Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
[DESCRIPTION]
[Invention Title]
HEATER FOR AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE AND AEROSOL GENERATING
DEVICE INCLUDING THE SAME
[Technical Field]
One or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a heater for an
aerosol
generating device and an aerosol generating device including the same. More
particularly, one
or more embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a heater for an
aerosol generating
device, the heater being configured to ensure a high-speed temperature rise,
and an aerosol
generating device including the same.
[Background Art]
Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative smoking articles
that
overcome the disadvantages of traditional combustive cigarettes. For example,
there is an
increasing demand for devices that generate aerosols by electrically heating
cigarettes (e.g.,
cigarette-type electronic cigarettes). Accordingly, research on an
electrically heated aerosol
generating device has been actively conducted.
Recently, an aerosol generating device configured to heat the outside of a
cigarette
through a film heater has been proposed. A film heater may be a thin film-type
heater on which
an electrically conductive pattern is formed. The material of the electrically
conductive pattern
includes, for example, copper, aluminum, etc.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
However, because the example materials of the electrically conductive pattern
have a
relatively large temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), there is a
disadvantage in that the
temperature increase rate may be relatively slow when heat is generated. That
is, the example
materials require more time to reach a target temperature because the
resistance value of the
electrically conductive pattern increases more when the temperature is raised
compared to
other materials having a small resistance temperature coefficient. In
addition, the slow heating
rate may increase the preheating time of the aerosol generating device and
reduce the taste of
early smoking.
[Disclosure]
[Technical Problem]
One or more embodiments provide a heater for an aerosol generating device
configured to ensure a relatively high-speed temperature rise, and an aerosol
generating device
including the same.
One or more embodiments also provide a heater for an aerosol generating device
that
1 5 may ensure a uniform heat distribution and an aerosol generating device
including the same.
One or more embodiments also provide a method of improving control precision
by
reducing a temperature measurement error of a heater for an aerosol generating
device.
One or more embodiments also provide a method of controlling a heater for an
aerosol
generating device, the heater including a plurality of electrically conductive
patterns.
2
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
[Technical Solution]
A heater according to embodiments may include a first electrically conductive
pattern
performing a heating function, and a second electrically conductive pattern
arranged in parallel
with the first electrically conductive pattern. For example, the first
electrically conductive pattern
may include a material having a temperature coefficient of resistance that is
less than or equal
to 1,000 ppmrC,
An aerosol generating device according to embodiments may include a housing
forming
an accommodating space in which an aerosol-generating article may be
accommodated, and a
heater configured to heat the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the
accommodating
space. The heater includes a first electrically conductive pattern made of a
material having a
temperature coefficient of resistance less than or equal to 1,000 ppm/ C and a
second
electrically conductive pattern arranged in parallel with the first
electrically conductive pattern.
[Advantageous Effects]
According to embodiments, a heater for an aerosol generating device including
an
electrically conductive pattern made of a material having a relatively small
resistance
temperature coefficient may be provided. Such a heater may shorten the
preheating time of the
aerosol generating device by ensuring a high-speed temperature rise, and may
greatly improve
the taste of early smoking.
3
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
In addition, a plurality of electrically conductive patterns may be arranged
in a parallel
structure, and a resistance value of the outer pattern may be designed to be
less than or equal
to a resistance value of the center pattern. Accordingly, heat may be more
uniformly generated
over the entire heating surface of the heater, thereby improving the heating
efficiency of the
aerosol generating device.
In addition, at least one of the plurality of electrically conductive patterns
may be used
as a sensor configured to measure the temperature of the heater. Accordingly,
a process of
mounting a separate temperature sensor when manufacturing the aerosol
generating device
may not be needed, and thus the device manufacturing process may be
simplified. In addition,
the temperature of the heater heating surface may be more accurately measured
through the
sensor pattern. Accordingly, the control precision of the heater may be
improved.
Effects according to embodiments are not limited to the above-mentioned
effects, and
other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the
art from the
following description.
1 5 [Description of Drawings]
FIGS. 1 and 2 are example views illustrating a film-type heater according to
an
embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an example view illustrating a heat concentration phenomenon of a
film-type
heater according to embodiments.
4
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
FIGS. 4 and 5 are example views illustrating a film-type heater according to
an
embodiment.
FIGS. 6 and 7 are example views illustrating a film-type heater according to
an
embodiment.
FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 illustrate various types of aerosol generating devices to
which a film-
type heater according to embodiments may be applied.
FIG. 11 is an example flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a film-
type heater
according to embodiments.
FIG. 12 shows related experimental results with respect to a temperature
increase rate
of the film-type heater.
FIG. 13 illustrates a pattern structure of a film-type heater according to an
embodiment.
FIGS. 14 and 15 show results of related experiments conducted on the heat
distribution
of the film-type heater.
[Best Mode]
A heater according to embodiments may include a first electrically conductive
pattern
configured to perform a heating function, and a second electrically conductive
pattern arranged
in parallel with the first electrically conductive pattern. For example, the
first electrically
conductive pattern may include a material having a temperature coefficient of
resistance less
5
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
than or equal to 1,000 ppm/ C
In embodiments, the first electrically conductive pattern may include at least
one of
constantan, manganin, and nickel silver.
In embodiments, the first electrically conductive pattern may include a
material having a
resistivity greater than or equal to 3.0X10-8 Om.
In embodiments, the second electrically conductive pattern may be arranged
outside
the first electrically conductive pattern, and a resistance of the second
electrically conductive
pattern may be less than or equal to a resistance of the first electrically
conductive pattern.
In embodiments, the second electrically conductive pattern may be arranged
outside of
the first electrically conductive pattern, and the heater may further include
a third electrically
conductive pattern arranged outside of the second electrically conductive
pattern. A gap
between the third electrically conductive pattern and the second electrically
conductive pattern
may be wider than a gap between the second electrically conductive pattern and
the first
electrically conductive pattern.
1 5 In embodiments, the second electrically conductive pattern may be
arranged outside of
the first electrically conductive pattern, and the second electrically
conductive pattern may
include a material having a resistivity less than a resistivity of the first
electrically conductive
pattern.
In embodiments, the second electrically conductive pattern may be arranged
outside of
6
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
the first electrically conductive pattern, and a thickness of the second
electrically conductive
pattern may be greater than a thickness of the first electrically conductive
pattern.
In embodiments, the thickness of the second electrically conductive pattern
may be less
than or equal to 30 um.
In embodiments, the second electrically conductive pattern may measure
temperature
for the heater, and may include a material having a temperature coefficient of
resistance greater
than a temperature coefficient of resistance of the first electrically
conductive pattern.
In embodiments, the second electrically conductive pattern may be arranged to
measure the temperature of the central region of the heating surface of the
heater, and the
distance from the center of the heating surface to the periphery of the
central region may be
0.15 to U.S times the distance from the center to the periphery of the heating
surface.
An aerosol generating device according to embodiments may include a housing
forming
an accommodating space in which an aerosol-generating article is accommodated,
and a heater
configured to heat the aerosol-generating article accommodated in the
accommodating space,
1 5 wherein the heater may include a first electrically conductive pattern
made of a material having
a temperature coefficient of resistance less than or equal to 1,000 ppm/ C,
and a second
electrically conductive pattern arranged in parallel with the first
electrically conductive pattern.
In embodiments, the aerosol generating device may further include a controller
configured to control the heater, wherein the controller may independently
control the first
7
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
electrically conductive pattern and the second electrically conductive
pattern.
[Mode for Invention]
Hereinafter, embodiments are described in detail with reference to the
accompanying
drawings. Advantages and features of the present disclosure, and methods of
achieving them
will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in
detail in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the technical idea is not
limited to the
following embodiments and may be implemented in various different forms. The
following
embodiments are provided to describe the technical idea of the present
disclosure, and to
inform those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure
belongs, the scope of the
present disclosure. In addition, the technical idea of the present disclosure
is only defined by the
scope of the claims and their equivalents.
In each drawing, the same components are given the same reference numerals
even
though they may be indicated in different drawings. In addition, in describing
the present
disclosure, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related
known configuration or
1 5 .. function may obscure the gist of the present disclosure, the detailed
description thereof will be
omitted.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms)
used
herein may be used with the meanings that may be commonly understood by those
of ordinary
skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. In addition, terms defined
in a commonly used
a
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
dictionary are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless clearly
specifically defined. The
terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and
is not intended to
limit the present disclosure. In this specification, the singular also
includes the plural, unless the
phrase specifically states otherwise.
In addition, in describing the components of the present disclosure, terms
such as
"first," "second," "A," "B," "(a)," "(b):' etc. may be used. These terms are
only for distinguishing
the component from other components, and the essence, sequence, or order of
the
corresponding component is not limited by the term. When a component is
described as being
"connected", "coupled" or "accessed" to another component, the component may
be directly
connected or accessed to the other component, but it should be understood that
another
component may be "connected", "coupled" or "accessed" between each component.
"Comprises" and/or "comprising" used in the present disclosure does not
exclude the
presence or addition of one or more other elements, steps, operations and/or
elements in
addition to a stated element, step, operation and/or element.
In the embodiments, an aerosol-generating substrate may be a material
configured to
generate an aerosol. Aerosols may include volatile compounds. The aerosol-
generating
substrate may be solid or liquid.
For example, the solid aerosol-generating substrate may include a solid
material based
on raw tobacco materials, such as leaf tobacco, cut filler, reconstituted
tobacco, etc., and the
9
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
liquid aerosol-generating substrate may include a liquid composition based on
nicotine, tobacco
extract and/or various flavoring agents. However, embodiments are not limited
to the examples
listed above.
For example, the liquid aerosol-generating substrate may include at least one
of
propylene glycol (PG) and glycerin (GLY), and may further include at least one
of ethylene
glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol,
tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl
alcohol. As another example, the aerosol-generating substrate may further
include at least one
of nicotine, moisture, and a flavoring substance. As another example, the
aerosol-generating
substrate may further include various additives such as cinnamon and
capsaicin. The aerosol-
generating substrate may include a material in the form of a gel or solid as
well as a liquid
material having a relatively high flowability. As such, the composition of the
aerosol-generating
substrate may be variously selected depending on the embodiment, and the
composition ratio
thereof may also vary depending on the embodiment. In the present disclosure,
liquid may refer
to a liquid aerosol-generating substrate.
1 5 In the embodiments, an aerosol-generating device may be a device that
generates an
aerosol using an aerosol-generating substrate to generate an aerosol that may
be directly
inhaled into a user's lungs through the user's mouth. FIGS. 8 to 10 illustrate
examples of
aerosol-generating devices.
In the embodiments, an aerosol-generating article may be an article configured
to
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
generate an aerosol. The aerosol-generating article may include an aerosol-
generating
substrate. For example, an aerosol-generating article may be a cigarette, but
embodiments are
not limited thereto.
In the embodiments, puff may indicate inhalation by the user, and inhalation
may be a
situation in which an aerosol is drawn into the user's mouth, nasal cavity, or
lungs through the
user's mouth or nose.
Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present disclosure are described.
According to embodiments, a heater configured to ensure high-speed temperature
rise
may be provided. For example, the heater according to the embodiment performs
a heating
function with an electrically conductive material having a relatively small
temperature coefficient
of resistance (hereinafter, "TCR"), thereby guaranteeing a high temperature
increase. A material
with a small TCR has a slight increase in resistance when the temperature is
raised, so that the
amount of current is hardly reduced, and this is due to a rapid temperature
increase being
possible. When such a heater is applied to an aerosol-generating device, the
effect of
1 5 shortening the preheating time of the device and greatly improving the
taste of early smoking
may be achieved due to the high-speed temperature rise. However, the use of
such a heater is
not limited to an aerosol generating device. Hereinafter, as an example, it is
assumed that the
heater is used for the purpose of the aerosol generating device.
Examples of the material having a relatively small TCR include constantan,
manganin,
11
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
nickel silver, and the like. However, embodiments are not limited thereto.
Table 1 below shows
the TOR of an electrically conductive material such as constantan, copper,
aluminum, etc.
[Table 1]
classification copper aluminum SUS304
constantan
TOR (ppmrC) 3900 3900 2000 8
In embodiments, an electrically conductive material having a TCR less than or
equal to
about 1500 ppm/ C may be used for the heater. For example, a material having a
TOR less than
or equal to about 1,000 ppm/T, 700ppmPC, 500ppmPC, 300ppm/aC, or about
100ppmPC may
be used. For example, a material having a TCR less than or equal to about 50
ppm/ C, 30
ppm/ O, or about 20 ppm/ O may be used. In this case, the high-speed heating
of the heater
may be ensured more reliably.According to embodiments, a film-type heater
including an
electrically conductive pattern made of a material having a relatively small
TCR may be
provided. However, embodiments are not limited thereto, and the type of
heaters may be
different from the film type. Hereinafter, it will be described in detail with
reference to the
drawings below with respect to the film-type heater according to the
embodiments.
FIG. 1 is an example view illustrating a film-type heater 10 according to an
embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the film-type heater 10 may include a base film 11, one or
more
electrically conductive patterns 12-1, 12-2, and 12-3, and a terminal 13.
However, only the
components related to the embodiment are illustrated in FIG. 1. Accordingly,
those of ordinary
skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains may understand that
other general-
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
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17:15:23 EDT after delivering 17 out of 66 pages. This fax is a continuation
from page 18
purpose components other than those shown in FIG. 1 may be further included.
Hereinafter,
when referring to an electrically conductive pattern 12-1 1 2-2 or 1 2-3 or a
plurality of electrically
conductive patterns 1 2-1 to 1 2-3. reference number "1 2" may be used. In
addition, the film-type
heater 10 may be abbreviated as "heater 10" and the electrically conductive
pattern 12 may be
abbreviated as "pattern 12.
The base film 11 may be a hear-resistant or insulating film constituting the
base of the
heater 10. For example, a heat-resistant or insulating film such as a
polyimide (hereinafter, "PI")
filim may be used as the base film 11. One or more patterns 12 may be formed
on the base film
11. In this ease, the pattern 12 may be formed in various ways, such as by
printing and
application. However, embodiments are not limited to a specific pattern
formation method.
The heater 10 may further include a cover film covering the upper surface of
the heater
10 in addition to the base film 11. The cover film may also include a neat
resistant film or
insulating film such as a PI film.
The paltern 12 may perform a heating function when power (or voltage) is
applied
through the terminal 13. In some examples, the specific pattern, for example,
pattern 12-1, may
perform a temperature measurement function rather than a heating function,
which will be
described later with reference to drawings such as FIG. 6.
As mentioned above, the pattern 12 may include a material having a relatively
small
TCR. For example. as the pattern 12, an electrically conductive material
having a TCFi les than
13
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
or equal to about 1500 ppm/ C may be used, For example, a material having a
TCR less than
or equal to about 1,000 pprnr C, 700 ppmr C, 500 ppmP C, 300 ppmr C or about
100 ppm/"' C
may be used. For example, a material having a TCR less than or equal to about
50 ppm/ C, 30
ppm/ C, or about 20 ppmn may be used. In this case, high-speed temperature
rise of the
heater 10 may be ensured.
In embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of patterns 12 may be arranged
(formed) in a parallel structure. Although FIG. 1 shows as an example that
three patterns 12-1
to 12-3 are arranged in a parallel structure, the number of patterns 12 may be
variously
designed. For example, the number of patterns 12 may be determined based on a
heating area
of the heater 10 and a target resistance of the entire heater 10. For example,
when the target
resistance is the same, the number of patterns 12 may increase as the heating
area decreases,
because the length of the pattern 12 must be shortened in order to satisfy the
same target
resistance value within a narrow area.
The number and/or arrangement structure of the patterns 12 is related to the
heating
1 5 area and target resistance of the heater 10, but may also be closely
related to the resistivity of
the material. A material having high resistivity increases the overall
resistance of the heater 10
by increasing the resistance of the pattern 12. Accordingly, when the pattern
12 includes a
material having high resistivity, the plurality of patterns 12 may be arranged
in a parallel
structure to satisfy the target resistance. For example, as constantan has a
relatively small TCR
14
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
but high resistivity resistance compared to copper, etc., when constantan is
used as the material
of the pattern 12, a plurality of patterns 12 may be arranged in a parallel
structure in order to
lower the overall resistance.
In embodiments, at least one of the plurality of patterns 12 arranged in a
parallel
structure includes a material having a resistivity greater than or equal to
about 1.0X10-8 Om,
3.0X10-8 Om, 5.0X10-8 Om, or 7.0X10-8 Om. Even if a material having such a
resistivity value is
used, a target resistance configured to sufficiently exhibit heating
performance through a
parallel structure may be satisfied.
The terminal 13 may be a circuit element configured to apply power (or
voltage) to the
pattern 12. Those skilled in the art would understand the configuration and
function of the
terminal 13, and detailed description thereof are omitted.
The terminal 13 may be designed to collectively apply power to the plurality
of patterns
12, or may be designed to independently apply power to each pattern 12. For
example, as
shown in FIG. 2, each of the plurality of terminals 13-1, 13-2, and 13-3 may
be connected to
independently apply power to each of the patterns 12-1 to 12-3. In this case,
the operation of
the first pattern 12-1 may be independently controlled through the first
terminal 13-1, and the
operation of the second pattern 12-2 may be independently controlled through
the second
terminal 13-3, so that a more precise control of the heater 10 may be
possible. This control
method will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 11.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
The heater 10 according to the embodiment has been described with reference to
FIGS. 1 and 2. According to the foregoing, the heater 10 for an aerosol-
generating device
including an electrically conductive pattern made of a material having a
relatively small TCR
may be provided. This heater 10 may shorten the preheating time of the aerosol-
generating
device and greatly improve the taste of early smoking, by ensuring a high-
speed temperature
rise. In relation to the heating rate of the heater 10, reference is made to
experimental Example
1 below.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, when a plurality of patterns 12 are arranged in a
parallel
structure, a phenomenon in which heat (amount) is concentrated to the center
of the heating
surface of the heater 10 may occur. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a
phenomenon may
occur that the central region 14 of the heating surface of the heater 10
generates heat at the
highest temperature, and the heating temperature decreases toward the outer
regions 15, 16,
and 17. This phenomenon occurs because the resistance value also increases as
the length of
the outer pattern (e.g., 12-3) becomes longer than the length of the central
pattern (e.g., 12-1).
5 Hereinafter, the heater 20 according to an embodiment, configured to
prevent such heating
concentration phenomenon is described.
FIG. 4 is an example view illustrating the heater 20 according to an
embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the heater 20 according to the embodiment may also include
a
base film 21, a plurality of patterns 22-1, 22-2, and 22-3, and a terminal 23.
However, in order to
16
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
ensure a uniform heat distribution, the outer pattern (e.g., 22-3) may be
designed to have a
resistance value less than or equal to a resistance of the central pattern
(e.g., 22-1 in FIG. 4).
Based on the resistance values, the phenomenon in which the amount of heat
generated by the
heating surface being concentrated in the central region may be alleviated.
A method of implementing the resistance values of the outer pattern (e.g., 22-
3) and the
center pattern (e.g., 22-1) may vary depending on an embodiment.
In embodiments, a resistance value may be implemented through a gap difference
between patterns. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of patterns 22-
1 to 22-3 are
arranged, and the interval 12 between the third pattern 22-3 and the second
pattern 22-2 may be
wider than the interval 11 between the second pattern 22-2 and the first
pattern 22-1. In this
case, as the area of the outer patterns (e.g., 22-3, 22-2) increases, the
resistance value of the
outer patterns may decrease. That is, as the area occupied by the outer
patterns (e.g., 22-3 and
22-2) becomes larger compared to the length of the outer pattern, the
resistance value of the
outer pattern may be decreased. Accordingly, the resistance value of the outer
pattern (e.g., 22-
1 5 3) may be implemented in a form in which the resistance value of the
outer pattern is not greater
than the resistance value of the central pattern (e.g., 22-1).
In embodiments, a resistance value of a pattern may be implemented through a
material difference of the pattern. For example, the second pattern (e.g., 22-
3) arranged outside
the first pattern (e.g., 22-1) may include a material having a resistivity
lower than a resistivity of
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
the first pattern (e.g., 22-1). For example, the first pattern may include a
constantan material,
and the second pattern may include a copper material. The resistance value of
the outer pattern
(e.g., 22-3) may be implemented in a form in which the resistance value of the
outer pattern is
not greater than the resistance value of the central pattern (e.g., 22-1).
In embodiments, a resistance value may be implemented through a thickness
difference between patterns. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the thickness T2
of the second
pattern 22-3 arranged outside the first pattern 22-2 may be greater than the
thickness Ti of the
first pattern 22-2. In this example, the resistance value may be implemented
in a form in which
the resistance value of the outer pattern (e.g., 22-3) may not be greater than
that of the central
pattern (e.g., 22-2), due to an increase in the thickness of the pattern.
However, when the thickness of the pattern (e.g., 22-3) is excessively thick,
the
flexibility of the heater 20 may decrease and the functionality as the film-
type heater 20 may be
lost or reduced, so the pattern (e.g., 22-3) may need to have an appropriate
thickness (e.g., T2).
In embodiments, the thickness (e.g., 12) of the pattern (e.g., 22-3) may be
less than or equal to
about 60 pm. For example, the thickness (e.g., T2) may be less than or equal
to about 50 pm,
40 pm, 30 pm or 10 pm. Within this numerical range, the flexibility of the
film-type heater 20 may
be ensured. In addition, the thickness (e.g., T2) of the pattern (e.g., 22-3)
may be greater than
or equal to about 10 pm, which may be understood to prevent an increase in the
difficulty of the
pattern forming process and a sharp increase in the resistance value.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
The heater 20 according to the embodiment has been described with reference to
FIGS. 4 and 5. According to the above description, the plurality of
electrically conductive
patterns 22-1 to 22-3 may be arranged in a parallel structure, and the
resistance value of the
outer pattern (e.g., 22-3) may be designed not to be greater than that of the
central pattern (e.g.,
22-1). Accordingly, uniform heat may be generated over the entire heating
surface of the heater
20. In relation to the heat distribution of the heater 20, reference is made
to experimental
Example 2 below.
Hereinafter, the heater 30 according to an embodiment is described with
reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7.
FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the heater 30 according to an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, the heater 30 according to the embodiment may also include
a
base film 31, a plurality of patterns 32-1, 32-2, and 33, and a terminal 34.
However, a specific
pattern 33 among the plurality of patterns 32-1, 32-2, and 33 may operate as a
sensor
performing a temperature measurement function of the heater 30. For example,
the temperature
1 5 of the heater 30 may be measured using the TCR of the specific pattern
33. Those skilled in the
art would understand the TCR-based temperature measurement technique, and a
detailed
description thereof is omitted. Hereinafter, the terms sensor pattern 33 and
heating patterns 32-
1 and 32-2 are used to distinguish two types of patterns having different
functions.
In this embodiment, the sensor pattern 33 may include a material having a
larger TCR
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
than a TCR of the heating pattern (e.g., 32-1). For example, when the heating
pattern (e.g., 32-
1) includes a material such as constantan, the sensor pattern 33 may include a
copper material,
and the heating temperature of the heater may be more accurately measured
through the
sensor pattern 33.
The heating pattern (e.g., 32-1) and the sensor pattern 33 may be implemented
by
various methods.
In embodiments, the sensor pattern 33 may be manufactured to have a greater
resistance than a resistance of the heating pattern (e.g., 32-1). For example,
the resistance
value of the sensor pattern 33 may be greater than or equal to about 5 times,
6 times, 7 times,
or about 10 times of the resistance value of the heating pattern (e.g., 32-1).
This difference in
resistance may be achieved by using a material having a high resistivity or by
manufacturing the
sensor pattern 33 with a relatively thin thickness or a relatively long
length. In this example,
even when electric power is applied to the heater 30, almost no current flows
in the sensor
pattern 33, so that the sensor pattern 33 may more accurately perform only the
temperature
1 5 measurement function.
In embodiments, the sensor pattern 33 may have a resistance value similar to
that of
the heating pattern (e.g., 32-1), but the power (or voltage) applied to the
sensor pattern 33 may
be designed to be much smaller than the heating pattern (e.g., 32-1). For
example, when the
sensor pattern 33 is connected to the first terminal and the heating pattern
(e.g., 32-1) is
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
configured to be connected to the second terminal, the controller may apply
relatively small
power to the first terminal, so that the pattern 33 may operate as a sensor
pattern. In this case,
the controller may operate a specific pattern (e.g., 32-1) as a sensor pattern
or a heating pattern
by controlling the power applied to each terminal. In another example, the
power applied to the
sensor pattern 33 may be configured to be reduced through a circuit element
that generates a
voltage drop.
The number and arrangement positions of the sensor patterns 33 may be designed
in
various ways.
In embodiments, the sensor pattern 33 may be arranged such that the
temperature of
the central region of the heating surface of the heater 30 is measured
(sensed). For example, as
shown in FIG. 7, at least a portion of the sensor pattern 33 may be arranged
in the central
region 35. In this case, the sensor pattern 33 may more accurately measure the
temperature of
the central region 35 rather than the outer regions 36 to 38. This is in
consideration of the heat
concentration phenomenon as described above, and this is because, when the
heat
1 5 concentration phenomenon occurs, controlling the heater 30 based on the
temperature of the
central region 33 may further improve control precision.
In the embodiments, the distance 01 from the center C of the heating surface
of the
heater 30 to the periphery of the central region 35 may be about 0.15 to 0.5
times the distance
D2 from the center C to the periphery of the heating surface, and for example,
about 0.2 times
21
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
to 0.5 times, about 0.15 times to 0.4 times, about 0.2 times to 0.4 times, or
about 0.2 times to
0.3 times. As heat is concentrated in the central region 35 formed within this
numerical range,
disposing the sensor pattern 33 in the corresponding central region 35 may be
more effective in
improving control precision of the heater 30.
The heater 30 according to the embodiment has been described with reference to
FIGS. 6 and 7. As described above, at least one (e.g., 33) of the plurality of
patterns may be
used as a sensor performing a temperature measurement function of the heater
30.
Accordingly, there is no need to mount a separate temperature sensor when
manufacturing the
aerosol-generating device, and thus the device manufacturing process may be
simplified. In
addition, the temperature of the heating surface of the heater 30 may be more
accurately
measured through the sensor pattern (e.g., 33), so that the control precision
of the heater 30
may be improved.
Hereinafter, various types of aerosol-generating devices 100-1, 100-2, and 100-
3 to
which the heaters 10, 20, and 30 according to embodiments may be applied are
described with
reference to FIGS. 8 to 10.
FIGS. 8 to 10 illustrate the aerosol-generating devices 100-1, 100-2, and 100-
3. In
detail, FIG. 8 illustrates a cigarette-type aerosol-generating device 100-1,
and FIGS. 9 and 10
illustrate hybrid-type aerosol-generating devices 100-2 and 100-3 using a
liquid and a cigarette
together. Hereinafter, each aerosol generating device 100-1 to 100-3 is
described.
22
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
As shown in FIG. 8, the aerosol generating device 100- 1 may include a heater
140, a
battery 130, and a controller 120. However, embodiments are not limited
thereto, and some
components may be added or omitted. in addition, each component of the aerosol-
generating
device 100-1 shown in FIG. 8 represents functionally distinct functional
elements, and a plurality
of components may be implemented in a form that is integrated with each other
in an actual
physical environment, or a single component may be implemented in a form that
is divided into
a plurality of detailed functional elements. Hereinafter, each component of
the aerosol
generating device 100-1 is described.
The heater 140 may be arranged to heat a cigarette 150 inserted therein. The
cigarette
150 includes a solid aerosol-generating substrate and is configured to
generate an aerosol as it
is heated. The generated aerosol may be inhaled through the mouth of the user.
An operation of
the heater 140, a heating temperature, etc. may be controlled by the
controller 120.
The heater 140 may be implemented as the heaters 10, 20, 30 described above,
and in
this case, the preheating time of the aerosol-generating device 100-1 may be
shortened and the
taste of early smoking may be improved, through the high-speed heating.
The battery 130 may supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device
100-
1. For example, the battery 130 may supply power so that the heater 140 may
heat the aerosol-
generating substrate included in the cigarette 150, and may supply power
required for the
controller 120 to operate.
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
In addition, the battery 130 may supply power required to operate electrical
components
such as a display, a sensor, and a motor installed in the aerosol generating
device 100-1.
The controller 120 may control the operation of the aerosol generating device
100-1 as
a whole. For example, the controller 120 may control the operation of the
heater 140 and the
battery 130, and may also control the operation of other components included
in the aerosol
generating device 100-1. The controller 120 may control the power supplied by
the battery 130,
the heating temperature of the heater 140, and the like. In addition, the
controller 120 may
determine whether the aerosol-generating device 100-1 is in an operable state
by checking the
state of each of the components of the aerosol-generating device 100-1.
In embodiments, the controller 120 may dynamically control the operation of a
plurality
of patterns constituting the heater 140 based on a preset condition, and this
embodiment will be
described in detail later with reference to FIG. 11.
The controller 120 may be implemented by 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 in which a
program executable
in the microprocessor is stored. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the
art to which the present
disclosure pertains may understand that the controller 120 may be implemented
with other
types of hardware.
24
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
Hereinafter, the hybrid aerosol generating devices 100-2 and 100-3 are
described with
reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.
FIG. 9 illustrates an aerosol-generating device 100-2 in which a vaporizer 1
and a
cigarette 150 are arranged in parallel, and FIG. 10 illustrates an aerosol-
generating device 100-
3 in which a vaporizer 1 and a cigarette 150 are arranged in series. However,
the internal
structure of the aerosol generating device is not limited to that illustrated
in FIGS. 9 and 10, and
the arrangement of components may be changed depending on a design method.
In FIGS. 9 and 10, the vaporizer 1 may include a liquid reservoir configured
to store a
liquid aerosol-generating substrate, a wick configured to absorb the aerosol-
generating
substrate, and a vaporizing element configured to vaporize the absorbed
aerosol-generating
substrate to generate an aerosol. The vaporizing element may be implemented in
various forms,
such as a heating element, a vibrating element, and the like. In embodiments,
the vaporizer 1
may also be designed in a structure that does not include a wick. The aerosol
generated by the
vaporizer 1 may pass through the cigarette 150 and be inhaled through the
users mouth. The
1 5 vaporizing element of the vaporizer 1 may also be controlled by the
controller 120.
Example aerosol-generating devices 100-1 to 100-3 to which the heaters 10, 20,
and 30
according to embodiments may be applied have been described with reference to
FIGS. 8 to 10.
Hereinafter, a method of controlling a film-type heater manufactured for an
aerosol-generating
device according to embodiments will be described with reference to FIG. 11.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
Hereinafter, in describing the control method, it is assumed that the heater
(e.g., 10, 20,
30) may include a plurality of patterns including the first pattern and the
second pattern, and the
function, operation, and/or heating temperature of each pattern may be
independently
controlled. In addition, the control method may be implemented with one or
more instructions
executed by the control unit 120 or a processor, and may be understood as
being performed by
the controller 120 when the subject of a specific operation is omitted.
FIG. 11 is an example flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a heater
according
to embodiments.
As shown in FIG. 11, the control method may start in step S10 of monitoring
the
smoking status. Here, the smoking status may include all types of status
information
measurable during smoking, such as a smoking progress stage, a puff status,
and a
temperature of a heater.
In steps S20 and S30, in response to determining that a first condition is
satisfied, both
the first pattern and the second pattern may be operated as heating patterns.
For example, the
controller 120 may control each pattern to perform a heating function by
applying sufficient
power to the first pattern and the second pattern.
The first condition may be defined and set in various ways. For example, the
first
condition may be a condition indicating a preheating time (e.g., initial 5
seconds, etc.). In this
example, the temperature may be raised at a high speed by operating a
plurality of patterns as
26
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
a heating pattern during the preheating time. As another example, the first
condition may be a
condition defined based on the puff state (e.g. puff interval, puff strength),
for example, a
condition indicating that the puff interval is less than or equal to the
reference value or the puff
strength is greater than or equal to the reference value. In this example, as
the puff interval is
shortened or the puff strength is increased, a plurality of patterns may be
operated as heating
patterns to provide a stronger taste of smoking to the user. In addition, the
first condition may be
defined based on various factors such as smoking time, number of puffs,
heating temperature of
a heater, and the like.
In embodiments, control in which the number of heating patterns (i.e., the
number of
patterns operating as heating patterns) among the plurality of patterns is
adjusted may be
performed. For example, the controller 120 may increase or decrease the number
of heating
patterns depending on the puff state (e.g. puff interval, puff strength). For
example, when the
putt strength is equal to or greater than the reference value, the number of
patterns increases,
and when the puff strength is less than the reference value, the number of
patterns decreases.
As another example, the controller 120 may increase or decrease the number of
heating
patterns according to the smoking progress stage. For example, the controller
120 may increase
the number of heating patterns at the beginning of smoking, decrease the
number of heating
patterns during the middle of smoking, and increase the number of heating
patterns again at the
end of smoking to compensate for the taste of smoking. As another example, the
controller 120
27
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
may perform feedback control by increasing or decreasing the number of heating
patterns
depending on the heating temperature of the heater.
In steps S40 and S50, in response to determining that a second condition is
satisfied, a
specific pattern may be operated as a sensor pattern. For example, the
controller 120 may
prevent the first pattern from generating heat by reducing the power applied
to the first pattern,
and may measure the temperature of the heater based on the TCR of the first
pattern and the
change in the resistance value.
The second condition may be set in various ways. For example, the second
condition
may be a condition indicating that the preheating time has elapsed. In this
case, after the
preheating is completed, feedback control according to the temperature
measurement result of
the heater may be performed. As another example, the second condition may be a
condition
defined based on the puff state (e.g., puff interval, puff strength), and for
example, may be a
condition indicating that the puff interval is greater than or equal to the
reference value or the
puff strength is less than or equal to the reference value, in this case, as
the puff interval
1 5 becomes longer or the puff strength becomes weaker, feedback control
depending on the
temperature measurement result of the sensor pattern may be performed.
In embodiments, the heat distribution of the heater heating surface may be
measured
using a plurality of sensor patterns. For example, the controller 120 may
determine the
uniformity of heat distribution by comparing the temperature measurement
results of the sensor
28
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
pattern at the center and the sensor pattern at the outer side. When heat is
concentrated in the
central region, the controller 120 may also perform a control such as
supplying more power to
the outer heating pattern or supplying less power to the central heating
pattern. Depending on
this control, heat may be uniformly generated over the entire heating surface
of the heater,
FIG. 11 shows that step S40 is performed when the first condition is not
satisfied, but
this is only an example, and steps S20 and S40 may be performed independently
of each other.
The control method of the film-type heater manufactured for the aerosol-
generating
device according to embodiments has been described with reference to FIG. 11.
According to
the above-described method, by dynamically controlling functions and
operations of a plurality
of patterns depending on preset conditions, the heater may be more efficiently
utilized during
smoking.
The embodiment described with reference to FIG. 11 may be implemented as
computer-readable codes on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable
recording
medium may be, for example, a removable recording medium (CD, DVD, Blu-ray
disk, USB
storage device, removable hard disk) or a fixed recording medium (ROM, RAM,
computer-
equipped hard disk). The computer program recorded on the computer-readable
recording
medium may be transmitted to another computing device through a network such
as the Internet
and installed in the other computing device, thereby being used in the other
computing device.
Hereinafter, the configuration and effects of the heaters 10, 20, and 30
described above
29
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
in examples and related examples will be described in more detail. However,
because the
following embodiments are only some examples of the heaters 10, 20, and 30
described above,
the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following examples.
[Example 1]
A heater in which a pattern of a constantan material was arranged in parallel
was
manufactured. In detail, the patterns were arranged in a three-row parallel
structure as
illustrated in FIG. 1, and the spacing between the patterns was equally
designed to be 0.5 mm,
and the thickness of the pattern was equally designed to be 20 pm. In
addition, a PI film was
used as the base film of the heater.
[Related Example 1]
The same heater as in Example 1 was manufactured, except that the copper
material
pattern was arranged in series.
[Experimental Example 1: Comparison of temperature increase rate]
An experiment was conducted to compare the temperature increase rate for the
heaters
according to Example 1 and Related Example 1. In detail, an experiment was
conducted to
measure the temperature change of the heater depending on time, and the
experimental results
are shown in FIG. 12.
FIG 12 illustrates that the heating rate of the heater according to Example 1
is
significantly faster than the heating rate of Related Example 1. For example,
assuming that the
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
target temperature is 300 C, it may be confirmed that the heater according to
Example 1
reaches the target temperature in about 1.6 seconds, whereas the heater
according to Related
Example 1 reaches the target temperature after about 2.7 seconds. This is due
to the resistance
value hardly increasing when the temperature is raised due to the low TCR of
the constantan
material, and thus, the current flowing through the pattern is hardly reduced
when the
temperature is raised. According to these experimental results, it may be seen
that the heater
(e.g., 10) according to the above-described embodiments may shorten the
preheating time of
the aerosol-generating devices (e.g., 100-1 to 100-3) and improve the taste of
early smoking.
[Examples 2 and 3]
As shown in FIG. 13, heaters according to Examples 2 and 3 were manufactured
by
arranging 5 rows of patterns of a constantan material in parallel. The heater
according to
Example 2 was arranged such that the spacing between the patterns became wider
toward the
outside, and the heater according to Example 3 was arranged to have
substantially equal
spacing. For detailed numerical values for the thickness, length, and spacing
of the pattern,
refer to Tables 2 and 3 below. Table 2 relates to Example 2, and table 3
relates to Example 3.
[Table 2[
row 1 row 5
classification row 2 row 3 row 4
(outer)
(center)
thickness(um) 20 20 20 20 20
length(nim) 70.97 69.51 66.51 66.42 63.42
spacing(mm) 0.55 0.5 0.45 0.42 0.4
31
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
[Table 3]
row 1 row 5
classification row 2 row 3 row 4
(outer) (center)
thickness(pm) 20 20 20 20 20
length(mm) 70,97 69.51 " 66.51 66.42
63,42
spacing(mm) 0.49 0.47 0.45 0.45 0.43
[Experimental Example 2: Comparison of heat distribution]
An experiment for measuring the heat distribution of the heating surface of
the heater
according to Examples 2 and 3 was conducted, and the experimental results
thereof are shown
in FIGS. 14 and 15. FIGS. 14 and 15 show the heating surface of the heater
according to
Examples 2 and 3, respectively, in the form of a heat map.
Comparing FIGS. 14 and 15, it may be seen that the concentrated heating region
(refer
to the central region) of FIG. 15 is more concentrated (e.g., the concentrated
heating area is
formed more narrowly) than that of FIG. 14, which indicates that the heat
concentration
phenomenon is stronger in the heater according to Example 3. This may also
indicate that the
resistance value of the outer pattern may be reduced by designing the gap on
the pattern to
become wider toward the outer side, and ultimately the heat concentration
phenomenon may be
alleviated.
The configurations and effects of the heaters 10, 20, and 30 described above
have
been described in more detail through Examples and Related examples.
Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the
32
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
accompanying drawings, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present
disclosure
pertains may understand that the present disclosure may be implemented in
other specific
forms without changing the technical idea or essential features thereof.
Therefore, it should be
understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all
respects and not
restrictive. The protection scope of the present disclosure should be
interpreted by the following
claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent range should be
interpreted as being
included in the scope of the technical ideas defined by the present
disclosure.
33
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-03-22
