CN118368997A - Power supply unit for aerosol-generating device, and thin film heater - Google Patents

Abstract

A power supply unit (100) of an aerosol-generating device (10) is provided with: a power supply (ba), a sheet Heater (HTR) including a pair of electrically insulating substrates (31) and an electrically conductive foil (32) disposed between the pair of electrically insulating substrates (31), and a thermistor (th) detecting the temperature of the sheet Heater (HTR). The sheet Heater (HTR) includes a heater unit (240B) configured to be able to heat at least one of the aerosol source (110) and the flavor source (120), and a thermistor mounting unit (240A) on which a thermistor (th) is mounted. A first conductive track (241) provided in a heater section (240B) and a second conductive track (242) provided in a thermistor mounting section (240A) and connected to a thermistor (th) are formed on a conductive foil (32) of a sheet Heater (HTR).

Description

Power supply unit for aerosol generating device, aerosol generating device and film heater

Technical Field

The invention relates to a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating device and a film heater.

Background technique

Among power supply units of aerosol generating devices such as heated cigarettes, there are known power supply units equipped with a heater for heating a capsule or a stick having a flavor source built therein.

Patent Document 1 discloses a thin film heater for heating an aerosol-forming substrate, the thin film heater including an electrically insulating substrate and a conductive track disposed on the electrically insulating substrate. The conductive track of Patent Document 1 has a high temperature coefficient of resistance and can function as a heater and a temperature sensor.

Prior art literature

Patent Literature

Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2011/050964

Summary of the invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

When the conductive track of the thin film heater itself is used as a temperature sensor, the resistance value of the conductive track needs to be calibrated, which increases the cost. In addition, when a temperature detection unit (for example, a thermistor) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the thin film heater by separately extending the lead wire, it takes time to assemble the temperature detection unit, and it is necessary to consider the configuration relationship with other components in the frame of the power supply unit.

The present invention provides a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device, an aerosol generating device and a thin film heater, wherein a temperature detecting part can be arranged on the thin film heater without additionally leading out a lead wire.

Technical solutions for solving technical problems

The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device of the present invention comprises:

power supply;

A thin film heater comprising a pair of electrically insulating substrates and a conductive foil disposed between the pair of electrically insulating substrates;

a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the thin film heater;

in,

The film heater includes a heater portion configured to heat at least one of the aerosol source and the flavor source and a mounting portion on which the temperature detection portion is mounted.

A first conductive track provided at the heater portion and a second conductive track provided at the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection portion are formed on the conductive foil of the thin film heater.

In addition, the aerosol generating device of the present invention comprises:

The above power supply unit;

A first cigarette cartridge storing the aerosol source;

A second cigarette cartridge storing the flavor source.

In addition, the thin film heater of the present invention includes a pair of electrically insulating substrates and a conductive foil disposed between the pair of electrically insulating substrates, wherein the thin film heater has:

Heater section;

a mounting portion, the mounting portion being equipped with a temperature detection portion for detecting a temperature of the heater portion;

The conductive foil includes a first conductive track provided at the heater portion and a second conductive track provided at the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection portion.

Effects of the Invention

According to the present invention, the temperature detection portion can be provided on the thin film heater without separately extending lead wires.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device 10 .

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the aerosol generating device 10 .

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the aerosol generating device 10 .

FIG. 4 is a left side view of the internal unit 2. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a right side view of the internal unit 2 .

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the heating unit 60 and the circuit unit 70 of the internal unit 2 .

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the surface 201 of the main substrate 20 .

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the back surface 202 of the main substrate 20 .

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the heating unit 60 and the flow channel formation body 19 shown in FIG. 6 .

FIG. 10 is a development view of the heater FPC 24 integrally formed with the sheet heater HTR.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the heater FPC 24 and the sheet heater HTR.

FIG12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the A-A section in FIG10 .

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, a power supply unit of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Aerosol Generating Device)

The aerosol generating device 10 is an apparatus for generating an aerosol with a scent without combustion and for inhaling the generated aerosol. The aerosol generating device 10 is preferably a size that can be placed in the hand, for example, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape with rounded corners. It should be noted that the shape of the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to this, and it can also be a rod shape, an egg shape, etc. In the following description, in the aerosol generating device 10, in the three orthogonal directions, in the order of length from long to short, it is called the up-down direction, the front-back direction, and the left-right direction. In addition, in the following description, for the convenience of explanation, as shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 9, the front, the rear, the left, the right, the top, and the bottom are defined, and the front is represented as Fr, the rear is represented as Rr, the left side is represented as L, the right side is represented as R, the top is represented as U, and the bottom is represented as D.

3 , the aerosol generating device 10 includes a power supply unit 100, a first cartridge 110, and a second cartridge 120. The first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 are detachable from the power supply unit 100. In other words, the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120 are replaceable.

(Power supply unit)

The power supply unit 100 includes an internal unit 2 and a casing 3 , and at least a portion of the internal unit 2 is accommodated in the casing 3 .

The shell 3 is composed of a first shell 3A and a second shell 3B that can be loaded and unloaded in the left and right directions (thickness direction). By assembling these first shells 3A and second shells 3B in the left and right directions (thickness direction), the front surface, rear surface, left surface, and right surface of the power supply unit 100 are formed. Specifically, the first shell 3A is supported on the surface on the left side of the base 50 described later included in the internal unit 2, and the second shell 3B is supported on the surface on the right side of the base 50, and the internal unit 2 is accommodated in the shell 3. On the upper surface of the power supply unit 100, a capsule holder 4 is provided in the front. An opening 4a that opens upward is provided on the capsule holder 4. The capsule holder 4 is configured to allow the second cigarette cartridge 120 to be inserted from the opening 4a. The mouthpiece 130 is detachably provided on the second cigarette cartridge 120.

The upper surface of the power supply unit 100 is formed by an OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) cover 5 disposed behind the opening 4 a , and the lower surface of the power supply unit 100 is formed by a lower cover 8 provided with a charging terminal 1 and a rotatable lower lid 7 .

Between the upper surface and the rear surface of the power supply unit 100, an inclined surface is provided which inclines downward as it goes toward the rear. An operating unit which can be operated by a user is provided on the inclined surface. The operating unit of the present embodiment is a push-button switch BT, but it can also be composed of a touch panel or the like. The operating unit is used to start/cut off/operate the MCU (Micro Controller Unit) 6 and various sensors described later, etc., in response to the user's use intention.

The charging terminal 1 accessible from the lower cover 8 is configured to be electrically connected to an external power source (not shown), which can supply power to the power supply unit 100 for charging the power source ba included in the battery pack BP. The charging terminal 1 is, for example, a socket into which a plug as a counterpart can be inserted. As the charging terminal 1, a socket into which various USB terminals or the like can be inserted can be used. As an example, in the present embodiment, the charging terminal 1 is set to a USB Type-C shaped socket.

In addition, the charging terminal 1 may also be configured to have a power receiving coil, for example, and may receive power transmitted from an external power source in a non-contact manner. The power transmission (Wireless Power Transfer) in this case may be an electromagnetic induction type, a magnetic resonance type, or a combination of an electromagnetic induction type and a magnetic resonance type. As another example, the charging terminal 1 may be connected to various USB terminals, etc., and may also have the above-mentioned power receiving coil.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 , the internal unit 2 includes a battery pack BP, a base 50 , a heating unit 60 , a circuit unit 70 , a notification unit, and various sensors.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the base 50 includes: a cylindrical box holding portion 51 located in the front, a semi-cylindrical battery holding portion 52 located in the rear and with a cutout on the left side, a plate-shaped connecting portion 53 connecting the box holding portion 51 and the battery holding portion 52, a motor holding portion 54 arranged below and to the right of the connecting portion 53 and spanning the box holding portion 51 and the battery holding portion 52, and a sensor holding portion 55 arranged at the left rear of the box holding portion 51.

In the state where the lower cover 7 is opened, the first cigarette cartridge 110 is inserted into the box holding portion 51 from below. In addition, in the state where the first cigarette cartridge 110 is inserted, by closing the lower cover 7, the first cigarette cartridge 110 is stored in the box holding portion 51. The capsule holder 4 is installed on the upper part of the box holding portion 51. On the box holding portion 51, a longitudinal through hole is provided in the front, and the remaining amount of the aerosol source of the first cigarette cartridge 110 and the light of the LED (Light Emitting Diode) not shown can be visually observed from the remaining amount confirmation window 3w provided at the joint of the first shell 3A and the second shell 3B. The LED is provided on the suction sensor substrate 21 described later. The first cigarette cartridge 110 will be described later.

A battery pack BP is arranged in the battery holding portion 52. The battery pack BP includes a power source ba and a power source thermistor for detecting the temperature of the power source ba. The power source ba is a rechargeable secondary battery, a double-layer capacitor, etc., preferably a lithium-ion secondary battery. The electrolyte of the power source ba may also be composed of a gel electrolyte, an electrolyte solution, a solid electrolyte, an ionic liquid, or a combination thereof.

The vibration motor 13 is disposed in the motor holding portion 54. The suction sensor 15 described later that generates an output according to the suction action (puff action) of the user is disposed in the sensor holding portion 55.

As shown in FIG6 , the heating unit 60 includes a cylindrical heat transfer tube 61 and a sheet heater HTR wound around the outer circumference of the heat transfer tube 61. The capsule holder 4 is separately arranged around the sheet heater HTR. The air layer between the capsule holder 4 and the sheet heater HTR functions as a heat insulating material. The lower part of the second cigarette cartridge 120 inserted from the opening 4a of the capsule holder 4 is accommodated in the heat transfer tube 61, and the lower part of the second cigarette cartridge 120 is heated by the sheet heater HTR. As a result, compared with the case where there is no heating unit 60, the flavor source stored in the second cigarette cartridge 120 is easy to release the flavor, so it is easy to give the aerosol the flavor. Here, the heat transfer tube 61 is equivalent to the "cylindrical storage portion" in the present invention, and the sheet heater HTR is equivalent to the "thin film heater" in the present invention.

It should be noted that the heating unit 60 only needs to be an element that can heat the second cartridge 120. As the element, a resistance heating element and the like can be cited. As the resistance heating element, for example, it is preferable to use a resistance heating element having a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristic in which the resistance value increases as the temperature increases. Instead of the above-mentioned resistance heating element, a resistance heating element having an NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) characteristic in which the resistance value decreases as the temperature increases can also be used. The heating unit 60 has the function of demarcating the flow path of the air supplied to the second cartridge 120, and the function of heating the second cartridge 120.

The notification unit notifies various information such as the charging state of the power source ba, the remaining amount of the first cartridge 110, and the remaining amount of the second cartridge 120. The notification unit of this embodiment includes an LED and a vibration motor 13. The notification unit can be composed of a light-emitting element such as an LED, a vibration element such as a vibration motor 13, or a sound output element. The notification unit can also be a combination of two or more elements among a light-emitting element, a vibration element, and a sound output element.

The various sensors include a suction sensor 15 that detects a puffing action (suction action) of the user, a heater temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the sheet heater HTR, and the like.

The suction sensor 15 is composed of, for example, a condenser microphone, a pressure sensor, a flow sensor, etc. It is also possible to configure a plurality of suction sensors 15 separately to detect the suction action based on the difference in their output values. The heater temperature sensor includes, for example, a first thermistor th1 and a second thermistor th2. The first thermistor th1 and the second thermistor th2 are in contact with the sheet heater HTR. The heater temperature sensor is composed of two thermistors, but may also be composed of one thermistor. Hereinafter, the first thermistor th1 and the second thermistor th2 are sometimes collectively referred to as thermistor th. It should be noted that the heater temperature sensor is not limited to thermistor th, as long as it is a sensor that detects the temperature of the sheet heater HTR. Here, the thermistor th is equivalent to the "temperature detection unit" in the present invention.

The circuit unit 70 includes four rigid circuit substrates, three FPCs (Flexible Printed Circuits), multiple ICs (Integrated Circuits), and multiple components. The four circuit substrates are composed of a main substrate 20, a suction sensor substrate 21, a pogo pin substrate 22, and an OLED substrate 26. The three FPCs are composed of a main FPC 23, a heater FPC 24, and an OLED FPC 25.

The main substrate 20 is arranged between the battery pack BP and the rear surface of the housing 3 (the rear surface of the power supply unit 100) in such a manner that the component mounting surface faces the front-back direction. In addition, the main substrate 20 is arranged on the side opposite to the heating portion 60 relative to the power supply ba. The main substrate 20 is composed of a plurality of layers (six layers in this embodiment) of substrates stacked together, and is equipped with electronic components (components) such as the MCU 6 and the charging IC 3. Here, the main substrate 20 is equivalent to the "circuit substrate" in the present invention.

MCU6 is a control device that is connected to various sensor devices such as the suction sensor 15, an operating unit, a notification unit, and a memory that stores the number of suction actions or load and the power-on time of the sheet heater HTR, and performs various controls on the aerosol generating device 10. Specifically, MCU6 is mainly composed of a processor, and also includes storage media such as RAM (Random Access Memory) required for the operation of the processor and ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various information. The processor in this specification is, for example, a circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements. It should be noted that a part of the elements connected to MCU6 (for example, the suction sensor 15, the memory) can also be set inside MCU6 as a function of MCU6 itself. Here, MCU6 is equivalent to the "control unit" in the present invention.

The charging IC 3 is an IC that controls charging of the power source ba using the power input from the charging terminal 1 or supplies the power of the power source ba to electronic components and the like on the main substrate 20 .

The main substrate 20 is described in more detail with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the rearward surface of the main substrate 20 is referred to as the surface 201, and for the sake of convenience, the forward surface of the main substrate 20 is referred to as the back surface 202. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the surface 201 of the main substrate 20, and Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the back surface 202 of the main substrate 20.

As shown in FIG8 , the MCU6 and the charging IC3 are mounted on the back side 202 of the main substrate 20 together with the charging terminal 1. A debugging connector 20E is also mounted on the back side 202. The debugging connector 20E is an interface for rewriting the program of the MCU6 from an external device such as a personal computer, and for example, a connector conforming to the SWD (Serial Wire Debug) standard is used. On the other hand, as shown in FIG7 , an OLED connector 20C, a heater connector 20B, a main connector 20A, and a battery connector 20D connected to the battery pack BP via a lead wire 16 (see FIG6 ) are mounted on the surface 201 of the main substrate 20.

As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 , the suction sensor substrate 21 is disposed on the sensor holding portion 55 of the base 50 with the element mounting surface facing the right front and the left rear. The suction sensor 15 is mounted on the suction sensor substrate 21 .

As shown in Fig. 6 , the OLED substrate 26 is disposed between the battery pack BP and the OLED cover 5 with its element mounting surface facing the vertical direction. The OLED panel 17 is mounted on the OLED substrate 26 .

As shown in FIG6 , when the lower cover 7 is closed, the spring pin substrate 22 is arranged on the lower cover 7 in a manner that the component mounting surface faces the up-down direction. The spring pin substrate 22 is provided with input side contacts P1 to P3 that supply power from the main substrate 20 through the main FPC 23 and connectors electrically connected to the load provided on the first cartridge 110, namely spring pins p1 to p3. The input side contacts P1 to P3 are electrically connected to the main FPC 23 only when the lower cover 7 is closed. Three spring pins p1 to p3 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and at least two spring pins are electrically connected to the + terminal and the - terminal of the first cartridge 110 housed in the box holding portion 51.

The battery pack BP held in the battery holding portion 52 is exposed from the left side of the battery holding portion 52 through the semi-cylindrical battery holding portion 52. As shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 6, the main FPC 23, the heater FPC 24 and the OLED FPC 25 are arranged in an overlapping manner in a space between the left side of the battery pack BP formed by cutting the battery holding portion 52 and the first housing 3A.

Among the three FPCs, the main FPC 23 is arranged closest to the battery pack BP, the OLED FPC 25 is arranged to partially overlap the main FPC 23, and the heater FPC 24 is arranged to overlap the OLED FPC 25. That is, the heater FPC 24 supplied with the maximum power among the three FPCs is arranged farthest from the battery pack BP.

One end of the OLED FPC 25 is connected to the OLED connector 20C of the main substrate 20 , and the other end is connected to the OLED substrate 26 .

The main FPC 23 connects the main connector 20A of the main board 20 , the switch BT of the operation portion, the connector 21B of the suction sensor board 21 , and the input-side contacts P1 to P3 of the pogo pin board 22 .

As shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. 10, one end of the heater FPC 24 is a connector area 24B connected to the heater connector 20B of the main substrate 20, and the other end is integrally formed with a sheet heater HTR. Here, the heater FPC 24 is equivalent to the "flexible wiring board" of the present invention. The details of the heater FPC 24 and the sheet heater HTR will be described later.

(First cigarette cartridge)

The first cartridge 110 has, inside the cylindrical box housing 111, a reservoir for storing an aerosol source, an electrical load for atomizing the aerosol source, a core for introducing the aerosol source from the reservoir to the load, and an aerosol flow path for aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source to flow toward the second cartridge 120. The aerosol source includes a liquid such as glycerin, propylene glycol or water.

The load is a heating element that heats the aerosol source without combustion by using the power supplied from the power supply ba using the spring pins p1 to p3 of the spring pin substrate 22, and is composed of, for example, a heating wire (coil) wound at a predetermined pitch. The load atomizes the aerosol source by heating the aerosol source. As the load, a heating resistor, a ceramic heater, an induction heating heater, etc. can be used.

The aerosol flow path is connected to the second cigarette cartridge 120 via the flow path forming body 19 (see FIGS. 6 and 9 ) housed in the box holding portion 51 of the base 50. The flow path forming body 19 functions as a seat for the bottom of the second cigarette cartridge 120 to abut against when the second cigarette cartridge 120 is housed inside the heat transfer tube 61. The flow path forming body 19 is made of a material with high heat insulation performance, such as silicone.

(Second cigarette cartridge)

The second cigarette cartridge 120 stores the flavor source. The second cigarette cartridge 120 is heated by the sheet heater HTR, thereby heating the flavor source. The second cigarette cartridge 120 passes the aerosol generated by atomizing the aerosol source through the flavor source, thereby imparting flavor to the aerosol. As a raw material sheet constituting the flavor source, shredded tobacco or a granular formed body formed by forming the tobacco raw material can be used. The flavor source can also be composed of plants other than tobacco (for example, mint, Chinese medicine, medicinal herbs, etc.). The flavor source can also be endowed with flavors such as menthol. Here, the second cigarette cartridge 120 is equivalent to the "flavor source storage unit" in the present invention.

The aerosol generating device 10 can generate aerosol to which a fragrance is added by an aerosol source and a fragrance source. That is, the aerosol source and the fragrance source constitute an aerosol generating source that generates aerosol to which a fragrance is added.

The aerosol generating source in the aerosol generating device 10 is a part that is replaced by the user. This part, for example, provides the user with a first cigarette cartridge 110 and one or more (for example, five) second cigarette cartridges 120 as a group. In addition, as long as the power supply ba is not significantly deteriorated, the battery pack BP can be repeatedly charged and discharged. Therefore, in the aerosol generating device 10, the power supply unit 100 or the battery pack BP has the lowest replacement frequency, the first cigarette cartridge 110 has the second lowest replacement frequency, and the second cigarette cartridge 120 has the highest replacement frequency. It should be noted that the first cigarette cartridge 110 and the second cigarette cartridge 120 can also be integrated into a box. It can also be a structure in which a medicine or the like is attached to the aerosol source instead of a flavor source.

In the aerosol generating device 10 configured as described above, air flowing in from an air intake port (not shown) provided in the housing 3 or the internal unit 2 passes near the load of the first cartridge 110. The load atomizes the aerosol source introduced from the reservoir through the core. The aerosol generated by atomization flows in the aerosol flow path together with the air flowing in from the intake port, and is supplied to the second cartridge 120 via the flow path forming body 19. The aerosol supplied to the second cartridge 120 is given a flavor by the flavor source, and is supplied to the mouthpiece 131 of the mouthpiece 130.

(Heater FPC, Sheet Heater HTR)

The heater FPC 24 and the sheet heater HTR will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 9 to Fig. 12. It should be noted that Fig. 11 and Fig. 12 are schematic cross-sectional views and may differ from actual dimensions.

The heater FPC 24 is a flexible wiring board having flexibility, and as shown in FIG11 , is composed of a pair of thin-film electrical insulators 31 and a conductive foil 32 disposed therebetween. The electrical insulator 31 is preferably made of a material having excellent heat resistance and electrical insulation, such as polyimide. The conductive foil 32 is preferably made of one or more of metal materials such as copper, nickel alloy, chromium alloy, stainless steel, platinum rhodium, etc., such as copper foil.

The heater FPC24 is composed of a winding area 24A, a connector area 24B and a connecting area 24C. The winding area 24A is wound around the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61 composed of a cylindrical body and fixed, the connector area 24B is inserted into the heater connector 20B of the main substrate 20, and the connecting area 24C connects the winding area 24A and the connector area 24B.

In the connector area 24B of the heater FPC 24, the terminal T1, the terminal T2, the terminal T3, the terminal T4 and the terminal T5 are arranged in this order. The first conductive track 241 described later is connected to the terminal T1 and the terminal T5, and the terminal T2, the terminal T3 and the terminal T4 are connected to the second conductive track 242 described later. The terminal T1 is connected to the DC/DC converter 11 installed on the main substrate 20 and converts the power supplied from the power supply ba into the desired power through the sheet heater terminal provided on the heater connector 20B. The DC/DC converter 11 is equivalent to the "power conversion unit" in the present invention. The terminal T5 is connected to the ground wire or the conductive pattern (ground wire) connected to the ground wire (marked with GND in Figure 10). The terminal T2 is connected to the first thermistor terminal provided on the heater connector 20B, and the output corresponding to the resistance value (in other words, temperature) of the first thermistor th1 is input to the MCU6. The terminal T4 is connected to the second thermistor terminal provided on the heater connector 20B, and the output corresponding to the resistance value of the second thermistor th2 is input to the MCU6. The terminal T3 is connected to a ground line or a ground line (marked with GND in FIG. 10 ).

As described above, the sheet heater HTR is integrally formed at the other end of the heater FPC 24 and coincides with the winding region 24A. That is, the sheet heater HTR is the same flexible wiring board as the heater FPC 24. The sheet heater HTR includes a thermistor mounting portion 240A and a heater portion 240B.

First, the heater portion 240B and the first conductive track 241 formed on the heater FPC 24 and the conductive foil 32 of the sheet heater HTR will be described.

As shown in FIG9 , the heater unit 240B is wound around the outer circumference 61S of the heat transfer tube 61 and is configured to heat the second cigarette cartridge 120 through the heat transfer tube 61 . Electric power is supplied to the heater unit 240B from the power source ba and transmitted through the first conductive track 241 .

The first conductive track 241 is formed by etching while leaving a necessary portion of the conductive foil 32. It should be noted that the first conductive track 241 may be formed by coating a necessary portion of the conductive foil 32 instead of etching.

The first conductive track 241 is continuously provided from the connector region 24B throughout the heater portion 240B. Specifically, the first conductive track 241 is provided to extend from the terminal T1 to the heater portion 240B and return from the heater portion 240B to the terminal T5. Thus, the first conductive track 241 can transmit the power supplied from the power source ba to the heater portion 240B.

The first conductive track 241 has a region R1 near the heater portion 240B and a region R2 between the region R1 and the main substrate 20 in the region between the main substrate 20 and the heater portion 240B. In the state of the assembled power supply unit 100 shown in FIG6 , the region R1 is located in front of the power supply ba and is separated from the power supply ba. The heater FPC 24 is folded back near the boundary between the region R1 and the region R2, and the region R2 is located on the left side of the power supply ba and is arranged near the power supply ba. The heater FPC 24 is folded back near the boundary between the region R2 and the connector region 24B, and the connector region 24B is located behind the power supply ba and is connected to the heater connector 20B.

The first conductive track 241 in the heater section 240B is formed by a curved running pattern consisting of a plurality of straight line portions extending in parallel and a plurality of arc portions connecting adjacent straight line portions. The first conductive track 241 in the regions R1 and R2 connects the main substrate 20 and the heater section 240B, and transmits the power supplied from the power supply ba to the heater section 240B.

The width of the first conductive track 241 differs depending on the region in which it is provided. Here, the width of the first conductive track 241 refers to the length in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the current flows. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10 , the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R2 is formed to be larger than the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R1. In addition, the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R1 is formed to be larger than the width of the first conductive track 241 in the heater portion 240B. It should be noted that the heater FPC 24 in the region R2 is wider than the heater FPC 24 in the region R1 so that the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R2 can be formed larger.

Generally speaking, when the thickness of the conductive track is fixed, as the conductive track becomes wider, the current flows more easily and the resistance value becomes smaller. Therefore, the resistance values of the first conductive track 241 in each region are, from small to large, region R2, region R1, and heater section 240B. Since the heat generation decreases when the resistance value is small, the heat generation of the first conductive track 241 in each region is, from small to large, region R2, region R1, and heater section 240B. Therefore, in the heater section 240B, the resistance value increases and the heat generation also increases, so that the heat generation in the heater section 240B can be fully performed. On the other hand, in regions R1 and R2, the resistance value decreases and the heat generation also decreases, so that heat loss can be suppressed.

In the state where the power supply unit 100 is assembled, the heater FPC 24 is closest to the power supply ba in the region R2. In other words, the shortest distance between the region R2 and the power supply ba is shorter than the shortest distance between the region R1 and the power supply ba. In this embodiment, the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R2 closest to the power supply ba is made larger than the width of the first conductive track 241 in the region R1, thereby reducing the heat generated in the region R2. As a result, the influence of the heat generated by the heater FPC 24 on the power supply ba can be suppressed, and safety can be improved.

Next, the thermistor mounting portion 240A of the sheet heater HTR and the second conductive track 242 formed on the heater FPC 24 and the conductive foil 32 of the sheet heater HTR will be described.

The thermistor mounting portion 240A is provided with a thermistor th. In addition, the second conductive track 242 is provided on the thermistor mounting portion 240A and the heater FPC 24. Here, the thermistor mounting portion 240A corresponds to the "mounting portion" in the present invention.

The second conductive track 242 is formed by etching, coating, etc. of the conductive foil 32 similarly to the first conductive track 241. The second conductive track 242 is continuously provided from the connector region 24B to the thermistor mounting portion 240A. The second conductive track 242 is formed adjacent to the first conductive track 241 in the heater FPC 24.

On the second conductive track 242, terminals T11 to T14 connected to the first thermistor th1 and the second thermistor th2 are provided at the thermistor mounting portion 240A. The positive terminal of the first thermistor th1 is connected to the terminal T11, and the negative terminal of the first thermistor th1 is connected to the terminal T12. The negative terminal of the second thermistor th2 is connected to the terminal T13, and the positive terminal of the second thermistor th2 is connected to the terminal T14. In the present embodiment, the second conductive track 242 is composed of a conductive track connected to the terminal T2 at one end and the terminal T11 at the other end, a conductive track connected to the terminal T4 at one end and the terminal T14 at the other end, and a conductive track connected to the terminal T3 at one end and the terminal T12 and the terminal T13 in parallel at the other end. With such a structure, the second conductive track 242 is connected to the MCU6 through the terminal T2 and the terminal T4, and the MCU6 can control the heater unit 240B based on the temperature of the heater unit 240B detected by the thermistor th.

In addition, the width of the second conductive track 242 is fixed and smaller than the width of the first conductive track 241. This is because the power flowing in the second conductive track 242 is smaller than the heating power flowing in the first conductive track 241, and the heat generated in the second conductive track 242 is small even if the width of the second conductive track 242 is smaller than the width of the first conductive track 241. Since the width of the second conductive track 242 is formed to be smaller than the width of the first conductive track 241, the first conductive track 241 can be formed to be wider.

Thus, in the present embodiment, a second conductive track 242 for mounting thermistors is formed on the conductive foil 32 of the heater FPC 24 and the sheet heater HTR, and the thermistor th is connected to the second conductive track 242 at the thermistor mounting portion 240A. Thus, compared with the case where the thermistor th is set by drawing a lead wire from the main substrate 20, the assembly of the power supply unit 100 can be simplified, and the cost and size of the power supply unit 100 can be reduced. In addition, since the second conductive track 242 is formed separately from the first conductive track 241 for transmitting power to the heater portion 240B, it is possible to avoid the change in the potential of the first conductive track 241 connected to the heater portion 240B affecting the thermistor th. Therefore, the control accuracy using the thermistor th can be improved, and the safety of the power supply unit 100 can be improved.

In the unfolded state of the sheet heater HTR shown in FIG10 , the heater portion 240B and the thermistor mounting portion 240A are arranged on opposite sides with the heater FPC 24 interposed therebetween. As shown in FIG6 , after the heater portion 240B is wound around the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61, the thermistor mounting portion 240A is arranged to overlap the outer periphery of the heater portion 240B. After the sheet heater HTR is wound around the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61, a shrink film (not shown) is wound around the outer periphery of the sheet heater HTR, thereby fixing the sheet heater HTR to the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61.

In the thermistor mounting portion 240A, as shown in FIG. 12 , the electrical insulator 31 on the surface side is peeled off and insulated by applying a resist 33. The first thermistor th1 is connected to the second conductive track 242 by welding at both ends in the longitudinal direction (the portions connected to the terminals T11 and T12). The solder portion 36 in the second conductive track 242 to be welded is plated with gold 34. In a state where the sheet heater HTR is wound around the outer periphery 61S of the heat transfer tube 61, the first thermistor th1 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is along the axial direction (up and down direction) of the heat transfer tube 61. The second thermistor th2 is also connected to the second conductive track 242 by the same structure.

Assuming that the length direction of the thermistor th is arranged along the circumferential direction, when the sheet heater HTR is fixed with a shrink film, the thermistor th is affected by the curvature, and a local large stress acts on the solder portion 36, which may cause damage. In this embodiment, since the thermistor th is arranged so that the length direction is along the axial direction (vertical direction) of the heat transfer tube 61, the influence of the curvature of the thermistor th can be suppressed, and the local large stress caused by the deflection when the shrink film is installed can be suppressed from acting on the solder portion 36.

In this way, the thermistor th is arranged on the surface of the thermistor mounting portion 240A. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the surface of the thermistor mounting portion 240A is a structure in which the electrical insulator 31 on the surface side is stripped, but any structure in which the second conductive track 242 is directly connected to the thermistor th is sufficient. For example, it is also possible to have a structure in which the electrical insulator 31 on the surface side is not stripped, and a through hole for connecting the second conductive track 242 to the thermistor th is provided on the electrical insulator 31 on the surface side. In addition, the direct connection of the thermistor th to the surface of the thermistor mounting portion 240A means that the connection is made without using wiring such as leads, and other layers or films may be stacked on the electrical insulator 31 on the surface side.

As shown in FIG12 , a reinforcing plate 35 is provided in the thermistor mounting portion 240A. The reinforcing plate 35 is formed of a material having higher rigidity than the electrical insulator 31 and the conductive foil 32, such as aluminum or stainless steel. The reinforcing plate 35 is provided on the back side of the electrical insulator 31. By providing the reinforcing plate 35 in the thermistor mounting portion 240A, it is possible to suppress the damage of the solder portion 36 caused by the bundling force from the shrink film.

The reinforcing plate 35 is a rectangle having long sides and short sides, and is arranged so that the long sides are along the axial direction of the heat transfer tube 61. Thus, the influence of the curvature of the reinforcing plate 35 can be suppressed, and the local large stress caused by the deflection when the shrink film is installed can be suppressed from acting on the solder portion 36. However, the shape of the reinforcing plate 35 is arbitrary, and it may also be a shape without long sides and short sides.

As shown in Figure 9, the flow path forming body 19 is arranged at a position upstream (below) of the heater part 240B. In addition, the heat of the heater part 240B is easily taken away by the flow path forming body 19 because it is made of a material with high heat insulation function. Therefore, in order to detect the temperature of the heater part 240B with high precision, it is preferred to separate the thermistor th from the flow path forming body 19. Therefore, the thermistor th mounted on the thermistor mounting part 240A is arranged at a position downstream (above) of the center of the heater part 240B in the flow direction (up and down direction) of the aerosol from the first cigarette cartridge 110 toward the second cigarette cartridge 120.

The above embodiments can be combined freely. The above embodiments are illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other ways, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The above embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the scope of the claims and their equivalents.

For example, in this embodiment, the sheet heater HTR is configured to heat the second cartridge 120 storing the flavor source, but may also be configured to heat the first cartridge 110 storing the aerosol source. In addition, the sheet heater HTR may also be configured to heat both the first cartridge 110 and the second cartridge 120.

At least the following matters are described in this specification. It should be noted that the components in parentheses correspond to the components in the above-mentioned embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to these.

(1) A power supply unit (power supply unit 100) of an aerosol generating device (aerosol generating device 10), comprising:

Power supply (power supply ba);

a thin film heater (sheet heater HTR) including a pair of electrical insulating substrates (electrical insulator 31) and a conductive foil (conductive foil 32) disposed between the pair of electrical insulating substrates;

a temperature detection unit (thermistor th), wherein the temperature detection unit (thermistor th) detects the temperature of the thin film heater;

in,

The film heater includes: a heater portion (heater portion 240B) configured to heat at least one of the aerosol source (first cartridge 110) and the flavor source (second cartridge 120); and a mounting portion (thermistor mounting portion 240A) on which the temperature detection portion is mounted.

A first conductive track (first conductive track 241 ) provided at the heater portion and a second conductive track (second conductive track 242 ) provided at the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection portion are formed on the conductive foil of the thin film heater.

According to (1), since the second conductive track provided on the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection portion is formed on the conductive foil of the thin film heater, it is not necessary to separately lead out a lead wire for providing the temperature detection portion. Thus, the assembly of the power supply unit can be simplified compared to the case where a lead wire is separately led out to provide the temperature detection portion.

(2) In the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device described in (1),

The temperature detection unit is disposed on the surface of the mounting unit.

According to (2), since the temperature detection portion is disposed on the surface of the mounting portion, the temperature detection portion can be directly mounted on the thin film heater without using a separate lead wire.

(3) In the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device described in (1) or (2),

It also includes a cylindrical storage portion (heat transfer tube 61) for storing at least one of the aerosol source and the flavor source.

The heater portion is wound around the outer periphery of the cylindrical housing portion.

The mounting portion is arranged to overlap with an outer periphery of the heater portion.

According to (3), since the mounting portion is arranged to overlap with the outer periphery of the heater portion, the temperature of the heater portion can be detected with high accuracy.

(4) In the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device described in (3),

The temperature detection portion is disposed such that a longitudinal direction thereof is along an axial direction of the cylindrical housing portion.

According to (4), since the temperature detection part is arranged with its longitudinal direction along the axial direction of the cylindrical housing part, it is possible to avoid bending of the temperature detection part along the circumferential direction and suppress damage to the joint between the temperature detection part and the second conductive rail compared to the case where the temperature detection part is arranged along the circumferential direction.

(5) In the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device described in (4),

A reinforcing plate (reinforcing plate 35) is provided on the mounting portion.

The reinforcing plate is arranged such that a longitudinal direction thereof is along the axial direction of the cylindrical housing portion.

According to (5), since the reinforcing plate is provided on the mounting portion, the rigidity of the mounting portion can be ensured, and the joint portion between the temperature detection portion and the second conductive track can be prevented from being damaged. In addition, since the reinforcing plate is arranged so that the length direction is along the axial direction of the cylindrical housing portion, the influence of the curvature of the reinforcing plate can be suppressed, and the local large stress caused by the deflection along the circumferential direction can be suppressed from acting on the joint portion.

(6) In the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of (3) to (5),

The cylindrical storage portion stores a flavor source storage portion (the second cigarette cartridge 120), and the flavor source storage portion (the second cigarette cartridge 120) stores the flavor source.

The fragrance source storage portion is configured to allow the atomized aerosol to pass through.

The temperature detection unit is disposed downstream of the center of the heater unit in the flow direction of the aerosol.

Sometimes, the heat of the heater section is absorbed in the aerosol flow path located upstream of the heater section in the flow direction of the aerosol. According to (6), since the temperature detection section is arranged downstream of the center of the heater section in the flow direction of the aerosol, the temperature of the heater section can be detected with high accuracy.

(7) In the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of (1) to (6),

The thin film heater is formed integrally with a flexible wiring board (heater FPC 24 ) connected to the heater portion and the mounting portion.

According to (7), since the thin film heater is formed integrally with the flexible wiring board, the number of components can be reduced.

(8) In the power supply unit of the aerosol generating device described in (7),

It also includes a circuit board (main board 20),

A power conversion unit (boost DC/DC converter 11) for converting the power supplied from the power source and a control unit (MCU6) for controlling the heater unit based on the temperature of the temperature detection unit are mounted on the circuit board.

The first conductive track is connected to the power conversion unit through the flexible wiring board.

The second conductive track is connected to the control unit through the flexible wiring board.

According to (8), since the power conversion unit mounted on the circuit substrate is connected to the first conductive track, the first conductive track can appropriately transmit the power supplied from the power source to the heater unit. In addition, since the control unit mounted on the circuit substrate is connected to the second conductive track, the temperature of the heater unit can be appropriately controlled based on the temperature information obtained from the temperature detection unit.

(9) An aerosol generating device comprising:

The power supply unit according to any one of (1) to (8);

A first cigarette cartridge (first cigarette cartridge 110) storing the aerosol source;

A second cigarette cartridge (second cigarette cartridge 120) storing the flavor source.

According to (9), since the second conductive track provided on the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection portion is formed on the conductive foil of the thin film heater, it is not necessary to separately lead out a lead wire for setting the temperature detection portion. Thus, the assembly of the power supply unit can be simplified compared to the case where a lead wire is separately led out to set the temperature detection portion.

(10) A thin film heater (sheet heater HTR) including a pair of electrically insulating substrates (electrical insulators 31) and a conductive foil (conductive foil 32) disposed between the pair of electrically insulating substrates, wherein the thin film heater (sheet heater HTR) has:

a heater portion (heater portion 240B);

a mounting portion (thermistor mounting portion 240A) on which a temperature detection portion (thermistor th) for detecting the temperature of the heater portion is mounted;

The conductive foil has a first conductive track (first conductive track 241 ) provided in the heater portion and a second conductive track (second conductive track 242 ) provided in the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection portion.

According to (10), since the second conductive track provided on the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection portion is formed on the conductive foil of the thin film heater, it is not necessary to separately lead out a lead wire for setting the temperature detection portion. Thus, compared with the case where a separate lead wire is led out to set the temperature detection portion, the assembly of the power supply unit can be simplified.

(11) In the thin film heater described in (10),

A reinforcing plate (reinforcing plate 35 ) is provided on the mounting portion.

According to (11), since the reinforcing plate is provided on the mounting portion, the rigidity of the mounting portion can be ensured, and damage to the joint portion between the temperature detection portion and the second conductive track can be suppressed.

(12) In the thin film heater described in (10) or (11),

The thin film heater is formed integrally with a flexible wiring board (heater FPC 24) connected to the heater portion and the mounting portion.

The heater portion and the mounting portion are arranged on opposite sides with the flexible wiring board interposed therebetween.

According to (12), since the heater section and the mounting section are arranged on opposite sides with the flexible wiring board interposed therebetween, when the thin film heater is wound around the heating object, the mounting section can be arranged so that the outer periphery of the heater section overlaps. Thus, the temperature detection section mounted on the mounting section can detect the temperature of the heater section with high accuracy.

Description of Reference Numerals

Power Supply

HTR Sheet Heater (Thin Film Heater)

thThermistor (temperature detection unit)

6MCU (control unit)

10Aerosol Generating Device

100 Power Supply Unit

110 First Cartridge

120 Second cigarette cartridge (scent source storage part)

11DC/DC converter (power conversion unit)

20 Main substrate (circuit substrate)

24 Heater FPC (Flexible Circuit Board)

240A Thermistor mounting part (mounting part)

240B Heater Unit

241 First Conductive Track

242 Second Conductive Track

31 Electrical insulators

32 Conductive foil

35 reinforcement plate

61 heat transfer tubes.

Claims (12)

1. A power supply unit for an aerosol generating device, the power supply unit for the aerosol generating device comprising: power supply; A thin film heater comprising a pair of electrically insulating substrates and a conductive foil disposed between the pair of electrically insulating substrates; a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the thin film heater; in, The film heater includes a heater portion configured to heat at least one of the aerosol source and the flavor source and a mounting portion on which the temperature detection portion is mounted. A first conductive track provided at the heater portion and a second conductive track provided at the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection portion are formed on the conductive foil of the thin film heater. 2. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein: The temperature detection unit is disposed on the surface of the mounting unit. 3. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device further includes a cylindrical housing portion for housing at least one of the aerosol source and the flavor source. The heater portion is wound around the outer periphery of the cylindrical housing portion. The mounting portion is arranged to overlap with an outer periphery of the heater portion. 4. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein: The temperature detection portion is disposed such that a longitudinal direction thereof is along an axial direction of the cylindrical housing portion. 5. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein: A reinforcing plate is provided on the mounting portion, The reinforcing plate is arranged such that a longitudinal direction thereof is along the axial direction of the cylindrical housing portion. 6. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein: The cylindrical storage portion stores a fragrance source storage portion, and the fragrance source storage portion stores the fragrance source. The fragrance source storage portion is configured to allow the atomized aerosol to pass through. The temperature detection unit is disposed downstream of the center of the heater unit in the flow direction of the aerosol. 7. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The thin film heater is formed integrally with a flexible wiring board connected to the heater portion and the mounting portion. 8. The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device according to claim 7, wherein: The power supply unit of the aerosol generating device further comprises a circuit substrate. A power conversion unit for converting power supplied from the power source and a control unit for controlling the heater unit based on the temperature of the temperature detection unit are mounted on the circuit board. The first conductive track is connected to the power conversion unit through the flexible wiring board. The second conductive track is connected to the control unit through the flexible wiring board. 9. An aerosol generating device, wherein the aerosol generating device comprises: The power supply unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A first cigarette cartridge storing the aerosol source; A second cigarette cartridge storing the flavor source. 10. A thin film heater comprising a pair of electrically insulating substrates and a conductive foil disposed between the pair of electrically insulating substrates, wherein the thin film heater comprises: Heater section; a mounting portion, the mounting portion being equipped with a temperature detection portion for detecting a temperature of the heater portion; The conductive foil includes a first conductive track provided at the heater portion and a second conductive track provided at the mounting portion and connected to the temperature detection portion. 11. The thin film heater according to claim 10, wherein: The mounting portion is provided with a reinforcing plate. 12. The thin film heater according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: The thin film heater is formed integrally with a flexible wiring board connected to the heater portion and the mounting portion. The heater portion and the mounting portion are arranged on opposite sides with the flexible wiring board interposed therebetween.