulse control signal, a second pulse control signal, a third pulse control signal, and a fourth pulse control signal. Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of a current direction switching circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 2, the current direction switching circuit 401 provided in the embodiment of the present application is an H-bridge drive control circuit, including a first switch tube Q1, a second switch tube Q2, a third switch tube Q3, and a fourth switch tube Q4.

The first switch transistor Q1 includes an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal. Its input terminal is connected to the first terminal of the current direction switching circuit 401, that is, connected to the DC power supply 20, and the control terminal is used to receive a first pulse control signal. The second switch transistor Q2 includes an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal. Its input terminal is connected to the first terminal of the current direction switching circuit 401, that is, connected to the DC power supply 20, and the control terminal is used to receive a second pulse control signal. The third switch transistor Q3 includes an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal. Its output terminal is connected to the second terminal of the current direction switching circuit 401, that is, connected to the reference ground, and its input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the first switch transistor Q1. The control terminal is used to receive a third pulse control signal. The connection terminal between the first switch transistor Q1 and the third switch transistor Q3 is connected to the first pin of the heating element. The fourth switch transistor Q4 includes an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal. Its output terminal is connected to the second terminal of the current direction switching circuit 401, that is, connected to the reference ground, and its input terminal is connected to the output terminal of the second switch transistor Q2. The control terminal is used to receive a fourth pulse control signal. The connecting end of the second switching tube Q2 and the fourth switching tube Q4 is connected to the second pin of the heating element.

When the first pulse control signal and the fourth pulse control signal are valid, the first switch tube Q1 and the fourth switch tube Q4 are turned on, the second switch tube Q2 and the third switch tube Q3 are turned off, and the current of the heating element flows from the first pin to the second pin;

When the second pulse control signal and the third pulse control signal are valid, the first switch tube Q1 and the fourth switch tube Q4 are turned off, the second switch tube Q2 and the third switch tube Q3 are turned on, and the current of the heating element flows from the second pin to the first pin.

It should be noted that when the first switching tube Q1 , the second switching tube Q2 , the third switching tube Q3 and the fourth switching tube Q4 are switches of different models, the electrodes corresponding to their input ends and output ends are different.

FIG3 is a circuit diagram of a current direction switching circuit provided in another embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG3 , in some embodiments, the current direction switching circuit 401 further includes a first resistor R6, a second resistor R14, a third resistor R12, and a fourth resistor R15. The first resistor R6 is connected between the control terminal and the input terminal of the first switch Q1, the second resistor R14 is connected between the control terminal and the input terminal of the second switch Q2, the third resistor R12 is connected between the control terminal and the output terminal of the third switch Q3, and the fourth resistor R15 is connected between the control terminal and the output terminal of the fourth switch Q4.

In some embodiments, the first switch Q1 and the second switch Q2 may be PMOS field-effect transistors or PNP transistors; the third switch Q3 and the fourth switch Q4 may be NMOS field-effect transistors or NPN transistors. For example, the first switch Q1 and the second switch Q2 may be PMOS field-effect transistors with a model number of SI2301, and the third switch Q3 and the fourth switch Q4 may be NMOS field-effect transistors with a model number of SI2302. For another example, the first switch Q1 and the second switch Q2 may be PNP transistors with a model number of 2DB1386R, and the third switch Q3 and the fourth switch Q4 may be NPN transistors with a model number of FD965S.

In some embodiments, the PMOS field effect transistors or PNP transistors used by the first switch tube Q1 and the second switch tube Q2 can be interchanged, and the NMOS field effect transistors or NPN transistors used by the third switch tube Q3 and the fourth switch tube Q4 can also be interchanged.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a current direction switching module provided in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, based on the current direction switching module 40 disclosed in any of the above embodiments, the current direction switching module 40 further includes a control circuit 402, a battery charging management circuit 403, a battery protection circuit 404, an airflow detection circuit 405, and a cartridge identification and short-circuit detection circuit 406.

Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of a control circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, the control circuit 402 is used to output a pulse control signal to the current direction switching circuit 401, and the current direction switching circuit 401 is controlled to switch the current direction between the two pins of the heating element. The control circuit 402 is an MCU control chip, which provides a first pulse signal, a second pulse control signal, a third pulse control signal, and a fourth pulse control signal to the first switch tube Q1, the second switch tube Q2, the third switch tube Q3, and the fourth switch tube Q4 of the current direction switching circuit 401 through its P01, P14, P03, and P11 terminals, respectively.

Figure 6 is a circuit diagram of a battery charging management circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the battery charging management circuit 403 is used to charge the DC power supply 20 of the atomizer device and power the control circuit 402. In this embodiment, the battery charging management circuit 403 includes a charging interface, a resistor R1, a resistor R2, a resistor R10, a resistor R11, a resistor R3, a capacitor C4, a resistor R4, a battery management chip U1, and a filter capacitor C5. Among them, the charging interface is a TYPE C interface for connecting to an external charging device; the first end of the resistor R1 is connected to pin 3 of the charging interface, and the second end is grounded; the first end of the resistor R2 is connected to pin 4 of the charging interface, and the second end is grounded; the resistor R10 and the resistor R11 are connected in series in sequence, the first end of the resistor R10 is connected to the input power supply VCC, and the second end of the resistor R11 is grounded; the resistor R3 and the capacitor C4 are connected in series in sequence, the first end of the resistor R3 is connected to pin 5 of the charging interface, and the second end of the capacitor C4 is grounded; the battery management chip U1 is an LP4068 battery management chip, its VIN terminal is connected to pin 5 of the charging interface, the ISET terminal is connected to the first end of the resistor R4, and the BAT terminal is connected to the input terminal of the DC power supply 20 to charge the DC power supply 20; the second end of the resistor R4 is grounded; the first end of the filter capacitor C5 is connected to the BAT terminal, and the second end is grounded.

Figure 7 is a circuit diagram of a battery protection circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, battery protection circuit 404 is used to protect DC power supply 20. Battery protection circuit 404 includes a battery protection chip U2, a capacitor C6, and a resistor R18. Battery protection chip U2 utilizes a CM1128 battery protection chip. Resistor R18 has a first end connected to the VDD terminal of battery protection chip U2 and a second end connected to DC power supply 20. Capacitor C6 has a first end connected to the first end of resistor R18 and a second end connected to the B-terminal of battery protection chip U2.

FIG8 is a circuit diagram of an airflow detection circuit provided in one embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG8 , in this embodiment, the airflow detection circuit 405 is used to detect whether the atomizing device is being puffed and transmit the detection result to the control circuit 402. The airflow detection circuit 405 includes a positive detection terminal, a negative detection terminal, an EN detection terminal, a resistor R5, a resistor R16, and a capacitor C8; wherein the first end of the resistor R5 is connected to the DC power supply VBAT, and the second end is connected to the positive detection terminal; the first end of the capacitor C8 is connected to the positive detection terminal, and the second end is grounded; the negative detection terminal is grounded; the first end of the resistor R16 is connected to the EN detection terminal, and the second end is connected to the P04 terminal of the control circuit 402, for outputting the puff detection result to the control circuit 402.

FIG9 is a circuit diagram of a cartridge identification and short-circuit detection circuit provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG9 , in this embodiment, the cartridge identification and short-circuit detection circuit 406 is used to perform cartridge identification and short-circuit detection, and send the identification and detection results to the control circuit 402. The cartridge identification and short-circuit detection circuit 406 includes an identification terminal EXT1, a resistor R28, a resistor R8, a resistor R29, and a resistor R13; wherein the first end of the resistor R28 is connected to the DC power supply 20; the first end of the resistor R8 is connected to the second end of the resistor R28 and the identification terminal respectively, and the second end is connected to the P15 terminal of the control circuit 402 for outputting the cartridge identification result to the control circuit 402; the first end of the resistor R29 is connected to the DC power supply 20; the first end of the resistor R13 is connected to the second end of the resistor R29, and the second end is connected to the P05 terminal of the control circuit 402 for outputting the short-circuit detection result to the control circuit 402.

The specific process of the heating atomization control method executed by the control circuit 402 in the current direction switching module 40 is described below.

FIG10 is a flow chart of a heating atomization control method provided by an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG10 , the heating atomization control method provided by an embodiment of the present application specifically includes the following steps:

Step S100 : generating a control signal in response to an external input command.

Step S200: According to the control signal, selectively or periodically control the current direction switching circuit to switch the current direction of the heating element.

It is understood that the atomizing device described in any of the above embodiments receives an external input signal, and in response to the external input command, the control circuit 402 generates a control signal. For example, when the atomizing device receives an input command to turn on, the heating element needs to start heating to atomize the atomizing matrix. At this time, the control circuit 402 generates a preset control signal to control the current direction switching circuit 401 of any of the above embodiments to switch the current direction of the heating element during operation of the atomizing device.

In some embodiments, the control circuit 402 responds to an external input command, which can be triggered by a microphone or a button. For example, the atomizer device may include a touch button, a button, or a voice-activated switch. When the user needs to use the atomizer device, they can trigger these start switches to start heating the atomizer device, thereby confirming that the user has turned on the device, indicating that the user needs to use the atomizer device.

In some embodiments, the control circuit 402 generates an external input command in response to an external input command, including a switching instruction representing a current direction switching frequency, according to a preset current direction switching frequency. For example, the current direction switching frequency is preset at the factory for the atomizer device, such as 2 Hz. That is, during use of the atomizer device, a corresponding input command is generated every 0.5 seconds to switch the current direction between the two pins of the heating element every 0.5 seconds.

FIG11 is a flow chart of generating a control signal according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG11 , in some embodiments, in step S100, generating a control signal specifically includes the following steps:

Step S101: Detect whether the user has a puffing action, and obtain a puffing parameter based on the detection result; wherein the puffing parameter is the current number of puffs or the current cumulative puffing time.

Step S102: Generate a control signal according to the suction parameters.

It is understood that after the atomizing device is turned on, the user's puffing action is detected. When the user's puffing action is detected, a puff parameter can be obtained based on the detection result, and a control signal is generated based on the puff parameter. The puff parameter can be the current number of puffs or the current cumulative puff duration. In other words, it can be considered that the control signal is generated based on the current number of puffs and/or the current cumulative puff duration.

For example, if the puff parameter is the current number of puffs, that is, after the user has detected a puff action, a control signal is generated based on the current number of puffs, and the control signal can be a pulse signal. In some embodiments, by setting an appropriate puff threshold to correspond to the duration of the effective level of the control signal, for example, the puff threshold is set to 2 times, that is, after the puff action is detected, the puff count begins to be accumulated to obtain the current number of puffs. When the current number of puffs is a multiple of 2, the level of the control signal is switched once, that is, every time the user's two puff actions are detected, the control signal switches to an effective level once, that is, every time the user's two puff actions are detected, the current direction between the two pins of the heating element is switched once through the control signal.

For another example, if the puff parameter is the current cumulative puff duration, that is, after the user's puff action is detected, a control signal is generated based on the current cumulative puff duration. The control signal can be a pulse signal. In some embodiments, an appropriate current cumulative puff duration threshold is set to correspond to the duration of the control signal's effective level. For example, the current cumulative puff duration threshold is set to 10 seconds. That is, after the puff action is detected, the puff duration is accumulated and the current cumulative puff duration is obtained. Every time the current cumulative puff duration reaches 10 seconds, the control signal level is switched. That is, every 10 seconds of the current cumulative puff duration, the control signal switches to an effective level. That is, every 10 seconds of the user's puff duration, the current direction between the two pins of the heating element is switched once via the control signal.

In some embodiments, at least one sensor including a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a flow sensor, an airflow sensor, and a noise sensor can be set in the atomization device, and the user's puffing behavior can be detected by at least one of the pressure sensor, temperature sensor, flow sensor, airflow sensor, and noise sensor to detect whether the user has a puffing action.

Alternatively, a touch button may be provided so that when the user needs to inhale the atomizing device, the user can control the operation of the heating component through the touch button to record the number of inhalations of the user.

For example, when a user uses a heat-not-burn atomizer device, such as installing a new cigarette and turning it on, the device can collect information such as pressure, temperature, airflow, gas, and noise generated by the user's inhalation operation to determine that the user is puffing on the heat-not-burn atomizer device, thereby generating a puff control instruction. Triggered by the puff control instruction, the temperature control device controls the operation of the heating element. Of course, the puff control instruction can also be generated by touch buttons.

FIG12 is a flow chart of a heating atomization control method provided by another embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIG12 , in some embodiments, after step S200, selectively or periodically controlling the current direction switching circuit to switch the current direction of the heating element according to the control signal, the method further includes:

Step S300: obtaining an average voltage value required to control the heating element to reach a preset target temperature;

Step S400: adjusting the duty cycle of the control signal according to the average voltage value so that the supply voltage of the heating element reaches the average voltage value, thereby controlling the heating element to heat to a preset target temperature.

It is understandable that, in practice, when the atomizing device leaves the factory, a temperature control curve, that is, a preset heating curve, will be set in advance in its temperature control device. According to the preset heating curve, a corresponding power curve can be obtained, wherein the power curve is obtained by averaging a large amount of test data to obtain a power curve. Then, according to the temperature control curve or the power curve, the average voltage value required to control the heating element to reach the preset target temperature can be obtained. Furthermore, based on the voltage provided by the DC power supply 20 of the atomizing device and the average voltage value required to control the heating element to reach the preset target temperature, the duty cycle of the control signal is adjusted so that the supply voltage of the heating element reaches the average voltage value, thereby controlling the heating element to heat to the preset target temperature.

For example, taking the control signal as a pulse signal, assuming that the voltage provided by the DC power supply 20 is 4.2V, the average voltage value required to control the heating element to reach the preset target temperature is 3.36V, that is, the control signal is required to provide the heating element with an average voltage of 3.6V. At this time, the duty cycle of the control signal needs to be 4:5, that is, within one cycle of the control signal, the duration of the effective level accounts for 4/5 of the cycle duration.

In some embodiments, in order to make the voltage driving the heating element a constant average voltage, that is, when the voltage of the DC power supply 20 drops, it is necessary to promptly increase the duty cycle of the control signal according to the voltage of the DC power supply 20, so that within a certain battery voltage range, the control average voltage output to the heating element remains constant.

In some embodiments, when the atomization device leaves the factory, it is expected that the heating element operates in a constant power mode, that is, during the process of heating the atomized substrate, the heating element is expected to maintain a constant atomization power. At this time, based on P = ² _RMS / Rheating _element , the effective voltage _VRMS that controls the heating element to reach the expected power P can be obtained, and then, based on the voltage of the DC power supply 20, the duty cycle of the pulse control signal is adjusted so that the supply voltage of the heating element reaches the effective voltage _VRMS , thereby controlling the heating element to maintain a constant atomization power. In the constant power mode, the output power difference caused by the resistance tolerance of the heating element can be avoided, and on the other hand, the power attenuation caused by the TCR of the heating element can be effectively avoided.

In some embodiments, when the atomizer device leaves the factory, it is expected that the operating voltage of the heating element is constant, that is, the operating voltage of the heating element is expected to be constantly the effective voltage _VRMS . At this time, the duty cycle of the pulse control signal can also be calculated based on ^V2RMS = Vp*Vp*duty cycle, where Vp is the peak voltage, and then the duty cycle of the pulse control signal _can be adjusted to achieve the goal of controlling the operating voltage of the heating element to be constantly the effective voltage _VRMS .

In some embodiments, the duty cycle of the control signal can be a constant value. That is, within a cycle of the pulse control signal, the duration of the effective level is fixed as a percentage of the total cycle duration. In other words, the duration during which the DC power supply 20 outputs voltage to the heating element is constant. In this case, the current direction switching module 40 controls the switching of the current direction of the heating element according to the effective level of the pulse control signal.

In some embodiments, the duty cycle of the pulse control signal can be constantly 1. That is, within one cycle of the pulse control signal, the duty cycle is always at an effective level. In this case, it can be understood that the output voltage of the DC power supply 20 is fully supplied to the heating element. At this time, the current direction switching module 40 controls the current direction of the heating element in response to the pulse control signal to remain unchanged. In this case, the pulse control signal can be generated based on other preset conditions, such as puff parameters or the number of power-on times.

In practice, the temperature control curve preset at the factory for atomizing equipment is not fixed, and the temperature changes within a certain period of time are also different. Therefore, the voltage driving the heating element can be adjusted by changing the duty cycle of the pulse control signal to meet the expected output power.

In some embodiments, in step S100, when generating a control signal, a PWM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal; wherein, the effective level duration of the pulse control signal in each cycle is different, and the effective level duration in each cycle is determined by the power supply duration or power supply voltage required by the heating element in the corresponding cycle.

It's understandable that the pulse control signal generated using PWM control has a constant period, but the duration of the active level within each period is related to the desired output voltage (i.e., the voltage required to reach the target temperature within that period). For example, with a constant pulse control signal period and an output frequency range of 20Hz to 1MHz, the duty cycle is varied to maintain the target output value.

In some embodiments, in step S100, when generating the control signal, a PFM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal; wherein the duration of the effective level of the pulse control signal in each cycle is fixed, or the duration of the invalid level of the pulse control signal in each cycle is fixed.

It is understandable that the pulse control signal period generated by the PFM control method can be set, not fixed, and is related to the power supply duration or power supply voltage expected by the heating element. In addition, the pulse control signal generated by the PFM control method can also be divided into two cases. One is a fixed effective level duration type, that is, the duration of the effective level of the pulse control signal in each cycle is fixed, and the duration of the invalid level is variable, which can be changed according to the load of the heating element or the required voltage. The second is a fixed invalid level duration type, that is, the duration of the invalid level of the pulse control signal in each cycle is fixed, and the duration of the effective level is variable, which can be changed according to the load of the heating element or the required voltage. For example, when the load of the heating element increases, the pulse control signal will increase with the number of effective levels within the load increase duration, that is, the frequency will increase when the load is heavy, and the frequency will decrease when the load is light.

In some embodiments, in step S100, when generating a control signal, a mixed PWM and PFM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal; wherein, when the power of the DC power supply 20 in the atomization device is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the PWM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal; when the power of the DC power supply 20 in the atomization device is less than the preset threshold, the PFM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal.

It is understood that in actual applications, the pulse control signal generation method can be controlled based on the desired output or load changes of the atomizing device, and a mixed PWM and PFM control method can be used to generate the pulse control signal. For example, when the power level of the DC power supply 20 in the atomizing device is greater than or equal to 80% of its rated power, the PWM control method is used to generate the pulse control signal; when the power level of the DC power supply 20 in the atomizing device is less than 80% of its rated power, the PFM control method is used to generate the pulse control signal.

In summary, the atomization device provided by the embodiment of the present application, such as the atomization device shown in Figure 3, includes an atomization part 10, a DC power supply 20, a mouthpiece 30, and the current direction switching module described in any of the above embodiments, wherein the control circuit 402 is used to execute the steps of the heating atomization control method described in any of the above embodiments, so as to realize the switching of the current direction between the two pins of the heating element by the current direction switching circuit 401. The embodiment of the present application controls the current direction of the switching heating element. At this time, the first pin and the second pin of the heating element can be connected to the positive pole of the DC power supply in turn, thereby reducing the electrochemical corrosion phenomenon of unilateral carbon deposition of the heating element, reducing the influence of the rate of heat conduction of the heating element to the atomization matrix, so that the atomization matrix can be more fully atomized, and effectively improving the retention of the suction taste. At the same time, it also slows down the unilateral carbon deposition rate. According to actual measurements, the carbon deposition rate of the heating element can be delayed by at least 2 times, thereby improving the service life of the atomization device.

Claims (14)

A nebulizer device, characterized in that the nebulizer device includes a DC power supply and at least one heating element, the heating element is electrically connected to the DC power supply through a current direction switching circuit; the heating element has a first pin and a second pin, and the current direction switching circuit is used to selectively or periodically control the current direction of the heating element from flowing from the first pin to the second pin to flowing from the second pin to the first pin, or from flowing from the second pin to the first pin to flowing from the first pin to the second pin. The atomizing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the current direction switching circuit includes an H-bridge drive circuit or an H-bridge integrated circuit. The atomizing device according to claim 2, wherein the H-bridge drive control circuit comprises a first switch tube, a second switch tube, a third switch tube, and a fourth switch tube; The first switch tube includes an input end, an output end, and a control end. The input end of the first switch tube is connected to the DC power supply, and the control end of the first switch tube is used to receive a first pulse control signal input from an external source. The second switch tube includes an input end, an output end, and a control end. The input end of the second switch tube is connected to the DC power supply, and the control end of the second switch tube is used to receive a second pulse control signal input from an external source. The third switch tube includes an input end, an output end, and a control end. The output end of the third switch tube is connected to the reference ground, the input end of the third switch tube is connected to the output end of the first switch tube, and the control end of the third switch tube is used to receive a third pulse control signal input from an external source. The connecting end of the first switch tube and the third switch tube is connected to the first pin of the heating element. The fourth switch tube includes an input end, an output end and a control end. The output end of the fourth switch tube is connected to the reference ground, the input end of the fourth switch tube is connected to the output end of the second switch tube, and the control end of the fourth switch tube is used to receive a fourth pulse control signal input from the outside; the connecting end of the second switch tube and the fourth switch tube is connected to the second pin of the heating element. The atomizing device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the current direction switching circuit includes an inverter circuit; the inverter circuit is used to convert the direct current output by the DC power supply into a sinusoidal current, and the current direction switches direction according to the waveform of the sinusoidal current. The atomizing device according to claim 1 is characterized in that the current direction switching circuit includes an inverter circuit; the inverter circuit is used to convert the direct current output by the DC power supply into a square wave current, the square wave current has a positive high level, a positive low level, a reverse high level and a reverse low level, and when the inverter circuit outputs current at a forward high level and a forward low level, the current direction flows from the first pin to the second pin; when the inverter circuit outputs current at a reverse high level and a reverse low level, the current direction flows from the second pin to the first pin. A method for controlling heating and atomization of an atomizing device, wherein the atomizing device comprises a DC power supply and at least one heating element, wherein the heating element is electrically connected to the DC power supply via a current direction switching circuit; the method comprising: generating a control signal in response to an external input command; According to the control signal, the current direction switching circuit is selectively or periodically controlled to switch the current direction of the heating element. The heating atomization control method of the atomization device according to claim 6, characterized in that the control signal includes a first pulse control signal, a second pulse control signal, a third pulse control signal and a fourth pulse control signal; When the first pulse control signal and the fourth pulse control signal are valid, the first switch tube and the fourth switch tube are turned on, the second switch tube and the third switch tube are turned off, and the current of the heating element flows from the first pin to the second pin; When the second pulse control signal and the third pulse control signal are valid, the first switch tube and the fourth switch tube are turned off, the second switch tube and the third switch tube are turned on, and the current direction of the heating element flows from the second pin to the first pin. The heating atomization control method of the atomization device according to claim 6 is characterized in that the external input command is triggered by an airflow sensor or a button. The heating atomization control method of the atomization device according to claim 6, wherein the step of responding to an external input command comprises: A current direction switching frequency is preset, and an external input command is generated according to the preset current direction switching frequency. The heating atomization control method of the atomization device according to claim 6, wherein the step of responding to an external input command comprises: Detect whether the user has a puffing action, and obtain puffing parameters based on the detection result; Wherein, the puffing parameter is the current number of puffs or the current cumulative puffing time; An external input command is generated according to the puffing parameters. The heating atomization control method of the atomization device according to claim 6, characterized in that it also includes: Obtaining an average voltage value required to control the heating element to reach a preset target temperature; The duty cycle of the control signal is adjusted according to the average voltage value so that the power supply voltage of the heating element reaches the average voltage value, thereby controlling the heating element to heat to the preset target temperature. The heating atomization control method of the atomization device according to claim 11, characterized in that generating the control signal comprises: A PWM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal; The effective level duration of the pulse control signal in each cycle is different, and the effective level duration in each cycle is determined by the power supply duration or power supply voltage required by the heating element in the corresponding cycle. The heating atomization control method of the atomization device according to claim 11, characterized in that generating the control signal comprises: The PFM control method is used to generate pulse control signals; The duration of the effective level of the pulse control signal in each cycle is fixed, or the duration of the ineffective level of the pulse control signal in each cycle is fixed. The heating atomization control method of the atomization device according to claim 11, characterized in that generating the control signal comprises: A mixed PWM and PFM control method is used to generate pulse control signals; When the amount of electricity of the DC power supply in the atomizing device is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, a PWM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal; when the amount of electricity of the DC power supply in the atomizing device is less than a preset threshold, a PFM control method is used to generate a pulse control signal.