WO2025220903A1 - Aerosol-generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

This aerosol-generating device comprises: a housing including an air inlet through which air is introduced; a heater positioned inside the housing and for heating an aerosol-generating material; an airflow passage disposed to connect the air inlet and the aerosol-generating material so as to allow the air introduced through the air inlet to move toward the aerosol-generating material; and a pressure sensor disposed to be connected to the airflow passage and for detecting a pressure change in the airflow passage, wherein the pressure sensor may be disposed offset from the air inlet when viewed from above the top surface of the aerosol-generating device.

Description

Aerosol generating device

The embodiments relate to an aerosol generating device capable of precisely detecting a user's puff motion.

Recently, there has been a growing demand for alternative methods that overcome the shortcomings of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is a growing demand for systems that generate aerosols by heating cigarettes or aerosol-generating materials using an aerosol-generating device, rather than by burning cigarettes to produce aerosol.

As demand for aerosol generating devices grows, aerosol generating devices that not only generate aerosol by heating cigarettes or aerosol-generating materials, but also enhance the user's smoking experience are emerging. For example, an aerosol generating device has been proposed that detects the user's puffing motion through a sensor and, upon detection, activates a heater to supply aerosol to the user without user intervention.

Aerosol generating devices typically detect whether a user's puff action occurs by detecting a change in pressure in an airflow passage through a pressure sensor placed in the airflow passage.

In an aerosol generating device including a pressure sensor, the amount of pressure change in the airflow passage detected by the pressure sensor may vary depending on the relative positions of the airflow passage and the pressure sensor. For example, when viewing a cross-section of the aerosol generating device, if the pressure sensor is positioned on an imaginary horizontal or vertical line crossing an air inlet through which outside air is introduced into the airflow passage, the difference in air flow rate between the air inlet and the area around the pressure sensor may not be significant, so even if a user's puffing motion occurs, the pressure change around the pressure sensor may be minimal.

If the pressure change detected by the pressure sensor is small even though the user's puff motion has occurred, the aerosol generating device may recognize that the pressure change is due to noise and may mistakenly determine that the user's puff motion has not occurred.

If the aerosol generating device does not recognize the user's puff motion, the user's convenience of using the aerosol generating device may be reduced, such as the heater not working, making it impossible for the user to smoke. Therefore, there is an increasing need for a structure for arranging airflow passages and pressure sensors that can improve the detection precision for the puff motion.

Accordingly, various embodiments of the present disclosure seek to provide an aerosol generating device capable of improving the precision of puff detection by increasing the amount of pressure change around a pressure sensor through a pressure sensor that is misaligned with respect to an air inlet when viewed in cross section.

The problems to be solved through the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the problems described above, and problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which the embodiments belong from this specification and the attached drawings.

An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment comprises: a housing including an air inlet through which air is introduced; a heater positioned inside the housing for heating an aerosol generating material; an airflow passage arranged to connect the air inlet and the aerosol generating material so that air introduced through the air inlet moves in a direction toward the aerosol generating material; and a pressure sensor arranged to connect with the airflow passage and for detecting a change in pressure in the airflow passage, wherein the pressure sensor may be arranged to be misaligned with the air inlet when viewed from a top surface of the aerosol generating device.

An aerosol generating device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure can improve the precision of puff detection through a structure capable of increasing the amount of pressure change in an airflow passage around a pressure sensor when a puff is generated.

The effects of the embodiments are not limited to the effects described above, and effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong from this specification and the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Figure 6 is a front perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Figure 7 is a rear perspective view of the aerosol generating device of Figure 6.

Figure 8a is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Figure 8b is a top view of the aerosol generating device of Figure 8a.

FIG. 9 is a drawing showing a cross-section and an upper surface of a portion of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or similar components will be given the same reference numbers and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

The suffixes "module" and "part" used for components in the following description are given or used interchangeably only for the convenience of writing specifications, and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves.

In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present disclosure.

Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an aerosol generating device (1) according to one embodiment may include at least one of a battery (11), a control unit (12), a sensor unit (13), and a heater (18). At least one of the battery (11), the control unit (12), the sensor unit (13), and the heater (18) may be disposed inside a body (10) of the aerosol generating device. The body (10) may provide a space opened upwardly so that a stick (S), which is an aerosol generating article (or 'aerosol generating material'), may be inserted. The space opened upwardly may be referred to as an insertion space. The insertion space may be formed by being recessed toward the inside of the body (10) by a predetermined depth so that at least a portion of the stick (S) can be inserted. The depth of the insertion space may correspond to the length of a region of the stick (S) containing the aerosol generating material and/or medium. The lower end of the stick (S) is inserted into the inside of the body (10), and the upper end of the stick (S) can protrude outside the body (10). The user can inhale air by putting the upper end of the stick (S) exposed to the outside in his/her mouth.

The heater (18) can heat the stick (S). The heater (18) can extend upwardly around the space where the stick (S) is inserted. For example, the heater (18) can be in the form of a tube having a hollow space therein. The heater (18) can be placed around the periphery of the insertion space. The heater (18) can be placed to surround at least a portion of the insertion space. The heater (18) can heat the insertion space or the stick (S) inserted into the insertion space. The heater (18) can include an electrical resistance heater and/or an induction heater.

In one example, referring to FIG. 1, the heater (18) may be a resistive heater. For example, the heater (18) may include an electrically conductive track, and the heater (18) may be heated as current flows through the electrically conductive track. The heater (18) may be electrically connected to the battery (11). The heater (18) may be directly heated by receiving current from the battery (11). The heater (18) may be a hollow heater arranged to surround at least a portion of a stick (S) inserted into an insertion space to heat the outside of the inserted stick (S), or may be a heater in the shape of a needle, rod, tube, or the like, and may be inserted into the inside of the stick (S) inserted into the insertion space to heat the inside.

In another example, referring to FIG. 2, the heater (18) may be an induction heating type heater. For example, the aerosol generating device (1) may include an induction coil (181) surrounding the heater (18). The induction coil (181) may heat the heater (18). The heater (18) may be a susceptor, and the heater (18) may be heated by a magnetic field generated by an AC current flowing through the induction coil (181). The magnetic field may penetrate the heater (18) and generate an eddy current within the heater (18). The current may generate heat in the heater (18).

Meanwhile, a susceptor may be included inside the stick (S), and the susceptor inside the stick (S) may be heated by a magnetic field generated by an AC current flowing through the induction coil (181).

The battery (11) can supply power to operate components of the aerosol generating device (1). The battery (11) can supply power to at least one of the control unit (12), the sensor unit (13), and the heater (18). When the aerosol generating device (1) includes an induction coil (181), the battery (11) can supply power to the induction coil (181).

The control unit (12) can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device (1). The control unit (12) can be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). The control unit (12) can control the operation of at least one of the battery (11) and the sensor unit (13). The control unit (12) can control the operation of the induction coil (181). The control unit (12) can control the operation of the display, motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device (1). The control unit (12) can check the status of each component of the aerosol generating device (1) to determine whether the aerosol generating device (1) is in an operable state.

The control unit (12) can analyze the results detected by the sensor unit (13) and control the processes to be performed thereafter. For example, the control unit (12) can control the power supplied to the heater (18) so that the operation of the heater (18) is started or ended based on the results detected by the sensor unit (13). For example, the control unit (12) can control the amount of power supplied to the heater (18) and the time for which the power is supplied so that the heater (18) can be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the results detected by the sensor unit (13).

The sensor unit (13) may include at least one of a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, and an insertion detection sensor. For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense at least one of the temperature of the heater (18), the temperature of the battery (11), and the temperature inside and outside the body (10). For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense the user's puff. For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense whether the stick (S) is inserted into the insertion space.

FIG. 3 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an aerosol generating device (1) according to another embodiment may include at least one of a battery (11), a control unit (12), a sensor unit (13), a heater (18), and a cartridge (19). At least one of the battery (11), the control unit (12), the sensor unit (13), and the heater (18) may be disposed inside a body (10) of the aerosol generating device. The body (10) may provide a space opened upwardly so that a stick (S), which is an aerosol generating article (or 'aerosol generating material'), may be inserted. The space opened upwardly may be referred to as an insertion space. The insertion space may be formed by being recessed toward the inside of the body (10) by a predetermined depth so that at least a portion of the stick (S) can be inserted. The depth of the insertion space may correspond to the length of a region of the stick (S) into which the aerosol generating material and/or medium are included. The lower end of the stick (S) is inserted into the inside of the body (10), and the upper end of the stick (S) can protrude outside the body (10). The user can inhale air by putting the upper end of the stick (S) exposed to the outside in his/her mouth.

The heater (18) can heat the stick (S). The heater (18) can extend upwardly around the space where the stick (S) is inserted. For example, the heater (18) can be in the form of a tube having a hollow space therein. The heater (18) can be placed around the insertion space. The heater (18) can be placed to surround at least a portion of the insertion space. The heater (18) can heat the insertion space or the stick (S) inserted into the insertion space. The heater (18) can include an electrical resistance heater and/or an induction heater.

In one example, the heater (18) may be a resistive heater. For example, the heater (18) may include an electrically conductive track, and the heater (18) may be heated as current flows through the electrically conductive track. The heater (18) may be electrically connected to the battery (11). The heater (18) may be directly heated by receiving current from the battery (11).

In another example, the aerosol generating device (1) may include an induction coil surrounding a heater (18). The induction coil may heat the heater (18). The heater (18) may be a susceptor, and the heater (18) may be heated by a magnetic field generated by an AC current flowing through the induction coil. The magnetic field may penetrate the heater (18) and generate eddy currents within the heater (18). The current may generate heat in the heater (18).

Meanwhile, a susceptor may be included inside the stick (S), and the susceptor inside the stick (S) may be heated by a magnetic field generated by an AC current flowing through the induction coil.

The cartridge (19) may contain an aerosol-generating substance in any one of a liquid, solid, gaseous, or gel state. The aerosol-generating substance may comprise a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid comprising a tobacco-containing substance including volatile tobacco flavoring components, or may be a liquid comprising a non-tobacco substance.

The cartridge (19) may be formed integrally with the body (10) or may be detachably coupled to the body (10).

Referring to FIG. 3, in one example, the cartridge (19) is formed integrally with the body (10) and can communicate with the insertion space through an airflow channel (CN).

Referring to FIG. 4, in another example, a space is formed on one side of the body (10), and at least a portion of the cartridge (19) is inserted into the space formed on one side of the body (10) so that the cartridge (19) can be mounted on the body (10). The airflow channel (CN) can be defined by a portion of the cartridge and/or a portion of the body (10), and the cartridge (19) can communicate with the insertion space through the airflow channel (CN).

The body (10) can be formed in a structure in which outside air can flow into the interior of the body (10) while the cartridge (19) is inserted. At this time, the outside air flowing into the body (10) can pass through the cartridge (19) and flow into the user's oral cavity.

The cartridge (19) may include a storage portion (C0) containing an aerosol generating material and/or a heater (24) for heating the aerosol generating material in the storage portion (C0). A liquid delivery means impregnating (containing) the aerosol generating material may be disposed inside the storage portion (C0). Here, the liquid delivery means may include a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, porous ceramic, etc. The electrically conductive track of the heater (24) may be formed in a coil-shaped structure that winds the liquid delivery means or a structure that contacts one side of the liquid delivery means. The heater (24) may be referred to as a cartridge heater (24).

The cartridge (19) can generate an aerosol. The aerosol can be generated as the liquid delivery means is heated by the cartridge heater (24). The aerosol can be generated by heating the stick (S) by the heater (18). Tobacco material can be added to the aerosol while the aerosol generated by the cartridge heater (24) and the heater (18) passes through the stick (S), and the aerosol added with the tobacco material can be inhaled into the user's mouth through one end of the stick (S).

The aerosol generating device (1) may be equipped with only a cartridge heater (24) and the body (10) may not be equipped with a heater (18). In this case, the aerosol generated by the cartridge heater (24) may pass through the stick (S) and be mixed with tobacco material and inhaled into the user's mouth.

The aerosol generating device (1) may include a cap (not shown). The cap may be detachably coupled to the body (10) so as to cover at least a portion of a cartridge (19) coupled to the body (10). A stick (S) may be inserted into the body (10) through the cap.

The battery (11) can supply power to operate components of the aerosol generating device. The battery (11) can supply power to at least one of the control unit (12), the sensor unit (13), the cartridge heater (24), and the heater (18). If the aerosol generating device (1) includes an induction coil, the battery (11) can supply power to the induction coil.

The control unit (12) can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device. The control unit can be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). The control unit (12) can control the operation of at least one of the battery (11), the sensor unit (13), the heater (18), and the cartridge (19). The control unit (12) can control the operation of a display, a motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device. The control unit (12) can check the status of each component of the aerosol generating device to determine whether the aerosol generating device is in an operable state.

The control unit (12) can analyze the results detected by the sensor unit (13) and control the processes to be performed thereafter. For example, the control unit (12) can control the power supplied to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the heater (18) so that the operation of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the heater (18) is started or ended based on the results detected by the sensor unit (13). For example, the control unit (12) can control the amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the heater (18) and the time for which the power is supplied so that the cartridge heater (24) and/or the heater (18) can be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the results detected by the sensor unit (13).

The sensor unit (13) may include at least one of a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, an insertion detection sensor, a color sensor, a cartridge detection sensor, and a cap detection sensor. For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense at least one of the temperature of the heater (18), the temperature of the battery (11), and the temperature inside and outside the body (10). For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense the user's puff. For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense whether the stick (S) is inserted into the insertion space. For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense whether the cartridge is mounted. For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense whether the cap is mounted.

FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5, an aerosol generating device (1) according to another embodiment may include a body (10) and a cartridge (19). The body (10) may include at least one of a battery (11), a control unit (12), and a sensor unit (13). At least one of the battery (11), the control unit (12), and the sensor unit (13) may be disposed inside the body (10). A cartridge (19), which is an aerosol generating article, may be mounted on the body (10). A user may inhale the aerosol by putting a mouthpiece provided at one end of the cartridge (19) in his/her mouth.

The cartridge (19) may contain an aerosol-generating substance in any one of a liquid, solid, gaseous, or gel state in an internal chamber (C0). The aerosol-generating substance may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance including a volatile tobacco flavoring component, or may be a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance.

The cartridge (19) can be detachably coupled to the body (10). The cartridge (19) can be mounted on the body (10) by being inserted into the body (10).

The body (10) can be formed in a structure in which outside air can be introduced into the interior of the body (10) while the cartridge (19) is inserted. At this time, the outside air introduced into the body (10) can pass through the cartridge (19) and flow into the user's oral cavity through the airflow channel (CN).

The cartridge (19) may include a chamber (C0) containing an aerosol generating material and/or a heater (24) for heating the aerosol generating material in the chamber (C0). A liquid delivery means (25) impregnated with (contained by) the aerosol generating material may be disposed inside the chamber (C0). Here, the liquid delivery means (25) may include a wick such as cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, porous ceramic, etc. The electrically conductive track of the heater (24) may be formed in a coil-shaped structure that winds the liquid delivery means (25) or a structure that contacts one side of the liquid delivery means (25). The heater (24) may be referred to as a cartridge heater.

The cartridge (19) can generate an aerosol. As the liquid delivery means (25) is heated by the cartridge heater (24), an aerosol can be generated. The generated aerosol can be inhaled into the user's oral cavity through the airflow channel (CN).

An airflow channel (CN) may be provided in the cartridge (19). The airflow channel (CN) may communicate a chamber in which a heater (24) of the cartridge (19) is arranged with the outside of the cartridge. One end of the airflow channel (CN) may be opened to the chamber in which the heater (24) is arranged, and the other end may be communicated with a mouthpiece. For example, referring to FIG. 3, the airflow channel (CN) may extend longitudinally from one side of the chamber (C0) of the cartridge (19) along the longitudinal direction of the cartridge (19). Although not shown in the drawing, as another example, the airflow channel (CN) may extend longitudinally along the longitudinal direction of the cartridge (19) by penetrating the chamber (C0) of the cartridge (19).

The battery (11) can supply power to operate components of the aerosol generating device (1). The battery (11) may be referred to as a battery. The battery (11) can supply power to at least one of the control unit (12), the sensor unit (13), and the cartridge heater (24).

The control unit (12) can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device (1). The control unit can be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). The control unit (12) can control the operation of at least one of the battery (11), the sensor unit (13), and the cartridge (19). The control unit (12) can control the operation of a display, a motor, etc. installed in the aerosol generating device. The control unit (12) can check the status of each component of the aerosol generating device (1) to determine whether the aerosol generating device (1) is in an operable state.

The control unit (12) can analyze the results detected by the sensor unit (13) and control the processes to be performed thereafter. For example, the control unit (12) can control the power supplied to the cartridge heater (24) so that the operation of the cartridge heater (24) is started or ended based on the results detected by the sensor unit (13). For example, the control unit (12) can control the amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater (24) and the time for which the power is supplied so that the cartridge heater (24) can be heated to a predetermined temperature or maintained at an appropriate temperature based on the results detected by the sensor unit (13).

The sensor unit (13) may include at least one of a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, a cartridge detection sensor, and a movement detection sensor. For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense at least one of the temperature of the cartridge heater (24), the temperature of the battery (11), and the temperature inside and outside the body (10). For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense the user's puff. For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense whether a cartridge is mounted. For example, the sensor unit (13) may sense the movement of the aerosol generating device.

Fig. 6 is a front perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, and Fig. 7 is a rear perspective view of the aerosol generating device of Fig. 6. The aerosol generating device (100) of Figs. 6 and 7 may be an embodiment of the aerosol generating device (1) of Figs. 1 to 4, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, an aerosol generating device (100) according to one embodiment may include at least one of a battery (140), a processor (150), and a sensor (160). At least one of the battery (140), the processor (150), and the sensor (160) may be disposed inside a housing (110) of the aerosol generating device (100).

At this time, the battery (140), processor (150), and sensor (160) may be substantially the same as or similar to the battery (11), control unit (12), and sensor unit (13) of FIGS. 1 to 4, and any overlapping descriptions will be omitted. In addition, although not shown in the drawings, the aerosol generating device (100) may further include a cartridge (e.g., cartridge (19) of FIGS. 3 to 4) according to an embodiment.

The housing (110) forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device (100) and may include an internal space in which components of the aerosol generating device (100) may be arranged. In the drawing, only an embodiment in which the housing (110) is formed in a semicircular cross-section is shown, but the shape of the housing (110) is not limited thereto, and the housing (110) may be formed in a cylindrical shape overall or in a polygonal pillar shape.

The housing (110) may include a top surface (110A), a bottom surface (110B) opposite to the top surface (110A), and a side surface (110C) surrounding the top surface (110A) and the bottom surface (110B).

Referring to FIG. 6, the housing (110) may have an insertion space (112) formed therein. The insertion space (112) may be formed at the upper portion of the housing (110). The insertion space (112) may be opened upwardly (e.g., in the z direction of FIG. 6). The insertion space (112) may have a cylindrical shape that extends vertically. At least a portion of the aerosol generating material (M) may be inserted into the housing (110) through the opening (110h) at the upper portion of the insertion space (112). At this time, the aerosol generating material (M) may be in the form of a cigarette, such as the stick (S) of FIGS. 1 and 2, but the shape of the aerosol generating material (M) is not limited thereto.

A heater (200) (e.g., heater (18) of FIGS. 1 and 2) can surround at least a portion of the outside of the insertion space (112). The heater (200) can extend vertically along the insertion space (112). For example, the heater (200) can be a cylindrical electrical resistance heater surrounding at least a portion of the insertion space (112). For example, the heater (200) can include a cylindrical susceptor surrounding at least a portion of the insertion space (112) and an induction coil surrounding the susceptor. The heater (200) can heat the outside of an aerosol generating material (M) accommodated in the insertion space (112).

An aerosol can be generated by mixing vaporized particles generated by heating an aerosol generating material (M) with air, and the generated aerosol can pass through the aerosol generating material (M) or be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device (100) through the space between the aerosol generating material (M) and the insertion space (112). For example, an air inlet (300i) through which outside air is introduced into the interior of the housing (110) can be formed on the first body surface (110A) of the housing (110). The air introduced into the interior of the housing (110) through the air inlet (300i) moves toward the aerosol generating material (M) along an airflow passage (not shown), and then can be mixed with vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol generating material (M) to generate an aerosol.

In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device (100) may further include a display (130). The display (130) may be positioned on at least a portion of a side surface (110C) of the housing (110). At least a portion of the display (130) may be exposed to the outside of the housing (110).

The display (130) can provide various visual information to the user. The display (130) can include a display panel and/or a touch panel. The display (130) can include a cover glass.

The cover glass may form the exterior of the aerosol generating device (100) together with the housing (110). The cover glass may come into contact with a part of the user's body. The cover glass may protect the display panel and/or the touch panel from external impact.

The display panel may be arranged in a direction facing the inside of the housing (110) from the cover glass. The display panel may be arranged parallel to the cover glass.

The touch panel can detect touch corresponding to contact with an object. For example, the touch panel can detect touch corresponding to contact with a part of the user's body. The touch panel can receive user input.

A cover (114) may be provided on the upper surface (110A) of the housing (110). The cover (114) may have a shape corresponding to the shape of the opening (110h) of the housing (110). For example, the opening (110h) of the housing (110) may be circular, and the cover (114) may be circular with a diameter larger than the diameter of the opening (110h).

The cover (114) can be movably connected to a guide (113) formed on the upper surface (110A) of the housing (110). The cover (114) can move along the guide (113). For example, the guide (113) can be a groove formed on one surface of the housing (110), and the cover (114) can include a projection that slides while being inserted into the groove of the housing (110). For example, the guide (113) can be a projection protruding from one surface of the housing (110), and the cover (114) has a groove that is inserted into the projection, and can slide along the projection.

The cover (114) can open and close the opening (110h) of the housing (110) by moving along the guide (113). For example, the cover (114) can close the opening (110h) at a first position and open the opening (110h) at a second position. The cover (114) can be manually moved in position by a user. Alternatively, the aerosol generating device (100) may be equipped with a driving device, and the position of the cover (114) may be moved by the driving device.

The housing (110) may include a connection terminal (not shown). The connection terminal may include a connector that allows the aerosol generating device (100) to be physically connected to an external electronic device. For example, the connection terminal may include at least one or a combination of an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 8a and 8b, the components of the aerosol generating device (100) placed inside the housing (110) will be specifically examined.

Fig. 8a is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, and Fig. 8b is a top view of the aerosol generating device of Fig. 8a. Fig. 8a shows a cross-section of the aerosol generating device (100) of Figs. 6 and 7 taken along the yz plane according to one embodiment, and Fig. 8b shows a view of the aerosol generating device (100) of Figs. 6 and 7 viewed in the z direction.

Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, an aerosol generating device (100) according to one embodiment may include a housing (110), a battery (140), a processor (150), a heater (200), an airflow passage (300), and a pressure sensor (400). Components of the aerosol generating device (100) according to one embodiment may be identical or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol generating device (100) of FIGS. 6 and 7. The components of the aerosol generating device (100) are not limited to the illustrated configuration, and according to an embodiment, the aerosol generating device (100) may further include other components not illustrated (e.g., a cartridge (19) of FIGS. 3 and 4).

The housing (110) forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device (100), and an internal space may be formed inside the housing (110) in which components of the aerosol generating device (100) may be arranged. For example, a heater (200), an airflow passage (300), a pressure sensor (400), and/or a shielding member (500) may be arranged in the internal space of the housing (110), but is not limited thereto.

According to one embodiment, the housing (110) may include an opening (110h), and at least a portion of the aerosol generating material (M) may be inserted or received into the interior of the housing (110) through the opening (110h). Although the drawing illustrates an embodiment in which the opening (110h) is formed in an area of the housing (110) facing the z direction, the arrangement structure of the opening (110h) is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

The battery (140) can supply power necessary for the operation of the aerosol generating device (100). For example, the battery (140) can supply power to the heater (200) to heat the heater. As another example, the battery (140) can supply power necessary for the operation of the processor (150) or power necessary for the operation of the pressure sensor (400).

The processor (150) can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device (100). According to one embodiment, the processor (150) may be placed or mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) located in the internal space of the housing (110), and may be electrically or operatively connected to the heater (200) and/or the pressure sensor (400) through an electrical connection member (e.g., a cable, a C-clip, an FPCB, etc.) that connects the printed circuit board and the heater (200) and/or the pressure sensor (400). The expression 'operatively connected' in the present disclosure may mean a state in which components are connected so as to be able to exchange signals via wireless communication, or to exchange optical signals and/or magnetic signals, and the expression may be used with the same meaning hereinafter.

In one example, the processor (150) may be electrically or operatively connected to the heater of the heater (200) to control the operation of the heater (200).

In another example, the processor (150) may be electrically or operatively connected to the pressure sensor (400) to detect a puff action of the user based on a pressure change in the airflow passage (300) detected by the pressure sensor (400). For example, the processor (150) may determine that a puff action of the user has occurred when the pressure change amount of the airflow passage (300) detected by the pressure sensor (400) is greater than or equal to a specified value. In the present disclosure, the 'specified value' may refer to a pressure change amount that serves as a standard for detecting whether a puff has occurred. For example, a situation may occur in which a pressure change is detected due to noise generated from the pressure sensor (400) itself or noise generated during the process of transmitting data from the pressure sensor (400) to the processor (150), so the aerosol generating device (100) may determine that a puff action has occurred only when the pressure change amount of the airflow passage (300) is greater than or equal to a specified value.

The heater (200) is positioned in the internal space of the housing (110) and can generate an aerosol by heating an aerosol generating substance (M) inserted or accommodated in the insertion space (112) of the housing (110) through an opening (110h). For example, the heater (200) can generate heat as power is supplied to heat the aerosol generating substance (M) inserted or accommodated in the insertion space (112), and vaporized particles generated by the heating of the aerosol generating substance (M) can be mixed with air to generate an aerosol.

In one example, the heater of the heater (200) may include an induction heater. For example, the heater may include a coil (e.g., an induction coil (181) of FIG. 2) that generates an alternating magnetic field when power is supplied, and a susceptor (e.g., a heater (18) of FIG. 2) that generates heat by the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil. The susceptor may be arranged to surround at least a portion of an outer surface of an aerosol generating material (M) inserted into the interior of the housing (110), thereby heating the inserted aerosol generating material (M).

In another example, the heater of the heater (200) may include an electrical resistance heater. For example, the heater may include a film heater arranged to surround at least a portion of an outer surface of an aerosol generating substance (M) inserted into the interior of the housing (110). The film heater includes an electrically conductive track, and when current flows through the electrically conductive track, the film heater generates heat to heat the aerosol generating substance (M) inserted into the housing (110).

In another example, the heater (200) may include at least one of a needle-shaped heater, a rod-shaped heater, and a tubular heater capable of heating the interior of an aerosol-generating material (M) inserted into the housing (110). The above-described heater may be inserted into at least one area of the aerosol-generating material (M), for example, to heat the interior of the aerosol-generating material (M).

The type of heater (200) is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the aerosol generating device (100) may include a different type of heater (200) other than the above-described heater (200) depending on the embodiment, as long as it can heat the aerosol generating material (M) to a specified temperature.

In the present disclosure, the term "specified temperature" may refer to a temperature at which an aerosol generating material (M) is heated to generate vaporized particles from the aerosol generating material (M). The specified temperature may be a temperature preset in the aerosol generating device (100), but the temperature may also be changed depending on the type of aerosol generating device (100) and/or user operation.

The airflow passage (300) can connect the interior space of the housing (110) and the exterior of the aerosol generating device (100). The housing (110) can include an air inlet (300i) through which external air is introduced into the interior of the housing (110) and an air outlet (300e) through which air introduced into the interior of the housing (110) moves to the insertion space (112).

The airflow passage (300) can be arranged to connect the air inlet (300i) and the air outlet (300e) inside the housing (110), and external air introduced through the air inlet (300i) can move along the airflow passage (300) and then be introduced into the insertion space (112) through the air outlet (300e). For example, the air inlet (300i) can be formed on the upper surface (110A) facing the z direction of the housing (110), but the shape of the air inlet (300i) is not limited thereto.

By the above-described arrangement structure of the airflow passage (300), the air inlet (300i) and the aerosol generating material (M) inserted or received in the insertion space (112) can be in fluid communication or fluid connection, and external air can move in the direction toward the aerosol generating material (M) along the airflow passage (300) and be introduced into the aerosol generating material (M).

According to one embodiment, the airflow passage (300) may be formed in a “U” shape when viewed from the cross-section of the aerosol generating device (100) as illustrated in FIG. 8A, but the shape of the airflow passage (300) is not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the airflow passage (300) may be formed in a straight line shape or an “L” shape when viewed from the cross-section of the aerosol generating device (100).

A pressure sensor (400) (e.g., sensor (160) of FIG. 7) is arranged in the internal space of the housing (110) to be in fluid connection or fluid communication with the air passage (300), and can detect a pressure change in the air passage (300). For example, the pressure sensor (400) is accommodated inside a sensor receiving chamber (400a) adjacent to the air inlet (300i) and connected to the air passage (300), and can detect a pressure change in the air passage (300) adjacent to the pressure sensor (400) or the sensor receiving chamber (400a).

When a user's puff motion occurs, the pressure inside the airflow passage (300) may change, and the pressure sensor (400) may detect the pressure change in the airflow passage (300). Data on the amount of pressure change in the airflow passage (300) detected by the pressure sensor (400) may be transmitted to the processor (150), and the processor (150) may detect whether the user's puff motion occurs based on the amount of pressure change in the airflow passage (300) transmitted.

Referring to FIG. 8b, in an aerosol generating device (100) according to one embodiment, in order to increase the precision of puff detection, the pressure sensor (400) may be positioned so as to be misaligned with the air inlet (300i) when viewed from the top surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100) or in the z direction.

In one example, the pressure sensor (400) may be positioned so as to be misaligned with the air inlet (300i) by being positioned at a position away from a vertical extension line (V) crossing the air inlet (300i) and a horizontal extension line (H) crossing the air inlet (300i) when viewed from the top surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100). For example, the pressure sensor (400) may be positioned on an imaginary extension line (EL) that forms a first angle (α) with the horizontal extension line (H) of the air inlet (300i) and a second angle (90˚-α) with the vertical extension line (V) of the air inlet (300i) when viewed from the top surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100), thereby being misaligned with the air inlet (300i). In the present disclosure, the 'vertical extension line (V)' and the 'horizontal extension line (H)' may mean extension lines that are perpendicular to each other and cross the center of the air inlet (300i), and the expressions may be used with the same meaning below.

When the pressure sensor (400) is disposed on an imaginary extension line (EL) that forms an angle of about 35° to about 55° with respect to the horizontal extension line (H) of the air inlet (300i), the amount of change in the air flow rate around the pressure sensor (400) may increase compared to when the pressure sensor (400) is disposed at a different location (e.g., disposed on an imaginary extension line (EL) that forms an angle of less than about 35° or greater than about 55° with respect to the horizontal extension line (H). The aerosol generating device (100) according to one embodiment can maximize the amount of change in the air flow rate around the pressure sensor (400) through a structure in which the pressure sensor (400) is disposed on an imaginary extension line (EL) that forms an angle of about 35° to about 55° with respect to the horizontal extension line (H) of the air inlet (300i).

When the pressure sensor (400) is positioned on the vertical extension line (V) or horizontal extension line (H) of the air inlet (300i) when viewed from the upper surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100) and is connected to the airflow passage (300), the difference between the flow rate of air flowing into the air inlet (300i) and the flow rate of air around the pressure sensor (400) may not be large.

According to Bernoulli's theorem, the greater the difference in air velocity, the greater the pressure difference. If the pressure sensor (400) is positioned on the vertical extension line (V) or the horizontal extension line (H) of the air inlet (300i), the pressure change around the pressure sensor (400) may be small even when the user's puff motion occurs. In this case, the aerosol generating device (100) may misjudge the pressure change detected by the pressure sensor (400) as a pressure change caused by noise, and a situation may occur in which the puff motion of the user is not detected even though the puff motion of the user has occurred. For example, even though the user's puff motion has occurred, a situation may occur in which the aerosol generating device (100) misjudges that the user's puff motion has not occurred because the pressure change detected by the pressure sensor (400) is less than a specified value.

On the other hand, in an aerosol generating device (100) according to one embodiment, when viewed from the top surface (110A), the air inlet (300i) and the pressure sensor (400) are arranged so as to be misaligned, thereby increasing the amount of pressure change around the pressure sensor (400) when a user generates a puff, thereby improving the precision of puff detection.

When the air inlet (300i) and the pressure sensor (400) are positioned so as to be misaligned, the air flow rate may change significantly as the external air drawn in through the air inlet (300i) moves to the pressure sensor (400). For example, when the air drawn in through the air inlet (300i) reaches the pressure sensor (400) that is misaligned with the air inlet (300i), the air flow rate may slow down, thereby increasing the amount of change in the air flow rate.

In other words, when the air inlet (300i) and the pressure sensor (400) are positioned so as to be misaligned, the amount of change in air flow rate may increase compared to when the pressure sensor (400) is positioned on the vertical extension line (V) or horizontal extension line (H) of the air inlet (300i), and according to Bernoulli's theorem, the amount of change in pressure around the pressure sensor (400) may also increase.

An aerosol generating device (100) according to one embodiment has a structure in which an air inlet (300i) and a pressure sensor (400) are arranged so that the pressure change around the pressure sensor (400) due to the user's puff motion is greater than a specified value, thereby enabling the occurrence of a puff motion to be precisely detected without mistaking the pressure change due to the user's puff motion for a pressure change due to noise.

Fig. 9 is a drawing showing a cross-section and an upper surface of a portion of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. Fig. 9 is a drawing showing a cross-section of the aerosol generating device (100) of Figs. 6 and 7 cut along the yz plane and an enlarged view of the area around the air inlet (300i) and the pressure sensor (400) among the upper surfaces (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100) according to another embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9, an aerosol generating device (100) according to another embodiment may include a housing (110), a battery (140), a processor (150), a heater (200), an airflow passage (300), and a pressure sensor (400). An aerosol generating device (100) according to another embodiment may be a device in which only the shape of the airflow passage (300) and the arrangement structure of the pressure sensor (400) are changed from the aerosol generating device (100) of FIGS. 8A and 8B, and any redundant description thereof will be omitted below.

The airflow passage (300) is located inside the housing (110) and can connect the air inlet (300i) and the aerosol generating material (M) inserted into the insertion space (112) of the housing (110), and the pressure sensor (400) is connected to the airflow passage (300) and can detect pressure changes in the airflow passage (300).

According to one embodiment, the airflow passage (300) may include a first airflow passage (310) having one end connected to an air inlet (300i) and the other end connected to an air outlet (300e) (e.g., the air outlet (300e) of FIG. 8a), and a second airflow passage (320) branching from a point of the first airflow passage (310) and connecting the first airflow passage (310) and the sensor receiving chamber (400a).

At least a portion of the outside air drawn in through the air inlet (300i) may move toward the aerosol generating material (M) along the first airflow passage (310), and another portion of the outside air may move toward the pressure sensor (400) through the second airflow passage (320). For example, the sensor receiving chamber (400a) may be formed in an area adjacent to the second airflow passage (320) inside the housing (110) and may be connected or in fluid communication with the second airflow passage (320), and the air drawn in through the second airflow passage (320) may flow toward the pressure sensor (400) disposed inside the sensor receiving chamber (400a) along the second airflow passage (320).

According to one embodiment, the first airflow passage (310) may include a first portion (311) extending along a first direction parallel to the longitudinal direction (e.g., z direction) of the housing (110) and having one end connected to the air inlet (300i), and a second portion (312) extending along a second direction (e.g., -y direction) transverse to the first direction, and having one end connected to the other end of the first portion (311) and the other end connected to the air outlet (300e). Although the drawing only illustrates an embodiment in which the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular, the angle formed by the first direction and the second direction is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

The second airflow passage (320) extends from a point of the first part (311) of the first airflow passage (310) in a third direction (e.g., y direction) opposite to the second direction, and can connect the first airflow passage (310) and the pressure sensor (400) accommodated inside the sensor accommodation chamber (400a).

As air flows into the first airflow passage (310) through the air inlet (300i) and branches into the second airflow passage (320), the air flow velocity may change while flowing toward the pressure sensor (400), and according to Bernoulli's theorem, the amount of pressure change around the pressure sensor (400) may also increase.

An aerosol generating device (100) according to another embodiment can prevent a change in pressure due to a user's puff motion from being mistakenly recognized as a change in pressure due to noise by increasing the amount of pressure change around the pressure sensor (400) according to the user's puff motion through a structure in which the pressure sensor (400) is arranged to be connected to a second airflow passage (320) branching from a first airflow passage (310).

In addition, the aerosol generating device (100) according to another embodiment can improve the precision of puff detection through a structure in which the pressure sensor (400) is connected to a second airflow passage (320) branched from the first airflow passage (310) and is arranged so as to be misaligned with the air inlet (300i) when viewed from the top surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100).

According to one embodiment, the pressure sensor (400) may be positioned at a position away from a vertical extension line (V) crossing the air inlet (300i) and a horizontal extension line (H) crossing the air inlet (300i) in the internal space of the sensor receiving chamber (400a) when viewed from the top surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100). For example, the pressure sensor (400) may be positioned on an imaginary extension line (EL) that forms a first angle (β) with the horizontal extension line (H) of the air inlet (300i) and a second angle (90˚-β) with the vertical extension line (V) of the air inlet (300i) when viewed from the top surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100), thereby being misaligned with the air inlet (300i).

The air velocity changes primarily in the process in which the air drawn into the first airflow passage (310) through the air inlet (300i) branches into the second airflow passage (320), and the air velocity may change secondarily in the process in which the air drawn into the second airflow passage (320) moves toward the pressure sensor (400) arranged to be out of alignment with the air inlet (300i). The aerosol generating device (100) according to another embodiment can increase the difference in velocity between the air around the air inlet (300i) and the air around the pressure sensor (400) through the above-described structure, and as the difference in velocity of the air increases, the amount of pressure change around the pressure sensor (400) can also increase (scale up) when the user's puff motion occurs by Bernoulli's theorem. As a result, the aerosol generating device (100) according to another embodiment can precisely detect whether a puff action has occurred without mistaking the pressure change caused by the user's puff action for a pressure change caused by noise.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along only the yz plane of the aerosol generating device (100) and an enlarged view of the area around the air inlet (300i) and the pressure sensor (400) on the upper surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100).

Referring to FIG. 10, in another embodiment, another aerosol generating device (100) may include a housing (110), a storage tank (120), a battery (140), a processor (150), an airflow passage (300), and a pressure sensor (400).

The housing (110) forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device (100), and an internal space may be formed inside the housing (110) in which components of the aerosol generating device (100) may be arranged. For example, a storage tank (120), a heater (200), an airflow passage (300), a pressure sensor (400), and/or a shielding member (500) may be arranged in the internal space of the housing (110), but is not limited thereto.

In one embodiment, the housing (110) may include a mouthpiece (110m). Aerosol generated inside the housing (110) may be discharged to the outside of the housing (110) through the mouthpiece (110m), and a user may contact the mouthpiece (110m) and inhale the aerosol discharged to the outside of the housing (110).

A storage tank (120) is arranged in the internal space of the housing (110), and a liquid aerosol generating substance (M) can be stored in the storage tank (120). For example, the aerosol generating substance (M) may include a tobacco-containing substance including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or may include a liquid composition including a non-tobacco substance.

In one embodiment, the liquid composition may include any one or a mixture of water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract, fragrance, flavoring agent, and vitamin mixture. The fragrance may include, but is not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit-flavored ingredients. The flavoring agent may include ingredients that can provide a variety of flavors or tastes to the user. The vitamin mixture may include, but is not limited to, a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E. The liquid composition may also include an aerosol-forming agent such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

For example, the liquid composition may comprise a solution of glycerin and propylene glycol in any weight ratio to which a nicotine salt has been added. The liquid composition may also comprise two or more nicotine salts. The nicotine salt may be formed by adding a suitable acid, including an organic or inorganic acid, to nicotine. The nicotine may be naturally occurring nicotine or synthetic nicotine and may have any suitable weight concentration relative to the total solution weight of the liquid composition.

The acid for forming the nicotine salt may be appropriately selected in consideration of the blood nicotine absorption rate, the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device (1000), flavor or taste, solubility, etc. For example, the acid for forming the nicotine salt may be a single acid selected from the group consisting of benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid, citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, saccharic acid, malonic acid, or malic acid, or a mixture of two or more acids selected from the group, but is not limited thereto.

An outlet (120e) may be formed in an area of the storage tank (120) facing the heater (200), and the aerosol generating material (M) stored inside the storage tank (120) may be supplied to the heater (200) through the outlet (120e). For example, the aerosol generating material (M) stored inside the storage tank (120) may pass through the outlet (120e) by gravity and then be supplied to the heater (200), but is not limited thereto.

The heater (200) is positioned in the internal space of the housing (110) and can heat the aerosol generating substance (M) supplied from the storage tank (120) to generate an aerosol. In one example, the heater (200) may be positioned at a position corresponding to the outlet (120e) of the storage tank (120) and may include a wick (210) for absorbing the aerosol generating substance (M) supplied from the storage tank (120) and a heating element (220) for heating the aerosol generating substance (M) absorbed by the wick (210), but is not limited thereto. In another example, the heater (200) may include a mesh heater.

As the aerosol generating material (M) is heated by the heater (200), vaporized particles generated may be mixed with air to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol may move toward the mouthpiece (110m) along the aerosol discharge passage (not shown) and then be discharged to the outside of the housing (110) through the mouthpiece (110m).

The airflow passage (300) can connect the interior space of the housing (110) and the exterior of the aerosol generating device (100). For example, the airflow passage (300) can be arranged to fluidly connect or fluidly communicate the air inlet (300i) through which external air is introduced into the interior of the housing (110) and the heater (200).

By the above-described arrangement structure of the airflow passage (300), the air inlet (300i) and the aerosol generating material (M) absorbed in the wick (210) can be in fluid communication or fluid connection, and the external air introduced through the air inlet (300i) can reach the aerosol generating material (M) absorbed in the wick (210) along the airflow passage (300). At this time, as the air reaching the aerosol generating material (M) is mixed with the vaporized particles generated as the aerosol generating material (M) is heated, an aerosol can be generated around the heater (200). The generated aerosol can be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device (100) through an aerosol passage (not shown) connecting the periphery of the heater (200) and the mouthpiece (110m), and the user can inhale the discharged aerosol.

The pressure sensor (400) is arranged to be in fluid connection or fluid communication with the air passage (300) in the internal space of the housing (110), and can detect a pressure change in the air passage (300). For example, the pressure sensor (400) is adjacent to the air inlet (300i) and accommodated inside a sensor receiving chamber (400a) connected to the air passage (300), and can detect a pressure change in the air passage (300) adjacent to the pressure sensor (400) or the sensor receiving chamber (400a).

When a user's puff motion occurs, the pressure inside the airflow passage (300) may change, and the pressure sensor (400) may detect the pressure change in the airflow passage (300). Data on the amount of pressure change in the airflow passage (300) detected by the pressure sensor (400) may be transmitted to the processor (150), and the processor (150) may detect whether the user's puff motion occurs based on the amount of pressure change in the airflow passage (300) transmitted.

In another embodiment of the aerosol generating device (100), the pressure sensor (400) may be positioned so as to be misaligned with the air inlet (300i) when viewed from the top surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100).

In one example, the pressure sensor (400) may be positioned at a position away from a vertical extension line (V) crossing the air inlet (300i) and a horizontal extension line (H) crossing the air inlet (300i) in the internal space of the sensor receiving chamber (400a) when viewed from the top surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100). For example, the pressure sensor (400) may be positioned on an imaginary extension line (EL) that forms a first angle (γ) with the horizontal extension line (H) of the air inlet (300i) and a second angle (90˚-γ) with the vertical extension line (V) of the air inlet (300i) when viewed from the top surface (110A) of the aerosol generating device (100), thereby being misaligned with the air inlet (300i).

The air flow rate may change as the air drawn into the airflow passage (300) through the air inlet (300i) moves toward the pressure sensor (400) arranged to be misaligned with the air inlet (300i). An aerosol generating device (100) according to another embodiment can increase the difference in the flow rates between the air around the air inlet (300i) and the air around the pressure sensor (400) through the above-described structure, and as the difference in the flow rates of the air increases, the amount of pressure change around the pressure sensor (400) may also increase when the user's puff motion occurs due to Bernoulli's theorem. As a result, an aerosol generating device (100) according to another embodiment can precisely detect whether a puff motion occurs without mistaking the pressure change due to the user's puff motion for a pressure change due to noise.

Fig. 11 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

The aerosol generating device (1) may include a battery (11), a control unit (12), a sensor unit (13), an output unit (40), an input unit (70), a communication unit (50), a memory (60), and at least one heater (15). However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device (1) is not limited to that illustrated in Fig. 11. That is, a person having ordinary skill in the art related to the present embodiment will understand that, depending on the design of the aerosol generating device (1), some of the components illustrated in Fig. 11 may be omitted or new components may be added.

The sensor unit (13) can detect the status of the aerosol generating device (1) or the status of the surroundings of the aerosol generating device (1) and transmit the detected information to the control unit (12). Based on the detected information, the control unit (12) can control the aerosol generating device (1) so that various functions such as controlling the operation of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18), restricting smoking, determining whether a stick and/or cartridge is inserted, and displaying a notification are performed.

The sensor unit (13) may include at least one of a temperature sensor (131), a puff sensor (132), an insertion detection sensor (133), a reuse detection sensor (134), a cartridge detection sensor (135), a cap detection sensor (136), and a movement detection sensor (137).

The temperature sensor (131) can detect the temperature at which the cartridge heater (24) (e.g., heater (24) of FIG. 3) and/or the stick heater (18) (e.g., heater (18) of FIGS. 1 to 2) is heated. The aerosol generating device (1) may include a separate temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18), or the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) itself may serve as the temperature sensor.

The temperature sensor (131) can output a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). For example, the temperature sensor (131) can include a resistance element whose resistance value changes in response to a change in the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). It can be implemented by a thermistor, which is an element that utilizes the property of changing resistance depending on temperature. At this time, the temperature sensor (131) can output a signal corresponding to the resistance value of the resistance element as a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). For example, the temperature sensor (131) can be configured as a sensor that detects the resistance value of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). At this time, the temperature sensor (131) can output a signal corresponding to the resistance value of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) as a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18).

A temperature sensor (131) may be placed around the battery (11) to monitor the temperature of the battery (11). The temperature sensor (131) may be placed adjacent to the battery (11). For example, the temperature sensor (131) may be attached to one surface of the battery (11). For example, the temperature sensor (131) may be mounted on one surface of a printed circuit board.

A temperature sensor (131) is placed inside the main body and can detect the internal temperature of the main body.

The puff sensor (132) can detect the user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow path. The puff sensor (132) can output a signal corresponding to the puff. For example, the puff sensor (132) can be a pressure sensor. The puff sensor (132) can output a signal corresponding to the internal pressure of the aerosol generating device. Here, the internal pressure of the aerosol generating device (1) can correspond to the pressure of the airflow path through which the gas flows. The puff sensor (132) can be arranged in correspondence to the airflow path through which the gas flows in the aerosol generating device (1).

The insertion detection sensor (133) can detect the insertion and/or removal of the stick. The insertion detection sensor (133) can detect a signal change according to the insertion and/or removal of the stick. The insertion detection sensor (133) can be installed around the insertion space. The insertion detection sensor (133) can detect the insertion and/or removal of the stick according to a change in the permittivity inside the insertion space. For example, the insertion detection sensor (133) can be an inductive sensor and/or a capacitance sensor.

An inductive sensor may include at least one coil. The coil of the inductive sensor may be positioned adjacent to the insertion space. For example, when a magnetic field changes around a current-carrying coil, the characteristics of the current flowing in the coil may change according to Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction. Here, the characteristics of the current flowing in the coil may include the frequency of the alternating current, the current value, the voltage value, the inductance value, the impedance value, etc.

An inductive sensor can output a signal corresponding to the characteristics of the current flowing through the coil. For example, an inductive sensor can output a signal corresponding to the inductance value of the coil.

A capacitance sensor may include a conductor. The conductor of the capacitance sensor may be positioned adjacent to the insertion space. The capacitance sensor may output a signal corresponding to the electromagnetic properties of the surroundings, such as the electrostatic capacitance around the conductor. For example, when a stick including a metallic wrapper is inserted into the insertion space, the electromagnetic properties around the conductor may be changed by the wrapper of the stick.

A reuse detection sensor (134) can detect whether the stick has been reused. The reuse detection sensor (134) may be a color sensor. The color sensor can detect the color of the stick. The color sensor can detect the color of a portion of the wrapper that wraps the outside of the stick. The color sensor can detect a value for an optical characteristic corresponding to the color of an object based on light reflected from the object. For example, the optical characteristic may be a wavelength of light. The color sensor may be implemented as a single component with the proximity sensor, or may be implemented as a separate component distinct from the proximity sensor.

At least some of the wrappers constituting the stick may change color due to the aerosol. The reuse detection sensor (134) may be positioned corresponding to a position where at least some of the wrappers that change color due to the aerosol are disposed when the stick is inserted into the insertion space. For example, before the stick is used by a user, the color of at least some of the wrappers may be a first color. At this time, as at least some of the wrappers are wetted by the aerosol generated by the aerosol generating device (1) while passing through the stick, the color of at least some of the wrappers may change to a second color. Meanwhile, the color of at least some of the wrappers may be maintained at the second color after changing from the first color to the second color.

The cartridge detection sensor (135) can detect the mounting and/or removal of the cartridge. The cartridge detection sensor (135) can be implemented by an inductance-based sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistance sensor, a Hall sensor (hall IC) using the Hall effect, etc.

The cap detection sensor (136) can detect the attachment and/or removal of the cap. If the cap is separated from the main body, the cartridge and part of the main body covered by the cap may be exposed to the outside. The cap detection sensor (136) can be implemented by a contact sensor, a hall sensor (hall IC), an optical sensor, or the like.

A motion detection sensor (137) can detect the movement of the aerosol generating device. The motion detection sensor (137) can be implemented with at least one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

In addition to the sensors (131 to 137) described above, the sensor unit (13) may further include at least one of a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, a position sensor (GPS), and a proximity sensor. Since the functions of each sensor can be intuitively inferred by a person skilled in the art from its name, a detailed description thereof may be omitted.

The output unit (40) can output information on the status of the aerosol generating device (1) and provide it to the user. The output unit (40) may include at least one of a display unit (41), a haptic unit (42), and an audio output unit (43), but is not limited thereto. When the display unit (41) and the touch pad form a layered structure to form a touch screen, the display unit (41) can be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

The display unit (41) (e.g., display (130) of FIG. 4) can visually provide information about the aerosol generating device (1) to the user. For example, the information about the aerosol generating device (1) may refer to various information such as the charging/discharging status of the battery (11) of the aerosol generating device (1), the preheating status of the stick heater (18), the insertion/removal status of the stick and/or cartridge, the mounting/removal status of the cap, or the status in which the use of the aerosol generating device (1) is restricted (e.g., detection of an abnormal item), and the display unit (41) can output the above information to the outside. For example, the display unit (41) may be in the form of an LED light-emitting element. For example, the display unit (41) may be a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light-emitting display panel (OLED), etc.

The haptic unit (42) can provide tactile information about the aerosol generating device (1) to the user by converting an electrical signal into a mechanical stimulus or an electrical stimulus. For example, the haptic unit (42) can generate a vibration corresponding to the completion of the initial preheating when initial power is supplied to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) for a set period of time. The haptic unit (42) can include a vibration motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

The acoustic output unit (43) can provide information about the aerosol generating device (1) to the user audibly. For example, the acoustic output unit (43) can convert an electrical signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

The battery (11) can supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device (1). The battery (11) can supply power so that the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) can be heated. In addition, the battery (11) can supply power required for the operation of other components provided in the aerosol generating device (1), such as the sensor unit (13), the output unit (40), the input unit (70), the communication unit (50), and the memory (60). The battery (11) can be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery (11) can be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

Although not shown in FIG. 11, the aerosol generating device (1) may further include a power protection circuit. The power protection circuit may be electrically connected to the battery (11) and include a switching element.

The power protection circuit can block the power path to the battery (11) according to certain conditions. For example, the power protection circuit can block the power path to the battery (11) when the voltage level of the battery (11) is higher than a first voltage corresponding to overcharge. For example, the power protection circuit can block the power path to the battery (11) when the voltage level of the battery (11) is lower than a second voltage corresponding to overdischarge.

The stick heater (18) can receive power from the battery (11) to heat the medium or aerosol generating material within the stick. Although not shown in FIG. 11, the aerosol generating device (1) may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC/DC converter) that converts the power of the battery (11) and supplies it to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). In addition, when the aerosol generating device (1) generates the aerosol by induction heating, the aerosol generating device (1) may further include a DC/AC converter that converts the direct current power of the battery (11) into alternating current power.

The control unit (12), sensor unit (13), output unit (40), input unit (70), communication unit (50), and memory (60) can receive power from the battery (11) to perform their functions. Although not illustrated in FIG. 11, the device may further include a power conversion circuit, for example, an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery (11) and supplies it to each component. In addition, although not illustrated in FIG. 11, a noise filter may be provided between the battery (11) and the stick heater (18). The noise filter may be a low pass filter. The low pass filter may include at least one inductor and a capacitor. The cutoff frequency of the low pass filter may correspond to the frequency of the high frequency switching current applied from the battery (11) to the stick heater (18). The low pass filter can prevent high frequency noise components from being applied to the sensor unit (13), such as the insertion detection sensor (133).

In one embodiment, the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials may be metals or metal alloys including, but not limited to, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, and the like. Additionally, the stick heater (18) may be implemented as, but not limited to, a metal heating wire, a metal heating plate having electrically conductive tracks arranged thereon, a ceramic heating element, and the like.

In another embodiment, the stick heater (18) may be an induction heater. For example, the stick heater (18) may include a susceptor that heats the aerosol generating material by generating heat through a magnetic field applied by a coil.

The input unit (70) can receive information input from a user or output information to the user. For example, the input unit (70) can be a touch panel. The touch panel can include at least one touch sensor that detects touch. For example, the touch sensor can include, but is not limited to, a capacitive touch sensor, a resistive touch sensor, a surface acoustic wave touch sensor, an infrared touch sensor, etc.

The display unit (41) and the touch panel can be implemented as a single panel. For example, the touch panel can be inserted into the display unit (41) (on-cell type or in-cell type). For example, the touch panel can be added-on to the display unit (41).

Meanwhile, the input unit (70) may include, but is not limited to, buttons, key pads, dome switches, jog wheels, jog switches, etc.

The memory (60) is hardware that stores various data processed in the aerosol generating device (1), and can store data processed and data to be processed in the control unit (12). The memory (60) may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory, etc.), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory (60) may store data such as the operating time of the aerosol generating device (1), the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and a user's smoking pattern.

The communication unit (50) may include at least one component for communication with another electronic device. For example, the communication unit (50) may include at least one of a short-range communication unit and a wireless communication unit.

The short-range wireless communication unit may include, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared (IrDA, infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, an UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, etc.

The wireless communication unit may include, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc.

Although not shown in FIG. 11, the aerosol generating device (1) further includes a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface, and can transmit and receive information or charge a battery (11) by connecting to another external device through a connection interface such as a USB interface.

The control unit (12) (e.g., the processor (150) of FIGS. 6 to 7) can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device (1). In one embodiment, the control unit (12) may include at least one processor. The processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed by the microprocessor. Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present embodiment pertains that the processor may be implemented as other types of hardware.

The control unit (12) can control the temperature of the stick heater (18) by controlling the supply of power from the battery (11) to the stick heater (18). The control unit (12) can control the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) based on the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) sensed by the temperature sensor (131). The control unit (12) can adjust the power supplied to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) based on the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). For example, the control unit (12) can determine a target temperature for the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) based on a temperature profile stored in the memory (60).

The aerosol generating device (1) may include a power supply circuit (not shown) electrically connected to the battery (11) between the battery (11) and the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). The power supply circuit may be electrically connected to the cartridge heater (24), the stick heater (18), or the induction coil (181). The power supply circuit may include at least one switching element. The switching element may be implemented by a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a field effect transistor (FET), or the like. The control unit (12) may control the power supply circuit.

The control unit (12) can control power supply by controlling the switching of the switching elements of the power supply circuit. The power supply circuit may be an inverter that converts direct current power output from the battery (11) into alternating current power. For example, the inverter may be configured as a full-bridge circuit or a half-bridge circuit including a plurality of switching elements.

The control unit (12) can turn on the switching element so that power is supplied from the battery (11) to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). The control unit (12) can turn off the switching element so that power is cut off to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). The control unit (12) can control the current supplied from the battery (11) by controlling the frequency and/or duty ratio of the current pulse input to the switching element.

The control unit (12) can control the voltage output from the battery (11) by controlling the switching of the switching element of the power supply circuit. The power conversion circuit can convert the voltage output from the battery (11). For example, the power conversion circuit can include a buck converter that steps down the voltage output from the battery (11). For example, the power conversion circuit can be implemented using a buck-boost converter, a zener diode, etc.

The control unit (12) can control the on/off operation of the switching element included in the power conversion circuit to adjust the level of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit. When the on state of the switching element continues, the level of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit may correspond to the level of the voltage output from the battery (11). The duty ratio for the on/off operation of the switching element may correspond to the ratio of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit to the voltage output from the battery (11). As the duty ratio for the on/off operation of the switching element decreases, the level of the voltage output from the power conversion circuit may decrease. The stick heater (18) can be heated based on the voltage output from the power conversion circuit.

The control unit (12) can control power to be supplied to the stick heater (18) using at least one of the pulse width modulation (PWM) method and the proportional-integral-differential (PID) method.

For example, the control unit (12) can control a current pulse having a predetermined frequency and duty ratio to be supplied to the stick heater (18) using the PWM method. The control unit (12) can control the power supplied to the stick heater (18) by adjusting the frequency and duty ratio of the current pulse.

For example, the control unit (12) can determine a target temperature that is the target of control based on the temperature profile. The control unit (12) can control the power supplied to the stick heater (18) by using the PID method, which is a feedback control method using a difference value between the temperature of the stick heater (18) and the target temperature, a value obtained by integrating the difference value over time, and a value obtained by differentiating the difference value over time.

The control unit (12) can prevent the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) from overheating. For example, the control unit (12) can control the operation of the power conversion circuit so that the supply of power to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) is cut off based on the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) exceeding a preset limit temperature. For example, the control unit (12) can reduce the amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) by a certain percentage based on the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) exceeding a preset limit temperature. For example, the control unit (12) can determine that the aerosol generating substance contained in the cartridge is exhausted based on the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) exceeding the limit temperature, and can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater (24).

The control unit (12) can control the charging and discharging of the battery (11). The control unit (12) can check the temperature of the battery (11) based on the output signal of the temperature sensor (131).

When a power line is connected to the main body electrode of the aerosol generating device (1), the control unit (12) can check whether the temperature of the battery (11) is higher than or equal to the first limit temperature, which is a criterion for blocking charging of the battery (11). If the temperature of the battery (11) is lower than the first limit temperature, the control unit (12) can control the battery (11) to be charged based on a preset charging current. If the temperature of the battery (11) is higher than or equal to the first limit temperature, the control unit (12) can block charging of the battery (11).

When the power of the aerosol generating device (1) is turned on, the control unit (12) can check whether the temperature of the battery (11) is higher than or equal to the second limit temperature, which is a standard for blocking discharge of the battery (11). If the temperature of the battery (11) is lower than the second limit temperature, the control unit (12) can control to use the power stored in the battery (11). If the temperature of the battery (11) is higher than or equal to the second limit temperature, the control unit (12) can stop using the power stored in the battery (11).

The control unit (12) can calculate the remaining capacity of the power stored in the battery (11). For example, the control unit (12) can calculate the remaining capacity of the battery (11) based on the voltage and/or current sensing values of the battery (11).

The control unit (12) can determine whether a stick is inserted into the insertion space through the insertion detection sensor (133). The control unit (12) can determine that a stick is inserted based on an output signal of the insertion detection sensor (133). If it is determined that a stick is inserted into the insertion space, the control unit (12) can control to supply power to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18). For example, the control unit (12) can supply power to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) based on a temperature profile stored in the memory (60).

The control unit (12) can determine whether the stick is removed from the insertion space. For example, the control unit (12) can determine whether the stick is removed from the insertion space through the insertion detection sensor (133). For example, the control unit (12) can determine that the stick is removed from the insertion space when the temperature of the stick heater (18) is higher than a limited temperature or when the temperature change slope of the stick heater (18) is higher than a set slope. When it is determined that the stick is removed from the insertion space, the control unit (12) can cut off the power supply to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18).

The control unit (12) can control the power supply time and/or power supply amount to the stick heater (18) according to the state of the stick detected by the sensor unit (13). The control unit (12) can check the level range that includes the level of the signal of the capacitance sensor based on a lookup table. The control unit (12) can determine the moisture content of the stick according to the checked level range.

When the stick is in an over-humidified state, the control unit (12) can control the power supply time to the stick heater (18) to increase the preheating time of the stick compared to the normal state.

The control unit (12) can determine whether the stick inserted into the insertion space has been reused through the reuse detection sensor (134). For example, the control unit (12) can compare the sensing value of the signal of the reuse detection sensor with a first reference range that includes a first color, and if the sensing value is included in the first reference range, it can determine that the stick has not been used. For example, the control unit (12) can compare the sensing value of the signal of the reuse detection sensor with a second reference range that includes a second color, and if the sensing value is included in the second reference range, it can determine that the stick has been used. If it is determined that the stick has been used, the control unit (12) can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18).

The control unit (12) can determine whether the cartridge is coupled and/or removed through the cartridge detection sensor (135). For example, the control unit (12) can determine whether the cartridge is coupled and/or removed based on the sensing value of the signal of the cartridge detection sensor.

The control unit (12) can determine whether the aerosol generating material of the cartridge is exhausted. For example, the control unit (12) can preheat the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) by applying power, and determine whether the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) exceeds a limited temperature during the preheating period. If the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) exceeds the limited temperature, the control unit (12) can determine that the aerosol generating material of the cartridge is exhausted. If the control unit (12) determines that the aerosol generating material of the cartridge is exhausted, the control unit (12) can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18).

The control unit (12) can determine whether the cartridge is usable. For example, the control unit (12) can determine that the cartridge is unusable if the current number of puffs is greater than or equal to the maximum number of puffs set for the cartridge based on data stored in the memory (60). For example, the control unit (12) can determine that the cartridge is unusable if the total time that the cartridge heater (24) has been heated is greater than or equal to the preset maximum time or the total amount of power supplied to the cartridge heater (24) is greater than or equal to the preset maximum amount of power.

The control unit (12) can make a judgment regarding the user's inhalation through the puff sensor (132). For example, the control unit (12) can determine whether a puff has been generated based on the sensing value of the signal of the puff sensor. For example, the control unit (12) can determine the intensity of the puff based on the sensing value of the signal of the puff sensor (132). If the number of puffs reaches a preset maximum number of puffs or if no puffs are detected for a preset time or longer, the control unit (12) can cut off the supply of power to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18).

The control unit (12) can determine whether the cap is attached and/or removed through the cap detection sensor (136). For example, the control unit (12) can determine whether the cap is attached and/or removed based on the sensing value of the signal of the cap detection sensor.

The control unit (12) can control the output unit (40) based on the result detected by the sensor unit (13). For example, when the number of puffs counted through the puff sensor (132) reaches a preset number, the control unit (12) can notify the user that the aerosol generating device (1) will soon be terminated through at least one of the display unit (41), the haptic unit (42), and the sound output unit (43). For example, the control unit (12) can notify the user through the output unit (40) based on a determination that a stick is not present in the insertion space. For example, the control unit (12) can notify the user through the output unit (40) based on a determination that a cartridge and/or a cap is not mounted. For example, the control unit (12) can transmit information about the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18) to the user through the output unit (40).

The control unit (12) can store and update the history of events that have occurred in the memory (60) based on the occurrence of a predetermined event. The event may include operations such as detection of insertion of a stick, initiation of heating of the stick, detection of puff, termination of puff, detection of overheating of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18), detection of overvoltage application to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18), termination of heating of the stick, power on/off of the aerosol generating device (1), initiation of charging of the battery (11), detection of overcharge of the battery (11), termination of charging of the battery (11), etc. performed in the aerosol generating device (1). The history of the event may include the date and time when the event occurred, log data corresponding to the event, etc. For example, when the predetermined event is detection of insertion of a stick, the log data corresponding to the event may include data on the sensing value of the insertion detection sensor (133), etc. For example, if a given event is overheating detection of a cartridge heater (24) and/or a stick heater (18), log data corresponding to the event may include data on the temperature of the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18), the voltage applied to the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18), the current flowing through the cartridge heater (24) and/or the stick heater (18), etc.

The control unit (12) can control to form a communication link with an external device, such as a user's mobile terminal. When data regarding authentication is received from the external device through the communication link, the control unit (12) can release the restriction on the use of at least one function of the aerosol generating device (1). Here, the data regarding authentication can include data indicating completion of user authentication for a user corresponding to the external device. The user can perform user authentication through the external device. The external device can determine whether user data is valid based on the user's birthday, a unique number representing the user, etc., and can receive data regarding the use authority of the aerosol generating device (1) from an external server. The external device can transmit data indicating completion of user authentication to the aerosol generating device (1) based on the data regarding the use authority. When the user authentication is completed, the control unit (12) can release the restriction on the use of at least one function of the aerosol generating device (1). For example, the control unit (12) can release the restriction on the use of the heating function that supplies power to the stick heater (18) when user authentication is completed.

The control unit (12) can transmit data on the status of the aerosol generating device (1) to the external device through a communication link formed with the external device. Based on the received status data, the external device can output the remaining capacity of the battery (11) of the aerosol generating device (1), the operation mode, etc. through the display of the external device.

An external device may transmit a location search request to the aerosol generating device (1) based on an input that initiates location search of the aerosol generating device (1). When receiving a location search request from the external device, the control unit (12) may control at least one of the output devices to perform an operation corresponding to the location search based on the received location search request. For example, in response to the location search request, the haptic unit (42) may generate vibration. For example, in response to the location search request, the display unit (41) may output an object corresponding to the location search and the end of the search.

The control unit (12) can control to perform a firmware update when receiving firmware data from an external device. The external device can check the current version of the firmware of the aerosol generating device (1) and determine whether a new version of the firmware exists. When an input requesting firmware download is received, the external device can receive a new version of the firmware data and transmit the new version of the firmware data to the aerosol generating device (1). The control unit (12) can control to perform a firmware update of the aerosol generating device (1) upon receiving a new version of the firmware data.

The control unit (12) can transmit data on the sensing value of at least one sensor unit (13) to an external server (not shown) through the communication unit (50), and receive and store a learning model generated by learning the sensing value through machine learning such as deep learning from the server. The control unit (12) can perform an operation of determining a user's inhalation pattern, an operation of generating a temperature profile, etc. using the learning model received from the server. The control unit (12) can store, in the memory (60), the sensing value data of at least one sensor unit (13) and data for learning an artificial neural network (ANN). For example, the memory (60) can store a database for each component provided in the aerosol generating device (1) for learning an artificial neural network (ANN), and weights and biases forming an artificial neural network (ANN) structure. The control unit (12) can learn data on the sensing values of at least one sensor unit (13), the user's suction pattern, the temperature profile, etc., stored in the memory (60), and generate at least one learning model used for determining the user's suction pattern, generating the temperature profile, etc.

Any or all of the embodiments of the present disclosure described above are not mutually exclusive or distinct. Any or all of the embodiments of the present disclosure described above may have their respective components or functions combined or used together.

For example, it means that a configuration A described in a particular embodiment and/or drawing can be combined with a configuration B described in another embodiment and/or drawing. That is, even if a combination between configurations is not directly described, it means that a combination is possible, except in cases where a combination is described as impossible.

The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in any respect and should be considered illustrative only. The scope of the present invention should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all modifications within the equivalent scope of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (15)

In an aerosol generating device, A housing comprising an air inlet through which air is introduced; A heater located inside the housing for heating an aerosol generating material; An airflow passage arranged to connect the air inlet and the aerosol generating material so that air drawn in through the air inlet moves in a direction toward the aerosol generating material; and A pressure sensor is disposed to be connected to the airflow passage and is configured to detect a change in pressure in the airflow passage; An aerosol generating device, wherein the pressure sensor is positioned so as to be misaligned with the air inlet when viewed from the top surface of the aerosol generating device. In the first paragraph, An aerosol generating device, wherein the pressure sensor is positioned at a position away from a vertical extension line and a horizontal extension line crossing the air inlet when viewed from the top surface of the aerosol generating device. In the second paragraph, An aerosol generating device, wherein the pressure sensor is positioned on a virtual extension line that forms a predetermined angle with the vertical extension line and the horizontal extension line when viewed from the top surface of the aerosol generating device. In the first paragraph, An aerosol generating device, wherein the air inlet is located at the top of the housing. In paragraph 4, An aerosol generating device, wherein the pressure sensor is positioned adjacent to the air inlet within the housing. In the first paragraph, The above airflow passage is, a first airflow passage connecting the air inlet and the aerosol generating material; and An aerosol generating device comprising a second airflow passage branching from a point of the first airflow passage and connected to the first airflow passage. In paragraph 6, A first portion of the first airflow passage is connected to the air inlet and extends along a first direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the housing, The second part of the first airflow passage extends in a second direction crossing the first direction, and one end is connected to the first part and the other end is connected to the aerosol generating material. An aerosol generating device, wherein the second airflow passage extends from a point of the first section in a third direction opposite to the second direction. In paragraph 7, Further comprising a sensor receiving chamber connected to the second airflow passage, An aerosol generating device, wherein the pressure sensor is disposed inside the sensor receiving chamber. In paragraph 8, An aerosol generating device, wherein the pressure sensor detects a change in pressure in the second airflow passage connected to the sensor receiving chamber. In the first paragraph, The housing further comprises an insertion space for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol generating material; An aerosol generating device, wherein the heater heats the aerosol generating material accommodated in the insertion space. In Article 10, An aerosol generating device, wherein at least a portion of the air introduced into the airflow passage through the air inlet passes through the aerosol generating material contained in the insertion space and is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device. In Article 10, An aerosol generating device wherein the air inlet is positioned spaced apart from the insertion space. In the first paragraph, further comprising a storage tank located inside the housing and storing the aerosol generating material; An aerosol generating device, wherein the heater heats the aerosol generating material supplied from the storage tank. In the first paragraph, Further comprising a processor operatively connected to the pressure sensor; An aerosol generating device wherein the processor detects a user's puff action based on a pressure change in the airflow passage detected through the pressure sensor. In Article 14, An aerosol generating device, wherein the processor determines that a user's puff action has occurred when the pressure change in the airflow passage is greater than a specified value.