Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Description
Title of Invention: AEROSOL GENERATING DEVICE
INCLUDING HEATER MODULE
Technical Field
[1] One or more embodiments relate to an aerosol generating device
including a de-
tachable heater module.
Background Art
[2] Recently, as alternative methods to overcome the disadvantages of
traditional
cigarettes, the demand for methods which generate aerosol by heating an
aerosol
generating material, rather than by combusting cigarettes has increased. For
example,
there has been used a method in which a cartridge including a heater and a
liquid
storage storing an aerosol generating material is configured to be detachable
from an
aerosol generating device, and as power is transferred from the aerosol
generating
device to the cartridge, the aerosol generating material stored in the
cartridge is heated
by the heater.
[3] When all of the aerosol generating material stored in the liquid
storage of the
cartridge is exhausted, the cartridge is replaced. However, even though the
durability
of the heater generally lasts longer than an exhaustion cycle of the aerosol
generating
material, the heater may be needlessly replaced. Accordingly, unnecessary
waste may
occur, and thus, there may be a need for a technology for reducing such waste
by con-
sidering a durability or exhaustion time of individual components of an
aerosol
generating device.
Disclosure of Invention
Technical Problem
[4] Various embodiments may provide an aerosol generating device in which a
cartridge
and a heater module are detachably coupled to each other. Technical problems
to be
solved by the present disclosure are not limited to the technical problems
described
above, and other technical problems may be inferred from the following
embodiments.
Solution to Problem
[5] According to one or more embodiments, an aerosol generating device
includes a
main body including a controller and a battery, a heater module detachably
coupled to
the main body and including a heater configured to heat an aerosol generating
material,
and a cartridge detachably coupled to the heater module and storing the
aerosol
generating material to be delivered to the heater, wherein the heater module
includes a
first terminal electrically connecting the cartridge to the heater module, and
a second
terminal and a third terminal electrically connecting the heater module to the
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controller.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[6] The present disclosure provides an aerosol generating
device in which a cartridge and
a heater module are detachable from each other, thereby enabling replacement
of the
individual components of the aerosol generating device according to the
durability and
availability of the components.
1171 In addition, the aerosol generating device according to an
embodiment may identify
whether the cartridge, the heater module, and the main body are coupled.
[81 In addition, since the aerosol generating device according
to an embodiment operates
differently in response to the same user input according to whether the
cartridge is
coupled, a user input interface may be simplified.
Brief Description of Drawings
[91 FIGS. 1 to 3 are diagrams of examples of an aerosol
generating device with a
cigarette inserted thereinto.
[10] FIGS. 4 and 5 each illustrate an example of a cigarette.
[11] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according
to an em-
bodiment.
[12] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view the aerosol generating device
shown in FIG.
6.
[13] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an aerosol
generating device
according to an embodiment.
[14] FIG. 9 illustrates a method of identifying a connection state of a
cartridge and a
heater module, according to an embodiment.
[15] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method of determining whether a cartridge
is coupled
according to an embodiment.
[16] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 1100
according to another
embodiment.
Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention
[17] According to one or more embodiments, an aerosol generating device
includes a
main body including a controller and a battery, a heater module detachably
coupled to
the main body and including a heater configured to heat an aerosol generating
material,
and a cartridge detachably coupled to the heater module and configured to
store the
aerosol generating material to be delivered to the heater, wherein the heater
module
includes a first terminal configured to electrically connect the cartridge to
the heater
module when the cartridge is coupled to the heater module, and a second
terminal and
a third terminal configured to electrically connect the heater module to the
controller
when the heater module is coupled to the main body.
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[18] In an embodiment, the heater module may further include a printed
circuit board
electrically connecting the first terminal and the third terminal.
[19] In an embodiment, the heater module may further include an integrated
circuit
mounted on the printed circuit board, and the integrated circuit may be
electrically
connected to the controller through the third terminal.
[20] In an embodiment, the integrated circuit may count a number of puffs
based on a
signal transmitted from the controller whenever a puff is detected, and store
the
counted number.
[21] In an embodiment, the integrated circuit may include a non-volatile
memory storing
the number.
[22] In an embodiment, the heater may receive power from the battery
through the second
terminal.
[23] In an embodiment, the cartridge may further include a conductor that
is electrically
connected to the first terminal when the cartridge is coupled to the heater
module.
[24] In an embodiment, the conductor may generate a conducting signal when
the
conductor is electrically connected to the first terminal, and the controller
may receive
the conducting signal through the third terminal.
[25] In an embodiment, the conducting signal may be a current flow during a
prede-
termined time or more or a current amount equal to or greater than a reference
value.
[26] In an embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further include a
user input
unit configured to receive a user input, and the controller may be further
configured to,
in response to the user input, output a first control signal when the
conducting signal is
less than a reference value, and output a second control signal different from
the first
signal when the conducting signal is greater than or equal to the reference
value.
[27] In an embodiment, the first control signal may block power supplied to
the heater.
[28] In an embodiment, the first terminal, the second terminal, and the
third terminal may
each be configured in a pair.
Mode for the Invention
[29] With respect to the terms used to describe in the various embodiments,
the general
terms which are clurently and widely used are selected in consideration of
functions of
structural elements in the various embodiments of the present disclosure.
However,
meanings of the terms can be changed according to intention, a judicial
precedence, the
appearance of a new technology, and the like. In addition, in certain cases, a
term
which is not commonly used can be selected. In such a case, the meaning of the
term
will be described in detail at the corresponding portion in the description of
the present
disclosure. Therefore, the terms used in the various embodiments of the
present
disclosure should be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the
descriptions
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
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provided herein.
[30] In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word
"comprise" and
changes such as "comprises" or "comprising" will be understood to imply the
inclusion
of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements. In addition,
the terms "-
er", "-or", and "module" described in the specification mean units for
processing at
least one function and operation and can be implemented by hardware components
or
software components and combinations thereof.
[31] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will now be described more fully
with reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the present
disclosure are shown such that one of ordinary skill in the art may easily
work the
present disclosure. The disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different
forms
and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth
herein.
[32] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described
in detail with
reference to the drawings.
[33] First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, an aerosol generating device
according to an em-
bodiment will be described.
[34] FIGS. 1 through 3 are diagrams showing examples in which a cigarette
is inserted
into an aerosol generating device.
[35] Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating device 1 includes a battery
11, a controller
12, and a heater 13. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the aerosol generating device
1 further
includes a vaporizer 14. A cigarette 2 may be inserted into an inner space of
the
aerosol generating device 1.
[36] The elements related to the embodiment are illustrated in the aerosol
generating
device 1 of FIGS. 1 to 3. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would
appreciate
that other universal elements than the elements shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 may be
further
included in the aerosol generating device 1.
[37] Also, although it is shown that the aerosol generating device 1
includes the heater 13
in FIGS. 2 and 3, the heater 13 may be omitted if necessary.
[38] In FIG. 1, the battery 11, the controller 12, and the heater 13 are
arranged in a row.
Also, FIG. 2 shows that the battery 11, the controller 12, the vaporizer 14,
and the
heater 13 are arranged in a row. Also, FIG. 3 shows that the vaporizer 14 and
the
heater 13 are arranged in parallel with each other. However, an internal
structure of the
aerosol generating device 1 is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to
3. That
is, according to a design of the aerosol generating device 1, arrangement of
the battery
11, the controller 12, the heater 13, and the vaporizer 14 may be changed.
[39] When the cigarette 2 is inserted into the aerosol generating device 1,
the aerosol
generating device 1 operates the heater 13 and/or the vaporizer 14 to generate
aerosol
from the cigarette 2 and/or the vaporizer 14. The aerosol generated by the
heater 13
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
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and/or the vaporizer 14 may be transferred to a user via the cigarette 2.
[40] If necessary, even when the cigarette 2 is not inserted in the aerosol
generating
device 1, the aerosol generating device 1 may heat the heater 13.
[41] The battery 11 supplies the electric power used to operate the aerosol
generating
device 1. For example, the battery 11 may supply power for heating the heater
13 or
the vaporizer 14 and supply power for operating the controller 12. In
addition, the
battery 11 may supply power for operating a display, a sensor, a motor, and
the like
installed in the aerosol generating device 1.
[42] The controller 12 controls the overall operation of the aerosol
generating device 1. In
detail, the controller 12 may control operations of other elements included in
the
aerosol generating device 1, as well as the battery 11, the heater 13, and the
vaporizer
14. Also, the controller 12 may check the status of each component in the
aerosol
generating device 1 to determine whether the aerosol generating device 1 is in
an
operable state.
[43] The controller 12 includes at least one processor. A 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. It will be understood by one of ordinary skill in
the art that
the processor can be implemented in other forms of hardware.
[44] The heater 13 may be heated by the electric power supplied from the
battery 11. For
example, when the cigarette is inserted in the aerosol generating device 1,
the heater 13
may be located outside the cigarette. Therefore, the heated heater 13 may
raise the tem-
perature of an aerosol generating material in the cigarette.
[45] The heater 13 may be an electro-resistive heater. For example, the
heater 13 includes
an electrically conductive track, and the heater 13 may be heated as a current
flows
through the electrically conductive track. However, the heater 13 is not
limited to the
above example, and any type of heater may be used provided that the heater is
heated
to a desired temperature. Here, the desired temperature may be set in advance
on the
aerosol generating device 1, or may be set by a user.
[46] In addition, in another example, the heater 13 may include an
induction heating type
heater. In detail, the heater 13 may include an electrically conductive coil
for heating
the cigarette in an induction heating method, and the cigarette may include a
susceptor
that may be heated by the induction heating type heater.
[47] For example, the heater 13 may include a tubular type heating element,
a plate type
heating element, a needle type heating element, or a rod type heating element,
and may
heat the inside or outside of the cigarette 2 according to the shape of the
heating
element.
[48] Also, there may be a plurality of heaters 13 in the aerosol generating
device I. Here,
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the plurality of heaters 13 may be arranged to be inserted into the cigarette
2 or on the
outside of the cigarette 2. Also, some of the plurality of heaters 13 may be
arranged to
be inserted into the cigarette 2 and the other may be arranged on the outside
of the
cigarette 2. In addition, the shape of the heater 13 is not limited to the
example shown
in FIGS. 1 to 3, but may be manufactured in various shapes.
[49] The vaporizer 14 may generate aerosol by heating a liquid composition
and the
generated aerosol may be delivered to the user after passing through the
cigarette 2. In
other words, the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14 may move along an air
flow
passage of the aerosol generating device 1, and the air flow passage may be
configured
for the aerosol generated by the vaporizer 14 to be delivered to the user
through the
cigarette.
[50] For example, the vaporizer 14 may include a liquid storage unit, a
liquid delivering
unit, and a heating element, but is not limited thereto. For example, the
liquid storage
unit, the liquid delivering unit, and the heating element may be included in
the aerosol
generating device 1 as independent modules.
[51] The liquid storage may store a liquid composition. For example, the
liquid com-
position may be a liquid including a tobacco-containing material having a
volatile
tobacco flavor component, or a liquid including a non-tobacco material. The
liquid
storage unit may be attached to/detached from the vaporizer 14 or may be
integrally
manufactured with the vaporizer 14.
[52] For example, the liquid composition may include water, a solvent,
ethanol, plant
extract, spices, flavorings, or a vitamin mixture. The spices may include
menthol,
peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit-flavored ingredients, but are not
limited
thereto. The flavorings may include ingredients capable of providing various
flavors or
tastes to a user. Vitamin mixtures may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin
A,
vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but are not limited thereto. In addition,
the liquid
composition may include an aerosol forming agent such as glycerin and
propylene
glycol.
[53] The liquid delivery element may deliver the liquid composition of the
liquid storage
to the heating element. For example, the liquid delivery element may be a wick
such as
cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, or porous ceramic, but is not
limited thereto.
[54] The heating element is an element for heating the liquid composition
delivered by the
liquid delivery element. For example, the heating element may be a metal
heating wire,
a metal hot plate, a ceramic heater, or the like, but is not limited thereto.
In addition,
the heating element may include a conductive filament such as nichrome wire
and may
be positioned as being wound around the liquid delivery element. The heating
element
may be heated by a current supply and may transfer heat to the liquid
composition in
contact with the heating element, thereby heating the liquid composition. As a
result,
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
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aerosol may be generated.
[55] For example, the vaporizer 14 may be referred to as a cartomizer or an
atomizer, but
is not limited thereto.
[56] In addition, the aerosol generating device 1 may further include
universal elements,
in addition to the battery 11, the controller 12, the heater 13, and the
vaporizer 14. For
example, the aerosol generating device 1 may include a display capable of
outputting
visual information and/or a motor for outputting tactile information. Also,
the aerosol
generating device I may include at least one sensor (a puff sensor, a
temperature
sensor, an aerosol generating article insertion sensor, etc.). Also, the
aerosol generating
device I may be manufactured to have a structure, in which external air may be
in-
troduced or internal air may be discharged even in a state where the cigarette
2 is
inserted.
[57] Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the aerosol generating device I
may configure a
system with an additional cradle. For example, the cradle may be used to
charge the
battery 11 of the aerosol generating device 1. Alternatively, the heater 13
may be
heated in a state in which the cradle and the aerosol generating device 1 are
coupled to
each other.
[58] The cigarette 2 may be similar as a general combustive cigarette. For
example, the
cigarette 2 may be divided into a first portion including an aerosol
generating material
and a second portion including a filter, etc. Alternatively, the second
portion of the
cigarette 2 may also include an aerosol generating material. For example, an
aerosol
generating material made in the form of granules or capsules may be inserted
into the
second portion.
[59] The entire first portion may be inserted into the aerosol generating
device 1 and the
second portion may be exposed to the outside. Alternatively, only a portion of
the first
portion may be inserted into the aerosol generating device 1 or the entire
first portion
and a portion of the second portion may be inserted into the aerosol
generating device
I. The user may puff aerosol while holding the second portion by the mouth of
the
user. In this case, the aerosol is generated by the external air passing
through the first
portion, and the generated aerosol passes through the second portion and is
delivered to
the user's mouth.
[60] For example, the outside air may be introduced through at least one
air passage
formed in the aerosol generating device 1. For example, the opening and
closing of the
air passage formed in the aerosol generating device 1 and/or the size of the
air passage
may be adjusted by a user. Accordingly, the amount and the quality of smoking
may be
adjusted by the user. As another example, the external air may flow into the
cigarette 2
through at least one hole formed in a surface of the cigarette 2.
[61] Hereinafter, an example of the cigarette 2 will be described with
reference to FIGS. 4
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and 5.
[62] FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate an example of a cigarette.
[63] Referring to FIG. 4, the cigarette 2 includes a tobacco rod 21 and a
filter rod 22. The
first portion described above with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3 may include
the
tobacco rod 21, and the second portion may include the filter rod 22.
[64] FIG. 4 illustrates that the filter rod 22 includes a single segment,
but is not limited
thereto. In other words, the filter rod 22 may include a plurality of
segments. For
example, the filter rod 22 may include a segment configured to cool an aerosol
and a
segment configured to filter a certain component included in the aerosol.
Also,
according to necessity, the filter rod 22 may further include at least one
segment
configured to perform other functions.
[65] A diameter of the cigarette 2 may range from 5 mm to 9 mm, and a
length of the
cigarette 20 may be about 48 mm, but embodiments are not limited thereto. For
example, the length of the tobacco rod 21 may be about 12 mm, the length of a
first
segment of the filter rod 22 may be about 10 mm, the length of a second
segment of
the filter rod 22 is about 14 mm, the length of a third segment may be about
12 mm,
but embodiments are not limited thereto.
[66] The cigarette 20 may be packaged via at least one wrapper 24. The
wrapper 24 may
have at least one hole through which external air may be introduced or
internal air may
be discharged. For example, the cigarette 2 may be packaged via one wrapper
24. As
another example, the cigarette 2 may be doubly packaged via at least two
wrappers 24.
For example, the tobacco rod 21 may be packaged via a first wrapper 241, and
the
filter rod 22 may be packaged via wrappers 242, 243, and 244. Also, the entire
cigarette 2 may be re-packaged by a fifth wrapper 245, which is a single
wrapper.
When the filter rod 22 includes a plurality of segments, each segment may be
packaged
via separate wrappers 242, 243, and 244.
[67] The first wrapper 241 and the second wrapper 242 may be made of a
general filter
wrapper. For example, the first wrapper 241 and the second wrapper 242 may be
a
porous wrapper or a non-porous wrapper. In addition, the first wrapper 241 and
the
second wrapper 242 may be made of a paper and/or aluminum laminate wrapper
having oil resistance.
[68] The third wrapper 243 may be made of a hard wrapper. For example, the
basis
weight of the third wrapper 243 may be within a range of 88 g/m2 to 96 g/m2,
for
example, in the range of 90 g/m2 to 94 g/m2. In addition, the thickness of the
third
wrapper 243 may be included in a range of 120 inn to 130 Inn, for example,
about 125
1.tm.
[69] The fourth wrapper 244 may be made of a hard wrapper having oil
resistance. For
example, the basis weight of the fourth wrapper 244 may be within a range of
88 g/m2
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
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to 96 g/m2, for example, in the range of 90 g/m2 to 94 g/m2. In addition, the
thickness
of the fourth wrapper 244 may be within a range of 120 um to 130 um, for
example,
about 125 um.
[70] The fifth wrapper 245 may be made of a sterilized paper MFW. Here, the
sterilized
paper MFW refers to a paper specially prepared such that the tensile strength,
water re-
sistance, and smoothness thereof are improved compared to ordinary paper. For
example, the basis weight of the fifth wrapper 245 may be within 57 g/m2 to 63
g/m2,
for example, about 60 g/m2. In addition, the thickness of the fifth wrapper
245 may be
within a range of 64 um to 70 urn, for example, about 67 um.
[71] A certain material may be added into the fifth wrapper 245. Here,
silicon may be
used as an example of the certain material. However, embodiments of the
present
disclosure are not limited thereto. For example, silicon possesses
characteristics such
as thermal resistance resulting in little change with temperature, non-
oxidizing nature,
resistance to various chemicals, water repellency, and electrical insulation.
[72] However, even if it is not silicon, any material having the above-
described charac-
teristics may be applied (or coated) to the fifth wrapper 245.
[73] The fifth wrapper 245 may prevent combustion of the cigarette 2. For
example, if the
tobacco rod 210 is heated by the heater 13, the cigarette 2 may be combusted.
In detail,
when the temperature of any one of the materials included in the tobacco rod
310 rises
above the ignition point, the cigarette 2 may be combusted. Even in this case,
because
the fifth wrapper 245 includes a non-combustible material, the cigarette 2 may
be
prevented from being combusted.
[74] In addition, the fifth wrapper 245 may prevent the aerosol generating
device 1 from
being contaminated by materials generated in the cigarette 2. Liquid may be
generated
from the cigarette 2 by a user's puff. For example, because the aerosol
generated from
the cigarette 2 is cooled by air from the outside, liquid (for example,
moisture, etc.)
may be generated. Because the cigarette 2 is wrapped by the fifth wrapper 245,
liquid
generated from the cigarette 2 may be prevented from leaking outside the
cigarette 2.
[75] The tobacco rod 21 may include an aerosol generating material. For
example, the
aerosol generating material may include at least one of glycerin, propylene
glycol,
ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol,
tetraethylene
glycol, and oleyl alcohol, but is not limited thereto. Also, the tobacco rod
21 may
include other additives, such as flavors, a wetting agent, and/or organic
acid. Also, the
tobacco rod 21 may include a flavored liquid, such as menthol or a
moisturizer, which
is sprayed onto the tobacco rod 21.
[76] The tobacco rod 21 may be manufactured in various forms. For example,
the tobacco
rod 21 may be formed as a sheet or a strand. Also, the tobacco rod 21 may be
formed
as a pipe tobacco, which is formed of tiny bits cut from a tobacco sheet.
Also, the
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
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tobacco rod 21 may be surrounded by a heat conductive material. For example,
the
heat conductive material may be, but is not limited to, a metal foil such as
aluminum
foil. For example, the heat conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 21
may
uniformly distribute heat transmitted to the tobacco rod 21, and thus, the
heat con-
ductivity applied to the tobacco rod may be increased and taste of the tobacco
may be
improved. Also, the heat conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 21
may
function as a susceptor heated by the induction heater. Here, although not
illustrated in
the drawings, the tobacco rod 21 may further include an additional susceptor,
in
addition to the heat conductive material surrounding the tobacco rod 21.
[77] The filter rod 22 may include a cellulose acetate filter. Shapes of
the filter rod 22 are
not limited. For example, the filter rod 22 may include a cylinder-type rod or
a tube-
type rod having a hollow inside. Also, the filter rod 22 may include a recess-
type rod.
When the filter rod 22 includes a plurality of segments, at least one of the
plurality of
segments may have a different shape.
[78] The first segment of the filter rod 22 may include a cellulose acetate
filter. For
example, the first segment may be a tube-shaped structure including a hollow
inside.
When the heater 13 is inserted by the first segment, the inner material of the
tobacco
rod 210 may be prevented from being pushed backward, and a cooling effect of
the
aerosol may be generated. A diameter of the hollow included in the first
segment may
be implemented within a range of about 2 mm to about 4.5 mm, but embodiments
are
not limited thereto.
[79] A length of the first segment may be implemented within a range of
about 4 mm to
about 30 mm, but embodiments are not limited thereto. For example, the length
of the
first segment may be about 10 mm, but is not limited thereto.
[80] The rigidity of the first segment may be controlled by controlling the
content of the
plasticizer during the manufacture of the first segment. In addition, the
first segment
may be manufactured by inserting a structure such as a film or tube made of
the same
material or different materials to the inside (i.e., the hollow) of the first
segment.
[81] The second segment of the filter rod 22 cools the aerosol generated by
heating the
tobacco rod 21 through the heater 13. Accordingly, the user may inhale the
aerosol
cooled to an appropriate temperature.
[82] The length or diameter of the second segment may be determined in
various ways
according to the form of cigarette 2. For example, the length of the second
segment can
be implemented appropriately within a range of about 7 mm to about 20 mm. For
example, the length of the second segment may be about 14 mm, but is not
limited
thereto.
[83] The second segment may be made by weaving polymer fibers. In this
case, flavoring
liquid may be applied to fibers made of polymer. Alternatively, the second
segment
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
1 1
may be manufactured by weaving a separate fiber onto which flavoring liquid is
applied and a fiber made of polymer together. Alternatively, the second
segment may
be formed by a crimped polymer sheet.
[84] For example, polymer may be formed of a material selected from a group
consisting
of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), polylactic acid (PLA), cellulose acetate (CA), and
aluminum foil.
[85] As the second segment is formed by a polymer fiber or a crimped
polymer sheet, the
second segment may include a single or a plurality of channels extending in a
lon-
gitudinal direction. Here, the channel refers to a passage through which a gas
(e.g., air
or aerosol) passes.
[86] For example, the second segment consisting of a crimped polymer sheet
may be
formed of a material having a thickness between about 5 pm and about 300 um,
for
example, between about 10 I'm, and about 250 int In addition, the entire
surface area
of the second segment may be between about 300 mm2/mm and about 1,000 mm2/mm.
In addition, an aerosol cooling element may be formed of a material having a
specific
surface area of between about 10 mm2/mg and about 100 mm2/mg.
[87] The second segment may include a thread containing volatile flavor
components.
Here, volatile flavor components may be menthol, but are not limited thereto.
For
example, in a thread, a sufficient amount of menthol may be filled so that
menthol of
more than 1.5 mg may be provided to the second segment.
[88] The third segment of the filter rod 22 may include a cellulose acetate
filter. The
length of the third segment may be implemented appropriately within a range of
about
4 mm to about 20 mm. For example, the length of the third segment may be about
12
mm, but is not limited thereto.
[89] The third segment may be manufactured such that flavor is generated by
spraying
flavoring liquid on the third segment. Alternatively, a separate fiber to
which a
flavoring liquid is applied may be inserted into the third segment. The
aerosol
generated by the tobacco rod 21 is cooled as it passes through the second
segment of
the filter rod 22, and the cooled aerosol is delivered to the user through the
third
segment. Thus, when a flavoring element is added to the third segment, the
persistence
of the flavor transmitted to the user may be enhanced.
[90] Also, the filter rod 22 may include at least one capsule 23. Here, the
capsule 23 may
generate a flavor or an aerosol. For example, the capsule 23 may have a
configuration
in which a liquid containing a flavoring material is wrapped with a film. For
example,
the capsule 23 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited
thereto.
[91] Referring to FIG. 5, the cigarette 3 may further include a front-end
plug 33. The
front-end plug 33 may be located on a side of the tobacco rod 31, the side
facing the
filter rod 32. The front-end plug 33 may prevent the tobacco rod 31 from
escaping to
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
12
the outside and may prevent a liquefied aerosol from flowing from the tobacco
rod 31
into an aerosol generating device (1 of FIGS. 1 to 3) during smoking.
[92] The filter rod 32 may include a first segment 321 and a second segment
322. Here,
the first segment 321 may correspond to the first segment of the filter rod 22
of FIG. 4,
and the second segment 322 may correspond to the third segment of the filter
rod 22 of
FIG. 4.
[93] The diameter and the total length of the cigarette 3 may correspond to
the diameter
and the total length of the cigarette 2 of FIG. 4. For example, the length of
the front-
end plug 33 may be about 7 mm, the length of the tobacco rod 31 may be about
15
mm, the length of the first segment 321 may be about 12 mm, and the length of
the
second segment 322 may be about 14 mm, but it is not limited to this.
[94] The cigarette 3 may be wrapped by at least one wrapper 35. The wrapper
35 may
have at least one hole through which external air may be introduced or
internal air may
be discharged. For example, the front-end plug 33 may be wrapped by a first
wrapper
351, the tobacco rod 31 may be wrapped by a second wrapper 352, the first
segment
321 may be wrapped by a third wrapper 353, and the second segment 322 may be
wrapped by a fourth wrapper 354. Also, the entire cigarette 3 may be re-
wrapped by a
fifth wrapper 355.
[95] Also, the fifth wrapper 355 may have at least one hole 36. For
example, the hole 36
may be formed in an area surrounding the tobacco rod 31, but is not limited
thereto.
The hole 36 may serve to transfer heat generated by the heater 13 illustrated
in FIGS. 2
and 3 to the inside of the tobacco rod 31.
[96] Also, the second segment 322 may include at least one capsule 34.
Here, the capsule
34 may generate a flavor or an aerosol. For example, the capsule 34 may have a
con-
figuration in which a liquid containing a flavoring material is wrapped with a
film. The
capsule 34 may have a spherical or cylindrical shape, but is not limited
thereto.
[97] The first wrapper 351 may be a combination of a general filter wrapper
and a metal
foil such as aluminum foil. For example, the overall thickness of the first
wrapper 351
may be within a range of about 45 im to about 55 lam, for example, about 50.3
[tm. In
addition, the thickness of a metal foil of the first wrapper 351 may be within
a range of
about 6 I,tm to about 7 p,m, for example, about 6.3 p.m. In addition, the
basis weight of
the first wrapper 351 may be within about 50 g/m2 to about 55 g/m2, for
example,
about 53 g/m2.
[98] The second wrapper 352 and the third wrapper 353 may be made of a
general filter
wrapper. For example, the second wrapper 352 and the third wrapper 353 may be
a
porous wrapper or a non-porous wrapper.
[99] For example, the porosity of the second wrapper 352 may be 35,000 Cu,
but is not
limited thereto. In addition, the thickness of the second wrapper 352 may be
within a
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
13
range of about 70 lam to about 80 um, for example, about 78 ittm. In addition,
the basis
weight of the second wrapper 352 may be within about 20 g/m2 to about 25 g/m2,
for
example, about 23.5 g/m2.
[100] For example, the porosity of the third wrapper 353 may be 24,000 Cu,
but is not
limited thereto. In addition, the thickness of the third wrapper 353 may be
within a
range of about 60 'Lim to about 70 um, for example, about 68 'um. In addition,
the basis
weight of the third wrapper 353 may be within about 20 g/m2 to about 25 g/m2,
for
example, about 21 g/m2.
[101] The fourth wrapper 354 may be made of a PLA laminating paper. Here,
the PLA
laminating paper refers to a three-layer paper including a paper layer, a PLA
layer, and
a paper layer. For example, the thickness of the fourth wrapper 354 may be
within a
range of about 100 pm to about 120 um, for example, about 110 um. In addition,
the
basis weight of the fourth wrapper 354 may be within a range of about 80 g/m2
to
about 100 g/m2, for example, about 88 g/m2.
[102] The fifth wrapper 355 may be made of a sterilized paper MFW. Here,
the sterilized
paper MFW refers to a paper specially prepared such that the tensile strength,
water re-
sistance, and smoothness thereof are improved compared to ordinary paper. For
example, the basis weight of the fifth wrapper 355 may be within about 57 g/m2
to
about 63 g/m2, for example, about 60 g/m2. In addition, the thickness of the
fifth
wrapper 355 may be within a range of about 64 [.tm to about 70 um, for
example, about
67 um.
[103] A certain material may be added into the fifth wrapper 355. Here,
silicon may be
used as an example of the certain material. However, embodiments are not
limited
thereto. For example, silicon has properties such as heat resistance resulting
in little
change with temperature, non-oxidizing nature, resistance to various
chemicals, water
repellency, electrical insulation, or the like. However, even if it is not
silicon, any
material having the above-described characteristics may be applied (or coated)
to the
fifth wrapper 355.
[104] The front-end plug 33 may be made of cellulose acetate. As an
example, the front-
end plug 33 may be generated by adding a plasticizer (e.g., triacetin) to the
cellulose
acetate tow. The mono denier of a filament constituting the cellulose acetate
tow may
be within a range of about 1.0 to about 10.0, for example, from about 4.0 to
about 6Ø
For example, the mono denier of the filament of the front-end plug 33 may be
5Ø In
addition, the cross section of the filament constituting the front-end plug 33
may be a
Y-shaped type. The total denier of the front-end plug 33 may be within a range
of
about 20,000 to about 30,000, for example, from about 25,000 to about 30,000.
For
example, the total denier of the front-end plug 33 may be 28,000.
[105] In addition, as needed, the front-end plug 33 may include at least
one channel, and
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
14
the cross-sectional shape of the channel may be manufactured in various ways.
[106] The tobacco rod 31 may correspond to the tobacco rod 21 described
above with
reference to FIG. 4. Therefore, the specific description of the tobacco rod 31
is omitted
below.
[107] The first segment 321 may be made of cellulose acetate. For example,
the first
segment may be a tube-shaped structure including a hollow inside. The first
segment
321 may be produced by adding a plasticizer (e.g., triacetin) to the cellulose
acetate
tow. For example, the mono denier and the total denier of the first segment
321 may be
the same as the mono denier and the total denier of the front-end plug 33.
[108] The second segment 322 may be made of cellulose acetate. The mono
denier of the
filament constituting the second segment 322 may be within a range of about
1.0 to
about 10.0, for example, from about 8.0 to about 10Ø For example, the mono
denier
of the filament of the second segment 322 may be 9Ø In addition, the cross-
section of
the filament of the second segment 322 may be a Y-shaped type. The total
denier of
the second segment 322 may be within a range of about 20,000 to about 30,000,
for
example, about 25,000.
[109] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device
according to an em-
bodiment.
[110] Referring to FIG. 6, the aerosol generating device 10 according to an
embodiment
may include a main body 610, a heater module 620, and a cartridge 630.
[111] The main body 610 is located under the heater module 620 and may
support the
heater module 620, and components for the operation of the aerosol generating
device
may be arranged inside the main body 610. For example, a battery (not shown)
and
a controller (not shown) may be disposed inside the main body 610. However,
the
battery and the controller are only examples of components arranged inside the
main
body 610, and components other than the components described above (e.g., a
user
interface, a sensor, etc.) may further be arranged in the main body 610.
[112] The heater module 620 may be located between the cartridge 630 and
the main body
610, and may generate an aerosol by converting the phase of the aerosol
generating
material into gas. Aerosol generating materials supplied from the cartridge
630 may be
heated to generate an aerosol.
[113] For example, the heater module 620 may heat the aerosol generating
material
supplied from the cartridge 630 to generate vapor from the aerosol generating
material,
and the generated vapor may be mixed with external air introduced from the
outside
into the heater module 620 to generate an aerosol. Herein, the "aerosol" may
refer to
particles generated by mixing vapor generated by heating the aerosol
generating
material and air, and the expression may be used in the same sense below.
[114] An aerosol generating material may be stored in the cartridge 630,
and the aerosol
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
15
generating material stored in the cartridge 630 may be supplied to the heater
module
620 arranged at the lower end (e.g., an end in the -z direction of FIG. 6) of
the
cartridge 630.
[115] In an embodiment, the cartridge 630 may include a mouthpiece 630m for
supplying
aerosol to the user. For example, the mouthpiece 630m may connect or provide
fluid
communication between the inside of the heater module 620 and the outside of
the
aerosol generating device 10, and the aerosol generated in the heater module
620 may
be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 through the
mouthpiece 630m. That is, the user's mouth may be brought into contact with
the
mouthpiece 630m and the user may inhale the aerosol discharged to the outside
of the
aerosol generating device 10.
[116] In an embodiment, the aerosol generating device 10 may further
include a cover 611
that protects the components of the aerosol generating device 10.
[117] The cover 611 may be arranged to surround at least partially the main
body 610, the
heater module 620, and the cartridge 630. As such, cover 611 may fix the
position of
the main body 610, the heater module 620, and the cartridge 630, and protect
the main
body 610, the heater module 620, and the cartridge 630 from external impact or
the
inflow of foreign matter.
[118] In an embodiment, the cover 611 may be formed integrally with the
main body 610,
but embodiments are not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the cover 611
may be
detachably coupled to the main body 610.
[119] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 7, the coupling relationship of
the main body 610,
the heater module 620, and the cartridge 630 will be described in detail.
[120] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view the aerosol generating device
shown in FIG.
6.
[121] Referring to FIG. 7, the aerosol generating device 10 according to an
embodiment
may include the main body 610, the cover 611, the heater module 620, and the
cartridge 630. The components of the aerosol generating device 10 may be the
same as
or similar to at least one of components of the aerosol generating device 10
illustrated
in FIG. 6, and descriptions of the same component as above will be omitted.
[122] In addition, the components of the aerosol generating device 10 are
not limited
thereto, and at least one of the components described above (e.g. the cover
611) may
be omitted or other components may be added.
[123] The main body 610 may be detachably coupled to the bottom surface
(e.g., a surface
facing the -z direction of FIG. 7) of the heater module 620 to support the
heater
module 620. For example, the main body 610 may be inserted into or separated
from
an insertion groove (not shown) formed at the bottom surface of the heater
module
620, but the coupling method of the heater module 620 and the main body 610 is
not
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
16
limited thereto.
[124] In an embodiment, components to operate the aerosol generating device
10 may be
arranged inside the main body 610. For example, a battery (not shown) to
supply
power and a controller (not shown) to control the operation of the aerosol
generating
device 10 may be arranged in the main body 610.
[125] The battery may supply power used for the operation of the aerosol
generating device
10. For example, the battery may be electrically connected to the heater
module 620 to
supply power to the heater module 620 and heat the heater of the heater module
620.
Also, the battery may supply power necessary for the operation of other
components
(e.g., the controller) of the aerosol generating device 10.
[126] The controller may control overall operations of the aerosol
generating device 10.
The controller 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, but embodiments
are not
limited thereto.
[127] In an embodiment, the controller may control power supplied to the
heater of the
heater module 620 from the battery. For example, the controller may control
the
amount of power supplied from the battery to the heater and the time when
power is
supplied so that the heater of the heater module 620 may be heated to a
predetermined
temperature or maintained at a predetermined temperature.
[128] The heater module 620 may be detachably coupled to the bottom surface
(e.g.,
surface facing the -z direction of FIG. 7) of the cartridge 630, and may heat
the aerosol
generating material supplied from the reservoir 631 of the cartridge 630 to
generate an
aerosol.
[129] For example, a first coupling member (not shown) arranged in one area
of the heater
module 620 facing the cartridge 630 may be coupled to and separated from a
second
coupling member (not shown) arranged on the bottom surface of the cartridge
630, and
thus the heater module 620 may be detachably attached to the cartridge 630.
However,
the coupling method of the cartridge 630 and the heater module 620 is not
limited
thereto.
[130] In an embodiment, the heater module 620 may include an aerosol
generating material
inlet 621 connecting the inside of the heater module 620 with the inside of
the
reservoir 631, an air inlet 622 through which external air is flown into the
heater
module 620, and an air outlet 623 through which an aerosol generated inside
the heater
module 620 is discharged to the outside.
[131] The aerosol generating material stored in the reservoir 631 of the
cartridge 630 may
be flown into the heater module 620 through the aerosol generating material
inlet 621,
and the heater (not shown) arranged in the heater module 620 may heat the
aerosol
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
17
generating material supplied from the reservoir 631.
[132] External air may flow into the heater module 620 through the air
inlet 622, and vapor
generated by heating external air flown into the heater module 620 and the
aerosol
generating material may be mixed to generate an aerosol.
[133] The aerosol generated in the heater module 620 may be flown from the
heater
module 620 to the cartridge 630 through the air outlet 623 arranged in one
area of the
heater module 620 facing the cartridge 630, and then, may be discharged to the
outside
of the aerosol generating device 10 through the mouthpiece 630m. For example,
as the
pressure inside the cartridge 630 decreases by user's inhalation through the
mouthpiece
630m, the air and/or aerosol inside the heater module 620 may move to the
inside of
the cartridge 630 of the heater module 620, thereby allowing the user to
inhale air and/
or aerosol present in the cartridge 630.
[134] The cartridge 630 may include the reservoir 631 in which the aerosol
generating
material is stored and the mouthpiece 630m (e.g., the mouthpiece 630m of FIG.
6) for
supplying the user with the aerosol generated in the heater module 620.
[135] When the cartridge 630 and the heater module 620 are coupled, the
reservoir 631
may be connected or in fluid communication with the inner space of the heater
module
620, and accordingly, the aerosol generating material may be flown into the
inner
space of the heater module 620.
[136] In this case, the aerosol generating material stored in the reservoir
631 may include a
tobacco-containing material including a volatile tobacco flavor ingredient or
a liquid
composition including a non-tobacco material.
[137] In an embodiment, the liquid composition may include one component of
water,
solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, spice, flavoring, and vitamin mixtures, or
a mixture of
these components. The spices may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil,
and
various fruit-flavored ingredients, but are not limited thereto. The
flavorings may
include ingredients capable of providing various flavors or tastes to a user.
Vitamin
mixtures may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C,
and
vitamin E, but are not limited thereto. In addition, the liquid composition
may include
an aerosol forming agent such as glycerin and propylene glycol.
[138] For example, the liquid composition may include any weight ratio of
glycerin and
propylene glycol solution to which nicotine salts are added. The liquid
composition
may include two or more types of nicotine salts. Nicotine salts may be formed
by
adding suitable acids, including organic or inorganic acids, to nicotine.
Nicotine may
be a naturally generated nicotine or synthetic nicotine and may have any
suitable
weight concentration relative to the total solution weight of the liquid
composition.
[139] Acid for forming the nicotine salts may be appropriately selected in
consideration of
a blood nicotine absorption rate, an operating temperature of the aerosol
generating
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
18
device 10, savor or flavor, solubility, and so on. For example, the acid for
the
formation of nicotine salts 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.
[140] In the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment, the
cartridge 630
and the heater module 620 may be individually replaced because the cartridge
630 is
detachably coupled to the heater module 620, and the heater module 620 is
detachably
coupled to the main body 610.
[141] For example, if the aerosol generating material stored in the
reservoir 631 of the
cartridge 630 is depleted, the user may continue smoking by replacing the
existing
cartridge 630 with a new cartridge 630, without replacing the heater module
620. As
another example, if the performance of the components (e.g., the heater or
wick) of the
heater module 620 is decreased and thus a sufficient amount of aerosol is not
generated, the user may replace the existing heater module 620 with a new
heater
module 620, without replacing the cartridge 630, so that a sufficient amount
of aerosol
is generated.
[142] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an aerosol
generating device
according to an embodiment.
[143] Referring to FIG. 8, the aerosol generating device 1 may include a
main body 810, a
heater module 820, and a cartridge 830. Components relating to the present em-
bodiment are illustrated in the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 8.
Therefore, it will
be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art related to the present
embodiment that
other general-purpose components may be further included in the aerosol
generating
device 10, in addition to the components illustrated in FIG. 8. For example,
the aerosol
generating device 10 may further include at least one of a sensor (not shown),
a user
interface (not shown), and a memory (not shown).
[144] The sensor may include at least one of a puff sensor, a temperature
sensor, and the
like. A sensing result of the sensor may be transmitted to a controller 811
inside the
main body 810, and the controller 811 may control the aerosol generating
device 10
according to the sensing result to perform various functions such as
controlling
operation of a heater 823 inside the heater module 820, limiting smoking,
determining
whether or not a cartridge 830 or the heater module 820 is coupled, and
displaying a
notification.
[145] The user interface may provide information on a state of the aerosol
generating
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
19
device 10 to a user. The user interface may include various types of
interfacing
elements such as a display or lamp outputting visual information, a motor
outputting
tactile information, a speaker outputting sound information, input/output
(I/O) in-
terfacing elements (e.g., a button and a touch screen) receiving information
input from
the user or outputting information to the user, terminals performing data
commu-
nication or supplied with charging power, and a communication interfacing
module
performing wireless communication (e.g., WI-Fl, WI-Fl Direct, Bluetooth, Near-
Field
Communication (NFC), or the like) with an external device. However, the
aerosol
generating device 10 may selectively include only some of the various user
interface
examples illustrated above.
[146] The memory is hardware that stores various types of data processed in
the aerosol
generating device 10, and the memory may store the data processed by the
controller
811 and data to be processed. The memory may be implemented as various types,
such
as random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM)
and static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), and
electrically
erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The memory may store an
operation time of the aerosol generating device 10, a greatest number of
puffs, a
current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data on a
user's smoking
pattern.
[147] The main body 810 may include the controller 811 and a battery 812,
and the heater
module 820 may include the heater 823, an integrated circuit 824, and a
printed circuit
board 825 on which the integrated circuit 824 is mounted. The heater module
820 may
be detachably coupled to the main body 810, and the cartridge 830 may be
detachably
coupled to the heater module 820. Therefore, the heater module 820 and the
cartridge
830 may be individually replaced, and thus, an exhaustion time of the aerosol
generating material stored in the cartridge 830 and the durability of the
heater module
820 may be individually considered in replacing components of the aerosol
generating
device 10.
[148] The controller 811 is hardware that controls the overall operation of
the aerosol
generating device 10. The controller 811 may be implemented as an array of a
plurality
of logic gates or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose
micro-
processor and a memory in which a program executable in the microprocessor is
stored. In addition, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art
that the
controller 811 may be implemented in other forms of hardware.
[149] The controller 811 analyzes the sensing result of the at least one
sensor and controls
subsequent processes. On the basis of the sensing result from the at least one
sensor,
the controller 811 may control power supplied to the heater 823 so that
operation of the
heater 823 starts or ends. For example, when a puff is detected by the puff
sensor, the
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
20
controller 811 may control the battery 812 to supply power to the heater 823.
[150] The battery 812 may supply power to be used for the aerosol
generating device 10 to
operate. For example, the battery 812 may supply power so that the heater 823
may be
heated. Also, the battery 812 may supply power for operations of other
hardware
components provided inside the aerosol generating device 10, e.g., the sensor,
the user
interface, the memory, and the controller 811. The battery 812 may be a
rechargeable
battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 812 may be a lithium
polymer
(LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.
[151] The heater 823 may refer to a device for heating an aerosol
generating material. In an
example, the heater 823 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive
material.
For example, the suitable electrically resistive material may be a metal or a
metal alloy
including titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium,
hafnium,
niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper,
stainless steel,
or nichrome, but is not limited thereto. For example, the heater 823 may
include at
least one of a coil heater coupled to a silica wick, and a porous ceramic
heater.
[152] The integrated circuit 824 may refer to a control circuit mounted
inside the heater
module 820 separately from the controller 811 mounted on the main body 810.
The in-
tegrated circuit 824 may be mounted on the printed circuit board 825 arranged
in the
heater module 820. The integrated circuit 824 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.
[153] When the heater module 820 is coupled to the main body 810, the
integrated circuit
824 may be electrically connected to the controller 811. Then, the integrated
circuit
824 may be used to perform authentication of the heater module 820 or prevent
excessive use of the heater module 820.
[154] The integrated circuit 824 may perform counting on the basis of a
signal transmitted
from the controller 8110 whenever an operation associated with the user's
smoking
(e.g., the user's puff) is detected by the controller 811 and store the number
corre-
sponding to a result of the counting. The number stored in the integrated
circuit 824 is
proportional to a time for which the heater module has performed the heating
operation, and thus, a replacement time of the heater module may be accurately
de-
termined in consideration of the durability of the heater module by comparing
the
number stored in the integrated circuit 824 with a threshold value preset.
[155] The integrated circuit 824 may include a counter for counting the
number of puffs.
Also, the integrated circuit 824 may include a nonvolatile memory for storing
the
counted number. The integrated circuit 824 includes a nonvolatile memory for
storing
the counted number, and thus, although a power supply to the integrated
circuit 824 is
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
21
cut off as the heater module is separated from the main body, the counted
number may
be continuously maintained. Therefore, even if the heater module 820 is
separated
from the main body 810 and recoupled to the same main body or another main
body,
its use beyond the durability of the heater module 820 may be prevented.
[156] FIG. 9 illustrates a method of identifying a connection state of the
cartridge and the
heater module, according to an embodiment.
[157] Referring to FIG. 9, the heater module 920 may include a first
terminal 921-1 and
921-2, a second terminal 922-1 and 922-2, and a third terminal 923-1 and 923-
2. The
first terminal 921-1 and 921-2, the second terminal 922-1 and 922-2, and the
third
terminal 923-1 and 923-2 may each be configured in a pair.
[158] When a cartridge 930 is coupled to the heater module 920, the first
terminal 921-1
and 921-2 may electrically connect the cartridge 930 with the heater module
920. In
detail, when the cartridge 930 is coupled to the heater module 920, the first
terminal
921-1 and 921-2 may be electrically connected with the conductor 931 arranged
in the
cartridge 930 to configure a closed circuit.
[159] When the heater module 920 is coupled to the main body 910, the
second terminal
922-1 and 922-2 and the third terminal 923-1 and 923-2 of the heater module
920 may
electrically connect the heater module 920 and the main body 910.
Specifically, the
second terminal 922-1 and 922-2 may be electrically connected to the first
terminal
911-1 and 911-2 arranged in the main body 910, and the third terminal 923-1
and
923-2 may be electrically connected to the second terminal 912-1 and 912-2
arranged
in the main body 910.
[160] The main body 910 may include the first terminal 911-1 and 911-2 and
the second
terminal 912-1 and 912-2. The first terminal 911-1 and 911-2 and the second
terminal
912-1 and 912-2 may each be configured in a pair. The first terminal 911-1 and
911-2
and the second terminal 912-1 and 912-2 may be electrically connected to the
controller 811 arranged in the main body 910.
[161] The first terminal 921-1 and 921-2 and the third terminal 923-1 and
923-2 arranged
in the heater module 920 may be electrically connected to each other through
the
printed circuit board 825 arranged in the heater module 920. The integrated
circuit 824
mounted on the printed circuit board 825 may be electrically connected to the
controller 811 arranged in the main body 910 by being electrically connected
to the
third terminal 923-1 and 923-2.
[162] When the cartridge 930 is coupled to the heater module 920, the
conductor 931
arranged in the cartridge 930 may be electrically connected to the first
terminal 921-1
and 921-2 of the heater module 920 and may generate a conducting signal. The
conductor 931 may consist of an electrically conductive material. When the
heater
module 920 onto which the cartridge 930 is coupled is coupled to the main body
910,
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
22
the controller may receive the conducting signal through the third terminal
923-1 and
923-2 of the heater module 920. The conducting signal is a signal applied
through the
third terminals 923-1 and 923-2 and the first terminals 921-1 and 921-2, and
is an
electrical signal mediated through the conductor 931. The conducting signal
may be
supplied from the battery under the control of the controller. In detail, the
controller
811 may receive the conducting signal through the second terminal 912-1 and
912-2 of
the main body 910 connected to the third terminal 923-1 and 923-2 of the
heater
module 920.
[1631 The controller 811 may identify whether the cartridge 930,
the heater module 920,
and the main body 910 are coupled to one another based on the strength of the
conducting signal.
[164] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method of determining whether a cartridge
is coupled
according to an embodiment.
[165] In operation S1010, the controller 811 measures the conducting
signal. The
conducting signal may be generated by an electrical connection between the
conductor
931 of the cartridge 930 and the first terminal 921-2 and 921-2 of the heater
module
820 and 920. The conducting signal may be a current flow during a
predetermined time
or more or a current amount equal to or greater than a reference value. In an
example,
when the conducting signal is a current flow during a predetermined time or
more, the
current flow during a predetermined time or more may be determined to be a
conducting signal, and a current flow lasting less than the predetermined time
(including 0) may be determined to be a noise signal. In another example, when
the
conducting signal is a current amount greater than or equal to a reference
value, the
current amount greater than or equal to a reference value may be determined to
be a
conducting signal, and a current amount less than the reference value
(including 0)
may be determined to be a noise signal. The conducting signal and the noise
signal
may be distinguished by a plurality of criteria, including the above-described
examples.
[166] In operation S1020, the controller 811 may compare the conducting
signal with a
predetermined reference value. For example, the controller may determine
whether the
duration and/or the level of the conducting signal is below a certain
threshold.
[167] In operation S1030, when the conducting signal is greater than or
equal to the
reference value, the controller 811 may recognize that the cartridge 930 is in
a coupled
state. In detail, the controller 811 may recognize that the cartridge 830 and
930, the
heater module 820 and 920, and the main body 810 and 910 are in a coupled
state in
the aerosol generating device 10.
[1681 In operation S1040, when the conducting signal is less
than the reference value, the
controller 811 may recognize that the cartridge 830 and 930 is not in a
coupled state. In
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
23
detail, the controller 811 may recognize that the cartridge 830 and 930, the
heater
module 820 and 920, or the main body 810 and 910 is not in a coupled state in
the
aerosol generating device 10.
[169] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device 1100
according to another
embodiment.
[170] The aerosol generating device 1100 may include a processor 1110, a
sensing unit
1120, an output unit 1130, a battery 1140, a heater 1150, a user input unit
1160, a
memory 1170, and a communicator 1180. However, the internal structure of the
aerosol generating device 1100 is not limited to the structures illustrated in
FIG. 11. In
other words, according to the design of the aerosol generating device 1100, it
will be
understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that some of the components
shown in
FIG. 11 may be omitted or new components may be added.
[171] The sensing unit 1120 may sense a state of the aerosol generating
device 1100 and a
state around the aerosol generating device 1100, and transmit sensed
information to the
processor 1110. Based on the sensed information, the processor 1110 may
control the
aerosol generating device 1100 to perform various functions, such as
controlling an
operation of the heater 1150, limiting smoking, determining whether an aerosol
generating article (e.g., a cigarette, a cartridge, or the like) is inserted,
displaying a no-
tification, or the like.
[172] The sensing unit 1120 may include at least one of a temperature
sensor 1122, an
insertion sensor 1124, and a puff sensor 1126, but is not limited thereto.
[173] The temperature sensor 1122 may sense a temperature at which the
heater 1150 (or
an aerosol generating material) is heated. The aerosol generating device 1100
may
include a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the
heater 1150, or
the heater 1150 may serve as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the
temperature
sensor 1122 may also be arranged around the battery 1140 to monitor the
temperature
of the battery 1140.
[174] The insertion sensor 1124 may sense insertion and/or removal of an
aerosol
generating article. For example, the insertion sensor 1124 may include at
least one of a
film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a
capacitive sensor,
an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and may sense a signal change
according
to the insertion and/or removal of an aerosol generating article.
[175] The puff sensor 1126 may sense a user's puff on the basis of various
physical
changes in an airflow passage or an airflow channel. For example, the puff
sensor 1126
may sense a user's puff on the basis of any one of a temperature change, a
flow change,
a voltage change, and a pressure change.
[176] In addition to the sensors described above (including the temperature
sensor 1122,
the insertion sensor 1124, and the puff sensor 1126), the sensing unit 1120
may further
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
24
include at least one of a temperature/humidity sensor, an atmospheric pressure
sensor,
a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position
sensor
(e.g., GPS), a proximity sensor, and an RGB sensor (an illuminance sensor).
Because
the function of each sensor may be intuitively inferred from the name by one
of
ordinary skill in the art, the specific explanation may be omitted.
111771 The output unit 1130 may output and provide information
about the state of the
aerosol generating device 1100 to the user. The output unit 1130 may include
at least
one of a display unit 1132, a haptic unit 1134, and an acoustic output unit
1136, but is
not limited thereto. When the display unit 1132 and the touchpad form a layer
structure
and thereby form a touch screen, the display unit 1132 may be used as an input
device
in addition to an output device.
[178] The display unit 1132 may visually provide information about the
aerosol generating
device 1100 to the user. For example, information about the aerosol generating
device
1100 may mean various pieces of information, such as a charging/discharging
state of
the battery 1140 of the aerosol generating device 1100, a preheating state of
the heater
1150, an insertion/removal state of an aerosol generating article, or a state
in which the
use of the aerosol generating device 1100 is restricted (e.g., sensing of an
abnormal
object), or the like, and the display unit 1132 may output the information to
the
outside. The display unit 1132 may include, for example, a liquid crystal
display panel
(LCD), an organic light-emitting display panel (OLED), etc. In addition, the
display
unit 1132 may be in the form of an LED light-emitting element.
[179] The haptic unit 1134 may convert electrical signals to a mechanical
or electrical
stimuli to provide information about the aerosol generating device 1100
tactilely to the
user. For example, the haptic unit 1134 may include a motor, a piezoelectric
element,
or an electrical stimulation device.
[180] The acoustic output unit 1136 may audibly provide information about
the aerosol
generating device 1100 to the user. For example, the acoustic output unit 1136
may
convert the electrical signal to an acoustic signal and output the converted
signal to the
outside.
[181] The battery 1140 may supply power used to operate the aerosol
generating device
1100. The battery 1140 may supply power such that the heater 1150 may be
heated. In
addition, the battery 1140 may supply power required for operations of other
components (e.g., the sensing unit 1120, the output unit 1130, the user input
unit 1160,
the memory 1170, and the communicator 1180) in the aerosol generating device
1100.
The battery 1140 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For
example,
the battery 1140 may be a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited
thereto.
[182] The heater 1150 may receive power from the battery 1140 to heat an
aerosol
generating material. Although not illustrated in FIG. 11, the aerosol
generating device
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
25
1100 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a direct current
(DC)/DC
converter) that converts and supplies power of the battery 1140 to the heater
1150. In
addition, when the aerosol generating device 1100 generates aerosol in an
induction
heating method, the aerosol generating device 1100 may further include a DC/AC
converter that converts a DC power source of the battery 1140 to an AC power
source.
[183] The processor 1110, the sensing unit 1120, the output unit 1130, the
user input unit
1160, the memory 1170, and the communicator 1180 may each receive power from
the
battery 1140 to perform a function. Although not shown in FIG. 11, a power
conversion circuit that converts the power of the battery 1140 and supplies
the
converted power to each component, for example, a low dropout (LDO) circuit or
a
voltage regulator circuit, may further be included.
[184] In an embodiment, the heater 1150 may be formed of any suitable
electrically
resistive material. For example, the suitable electrically resistive material
may be a
metal or a metal alloy including titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum,
nickel,
cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium,
manganese,
iron, copper, stainless steel, or nichrome, but is not limited thereto. In
addition, the
heater 130 may be implemented as a metal wire, a metal plate on which an
electrically
conductive track is arranged, a ceramic heating element, or the like, but is
not limited
thereto.
[185] In some embodiments, the heater 1150 may be a heater of an induction
heating type.
For example, the heater 1150 may include a suspector that heats the aerosol
generating
material by generating heat through a magnetic field applied by a coil.
[186] The user input unit 1160 may receive information input from the user
or output the
information to the user. For example, the user input unit 1160 may include a
key pad, a
dome switch, a touchpad (a touch-sensitive, capacitive method, a pressure
resistance
method, an infrared sensing method, a surface ultrasonic wave conduction
method, an
integrated tension measurement method, a piezo effect method, etc.), a jog
wheel, a jog
switch, etc., but is not limited thereto. In addition, although not shown in
FIG. 11, the
aerosol generating device 1100 may further include a connection interface such
as a
universal serial bus (USB) interface, and may be connected to other external
devices
through the connection interface such as the USB interface to thereby transmit
and
receive information or charge the battery 1140.
[187] The memory 1170 is a hardware component that stores various types of
data
processed in the aerosol generating device 1100, and may store data processed
and data
to be processed by the processor 1110. The memory 1170 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
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
26
(ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a pro-
grammable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, or an
optical disk. The memory 1170 may store an operation time of the aerosol
generating
device 1100, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at
least one
temperature profile, data on a user's smoking pattern, etc.
[188] The communicator 1180 may include at least one component for
communication
with other electronic devices. For example, the communicator 1180 may include
a
short-range wireless communicator 1182 and a wireless communicator 1184.
[189] The short-range wireless communicator 1182 may include a Bluetooth
com-
municator, a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) communicator, a near field
communicator, a
WLAN communicator, a Zigbee communicator, an infrared data association (IrDA)
communicator, a Wi-Fi direct (WFD) communicator, an ultra wideband (UWB) com-
municator, and Ant+ communicator, etc., but is not limited thereto.
[190] The wireless communicator 1184 may include, but is not limited to, a
cellular
network communicator, an internet communicator, a computer network (e.g., LAN
or
WAN) communicator, etc. The wireless communicator 1184 may check and verify
the
aerosol generating device 1100 within a communication network using subscriber
in-
formation (e.g., international mobile subscriber identifier (IMSI)).
[191] The processor 1110 may control general operations of the aerosol
generating device
1100. In an embodiment, the processor 1110 may include at least one processor.
A
processor may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates or may
be im-
plemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory in
which a program executable in the microprocessor is stored. It will be
understood by
one of ordinary skill in the art that the processor can be implemented in
other forms of
hardware.
[192] The processor 1110 may control the temperature of the heater 1150 by
controlling
power supply of the battery 1140 to the heater 1150. For example, the
processor 1110
may control the power supply by controlling switching of a switching element
between
the battery 1140 and the heater 1150. In another example, a direct heating
circuit may
also control the power supply to the heater 1150 according to a control
command of
the processor 1110.
[193] The processor 1110 may analyze the results detected by the sensing
unit 1120 and
control the processes to be performed. For example, the processor 1110 may
control
power supplied to the heater 1150 to start or end an operation of the heater
1150 on the
basis of a result sensed by the sensing unit 1120. In another example, the
processor
1110 may control, based on a result sensed by the sensing unit 1120, an amount
of
power supplied to the heater 1150 and the time during which power is supplied,
such
that the heater 1150 may be heated to a certain temperature or maintained at
an ap-
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
7
propriate temperature.
[194] The processor 1110 may control the output unit 1130 based on a result
sensed by the
sensing unit 1120. For example, when the number of puffs counted through the
puff
sensor 1126 reaches a preset number, the processor 1110 may notify the user
that the
aerosol generating device 1100 will soon be terminated through at least one of
the
display unit 1132, the haptic unit 1134, and the acoustic output unit 1136.
[195] The processor 1110 may output a control signal based on a user input
through the
user input unit 1160, but may output different control signals in response to
the same
user input according to whether the cartridge is coupled.
[196] In detail, the processor 1110 may recognize that the cartridge is not
in a coupled state
when the received conducting signal is less than the reference value (e.g.,
the duration
and/or the level of the conducting signal is below a certain threshold), and
may output
a first control signal in response to the user input that is input through the
user input
unit 1160. On the other hand, the processor 1110 may recognize that the
cartridge is in
a coupled state when the received conducting signal is greater than or equal
to the
reference value, and may output a second control signal in response to the
user input
that is input through the user input unit 1160.
[197] For example, in response to the same input of the user, the processor
1110 may
output the first control signal to supply power to the heater 1150 when the
processor
1110 recognizes that the cartridge is in a coupled state, but may output the
second
control signal to block the power supplied to the heater 1150 when the
processor 1110
recognizes that the cartridge is not in a coupled state.
[198] In another example, in response to the same input of the user, the
processor 1110
may output the first control signal to supply a first power to the heater 1150
when the
processor 1110 recognizes that the cartridge is in a coupled state, but may
output the
second control signal to supply a second power to the heater 1150 when the
processor
1110 recognizes that the cartridge is not in a coupled state. Here, the second
power
may be greater than the first power. The first power may be power supplied to
the
heater 1150 in a general smoking mode, and the second power may be power
supplied
to the heater 1150 in a cleaning mode wherein the heater is heated with a
higher tem-
perature than a general smoking mode to vaporize residue of the aerosol
generating
material. Therefore, the aerosol generating device 1100 according to an
embodiment
may implement two operations in response to one user input according to
whether the
cartridge is in a coupled state, without needing to be provided separately
with the user
input unit 1160 to heat the heater 1150 in the smoking mode and the user input
unit
1160 to operate in the cleaning mode. That is, since the aerosol generating
device 1100
according to an embodiment operates differently in response to the same user
input
according to whether the cartridge is coupled, the user input interface may be
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
28
simplified.
[199] In an embodiment, the processor 1110 may recognize that the cartridge
is not in a
coupled state when the received conducting signal is less than a reference
value, and
may display a first user interface (UI) screen through the display unit 1132.
On the
other hand, the processor 1110 may recognize that the cartridge is in a
coupled state
when the received conducting signal is greater than or equal to the reference
value, and
may output a second UI screen different from the first UI. For example, icons
related
to the cleaning mode may be arranged in the first UI, and icons related to the
smoking
mode may be arranged in the second UI.
[200] One embodiment may also be implemented in the form of a computer-
readable
recording medium including instructions executable by a computer, such as a
program
module executable by the computer. The computer-readable recording medium may
be
any available medium that can be accessed by a computer and includes both
volatile
and nonvolatile media, and removable and non-removable media. In addition, the
computer-readable recording medium may include both a computer storage medium
and a communication medium. The computer storage medium includes all of
volatile
and nonvolatile, and removable and non-removable media implemented by any
method
or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable
instructions, data
structures, program modules or other data. The communication medium typically
includes computer-readable instructions, data structures, other data in
modulated data
signals such as program modules, or other transmission mechanisms, and
includes any
information transfer media.
[201] The descriptions of the above-described embodiments are merely
examples, and it
will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various changes
and
equivalents thereof may be made. Therefore, the scope of the disclosure should
be
defined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope
equivalent to
those described in the claims will be construed as being included in the scope
of
protection defined by the claims.
CA 03220651 2023- 11- 28
