JP7623422B2 - Control unit, aerosol generating device, method and program for controlling heater, and smoking article - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control unit, an aerosol generating device, a method and program for controlling a heater, and a smoking article.

As an alternative to conventional combustion cigarettes, non-combustion aerosol generating devices are known that inhale the aerosol generated by atomizing an aerosol-forming substrate (smoking article) with a heater (Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

Patent Document 1 discloses an aerosol generating device having a smoking article containing a solid aerosol-forming substrate and a blade-type heater that is inserted into the aerosol-forming substrate during use. The heater heats the aerosol-forming substrate from the inside.

Patent Document 2 discloses an aerosol generating device having a smoking article containing a solid aerosol-forming substrate and a cylindrical heater that is placed on the outer periphery of the aerosol-forming substrate during use. This heater heats the aerosol-forming substrate from the outer periphery.

The aerosol generating devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 differ from conventional combustion cigarettes in that their appearance does not change much in response to the user's inhalation action, making it difficult for the user to intuitively understand at what stage of the inhalation period they are in.

JP 2017-113016 A International Publication No. 2018/019786

The first feature is an aerosol generating device comprising a heater configured to heat the outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source, and a control unit configured to control the heater, the control unit being configured to control the heater so that the aerosol delivery profile during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maximum values between the start and end points of the inhalable period.

A second feature is the aerosol generating device according to the first feature, wherein the heater has a cylindrical shape surrounding an outer periphery of the columnar smoking article.
A third feature is the aerosol generation device according to the second feature, characterized in that it further includes a cylindrical insulating material disposed radially outside the heater.

The fourth feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the first to third features, in which the smoking article includes an aerosol-existing region including an aerosol source and an aerosol-free region located downstream of the aerosol-existing region in the flow direction of the generated aerosol, and the heating portion of the heater is disposed so as to extend from the aerosol-existing region of the smoking article to the aerosol-free region of the smoking article.

A fifth feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the first to fourth features, wherein the control unit is configured to control the temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first period, to control the temperature of the heater toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature during a second period after the first period, and to control the temperature of the heater toward a third target temperature lower than the second target temperature during a third period after the second period.

The sixth feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the first to fifth features, in which the amount of aerosol delivered at the end point is greater than the amount of aerosol delivered at the start point.

The seventh feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the first to sixth features, wherein the delivery profile includes an initial period in which the delivery profile increases with a gradually increasing gradient relative to the time axis, an end period in which the delivery profile decreases with a gradually decreasing gradient relative to the time axis, and a middle period including one or more maximum values between the initial period and the end period.

An eighth feature is the aerosol generating device according to the seventh feature, wherein a maximum value of the gradient at the end period is smaller than a maximum value of the gradient at the initial period.
A ninth feature is the aerosol generating device according to the seventh or eighth feature, wherein a minimum value of the gradient at the end period is smaller than a minimum value of the gradient at the initial period.

A tenth feature is the aerosol generating device according to any one of the seventh to ninth features, wherein the middle period is longer than each of the initial period and the final period.
An eleventh feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the seventh to tenth features, wherein the middle period is equal to or longer than the sum of the initial and final periods.

The twelfth feature is an aerosol generating device according to any one of the seventh to eleventh features, wherein the middle period includes a stable period during which the gradient is smaller than the minimum value of the gradient in the initial period and smaller than the minimum value of the gradient in the final period, and the stable period is longer than each of the initial period and the final period.

The thirteenth feature is a control unit including a controller for controlling a heater configured to heat the outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source, the controller being configured to control the temperature of the heater so that the aerosol delivery profile during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maximum values between the start and end points of the inhalable period.

The fourteenth feature is a method for controlling a heater that heats the outer periphery of a smoking article that includes an aerosol source, comprising the step of controlling the heater so that an aerosol delivery profile during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maxima between a start point and an end point of the inhalable period.

A fifteenth feature is summarized as a program for causing a computer to execute the method according to the fourteenth feature.
A sixteenth feature is characterized in that a smoking article including an aerosol source, when used with a device configured to heat the outer periphery of the smoking article to deliver an aerosol, is configured to have a delivery profile having one or more maxima between a starting point and an end point.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flavor inhaler according to one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flavor inhaler with a smoking article inserted therein. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the flavor inhaler shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the smoking article shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the flavor inhaler. FIG. 6 is a schematic enlarged view of region 5R in FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a simplified positional relationship between a substrate of a smoking article and a heater and an inner cylindrical member of an aerosol generating device. FIG. 8 shows the heating profile of the heater and the delivery profile of the main aerosol components. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a heating profile of the heater.

The following describes an embodiment. In the following drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals. However, it should be noted that the drawings are schematic, and the ratios of the dimensions may differ from the actual ones.

Therefore, specific dimensions should be determined with reference to the following explanation. Of course, there may be cases where the dimensional relationships and ratios differ between drawings.

[Disclosure Summary]
In a conventional combustion cigarette, a user can easily recognize whether the user is in the initial, middle, or final stage of the inhalable period by visually checking the burning position of the cigarette. However, in many aerosol generating devices, the majority of the smoking article is hidden inside the heater or other components, so the heating state of the smoking article cannot be visually checked.

The delivery profile of the main aerosol component described in Patent Document 1 increases at the beginning of heater operation and then remains constant until the heater is turned off. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to recognize whether they are in the beginning, middle, or end of the inhalable period based on the sensation of inhaling the aerosol.

In this embodiment, the heater configured to heat the outer periphery of the smoking article containing the aerosol source is controlled so that the aerosol delivery profile during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maximum values between the start and end points of the inhalable period.

That is, the aerosol delivery profile first increases, then has a maximum value, and then decreases. This allows the user to be aware of whether the inhalable period is at the beginning, middle, or end by the sensation of inhaling the aerosol.

(Flavor inhaler)
A flavor inhaler according to an embodiment will be described below. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a flavor inhaler according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the flavor inhaler into which a smoking article is inserted. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the flavor inhaler shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the smoking article shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the flavor inhaler.

The flavor inhaler 100 may be a non-combustion type flavor inhaler for generating an aerosol from a smoking article without combustion. The flavor inhaler 100 may be a portable device.
The flavor inhaler 100 has a smoking article 110 containing an aerosol source, and an aerosol generating device 120 that generates an aerosol from the smoking article 110.

The smoking article 110 is a replaceable cartridge that may contain an aerosol source and a flavor source, and has a columnar shape extending along the longitudinal direction. The smoking article 110 may be configured to generate an aerosol and flavor components by being heated while inserted into the aerosol generating device 120.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the smoking article 110 has a base material 11A including a filler 111 and a first cigarette paper 112 around which the filler 111 is wrapped, and a mouthpiece 11B forming an end opposite to the base material 11A. The base material 11A and the mouthpiece 11B are connected by a second cigarette paper 113 that is different from the first cigarette paper 112. However, the second cigarette paper 113 can be omitted, and the base material 11A and the mouthpiece 11B can be connected using the first cigarette paper 112.

The suction mouth section 11B in FIG. 4 has a paper tube section 114, a filter section 115, and a hollow segment section 116 arranged between the paper tube section 114 and the filter section 115. The hollow segment section 116 is composed of, for example, a packed bed having one or more hollow channels and a plug wrapper covering the packed bed. Since the packed bed has a high fiber packing density, air and aerosol flow only through the hollow channels during inhalation, and hardly any flow occurs within the packed bed. In the flavor-generating article 110, when it is desired to reduce the loss of aerosol components due to filtration in the filter section 115, shortening the length of the filter section 115 and replacing it with the hollow segment section 116 is effective in increasing the amount of aerosol delivered.

In FIG. 4, the suction mouth portion 11B is composed of three segments, but in this embodiment, the suction mouth portion 11B may be composed of one or two segments, or may be composed of four or more segments. For example, the hollow segment portion 116 may be omitted, and the paper tube portion 114 and the filter portion 115 may be arranged adjacent to each other to form the suction mouth portion 11B.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the length of the smoking article 110 in the longitudinal direction is preferably 40 to 90 mm, more preferably 50 to 75 mm, and even more preferably 50 to 60 mm. The circumference of the smoking article 110 is preferably 15 to 25 mm, more preferably 17 to 24 mm, and even more preferably 20 to 23 mm. In addition, in the longitudinal direction of the smoking article 110, the length of the base material portion 11A may be 20 mm, the length of the first cigarette paper 112 may be 20 mm, the length of the hollow segment portion 116 may be 8 mm, and the length of the filter portion 115 may be 7 mm, but the lengths of these individual segments can be changed as appropriate depending on manufacturing suitability, required quality, etc.

In this embodiment, the filling 111 of the smoking article 110 may contain an aerosol source that generates an aerosol when heated at a predetermined temperature. The type of aerosol source is not particularly limited, and various extracts from natural products and/or their constituents may be selected depending on the application. Examples of aerosol sources include glycerin, propylene glycol, triacetin, 1,3-butanediol, and mixtures thereof. The content of the aerosol source in the filling 111 is not particularly limited, and is usually 5% by weight or more, preferably 10% by weight or more, and usually 50% by weight or less, preferably 20% by weight or less, from the viewpoint of generating sufficient aerosol and imparting a good smoking flavor.

The filler 111 of the smoking article 110 in this embodiment may contain tobacco shreds as a flavor source. The material of the tobacco shreds is not particularly limited, and known materials such as lamina and backbone can be used. The content range of the filler 111 in the smoking article 110 is, for example, 200 to 400 mg, and preferably 250 to 320 mg, in the case of a circumference of 22 mm and a length of 20 mm. The moisture content of the filler 111 is, for example, 8 to 18 wt %, and preferably 10 to 16 wt %. Such a moisture content suppresses the occurrence of rolling stains and improves the suitability for rolling during the manufacture of the base material portion 11A. There are no particular limitations on the size of the tobacco shreds used as the filler 111 and the preparation method thereof. For example, dried tobacco leaves shredded to a width of 0.8 to 1.2 mm may be used. Alternatively, dried tobacco leaves may be crushed to a uniform average particle size of about 20 to 200 μm, processed into a sheet, and then chopped into pieces having a width of 0.8 to 1.2 mm. Furthermore, the above-mentioned sheet may be gathered without being chopped and used as the filler 111. The filler 111 may contain one or more flavorings. The type of flavoring is not particularly limited, but menthol is preferred from the viewpoint of imparting a good smoking taste.

In this embodiment, the first and second cigarette papers 112, 113 of the smoking article 110 can be made from base paper having a basis weight of, for example, 20 to 65 gsm, preferably 25 to 45 gsm. The thickness of the cigarette papers 112, 113 is not particularly limited, but is 10 to 100 μm, preferably 20 to 75 μm, and more preferably 30 to 50 μm, from the viewpoints of rigidity, breathability, and ease of adjustment during papermaking.

In this embodiment, the cigarette papers 112, 113 of the smoking article 110 may contain a filler. The content of the filler may be 10% by weight or more and less than 60% by weight, and is preferably 15 to 45% by weight, based on the total weight of the cigarette papers 112, 113. In this embodiment, the content of the filler is preferably 15 to 45% by weight for the preferred basis weight range (25 to 45 gsm). Examples of the filler that can be used include calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, kaolin, and the like. Paper containing such a filler exhibits a bright white color that is preferable from the viewpoint of appearance when used as cigarette paper for the smoking article 110, and can permanently maintain its whiteness. By containing a large amount of such a filler, for example, the ISO whiteness of the cigarette paper can be 83% or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of practical use when used as cigarette paper for the smoking article 110, it is preferable that the first and second cigarette papers 112, 113 have a tensile strength of 8 N/15 mm or more. This tensile strength can be increased by reducing the content of the filler. Specifically, this tensile strength can be increased by reducing the filler content below the upper limit of the filler content shown for each basis weight range exemplified above.

Referring to FIG. 3, the aerosol generating device 120 has an insertion hole 130 into which the smoking article 110 can be inserted. That is, the aerosol generating device 120 has an inner tubular member 132 that constitutes the insertion hole 130. The inner tubular member 132 may be made of a heat conductive material such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS).

The aerosol generating device 120 may also have a lid 140 that closes the insertion hole 130. The lid 140 may be configured to be slidable between a state in which the insertion hole 130 is closed (see FIG. 1) and a state in which the insertion hole 130 is exposed (see FIG. 2).

The aerosol generating device 120 may have an air flow path 160 that communicates with the insertion hole 130. One end of the air flow path 160 is connected to the insertion hole 130, and the other end of the air flow path 160 communicates with the outside of the aerosol generating device 120 (external air) at a location separate from the insertion hole 130.

The aerosol generating device 120 may have a lid 170 that covers the end of the air flow path 160 that communicates with the outside air. The lid 170 may cover the end of the air flow path 160 that communicates with the outside air, or may leave the air flow path 160 exposed.

Even in a state where the lid portion 170 covers the air flow path 160, the lid portion 170 does not airtightly close the air flow path 160. In other words, even in a state where the lid portion 170 covers the air flow path 160, the outside air can flow into the air flow path 160 through the vicinity of the lid portion 170.

With the smoking article 110 inserted into the flavor inhaler 100, the user holds one end of the smoking article 110, specifically the mouthpiece portion 11B in FIG. 4, in their mouth and performs an inhalation action. When the user inhales, outside air flows into the air flow path 160. The air that flows into the air flow path 160 passes through the smoking article 110 in the insertion hole 130 and is guided into the user's mouth.

When the lid 140 does not cover the insertion hole 130 and the smoking article 110 is not inserted, i.e., when the internal space of the inner tubular member 132 and the air flow path 160 are exposed, the user can use a cleaning tool such as a brush to clean the inside of the air flow path 160 of the inner tubular member 132. This cleaning tool may be inserted into the air flow path 160 from the upper lid 140 side in FIG. 3, or may be inserted into the air flow path 160 from the lower lid 170 side.

The aerosol generating device 120 may have a temperature sensor in the air flow path 160 or on the outer surface of the wall that constitutes the air flow path 160. The temperature sensor may be, for example, a thermistor or a thermocouple. When a user inhales through the mouthpiece portion 11B of the smoking article 110, the air flowing through the air flow path 160 toward the lid portion 170 or the heater 30 decreases the internal temperature of the air flow path 160 or the temperature of the wall that constitutes the air flow path 160. The temperature sensor can detect the user's inhalation action by measuring this decrease in temperature.

The aerosol generating device 120 has a battery 10, a control unit 20, and a heater 30. The battery 10 stores power used by the aerosol generating device 120. The battery 10 may be a rechargeable secondary battery. The battery 10 may be, for example, a lithium ion battery.

The heater 30 may be provided around the inner tubular member 132. The space housing the heater 30 and the space housing the battery 10 may be separated from each other by a partition wall 180. This makes it possible to prevent air heated by the heater 30 from flowing into the space housing the battery 10. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the battery 10 from rising.

The heater 30 is preferably cylindrical and capable of heating the outer periphery of the columnar smoking article 110. The heater 30 may be, for example, a film heater. The film heater may have a pair of film-shaped substrates and a resistance heating element sandwiched between the pair of substrates. The film-shaped substrate is preferably made of a material having excellent heat resistance and electrical insulation properties, and is typically made of polyimide. The resistance heating element is preferably made of one or more metal materials such as copper, nickel alloy, chromium alloy, stainless steel, platinum-rhodium, etc., and may be formed, for example, by a stainless steel base material. Furthermore, the connection portion and its lead portion of the resistance heating element may be copper-plated in order to connect to a power source via a flexible printed circuit (FPC).

Figure 6 is a schematic enlarged view of region 5R in Figure 3, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the heater 30 and its surroundings. In the example shown in Figure 6, the heater 30 is the film heater described above, and is wound around the outer periphery of the inner tubular member 132 capable of receiving the smoking article 110. In other words, the heater 30 is wound in a cylindrical shape surrounding the inner tubular member 132. In this way, the heater 30 surrounds the outer periphery of the smoking article, and can heat the smoking article 110 from the outside.

Preferably, the heat shrink tube 136 may be provided outside the heater 30. In other words, the heater 30 is preferably provided inside the heat shrink tube 136. The heat shrink tube 136 is a tube 136 that shrinks in the radial direction by heat, and may be made of, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer. The heater 30 is pressed against the internal cylindrical member 132 by the shrinking action of the heat shrink tube 136. This increases the adhesion between the heater 30 and the internal cylindrical member 132, thereby increasing the thermal conductivity from the heater 30 to the smoking article 110 via the internal cylindrical member 132.

The aerosol generating device 120 may have a cylindrical insulating material 138 on the radially outer side of the heater 30, preferably on the outer side of the heat shrink tube 136. The insulating material 138 preferably surrounds the outer periphery of the heater 30. The insulating material 138 can prevent the outer surface of the housing of the aerosol generating device 120 from reaching an excessively high temperature by blocking the heat of the heater 30. The insulating material 138 can be made of aerogels such as silica aerogel, carbon aerogel, and alumina aerogel. The aerogel as the insulating material 138 may typically be silica aerogel, which has high insulating performance and relatively low manufacturing costs. However, the insulating material 138 may be a fiber-based insulating material such as glass wool or rock wool, or a foam-based insulating material such as urethane foam or phenol foam. Alternatively, the insulating material 138 may be a vacuum insulating material.

The insulating material 138 may be provided between the inner tubular member 132 facing the smoking article 110 and the outer tubular member 134 outside the insulating material 138. The outer tubular member 134 may be made of a heat-conducting material such as aluminum or stainless steel (SUS). The insulating material 138 is preferably provided in a sealed space.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing a simplified axial positional relationship between the substrate 11A of the smoking article 110 and the heater 30 and inner tubular member 132 of the aerosol generating device 120 in the flavor inhaler 100 of this embodiment. The axis here means the central axis of the insertion hole 130 in the aerosol generating device 120, and when the smoking article 110 is inserted into the insertion hole 130, the axis partially overlaps with the central axis of the smoking article 110 (see also Figure 3).

The axial length D0 of the heater 30 can be made smaller than the axial length L0 of the substrate 11A of the smoking article 110 (D0<L0). Furthermore, the ratio of length D0 to length L0 (D0/L0) may be 0.70 to 0.90, preferably 0.75 to 0.85, and typically 0.80. Thus, when the length L0 of the substrate 11A is 20 mm, the length D0 of the heater 30 may be 14 to 18 mm, preferably 15 to 17 mm, and typically 16 mm.

The upstream end of the substrate 11A may protrude upstream from the upstream end of the heater 30 by a length D1. The upstream and downstream here correspond to the upstream and downstream of the air flow passing through the air flow path 160 due to the user's inhalation (see also FIG. 3). The protruding portion of the substrate 11A from the heater 30 does not have the heater 30 on its radially outer side, so its internal temperature may be somewhat lower than other portions of the substrate 11A. This can suppress aerosol generation at and near the upstream end of the substrate 11A, thereby preventing aerosol generated there from condensing in the air flow path 160 or flowing back through the air flow path 160. Aerosol generated in other portions of the substrate 11A may condense at and near the upstream end of the substrate 11A.

The ratio (D1/L0) of the protruding length D1 to the overall length L0 of the base material portion 11A may be 0.25 to 0.40, preferably 0.30 to 0.35, and typically 0.325. Thus, when the overall length L0 of the base material portion 11A is 20 mm, the protruding length D1 may be 5 to 8 mm, preferably 6 to 7 mm, and typically 6.5 mm.

The downstream end of the heater 30 may protrude downstream from the downstream end of the substrate 11A by a length D2. This allows the downstream end of the substrate 11A and its vicinity to be sufficiently heated, preventing a lack of aerosol generation or aerosol condensation there. The ratio (D2/L0) of the protruding length D2 of the heater 30 to the length L0 of the substrate 11A may be 0.075 to 0.175, preferably 0.1 to 0.15, and typically 0.125. Thus, when the length L0 of the substrate 11A is 20 mm, the protruding length D2 of the heater 30 may be 1.5 to 3.5 mm, preferably 2 to 3 mm, and typically 2.5 mm.

The axial positions of the upstream end of the inner tubular member 132 and the upstream end of the substrate 11A may be roughly the same. On the other hand, the downstream end of the inner tubular member 132 may protrude downstream from the downstream end of the substrate 11A by a length D3, similar to the downstream end of the heater 30. This allows the upstream end of the paper tube 114 and its vicinity to be heated in addition to the downstream end of the substrate 11A and its vicinity, so that the aerosol generated from the substrate 11A can be prevented from being excessively cooled and condensed at the upstream end of the paper tube 114 and its vicinity. The ratio (D3/D2) of the protruding length D3 of the inner tubular member 132 to the protruding length D2 of the heater 30 may be 2.6 to 3.4, preferably 2.8 to 3.2, and more preferably 3.0. Therefore, if the protruding length D2 of the heater 30 is 2.5 mm, the protruding length D3 of the inner tubular member 132 may be 6.5 to 8.5 mm, preferably 7.0 to 8.0 mm, and typically 7.5 mm.

Referring to FIG. 5, the control unit 20 may include a control board, a CPU, a memory, and the like. The CPU and memory constitute a control unit 22 that controls a heater 30 that heats the aerosol source. The control unit 20 also has a notification unit 40 for notifying the user of various information. The notification unit 40 may be, for example, a light-emitting element such as an LED, a vibration element, or a combination of these.

When the control unit 22 detects a start-up request from the user, it starts supplying power from the battery 10 to the heater 30. The user's start-up request is made, for example, by the user operating a push button or a slide switch, or by the user's inhalation action. In this embodiment, the user's start-up request is made by pressing the push button 150. More specifically, the user's start-up request is made by pressing the push button 150 with the lid unit 140 open. Alternatively, the user's start-up request may be made by detecting the user's inhalation action. The user's inhalation action can be detected, for example, by a temperature sensor as described above.

Next, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component in the aerosol generating device will be described with reference to FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the heating profile is a graph showing the change over time in the target temperature for controlling the heater 30. Also, the delivery profile is a graph showing the change over time in the amount of the main aerosol component per inhalation delivered into the user's oral cavity when the user inhales on the smoking article 110. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the heating profile of the heater 30 and the delivery profile of the main aerosol component. The vertical axis of FIG. 8 indicates the heater temperature or the delivery amount of the main aerosol component. The horizontal axis of FIG. 8 indicates time.

Here, the "major aerosol components" refer to visible aerosol components that are generated when various aerosol sources contained in a smoking article are heated to a predetermined temperature or higher. The aerosol sources contained in a smoking article are typically propylene glycol and glycerin. In addition, when a smoking article contains a flavor source such as tobacco, the aerosol components derived from the flavor source are also included as major aerosol components. On the other hand, in this specification, aerosol components derived from moisture contained in a smoking article are not considered to be major aerosol components.

The delivery profile of the main aerosol components can be measured by the following method. First, an aerosol generating device for measuring the delivery profile of the main aerosol components is prepared. Next, with a smoking article inserted into the aerosol generating device, an automatic smoking machine (e.g., manufactured by Borgwaldt KC Inc.) is used to inhale from the mouthpiece of the smoking article. At this time, the heater 30 is heated by a control method specified for the prepared aerosol generating device. The inhalation conditions are those conforming to the HCI conditions (HCI; Health Canada Intense) set by Health Canada. Specifically, the inhalation conditions are an inhalation volume of 27.5 ml/sec, an inhalation time of 2 seconds/inhalation, and an inhalation interval of 20 seconds.

The aerosol inhaled by the automatic smoking device under the above-mentioned inhalation conditions is collected by a Cambridge filter (e.g., CM-133, manufactured by Borgwaldt KC Inc.). Specifically, the smoke that passed through the Cambridge filter was collected in 10 mL of methanol cooled to -70°C with dry ice-isopropanol refrigerant. 10 mL of the methanol solution in which the cigarette smoke was collected and 1 mL of the internal standard solution (d-32 pentadecane 0.05 mg/mL, d-1-ethanol 50 mL/L, anethole 2 mL/L, 1,3-butanediol 4 mL/L) were added to the Cambridge filter and shaken for 30 minutes to extract the content components.

Extraction of the content components is performed for each puff. This determines the amount of the main aerosol component delivered from the aerosol generating device to the automatic smoker for each puff. By plotting the amount of the main aerosol component delivered for each time each puff is taken, a delivery profile of the main aerosol component over time is derived discretely. Note that in Figure 8, the discretely derived delivery profile is depicted continuously by an approximation curve.

In this embodiment, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component has an initial period Q1, a middle period Q2, and an end period Q3. The initial period Q1 is a period in which the gradient of the main aerosol component with respect to time gradually increases. In other words, the initial period Q1 can be said to be a period in which the increase in the amount of the main aerosol component delivered per inhalation gradually increases.

Here, the gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is the absolute value of the slope of each point on the curve forming the delivery profile. The gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component can be defined, for example, by the following method. As described above, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component on the time axis is derived discretely. In this case, the gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component can be defined by the value obtained by dividing the difference in the delivery profile of the main aerosol component for plots adjacent to each other on the time axis by the time difference between the plots.

Alternatively, the gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may be derived, for example, using an approximation curve derived based on a discrete plot. In this case, once the analytical equation of the approximation curve is determined, the gradient of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component can be determined by calculating the derivative of the analytical equation. Such an approximation curve may be derived, for example, using a polynomial or a trigonometric function.

In this embodiment, the start point S0 of the delivery profile is determined by the start point of the aerosol inhalable period (inhalable period) (see FIG. 9). Specifically, the start point S0 of the delivery profile is determined by notification of the start of the inhalable period (timing T2 in FIG. 9), which will be described later.

Also, the boundary S1 between the initial Q1 and the middle Q2 may be defined by the point where the gradient of the main aerosol component in the initial Q1 is maximum. In other words, the boundary S1 between the initial Q1 and the middle Q2 may be defined as the point where the gradient of the main aerosol component first starts to decrease throughout the entire delivery profile. When the delivery profile is approximated by a continuous approximation curve, the boundary S1 between the initial Q1 and the middle Q2 may be defined by an inflection point.

The end phase Q3 is a period in which the gradient of the main aerosol component with respect to time gradually decreases. In other words, the end phase Q3 can be said to be a period in which the decrease in the amount of the main aerosol component delivered per inhalation gradually becomes smaller.

In this embodiment, the end point S3 of the delivery profile is defined by the end point of the aerosol inhalable period (inhalable period) (see FIG. 9). Specifically, the end point S3 of the delivery profile can be defined by the timing at which the end of the inhalable period is notified (timing T7 in FIG. 9).

The boundary S2 between the middle period Q2 and the end period Q3 may be defined by the point where the gradient of the main aerosol component in the end period Q3 is maximum. In other words, the boundary S2 between the middle period Q2 and the end period Q3 may be defined by the point where the gradient of the main aerosol component finally starts to decrease throughout the entire delivery profile. When the delivery profile is approximated by a continuous approximation curve, the boundary S2 between the middle period Q2 and the end period Q3 may be defined by an inflection point.

The middle period Q2 is the period between the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3. The middle period Q2 contains one or more maxima that are greater than the beginning and end of the delivery profile. In the delivery profile shown in FIG. 8, the middle period Q2 contains one maxima (maximum value).

According to the aerosol delivery profile described above, the amount of aerosol delivered increases from the initial period Q1 to the middle period Q2, has a maximum value in the middle period Q2, and decreases from the middle period Q2 to the end period Q3. This allows the user to be aware of which of the inhalable periods (initial period Q1, middle period Q2, or end period Q3) they are in by the sensation of inhaling the aerosol.

Furthermore, in the early stage Q1, the gradient of the main aerosol component with respect to time gradually increases, and the delivery profile has a convex shape. On the other hand, in the middle stage Q2, the delivery profile has an upward convex shape. Therefore, the amount of aerosol delivered may change relatively greatly when transitioning from early stage Q1 to middle stage Q2. Also, in the final stage Q3, the gradient of the main aerosol component with respect to time gradually decreases, and the delivery profile has a downward convex shape. Therefore, the amount of aerosol delivered may change relatively greatly when transitioning from middle stage Q2 to final stage Q3. This allows the user to more easily recognize the transition from early stage Q1 to middle stage Q2, and the transition from middle stage Q2 to final stage Q3, by the sensation of inhaling the aerosol.

Preferably, the middle period Q2 is longer than the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3. More preferably, the middle period Q2 is equal to or longer than the sum of the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3. For example, the middle period Q2 may be 50-60% of the total period, and the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3 may be 20-25% of the total period. This allows the period during which the main aerosol component is delivered in large amounts to be relatively long, allowing the user to inhale the main aerosol component for a relatively long period of time.

The amount of the main aerosol component delivered at the end point S3 of the end period Q3 is preferably greater than the amount of the main aerosol component delivered at the start point S0. In this case, the amount of aerosol delivered can be prevented from decreasing excessively at the end period Q3. This makes it possible to prevent the amount of the main aerosol component delivered from decreasing to a low level during the inhalable period, and in particular to maintain a high level of delivery until the end of the end period Q3.

The maximum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is preferably smaller than the maximum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the initial stage Q1. In this case, the rate of increase of the main aerosol component in the initial stage Q1 is relatively large, so that a high level of aerosol delivery amount can be achieved at a relatively early stage of the inhalable period. On the other hand, the gradient of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is small, so that the rate of decrease of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is relatively small. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a sudden decrease in the aerosol delivery amount in the final stage Q3. This makes it possible to maintain a high level of aerosol delivery amount for a relatively long period of time.

The minimum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is preferably smaller than the minimum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the initial stage Q1. Because the minimum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the final stage Q3 is small, the speed at which the main aerosol component decreases in the final stage Q3 is relatively slow. Therefore, the amount of aerosol delivered can be prevented from decreasing rapidly in the final stage Q3.

The middle period Q2 may include a stable period SP during which the absolute value of the gradient of the main aerosol component is smaller than the minimum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the initial period Q1 and smaller than the minimum value of the gradient of the main aerosol component in the final period Q3. In other words, the stable period SP is a period during which the variation in the amount of the main aerosol component delivered per inhalation is relatively small.

The stable period SP is preferably longer than the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3. In the stable period SP, the amount of the main aerosol component delivered is large, and the fluctuation in the delivered amount is small. Therefore, if the stable period SP is longer than the initial period Q1 and the final period Q3, the main aerosol component can be stably supplied for a relatively long period in the middle period Q2. Furthermore, the stable period SP is preferably 50-60% of the middle period Q2. This allows the main aerosol component to be stably supplied for a relatively long period in the middle period Q2.

It should be noted that the delivery profile described above, and its advantages, have been discovered by the present inventors as a result of extensive research.
The control unit 22 of the aerosol generating device 120 may be configured to control the heater 30 so as to realize the delivery profile of the main aerosol component described above. Here, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may mainly depend on the heating profile of the heater 30.

Figure 9 shows an example of a heating profile for the heater. It should be noted that the heating profile shown in Figure 9 is an example suitable for achieving the delivery profile of the main aerosol components described above, and is not necessarily limited thereto.

As described above, the heating profile is a graph showing the time change of the target temperature for controlling the heater 30. The temperature control of the heater 30 can be achieved, for example, by known feedback control. Specifically, the control unit 22 of the aerosol generating device 120 can supply power from the battery 22 to the heater 30 in the form of pulses by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In this case, the control unit 22 can control the temperature of the heater 30 by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulse.

In the feedback control, the control unit 22 measures or estimates the temperature of the heater 30, and controls the power supplied to the heater 30, for example, the above-mentioned duty ratio, based on the difference between the measured or estimated temperature of the heater 30 and the target temperature, etc. The feedback control may be, for example, PID control. The temperature of the heater 30 can be quantified, for example, by measuring or estimating the electric resistance value of the heating resistor constituting the heater 30. This is because the electric resistance value of the heating resistor changes depending on the temperature. The electric resistance value of the heating resistor can be estimated, for example, by measuring the amount of voltage drop in the heating resistor. The amount of voltage drop in the heating resistor can be measured by a voltage sensor that measures the potential difference applied to the heating resistor. In another example, the temperature of the heater 30 can be measured by a temperature sensor installed near the heater 30.

As described above, in this embodiment, the power supplied to the heater 30 is controlled so that the actual temperature of the heater 30 approaches the target temperature of the heating profile. However, the heating profile may include points where the target temperature changes suddenly, and in such points the actual temperature of the heater 30 may temporarily deviate significantly from the target temperature. In the heating profile illustrated in FIG. 9, the points where the actual temperature of the heater 30 deviates significantly from the target temperature are indicated by dashed lines.

In the heating profile shown in FIG. 9, when power supply from the battery 10 to the heater 30 is started in response to a start-up request from the user, the control unit 22 first controls the temperature of the heater 30 toward the first target temperature TA1 during the first period P1. That is, the control unit 22 heats the heater 30 from the initial temperature toward the first target temperature TA1. In the first period P1, when the heater 30 reaches the first target temperature TA1, the control unit 22 controls the temperature of the heater 30 to maintain the first target temperature TA1.

The first target temperature TA1 is preferably 225 to 240°C, and may typically be 230°C.
In the first period P1, the first target temperature TA1 is set relatively high, thereby increasing the rate at which the temperature of the heater 30 rises. By increasing the rate at which the temperature of the heater 30 rises, the period from when the supply of power to the heater 30 starts until when the aerosol can be inhaled can be shortened.

The control unit 22 may be configured to notify the user that the inhalation period has started during the first period P1 while the temperature of the heater 30 is maintained at the first target temperature TA1. The notification that the inhalation period has started can be performed by controlling the notification unit 40, for example, by changing the light emission color of a light-emitting element such as an LED, changing the light emission pattern, driving a vibration element, or a combination of these.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, the notification that the inhalation period has started is made at timing T2. More specifically, the notification that the inhalation period has started may be made at timing T2 when a predetermined period P1b has elapsed since the temperature of the heater 30 reaches the first target temperature, or when a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of power supply to the heater 30, whichever is earlier. The predetermined period P1b is preferably 20 to 26 seconds, and may typically be 23 seconds.

Preferably, the control unit 22 may be configured to notify that the suction-enabled period has started in the latter half of the first period P1. The latter half of the first period P1 means the period after the middle of the first period P1.

The control unit 22 transitions to the second period P2, which will be described later, at timing T3, when a predetermined period P1c has elapsed since timing T2, when it notified that the inhalation period had begun. The predetermined period P1c is preferably 5 to 15 seconds, and may typically be 10 seconds. This increases the likelihood that the user will perform the first inhalation operation during the first period P1. In this case, the user can be made to perform the first inhalation operation while the heater temperature is maintained near the first target temperature TA1, which is the maximum temperature in the heating profile.

The first period P1 varies depending on the heating state of the heater 30 and the smoking article 110, the ambient temperature, etc., but may typically be in the range of 35 to 55 seconds. However, it is preferable that the control unit 22 is configured to be able to change the length of the first period P1 based on the rate of temperature rise of the heater 30 during the first period P1. More specifically, the initial temperature rise period P1a of the first period P1 may be configured to be able to change based on the rate of temperature rise of the heater 30. Specifically, it is preferable that the control unit 22 is configured to change the length of the first period P1 to be shorter the shorter the period from when the heater 30 starts to heat up until it reaches the predetermined temperature.

In this embodiment, the first period P1 ends when a predetermined period (P1b+P1c) has elapsed since the temperature of the heater 30 reaches the first target temperature TA1. In other words, if the temperature of the heater 30 rises quickly, the period P1a from the time T0 when power supply to the heater 30 begins to the time when the temperature of the heater 30 reaches the first target temperature TA1 becomes shorter. The predetermined period (P1b+P1c) is preferably 25 to 41 seconds, and may typically be 33 seconds.

In this way, when the temperature of the heater 30 rises quickly, the power consumption used in the pre-heating period can be reduced by shortening the pre-heating period.
The variable range of the first period P1, more specifically, the variable range of the period (P1a+P1b) until the start of the inhalation period is notified, preferably has a predetermined upper limit. For example, the upper limit of the period (P1a+P1b) from the start of power supply T0 to the start of the inhalation period is preferably 40 to 60 seconds, typically 50 seconds. This makes it possible to prevent the control unit 22 from continuing preheating without transitioning to the second period P2 when the temperature of the heater 30 does not reach the first target temperature TA1.

Next, the control unit 22 controls the temperature of the heater 30 toward a second target temperature TA2 that is lower than the first target temperature TA1 during a second period P2 after the first period P1. That is, the control unit 22 controls the heater 30 to lower the temperature of the heater 30 from the first target temperature TA1 and maintain it at the second target temperature TA2.

The second target temperature TA2 is preferably in the range of 190 to 210°C, and may typically be 200°C. The second period P2 is preferably in the range of 105 to 160 seconds, and may typically be 130 seconds. The second period P2 is preferably longer than the first period P1 and the third period P3 described below. The second period is a period during which the temperature is maintained higher than the third period P3, and therefore is a period during which aerosol can be supplied stably. This allows the period during which aerosol can be supplied stably to be relatively longer.

By lowering the target temperature in the second period P2, it is possible to reduce the power consumed in the second period P2.
The control unit 22 may have a first off period in which the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped from the end of the first period P1 to the beginning of the second period P2. By providing the first off period, the temperature can be reduced from the first target temperature TA1 to the second target temperature TA2 in the shortest time. The control unit 22 can continue to measure the temperature of the heater 30 even during the first off period. In this case, the control unit 22 can be configured to resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the temperature of the heater 30 has decreased to near the second target temperature TA2.

The first off period is preferably a time interval that prevents a typical user from performing two or more inhalation actions. If a user performs two or more inhalation actions during the off period, the temperature of the heater 30 may drop rapidly and fall significantly below the second target temperature TA2. In this case, the amount of aerosol generated from the smoking article 110 may decrease. Assuming that the time interval between normal inhalation actions by a typical user is about 20 seconds, the first off period is preferably in the range of, for example, 15 to 20 seconds. The first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 can be set so that the temperature drop from the first target temperature TA1 to the second target temperature TA2 due to natural cooling during the first off period occurs within the above-mentioned time range. Alternatively, the control unit 22 can be configured to measure the time lapse of the first off period and forcibly resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the first off period reaches a predetermined upper limit value. In this case, the upper limit value of the first off period is preferably 15 to 20 seconds.

Next, the control unit 22 controls the temperature of the heater 30 during the third period P3 after the second period P2 toward a third target temperature TA3 that is lower than the second target temperature TA2. That is, the control unit 22 controls the heater 30 to further lower the temperature of the heater 30 from the second target temperature TA1 and maintain it at the third target temperature TA3. The third target temperature TA3 is preferably in the range of 175 to 190°C, and may typically be 185°C. The third period P3 is preferably in the range of 30 to 90 seconds, and may typically be 60 seconds. By further lowering the target temperature in the third period P3, the power consumed in the third period P3 can be further reduced.

It is preferable that the temperature difference between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 (ΔT12) is greater than the temperature difference between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3 (ΔT23). Since the power consumption of the heater 30 is greater in the second period P2 than in the third period P3, it is more effective to make the temperature difference (ΔT12) greater during the transition from the first period P1 to the second period P2 than the temperature difference (ΔT23) during the transition from the second period P2 to the third period P3, which leads to a reduction in power consumption throughout the entire period. Therefore, it is preferable that ΔT12/ΔT23 is greater than 1. On the other hand, if ΔT12 is made excessively large relative to ΔT23, the target temperature TA2 of the second period P2 intended for stable supply of aerosol becomes relatively low, and the aerosol generation in the second period P2 may become unstable. Therefore, it is preferable that ΔT12/ΔT23 has a predetermined upper limit value. The upper limit of ΔT12/ΔT23 may be, for example, 2.5. ΔT12/ΔT23 is preferably 1.0 to 2.5, and typically may be 2.0.

The control unit 22 may have a second off period in which the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped from the end of the second period P2 to the beginning of the third period P3. By providing the second off period, the temperature drop from the second target temperature TA2 to the third target temperature TA3 can be achieved in the shortest time. The control unit 22 can continue to measure the temperature of the heater 30 during the second off period. In this case, the control unit 22 can be configured to resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the temperature of the heater 30 drops to near the third target temperature TA3. The second off period, like the first off period, is preferably a time interval that does not cause a typical user to perform two or more suction operations, and is preferably in the range of, for example, 15 to 20 seconds. The second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3 can be set so that the temperature drop from the second target temperature TA2 to the third target temperature TA3 due to natural cooling during the second off period is performed within the above-mentioned time range. Alternatively, the control unit 22 can be configured to measure the time elapsed during the second off period and forcibly resume power supply to the heater 30 when the second off period reaches a predetermined upper limit value.

As described above, it is preferable from the viewpoint of reducing power consumption that the temperature difference (ΔT12) between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 is larger than the temperature difference (ΔT23) between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3, but this relationship is also preferable from the viewpoint of making the first off period and the second off period as close as possible to each other. According to Newton's law of cooling, the temperature drop rate during natural cooling is faster in the high temperature zone than in the low temperature zone, so in order to make the first off period and the second off period as close as possible to each other, it is necessary to relatively increase the temperature difference (ΔT12) between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2, which belong to the high temperature zone. If the temperature difference (ΔT12) between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 were made equal to the temperature difference (ΔT23) between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3, or the former temperature difference (ΔT12) was made smaller than the latter temperature difference (ΔT23), the first off period would always be shorter than the second off period, so it would theoretically be impossible to make the two off periods the same.

In addition, it is preferable that the ratio of the difference between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 to the difference between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3 is less than 2.5. This is to ensure that aerosol can be generated stably in the middle of the puffable period by not making the difference between the first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 too large.

From the viewpoint of reducing power consumption, it may be preferable to control the heater 30 at the third target temperature TA3 without passing from the first target temperature TA1 to the second target temperature TA2. However, in that case, the period (second off period) from the first target temperature TA1 to the third target temperature TA3 becomes relatively long. Since the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped during the period from the first target temperature TA1 to the third target temperature TA3, if the user performs multiple inhalation operations during this period, the temperature of the heater 30 may fall significantly below the third temperature. By passing through the second target temperature TA2 between the first target temperature TA1 and the third target temperature TA2 before transitioning from the first target temperature TA1 to the third target temperature TA3, the period required for transition from one target temperature to another target temperature can be shortened. This makes the continuous off period during which power supply to the heater 30 is stopped relatively short, preventing the temperature of the smoking article from dropping excessively due to multiple puffs, which can result in unstable aerosol generation.

The control unit 22 stops the power supply to the heater 30 at the same time as the end of the third period P3. Next, the control unit 22 notifies the end of the inhalable period at timing T7, a predetermined period after the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped (timing T6). In other words, even after the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped, the user is prompted to inhale the aerosol until the predetermined period has elapsed, and the user can enjoy the aerosol due to the residual heat of the heater 30 and the smoking article 110. The notification of the end of the inhalable period can be performed by the notification unit 40, for example, by changing the light-emitting color of a light-emitting element such as an LED, changing the light-emitting pattern, driving a vibration element, or a combination of these.

After the heater 30 has passed through the first period P1, the second period P2, and the third period P3 of the heating profile, the heat of the heater 30 has been sufficiently transferred to the inside of the smoking article 110. Therefore, during the period from the end of the third period P3 to the end of the inhalable period, i.e., the fourth period P4 in FIG. 8, a certain amount of aerosol can be generated using only the residual heat of the heater 30 and the smoking article 110. However, since the aerosol generation is likely to become unstable during the fourth period P4, as in the first off period and the second off period, it is preferable that the fourth period P4 is a time interval in which the user does not perform two or more inhalation actions. Therefore, the fourth period P4 is preferably 5 to 15 seconds, and may typically be 10 seconds.

The control unit 22 can also notify the user that the end of the inhalation period is approaching at timing T5, which is a predetermined period Pe earlier than timing T7 at which the end of the inhalation period is notified. Such notification can be made, for example, 20 to 40 seconds before the end of the inhalation period. Such notification can be made by the notification unit 40, and can be made, for example, by changing the light emission color of a light-emitting element such as an LED, changing the light emission pattern, driving a vibration element, or a combination of these.

In the above-mentioned aspect, the control unit 22 stops the supply of power to the heater 30 at the end of the third period P3. In addition, the control unit 22 may stop the supply of power to the heater 30 even during the second period P2 or the third period P3 if the number of inhalation actions by the user exceeds a predetermined number. The puffing action by the user can be detected, for example, by the temperature sensor described above.

Referring again to FIG. 8, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may depend primarily on the heating profile of the heater 30. Specifically, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may basically be a profile that corresponds to the temperature profile inside the smoking article 110. The temperature profile inside the smoking article 110 follows the heating profile of the heater 30, and therefore generally tends to lag behind the heating profile in time.

Therefore, by setting the first target temperature TA1 in the first period P1 to the highest temperature throughout the entire heating profile, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component tends to form a steep upward curve in the initial period Q1. Also, by maintaining the temperature of the heater 30 at the second target temperature TA2 for most of the second period P2 after the first period P1, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component tends to form a stable period SP with little fluctuation from inhalation in the middle period Q2. Furthermore, by controlling the temperature of the heater 30 toward the third target temperature TA3 lower than the second target temperature TA2 during the third period P3 after the second period P2, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component tends to form a downward curve in the final period Q3. In particular, by reducing the temperature difference T23 between the second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component tends to form a more gentle downward curve in the final period Q3. As described above, by controlling the heating of the heater 30 according to the heating profile illustrated in FIG. 8, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component tends to form an upwardly convex curve with a maximum point in the middle period Q2, tends to form a steeply ascending curve in the early period Q1, and tends to form a gently descending curve in the final period Q3.

As described above, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component depends primarily on the heating profile of the heater 30. However, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may vary depending on factors such as the shape of the heater 30, the presence and shape of the insulating material 138, the size of the smoking article 110, the degree of contact between the heater 30 and the smoking article 110, and the position of the heated portion of the heater 30 relative to the smoking article 110. Therefore, in order to achieve a desired delivery profile of the main aerosol component, the heating profile of the heater 30 may be appropriately combined with these factors.

For example, when the heater 30 has a cylindrical shape surrounding the outer circumference of the columnar smoking article, the heat transferred to the smoking article 110 is less likely to escape to the outside, and the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is more likely to follow the heating profile of the heater 30. Similarly, when a cylindrical insulating material 138 is arranged radially outside the heater 30, the heat transferred to the smoking article 110 is less likely to escape to the outside, and the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is more likely to follow the heating profile of the heater 30. In this case, the increase speed of the delivery profile in the initial period Q1 becomes relatively large, so the upward curve of the delivery profile in the initial period Q1 may become steeper overall. On the other hand, the decrease speed of the delivery profile in the final period Q3 becomes relatively small, so the downward curve of the delivery profile in the final period Q3 may become gentler overall.

In addition, the smaller the size of the smoking article 110, more specifically the diameter of the smoking article 110, the easier it is for heat from the outside of the smoking article 110 to be transmitted to the inside of the smoking article 110. Therefore, the smaller the diameter of the smoking article 110, the easier it is for the delivery profile of the main aerosol components to follow the heating profile of the heater 30.

In addition, the closer the contact between the heater 30 and the smoking article 110 during use, the easier it is for heat from the heater 30 to be transferred to the smoking article 110. In other words, when the smoking article 110 is inserted into the insertion hole 130, the smaller the gap between the smoking article 110 and the inner tubular member 132, the easier it is for the delivery profile of the main aerosol component to follow the heating profile of the heater 30.

The delivery profile of the main aerosol component may also depend on the positional relationship between the smoking article 110 and the heater 30. Referring again to FIG. 7, the heater 30 is preferably arranged so as to extend from the substrate portion 11A containing the aerosol source in the smoking article 110 to the paper tube portion 114 not containing the aerosol source. This allows the heat from the heater 30 to be sufficiently transmitted to the downstream end face of the substrate portion 11A and its vicinity, so that the delivery profile of the main aerosol component is more likely to follow the heating profile of the heater 30. Furthermore, the inner circumferential surface of the inner tubular member 132, which contacts the smoking article 110 and the outer circumferential surface of the heater 3, is preferably arranged so as to extend from the substrate portion 11A containing the aerosol source to the paper tube portion 114 not containing the aerosol source. In particular, it is preferable that the downstream end of the inner tubular member 132 protrudes downstream from the downstream end of the heater 30. This allows sufficient heating of not only the downstream end surface of the substrate portion 11A, but also the upstream end surface of the paper tube portion 114 and its vicinity, suppressing aerosol aggregation there, which contributes to an overall increase in the delivery profile. Note that the heated portion 31 of the heater 30 is the portion that is actively heated. In the case of a heater that includes a heating resistor, the heated portion 31 of the heater 30 refers to the heating resistor.

Furthermore, the delivery profile of the main aerosol component may also be due to the components that make up the smoking article 110. More specifically, the amount of moisture contained in the smoking article 110 may affect the speed of increase in the initial Q1 of the delivery profile of the main aerosol component. For example, if the smoking article 110 contains a relatively large amount of moisture, this may cause the rate of increase in the delivery profile of the main aerosol component to be slower, as heat from the heater 30 is used to vaporize the moisture instead of heating the aerosol source. This may result in a gentler overall slope of the delivery profile in the initial Q1. As mentioned above, aerosol derived from moisture in the smoking article 110 is not usually included in the main aerosol components.

By appropriately setting the heating profile of the heater 30 while taking into account the factors that affect the delivery profile as described above, the desired delivery profile of the main aerosol components described above can be achieved.

(Program and storage medium)
The control flow for realizing the above-mentioned heating profile and/or delivery profile of the main aerosol component can be executed by the control unit 22. That is, the present invention may also include a program for causing the flavor inhaler 100 and/or the aerosol generating device 120 to execute the above-mentioned method, and a storage medium on which the program is stored. Such a storage medium may be a non-transitory storage medium.

[Other embodiments]
Although the present invention has been described by the above-mentioned embodiment, the description and drawings forming a part of this disclosure should not be understood as limiting the present invention. From this disclosure, various alternative embodiments, examples and operating techniques will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims (17)

A heater configured to heat the outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source;
A control unit that controls the heater,
the control unit is configured to control the heater such that a delivery profile of the aerosol during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maxima between a start point and an end point of the inhalable period;
The inhalable period is a period spanning multiple inhalations, and the delivery profile represents a discrete or curve-fitted continuous profile of the amount of aerosol inhaled in each inhalation plotted against the time each inhalation is taken across the multiple inhalations.
Aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the heater has a cylindrical shape that surrounds the outer periphery of the columnar smoking article. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2, which has a cylindrical insulating material arranged radially outside the heater. The smoking article includes a substrate portion including an aerosol source and a tube portion not including an aerosol source,
The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the heating portion of the heater is positioned so as to heat the smoking article from the substrate portion of the smoking article to the tube portion of the smoking article. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein the tube portion is made of a paper tube. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control unit is configured to control the temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first period, to control the temperature of the heater toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature during a second period after the first period, and to control the temperature of the heater toward a third target temperature lower than the second target temperature during a third period after the second period. The aerosol generating device according to claim 6, wherein the difference between the first target temperature and the second target temperature is greater than the difference between the second target temperature and the third target temperature. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the amount of aerosol delivered at the end point is greater than the amount of aerosol delivered at the start point. The delivery profile comprises:
An initial stage in which the gradient increases gradually with respect to the time axis;
A terminal phase in which the gradient gradually decreases with respect to the time axis;
a metaphase having one or more maxima between the initial and final phases;
The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , comprising: The aerosol generating device according to claim 9, wherein the maximum value of the gradient at the end is smaller than the maximum value of the gradient at the beginning. The aerosol generating device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the minimum value of the gradient at the end is smaller than the minimum value of the gradient at the beginning. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the intermediate period is longer than each of the initial period and the final period. The aerosol generating device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the intermediate period is equal to or longer than the sum of the initial and final periods. the intermediate period includes a stable period during which the gradient is smaller than the minimum value of the gradient in the initial period and smaller than the minimum value of the gradient in the final period;
The aerosol generating device according to claim 9 , wherein the stable period is longer than each of the initial period and the final period. A control unit including a control unit for controlling a heater configured to heat an outer periphery of a smoking article including an aerosol source,
the control unit is configured to control a temperature of the heater such that a delivery profile of the aerosol during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maxima between a start point and an end point of the inhalable period;
The inhalable period is a period spanning multiple inhalations, and the delivery profile represents a discrete or curve-fitted continuous profile of the amount of aerosol inhaled in each inhalation plotted against the time each inhalation is taken across the multiple inhalations.
Control unit. 1. A method for controlling a heater that heats a periphery of a smoking article that includes an aerosol source, comprising:
controlling the heater such that a delivery profile of the aerosol during a predetermined inhalable period has one or more maxima between a start and an end of the inhalable period;
The inhalable period is a period spanning multiple inhalations, and the delivery profile represents a discrete or curve-fitted continuous profile of the amount of aerosol inhaled in each inhalation plotted against the time each inhalation is taken across the multiple inhalations.
method. A program for causing a computer to execute the method according to claim 16.

Images