KR102628987B1 - Aerosol generating device based on ultrasound vibration and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, when the power is turned on, operating in a preheating mode to preheat the ultrasonic vibrator, and when preheating is completed, supplying power to the ultrasonic vibrator or blocking the power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator are alternately repeated. An ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device comprising a step of operating in a power repetition control mode and a step of operating in a puffing mode of supplying power to an ultrasonic vibrator to generate an aerosol when a user's puff is detected while operating in the power repetition control mode. Discloses a control method.

Description

Ultrasonic vibration type aerosol generating device and method of controlling the device {Aerosol generating device based on ultrasound vibration and method thereof}

The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device and a method of controlling the aerosol generating device, and more specifically, to an aerosol generating device that generates an aerosol using ultrasonic vibration and a method of controlling the device.

There is an increasing demand for aerosol generating devices that generate aerosols in a non-combustion manner, replacing the method of generating aerosols by burning cigarettes. An aerosol generating device is, for example, a device that performs the function of generating an aerosol from an aerosol generating material in a non-combustible manner and supplying it to the user, or generating an aerosol with a flavor by passing the vapor generated from the aerosol generating material through a scent medium. am.

Aerosol generating devices can be divided into various types based on the different methods or means of generating aerosol. Among them, aerosol generating devices using ultrasonic vibration generate aerosol through ultrasonic vibration generated by applying alternating voltage to an ultrasonic transducer. It is a device that generates Specifically, the ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device reduces the viscosity of the liquid in contact with the ultrasonic transducer with the heat generated from the ultrasonic transducer and then splits the liquid into small pieces by ultrasonic vibration that vibrates at the frequency included in the alternating voltage. creates .

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an aerosol generating device that can operate stably and a method of controlling the device.

A method according to an embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem includes operating in a preheating mode to preheat an ultrasonic vibrator when the power is turned on; When the preheating is completed, operating in a power repetition control mode that alternately repeats supplying power to the ultrasonic vibrator or blocking power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator; And when the user's puff is detected while operating in the power repetition control mode, operating in the puffing mode to supply power to the ultrasonic oscillator to generate an aerosol.

In the method, the step of operating in the power repetition control mode may include repeating power control for the ultrasonic vibrator a predetermined number of times and then switching to the preheating mode.

In the method, the preheating mode may apply a voltage of a fixed magnitude to the ultrasonic transducer while the preheating mode continues.

In the above method, the level of the fixed voltage may be any one selected from 10 to 15 volts.

In the method, the puffing mode includes a first section for applying a first voltage to the ultrasonic transducer, a second section for applying a second voltage lower than the first voltage to the ultrasonic transducer, and a second section for applying a first voltage to the ultrasonic transducer. Blocking sections that block the voltage may be configured sequentially.

In the method, the ratio of the time lengths of the first section, the second section, and the blocking section may be a preset ratio value.

In the method, the ratio of the time lengths may be 2:3:1.

In the method, the step of operating in the puffing mode may be operated in the power repetition control mode if the user's inhalation ends before the end of the first section.

In the method, the step of operating in the puffing mode may be operated in the power repetition control mode if the user's inhalation ends before the end of the second section.

In the method, the step of operating in the puffing mode may be performed by including only the second section and the blocking section in the puffing mode if the value that determines the length of the first section is 0 or less.

In the method, the step of operating in the puffing mode may maintain a power cutoff state for the ultrasonic vibrator until the blocking section ends, even if the user's suction is detected in the blocking section.

In the method, the first voltage may be a voltage value selected from 12V to 14V, and the second voltage may be a voltage value selected from 9V to 11V.

In the method, the power repetition control mode can be controlled with a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal based on a value selected from 40% to 60%.

In the method, the step of operating in the preheating mode includes detecting an idle period based on the most recent time when the device was used when the power is turned on, and if the detected idle period is smaller than a preset reference time. , preheating of the ultrasonic vibrator can be omitted and the power repetition control mode can be entered.

A device according to another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above technical problem includes a cartridge; An ultrasonic vibrator that vibrates based on a received control signal; a vibration receiving unit that receives vibration from the ultrasonic transducer and generates an aerosol by vibrating the aerosol-generating substrate discharged from the cartridge; and a processor that generates a control signal to control the ultrasonic vibrator, wherein the processor preheats the ultrasonic vibrator when the power is turned on, and when the preheating is completed, supplies power to the ultrasonic vibrator or It operates in a power repetition control mode that alternates between blocking the power supply to the vibrator, and when the user's puff is detected while operating in the power repetition control mode, power is supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator to generate an aerosol. Generates a control signal that controls operation in mode.

One embodiment of the present invention can provide a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the above method.

The ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention can operate more stably than conventionally known aerosol generating devices and can provide the user with the same amount of atomization from the first puff to the last puff.

In addition, the ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention can prevent damage to the ultrasonic oscillator included in the device.

1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a control method of an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a graph schematically showing a control method of power supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator described in FIG. 3.
Figure 5 is a flowchart showing another example of a control method of an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention.
Figure 6 is a diagram schematically showing a graph of power versus time of an ultrasonic vibrator operating in puffing mode.
Figure 7 is a graphical representation of a case in which an event occurs in a puffing high state.
Figure 8 is a graphical representation of a case in which an event occurs in the puffing low state.
Figure 9 is a flowchart showing another example of a control method of an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention.
Figure 10 is a diagram schematically showing a graph versus time and power with the preheating mode omitted.
Figure 11 is a flowchart showing another example of a control method of an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention.
Figure 12 shows a graph to schematically explain the number of puff standby hits described in Figure 11.
Figure 13 shows a graph of power supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator versus time when the puff high time is set to 0.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart that comprehensively explains the embodiment described in FIGS. 3 to 13.

General terms that are currently widely used were selected to describe the embodiments, but the terms may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a technician working in the technical field to which the embodiments belong, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, there are terms arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the relevant invention. Therefore, when interpreting terms used to describe the embodiments, they should not be limited simply to the name of the term, but should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present specification.

When it is said that a part "includes" a certain element throughout the specification, this means that, unless specifically stated to the contrary, it does not exclude other elements but may further include other elements. In addition, terms such as "···unit" and "···module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which is implemented as hardware or software, or as a combination of hardware and software. It can be.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily perform them. However, the embodiments may be implemented in various different forms and are not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 10000 may include a battery 11000, an atomizer 12000, a sensor 13000, a user interface 14000, a memory 15000, and a processor 16000. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10000 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1. Those skilled in the art can understand that, depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 10000, some of the hardware configurations shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted or new configurations may be added. .

As an example, the aerosol generating device 10000 may include a main body, and in this case, hardware elements included in the aerosol generating device 10000 are located in the main body.

As another example, the aerosol generating device 10000 may include a main body and a cartridge, and hardware elements included in the aerosol generating device 10000 may be located separately in the main body and the cartridge. Alternatively, at least some of the hardware elements included in the aerosol generating device 10000 may be located in each of the main body and the cartridge.

Hereinafter, the operation of each element included in the aerosol generating device 10000 will be described without limiting the space where each element is located.

The battery 11000 supplies power used to operate the aerosol generating device 10000. That is, the battery 11000 can supply power so that the atomizer 12000 can atomize aerosol-generating substances. In addition, the battery 11000 supplies power required for the operation of other hardware elements provided in the aerosol generating device 10000, that is, the sensor 13000, the user interface 14000, the memory 15000, and the processor 16000. You can. The battery 11000 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery.

For example, the battery 11000 may be a nickel-based battery (e.g., nickel-metal hydride battery, nickel-cadmium battery), or a lithium-based battery (e.g., lithium-cobalt battery, lithium-phosphate battery, lithium titanate batteries, lithium-ion batteries, or lithium-polymer batteries). However, the type of battery 11000 that can be used in the aerosol generating device 10000 is not limited by the above. If necessary, the battery 11000 may include an alkaline battery or a manganese battery.

The atomizer 12000 receives power from the battery 11000 under the control of the processor 16000. The atomizer 12000 can receive power from the battery 11000 and atomize the aerosol generating material stored in the aerosol generating device 10000.

The atomizer 12000 may be located in the main body of the aerosol generating device 10000. Alternatively, when the aerosol generating device 10000 includes a main body and a cartridge, the atomizer 12000 may be located in the cartridge or may be positioned separately between the main body and the cartridge. When the atomizer 12000 is located in a cartridge, the atomizer 12000 can receive power from a battery 11000 located in at least one of the main body and the cartridge. In addition, when the atomizer 12000 is located separately into the main body and the cartridge, parts of the atomizer 12000 that require power supply can receive power from the battery 11000 located in at least one of the main body and the cartridge.

The atomizer 12000 generates an aerosol from the aerosol-generating material inside the cartridge. Aerosol refers to suspended liquid and/or solid fine particles dispersed in a gas. Therefore, the aerosol generated from the atomizer 12000 may mean a mixture of vaporized particles generated from an aerosol-generating material and air. For example, the atomizer 12000 may convert a phase of an aerosol-generating material into a gas phase through vaporization and/or sublimation. Additionally, the atomizer 12000 may generate an aerosol by converting liquid and/or solid aerosol-generating materials into fine particles and releasing them.

For example, the atomizer 12000 can generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material by using an ultrasonic vibration method. The ultrasonic vibration method may refer to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing the aerosol-generating material with ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the atomizer 12000 may optionally include a heater capable of heating the aerosol-generating material by generating heat. The aerosol-generating material may be heated by a heater, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

The heater may be formed from any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials include titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. It may be a metal or metal alloy containing, but is not limited thereto. Additionally, the heater may be implemented as a metal hot wire, a metal plate with electrically conductive tracks, a ceramic heating element, etc., but is not limited thereto.

For example, in one embodiment, the heater may be part of cartridge 2000. Additionally, the cartridge 2000 may include a liquid delivery means and a liquid storage unit, which will be described later. The aerosol-generating material contained in the liquid storage unit moves to the liquid delivery means, and the heater heats the aerosol-generating material absorbed in the liquid delivery means to generate an aerosol. For example, the heater may be wound around the liquid delivery means or placed adjacent to the liquid delivery means.

As another example, the aerosol generating device 10000 may include an accommodating space for accommodating a cigarette, and a heater may heat a cigarette inserted into the accommodating space of the aerosol generating device 10000. As the cigarette is accommodated in the receiving space of the aerosol generating device 10000, the heater may be located inside and/or outside the cigarette. As a result, the heater can generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating material in the cigarette.

Meanwhile, the heater may be an induction heating type heater. The heater may include an electrically conductive coil for inductively heating the cigarette or cartridge, and the cigarette or cartridge may include a susceptor that may be heated by the induction heater.

The aerosol generating device 10000 may include at least one sensor 13000. The result sensed by at least one sensor 13000 is transmitted to the processor 16000, and according to the sensing result, the processor 16000 controls the operation of the atomizer 12000, limits smoking, and inserts a cartridge (or cigarette). The aerosol generating device 10000 can be controlled to perform various functions such as non-judgment, notification display, etc.

For example, at least one sensor 13000 may include a puff detection sensor. The puff detection sensor may detect the user's puff based on at least one of a change in flow rate of an external airflow, a change in pressure, and detection of sound. The puff detection sensor may detect the start timing and end timing of the user's puff, and the processor 16000 may determine a puff period and a non-puff period according to the start and end timing of the detected puff. can be judged.

Additionally, at least one sensor 13000 may include a user input sensor. A user input sensor may be a sensor that can receive user input, such as a switch, physical button, or touch sensor. For example, the touch sensor may be a capacitive sensor that changes capacitance when the user touches a predetermined area made of metal, and can detect the user's input by detecting the change in capacitance. there is. The processor 16000 may determine whether a user input has occurred by comparing the before and after values of the change in capacitance received from the capacitive sensor. If the values before and after the capacitance change exceed a preset threshold, the processor 16000 may determine that a user input has occurred.

Additionally, at least one sensor 13000 may include a motion sensor. Information about the movement of the aerosol generating device 10000, such as the tilt, moving speed, and acceleration of the aerosol generating device 10000, can be obtained through the motion sensor. For example, the motion sensor detects the state in which the aerosol generating device 10000 is moving, the stationary state of the aerosol generating device 10000, the state in which the aerosol generating device 10000 is tilted at an angle within a predetermined range for puffing, and the state of each puff operation. Information about the tilted state of the aerosol generating device 10000 can be measured at a different angle than during the puff operation. The motion sensor can measure motion information of the aerosol generating device 10000 using various methods known in the art. For example, the motion sensor may include an acceleration sensor capable of measuring acceleration in three directions: x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, and a gyro sensor capable of measuring angular velocity in three directions.

Additionally, at least one sensor 13000 may include a proximity sensor. A proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or distance of an approaching object or a nearby object using the power of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays, etc., without mechanical contact. This allows the user to access the aerosol generating device (10000). It can be detected whether it is done or not.

Additionally, at least one sensor 13000 may include an image sensor. The image sensor may include, for example, a camera to acquire an image of an object. An image sensor can recognize an object based on an image acquired by a camera. The processor 16000 may determine whether the user is in a situation to use the aerosol generating device 10000 by analyzing the image acquired through the image sensor. For example, when a user approaches the aerosol generating device 10000 near the lips to use the aerosol generating device 10000, the image sensor may acquire an image of the lips. The processor 16000 may analyze the acquired image and determine that the user is about to use the aerosol generating device 10000 if the lip is judged to be lips. Through this, the aerosol generating device 10000 can operate the atomizer 12000 in advance or preheat the heater.

Additionally, at least one sensor 13000 may include a consumable detachment sensor capable of detecting the installation or removal of consumables (eg, cartridges, cigarettes, etc.) that can be used in the aerosol generating device 10000. For example, the consumable product detachment sensor may detect whether the consumable product is in contact with the aerosol generating device 10000, or the image sensor may determine whether the consumable product is detached. Additionally, the consumable detachment sensor may be an inductance sensor that detects a change in the inductance value of a coil that can interact with the marker of the consumable product, or a capacitance sensor that detects a change in the capacitance value of a capacitor that can interact with the marker of the consumable product.

Additionally, at least one sensor 13000 may include a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor can detect the temperature at which the heater (or aerosol generating material) of the atomizer 12000 is heated. The aerosol generating device 10000 may include a separate temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the heater, or the heater itself may serve as a temperature sensor instead of including a separate temperature sensor. Alternatively, while the heater functions as a temperature sensor, the aerosol generating device 10000 may further include a separate temperature sensor. Additionally, the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of not only the heater but also internal components such as a printed circuit board (PCB) and battery of the aerosol generating device 10000.

Additionally, at least one sensor 13000 may include various sensors that measure information about the surrounding environment of the aerosol generating device 10000. For example, at least one sensor 13000 may include a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the surrounding environment, a humidity sensor that measures the humidity of the surrounding environment, and an atmospheric pressure sensor that measures the pressure of the surrounding environment.

The sensor 13000 that may be provided in the aerosol generating device 10000 is not limited to the types described above and may further include various sensors. For example, the aerosol generating device 10000 includes a fingerprint sensor capable of acquiring fingerprint information from the user's finger for user authentication and security, an iris recognition sensor that analyzes the iris pattern of the eye, and an intravenous sensor from an image taken of the palm. It may include a vein recognition sensor that detects the amount of infrared absorption of reduced hemoglobin, a facial recognition sensor that recognizes feature points such as eyes, nose, mouth, and facial contour in 2D or 3D, and an RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) sensor. .

The aerosol generating device 10000 may be implemented by selecting only some of the various examples of sensors 13000 illustrated above. In other words, the aerosol generating device 10000 can utilize information sensed by at least one of the above-described sensors by combining them.

The user interface 14000 may provide the user with information about the status of the aerosol generating device 10000. The user interface 14000 includes a display or lamp that outputs visual information, a motor that outputs tactile information, a speaker that outputs sound information, and an input/output (I/O) that receives information input from the user or outputs information to the user. ) Terminals for data communication or receiving charging power with interfacing means (e.g., buttons or touch screens), wireless communication with external devices (e.g., WI-FI, WI-FI Direct, Bluetooth, NFC) (Near-Field Communication, etc.) may include various interfacing means such as a communication interfacing module.

However, only some of the various user interface examples 14000 illustrated above may be selected and implemented in the aerosol generating device 10000.

The memory 15000 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 10000. The memory 15000 can store data processed by the processor 16000 and data to be processed. The memory 15000 includes various types of memory such as random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), and electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). It can be implemented in different types.

The memory 15000 may store the operation time of the aerosol generating device 10000, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data on the user's smoking pattern.

The processor 16000 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 10000. The processor 16000 may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program that can be executed on the microprocessor. Additionally, those skilled in the art can understand that the processor 16000 may be implemented with other types of hardware.

The processor 16000 analyzes the results sensed by at least one sensor 13000 and controls subsequent processing.

The processor 16000 may control the power supplied to the atomizer 12000 to start or end the operation of the atomizer 12000 based on a result sensed by at least one sensor 13000. In addition, the processor 16000 determines the amount of power supplied to the atomizer 12000 so that the atomizer 12000 can generate an appropriate amount of aerosol, based on the results sensed by the at least one sensor 13000. You can control the time when power is supplied. For example, the processor 16000 may control the current or voltage supplied to the vibrator of the atomizer 12000 so that the vibrator vibrates at a predetermined frequency.

In one embodiment, the processor 16000 may initiate the operation of the atomizer 12000 after receiving a user input for the aerosol generating device 10000. Additionally, the processor 16000 may detect the user's puff using a puff detection sensor and then start the operation of the atomizer 12000. Additionally, the processor 16000 may count the number of puffs using a puff detection sensor and then stop supplying power to the atomizer 12000 when the number of puffs reaches a preset number.

The processor 16000 may control the user interface 14000 based on a result sensed by at least one sensor 13000. For example, after counting the number of puffs using a puff detection sensor, when the number of puffs reaches a preset number, the processor 16000 uses at least one of a lamp, a motor, and a speaker to inform the user of the aerosol generating device 10000. ) can foreshadow that it will end soon.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 1, the aerosol generating device 10000 may be included in the aerosol generating system along with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle can be used to charge the battery 11000 of the aerosol generating device 10000. For example, the aerosol generating device 10000 can charge the battery 11000 of the aerosol generating device 10000 by receiving power from the cradle's battery while accommodated in the accommodation space inside the cradle.

One embodiment may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing instructions executable by a computer, such as program modules executed by a computer. Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. Additionally, computer-readable media may include all computer storage media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an aerosol generating device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

The aerosol generating device 10000 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a cartridge 2000 holding an aerosol generating material, and a main body 1000 supporting the cartridge 2000.

The cartridge 2000 may be coupled to the main body 1000 while containing an aerosol-generating material therein. For example, the cartridge 2000 may be mounted on the main body 1000 by inserting a part of the cartridge 2000 into the main body 1000 or by inserting a part of the main body 1000 into the cartridge 2000. At this time, the main body 1000 and the cartridge 2000 may remain coupled by a snap-fit method, a screw coupling method, a magnetic coupling method, an interference fit method, etc., but the main body 1000 and the cartridge 2000 (2000)'s combination method is not limited by the above.

Cartridge 2000 may include a mouthpiece 2100. The mouthpiece 2100 may be formed in the opposite direction to the part coupled to the main body 1000, and is a part that is inserted into the user's mouth. The mouthpiece 2100 may include a discharge hole 2110 that discharges the aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material inside the cartridge 2000 to the outside.

The cartridge 2000 may contain, for example, an aerosol-generating material in any one state, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gas state, or a gel state. Aerosol-generating materials may include liquid compositions. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing tobacco-containing substances, including volatile tobacco flavor components, or may be a liquid containing non-tobacco substances.

The liquid composition may include, for example, any one or a mixture of water, solvents, ethanol, plant extracts, fragrances, flavors, and vitamin mixtures. Fragrances may include, but are not limited to, menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, and various fruit flavor ingredients. Flavoring agents may include ingredients that can provide various flavors or flavors to the user. The vitamin mixture may be a mixture of at least one of vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E, but is not limited thereto. Additionally, the liquid composition may contain aerosol formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

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

The acid for forming nicotine salt may be appropriately selected considering the absorption rate of nicotine in the blood, the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device 10000, flavor or flavor, solubility, etc. For example, acids for the formation of nicotine salts include benzoic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, lauric acid, sorbic acid, levulinic acid, pyruvic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid. , citric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, saccharic acid, malonic acid or malic acid or a single acid selected from the group consisting of the above. It may be a mixture of two or more acids selected from the group, but is not limited thereto.

The cartridge 2000 may include a liquid storage portion 2200 that accommodates an aerosol-generating material therein. The liquid storage unit 2200 'accommodates the aerosol-generating material' inside means that the liquid storage unit 2200 performs the function of simply containing the aerosol-generating material, such as the use of a container, and the liquid storage unit ( 2200), which means including an element impregnating (containing) an aerosol-generating material such as a sponge, cotton, cloth, or porous ceramic structure.

The aerosol generating device 10000 may include an atomizer that generates an aerosol by converting the phase of the aerosol generating material inside the cartridge 2000.

For example, the atomizer of the aerosol generating device 10000 can change the phase of the aerosol-generating material by using an ultrasonic vibration method to atomize the aerosol-generating material with ultrasonic vibration. The atomizer includes a vibrator 1300 that generates ultrasonic vibration, a liquid delivery means 2400 that absorbs the aerosol-generating material and maintains it in an optimal state for converting it into an aerosol, and transmits ultrasonic vibration to the aerosol-generating material of the liquid delivery means. It may include a vibration receiving unit 2300 that generates an aerosol.

The vibrator 1300 may generate vibration of a short period. The vibration generated from the vibrator 1300 may be ultrasonic vibration, and the frequency of the ultrasonic vibration may be, for example, 100 kHz to 3.5 MHz. The aerosol-generating material may be vaporized and/or particleized by a short period of vibration generated from the vibrator 1300 and atomized into an aerosol.

The vibrator 1300 may include, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic. The piezoelectric ceramic generates electricity (voltage) by physical force (pressure) and conversely generates vibration (mechanical force) when electricity is applied. It is a functional material that can convert electrical and mechanical power into each other. Therefore, vibration (physical force) is generated by electricity applied to the vibrator 1300, and such small physical vibration can break the aerosol-generating material into small particles and atomize it into an aerosol.

The vibrator 1300 may be electrically connected to the circuit by a pogo pin or C-clip. Therefore, the vibrator 1300 can generate vibration by receiving current or voltage from a pogo pin or C-clip. However, the type of element connected to supply current or voltage to the vibrator 1300 is not limited by the above.

The vibration receiving unit 2300 may receive vibration generated from the vibrator 1300 and perform a function of converting the aerosol generating material delivered from the liquid storage unit 2200 into aerosol.

The liquid delivery means 2400 may deliver the liquid composition of the liquid storage unit 2200 to the vibration receiving unit 2300. For example, the liquid delivery means 2400 may be a wick containing at least one of cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, and porous ceramic, but is not limited thereto.

The atomizer is also a mesh that performs both the function of absorbing aerosol-generating substances and maintaining them in an optimal state for conversion into aerosol without using a separate liquid delivery means, and the function of generating aerosol by transmitting vibration to the aerosol-generating substances. It can be implemented as a vibration receiving part in a mesh shape or plate shape.

In addition, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the vibrator 1300 of the atomizer is disposed in the main body 1000, and the vibration receiving portion 2300 and the liquid delivery means 2400 are disposed in the cartridge 2000. It is not limited. For example, the cartridge 2000 may include a vibrator 1300, a vibration receiving portion 2300, and a liquid delivery means 2400. When a portion of the cartridge 2000 is inserted into the main body 1000, the main body 1000 ) may provide power to the cartridge 2000 or a signal related to the operation of the cartridge 2000 through a terminal (not shown), and through this, the operation of the vibrator 1300 may be controlled. .

The liquid storage portion 2200 of the cartridge 2000 may include at least a portion of a transparent material so that the aerosol-generating material contained within the cartridge 2000 can be visually confirmed from the outside. The entire mouthpiece 2100 and the liquid storage unit 2200 may be made of a transparent material such as plastic or glass, and only a portion of the liquid storage unit 2200 may be made of a transparent material.

The cartridge 2000 of the aerosol generating device 10000 may include an aerosol discharge passage 2500 and an airflow passage 2600.

The aerosol discharge passage 2500 may be formed inside the liquid storage unit 2200 and be in fluid communication with the discharge hole 2110 of the mouthpiece 2100. Therefore, the aerosol generated from the atomizer can move along the aerosol discharge passage 2500 and be delivered to the user through the discharge hole 2110 of the mouthpiece 2100.

The airflow passage 2600 is a passage through which external air can be introduced into the aerosol generating device 10000. External air introduced through the airflow passage 2600 may flow into the aerosol discharge passage 2500 or may flow into a space where aerosols are generated. Accordingly, an aerosol may be generated by mixing with vaporized particles generated from the aerosol-generating material.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the airflow passage 2600 may be formed to surround the outside of the aerosol discharge passage 2500. Therefore, the aerosol discharge passage 2500 and the airflow passage 2600 may be in the form of a double pipe in which the aerosol discharge passage 2500 is disposed on the inside and the airflow passage 2600 is disposed on the outside of the aerosol discharge passage 2500. Through this, external air can be introduced in the direction opposite to the direction in which the aerosol moves in the aerosol discharge passage 2500.

Meanwhile, the structure of the airflow passage 2600 is not limited to the above. For example, the airflow passage may be a space formed between the main body 1000 and the cartridge 2000 when the main body 1000 and the cartridge 2000 are combined and in fluid communication with the atomizer.

In the aerosol generating device 10000 according to the above-described embodiment, the cross-sectional shape in the direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the main body 1000 and the cartridge 2000 is approximately circular, oval, square, rectangular, or polygonal in various shapes. It may be a shape. However, the cross-sectional shape of the aerosol generating device 10000 is not limited by the above-mentioned, and the aerosol generating device 10000 is not necessarily limited to a structure that extends linearly when extending in the longitudinal direction. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the aerosol generating device 10000 may be curved in a streamlined shape for the user to easily hold by hand, or may be bent at a predetermined angle in a specific area and extended long, and the cross-sectional shape of the aerosol generating device 10000 may be curved in the longitudinal direction. It can change according to .

Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a control method of an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention.

Figure 3 schematically shows the control method included in the control signal generated by the processor described in Figures 1 and 2. The ultrasonic vibrator receives the control signal and operates based on a series of commands included in the control signal. can do. Hereinafter, the operation process of the ultrasonic vibrator that receives the control signal will be described sequentially, with reference to FIG. 2.

First, when the aerosol generating device 10000 according to the present invention is turned on, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 that has received the control signal starts preheating (S310). In step S310, the step of preheating the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 that receives the control signal from the processor 1200 may be called a preheat mode.

While the preheating mode continues in step S310, a voltage of a fixed magnitude may be provided to the ultrasonic transducer 1300. The fixed voltage level provided to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

Subsequently, when the preheating of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is completed, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 may receive a control signal again from the processor 1200 and enter the power repetition control mode (S320). In step S320, the power repetition control mode is a mode entered after preheating is completed, and refers to a mode in which supplying power to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 or blocking the power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is alternately repeated.

The power repetition control mode is a mode that waits until the user puffs through the aerosol generating device (10000). If the ultrasonic oscillator 1300 included in the aerosol generating device 10000 continues to receive power even after preheating is completed (when the rated voltage is applied), there is a possibility that the ultrasonic oscillator 1300 may be damaged as its temperature increases exponentially.

In the present invention, in order to prevent damage to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300, a power repetition control mode is used as an intermediate mode that waits until the user's inhalation (puff) is detected and aerosol is generated, firstly in a state where preheating is completed. may include. In particular, the power repetition control mode temporarily completely blocks the power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 and then temporarily resumes the power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 before the preheating effect completely disappears. The temperature of the ultrasonic transducer 1300 rises exponentially to prevent damage, and at the same time, it allows the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 to quickly generate an aerosol when the user's inhalation is detected.

In the present invention, the power repetition control mode is distinguished from the conventional method in that it includes at least one section in which the power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is completely blocked after primary preheating is completed. Traditional aerosol generating devices using heating heaters control the heater by steadily raising the temperature of the heater to the target temperature through a pulse width modulation (PWM) power signal or proportional integral derivative (PID) control method, and in this process, the heater Even if preheating is completed, the power supply to the heater is not completely blocked (stopped). This is because the heating heater can maintain a constant temperature through PWM power signal ratio or PID control without blocking the supplied power.

Meanwhile, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 of the ultrasonic vibrating aerosol generating device 10000 has the characteristic of vibrating at a preset frequency, so after supplying power to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 for a certain period of time and preheating is completed, the user can use the device. By essentially providing a section that blocks the power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 for a certain period of time when not in use, it is possible to minimize cases where the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is overheated and damaged. A schematic description of the power repetition control mode will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

The processor 1200 determines whether the user's puff is detected by various puff detection sensors (S330), and when the user's puff is detected while the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is operating in the power repetition control mode, it switches to the power repetition control mode. After completion, the ultrasonic transducer 1300 can be controlled to generate an aerosol. Specifically, when the user's puff is detected, the processor 1200 transmits a control signal to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 and controls the aerosol to be generated by vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 according to a preset temperature profile. do.

If the user's puff is not detected while the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is operating in the power repetition control mode, the processor 1200 repeats it a predetermined number of repetitions (a certain number of times) or waits for a predetermined time to elapse. Afterwards, the power repetition control mode can be terminated (S350).

FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a control method of power supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator described in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 4 , for convenience, the above-described power repetition control mode is abbreviated as puff standby mode, and the horizontal axis of FIG. 4 is considered to mean time and the vertical axis is considered to mean power supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300. In addition, even though the same power is shown as being supplied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 in a specific section in FIG. 4, the voltage values applied to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 in the specific section may be different.

As shown in Figure 4, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 of the aerosol generating device according to the present invention receives a control signal from the processor 1200 and operates in preheat mode (410) and puff wait mode (430). And it operates to generate aerosol while going through a puffing mode (450, puffing mode). Specifically, as described in FIG. 2, the vibration receiving portion 2300 of the cartridge that receives the vibration of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 vibrates the liquid composition embedded in the liquid delivery means 2400, thereby generating an aerosol.

The ultrasonic vibrator 1300 can be preheated by receiving fixed power for a period set in preheating mode. At this time, the voltage applied to supply power to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 may be any value selected from 10V to 15V (volts). As a preferred embodiment, the voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 in the preheating mode 410 may be 13V.

When the preheating of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is completed, the preheating mode 410 ends and the puff standby mode 430 is entered. In the puff standby mode 430, the power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is temporarily blocked. The Puff Wait Off section and the Puff Wait Heat section in which power to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is temporarily restored following the Puff Wait Off section may be alternately repeated.

The puff standby off section is a section in which the power supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is temporarily cut off, and it is possible to prevent the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 from being damaged due to a rapid rise in temperature due to excessive vibration. The puff standby heat section temporarily resumes the power supply to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 in order to convert the state of the ultrasonic transducer 1300, which has been primarily preheated through the preheating mode 410, to a state in which aerosol is easily generated. It means section.

Since the puff standby off section and the puff standby heat section are sections where the power supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is repeatedly turned on/off, the control signal for implementing the puff standby mode 430 has a constant duty cycle ( It may be a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal with a duty cycle. As an example, the processor 1200 may generate a pulse width modulation signal with a duty cycle of 50% in order to implement the puff standby mode 430, and the puff of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 that receives this control signal The time length of the standby off section and the puff standby hit section is the same. As another example, the control signal for implementing the puff standby mode 430 may be a pulse width modulation signal with a duty cycle of a value selected from 40% to 60%.

If the user's suction is detected while operating in the puff standby mode 430, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 may receive a control signal from the processor 1200 and operate in the puffing mode 450. In the puffing mode 450, a certain amount of power is supplied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 to generate aerosol. When the preset number of puffs ends or the preset puffing time elapses, the puffing mode 450 of the ultrasonic vibrator 13000 ends.

As shown in FIG. 4, the ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device 10000 according to the present invention receives a control signal from the processor 1200 and operates in preheating mode 410, puff standby mode 430, and puffing mode 450. By providing ultrasonic transducers 1300 that operate sequentially, overheating of the ultrasonic transducers 1300 can be prevented and aerosol can be stably provided to the user. In particular, the control method according to the present invention can prevent damage to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 by alternately repeating the puff standby off section and the puff standby heat section in the puff standby mode 430 of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300. .

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing another example of a control method of an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a flowchart specifically explaining another example of implementing the puffing mode 450 in the control method described in Figure 3. In Figure 5, the user's puff is detected in the puff standby mode 430 and the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 ) is assumed to have entered the puffing mode (450). Hereinafter, the description will be made with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

The control signal of the puffing mode 450 received from the processor 1200 can control the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 to enter the puffing high state (S510). In step S510, the puffing high state is a state in which relatively high power is supplied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 for a certain period of time in order to generate aerosol through the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 1300 that was operating in the puff standby mode 430. it means.

In the puffing high state, a preset voltage may be applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 for a preset time. For convenience of explanation, the preset voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 in the puffing high state and the voltage may be applied for a preset time. The maintained sections will be referred to as the first voltage and the first section, respectively. In addition, hereinafter, the occurrence of a timeout for a specific state means that a preset holding time has elapsed.

Subsequently, when a timeout occurs for the puffing high state (S520), the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 can be controlled to the puffing low state by a control signal (S530). Here, in the puffing low state, a preset voltage may be applied to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 for a preset time. For convenience of explanation, the preset voltage applied to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 in the puffing low state and the section in which the voltage is maintained for the preset time will be referred to as the second voltage and the second section, respectively.

The first voltage applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 is greater than the second voltage. As an example, the first voltage may be a voltage value selected from 12V to 14V, and the second voltage may be a voltage value selected from 9V to 11V. As another preferred embodiment, the first voltage may be 13V and the second voltage may be 10V.

The time lengths of the first section and the second section may be the same or different. Additionally, the time length of the first section and the second section may be affected by the time length of the blocking section, which will be described later.

The processor 1200 determines whether a timeout occurs for the second section, which is the maintenance period of the puffing low state, and when a timeout occurs for the second section (S540), the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is disconnected from the processor 1200. A control signal may be received to enter the puffing block state (S550).

No voltage is applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 operating in the puffing block state. In order to prevent damage to the ultrasonic transducer 1300, which overheats during the process of operating sufficiently to generate aerosol, in the puff blocking mode, an external signal is blocked for a certain period of time so that the ultrasonic transducer 1300 does not operate regardless of any input. (block) The section in which the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 maintains the puffing block state may be abbreviated as a blocking section, like the first section and the second section.

The processor 1200 determines whether a timeout occurs for the blocking section, and when a timeout occurs for the blocking section (S560), the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 receives a control signal from the processor 1200 and enters puff standby mode. You can enter (S570). As another example of step S570, when a timeout for the blocking section occurs, the aerosol generating device 1200 enters sleep mode or is turned off to minimize battery power consumption in preparation for the user's next puff. It may be turned off.

A schematic description of the above-described first section, second section, and blocking section will be described later with reference to FIG. 6.

Figure 6 is a diagram schematically showing a graph of power versus time of an ultrasonic oscillator operating in puffing mode.

As explained in FIG. 5, the description of the preheating mode 610 and the puff standby mode 630 in FIG. 6 is the same as the preheating mode 410 and the puff standby mode 430 in FIG. 4, so they will be omitted below. .

The graph shown in FIG. 6 is different in puffing mode when compared to the graph shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, in the puffing mode 450 of FIG. 4, the same voltage is applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 during the puffing mode to generate an aerosol, but the puffing mode 650 of FIG. 6 has a puffing high state 651 and a puffing low state. It is divided into (653) and puffing block state (655), and aerosol is generated through the process of applying voltage to the ultrasonic oscillator (1300) only in puffing high state (651) and puffing low state (653), and puffing block state At 655, no voltage is applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300.

The puffing mode 650 of FIG. 6 is characterized by sequentially forming a puffing high state 651, a puffing low state 653, and a puffing block state 655. The voltages applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 in the puffing high state 651 and the puffing low state 653 are a first voltage and a second voltage, respectively, and the first voltage is a voltage value selected from 12V to 14V, and the second voltage is one voltage value selected from 12V to 14V. It has been explained in FIG. 5 that the voltage may be a voltage value selected from 9V to 11V. Additionally, as another example, the first voltage may be 13V and the second voltage may be 10V.

The ratio of the first section, which is the duration of the puffing high state 651, the second section, which is the duration of the puffing low state 653, and the blocking section, which is the duration of the puffing block state 655, may be a preset ratio value. For example, the ratio of the time lengths of the first section, the second section, and the blocking section may be 2:3:1. Here, the ratio of the time lengths of the first section, the second section, and the blocking section can be selected at an appropriate ratio to prevent damage to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 and to stably generate aerosol. This ratio can be determined experimentally, It may be an empirically or mathematically predetermined value.

In FIG. 6, the puffing block state 655 is the same as the puff standby off period of the puff standby mode 630 in that it is a period in which voltage is not temporarily applied to the ultrasonic vibrator 1300. However, in the puff standby off section, when the user's puff is detected, it is immediately switched to puffing mode (650) and aerosol is generated, while the puffing block state (655) is set previously in the puffing high state (651) and puffing low state ( Since the aerosol has already been generated in 653), this is a section that forcibly blocks the operation of the ultrasonic transducer 1300. Even if the user's puff is detected, all signals are blocked and the ultrasonic transducer 1300 is supplied with a voltage to drive the ultrasonic transducer 1300. This is not authorized.

The operation of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 from the first section to the blocking section of the puffing mode 650 in FIG. 6 proceeds as follows. For convenience, the ratio of the time length of the first section to the blocking section is assumed to be 2:3:1, and the first and second voltages are assumed to be 13V and 10V, respectively.

The ultrasonic transducer 1300, which has entered the puffing high state 651, operates for 2 seconds with a voltage of 13V applied. Then, when 2 seconds elapse and the timeout occurs, the ultrasonic transducer 1300, which has entered the puffing low state 653, operates for 3 seconds with a voltage of 10V applied. When the timeout occurs after 3 seconds, no voltage is applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 that has entered the puffing block state 655, and even if there is an external control signal, all are blocked and the puffing block state 655 is maintained for 1 second. . When the puffing block state 655 times out, the puffing mode 650 ends and can be converted to the puff standby mode 630 as described in FIG. 5.

Through the above process, according to the present invention, the puffing mode 650 can be reasonably controlled, and a uniform amount of atomization of aerosol can be generated each time while preventing damage to the ultrasonic transducer 1300.

Figure 7 is a graphical representation of a case in which an event occurs in a puffing high state.

Specifically, FIG. 7 is a graph schematically showing the operation characteristics of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 when user suction interruption 799 is detected in the puffing high state 651 of the puffing mode 650 of FIG. 6.

When the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 of FIG. 7 enters the puffing mode 750 and operates with the first voltage applied according to the puffing high state, the processor 1200 detects that the user's suction has stopped through the puff detection sensor, etc. , the puffing mode 750 is immediately terminated, and the operation mode of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is switched to the puff standby mode 770. Here, the puff standby mode 770 entered after the puffing mode 750 has the same characteristics as the puff standby mode 730 before the puffing mode 750.

In Figure 7, the point at which the user's suction is interrupted is before the puffing high state times out. For example, in the puffing high state maintained for 2 seconds at the first voltage after switching to puffing mode 750, when it is detected that the user's suction is cut off 1 second after switching to puffing mode 750, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 may enter puff standby mode (770).

The puff standby mode 770 switching algorithm as shown in FIG. 7 prevents unnecessary application of voltage to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 and generation of aerosol even when the user's inhalation is not detected. In addition, the puffing low state and puffing block state are omitted and the puff standby mode (770) is immediately switched, helping the user to quickly inhale the aerosol again.

Figure 8 is a graphical representation of a case in which an event occurs in the puffing low state.

Specifically, FIG. 8 is a graph schematically showing the operation characteristics of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 when a user suction interruption 899 is detected in the puffing low state 653 of the puffing mode 650 of FIG. 6.

When the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 of FIG. 8 enters the puffing mode 850 and operates with a second voltage applied according to the puffing low state, the processor 1200 detects that the user's suction has stopped through a puff detection sensor, etc. , the puffing mode 850 is immediately terminated, and the operation mode of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is switched to the puff standby mode 870. Here, the puff standby mode 870 entered after the puffing mode 850 has the same characteristics as the puff standby mode 830 before the puffing mode 850.

In Figure 8, the point at which the user's suction is interrupted is before the puffing low state times out. For example, in the puffing low state maintained for 3 seconds at the second voltage after switching to the puffing mode 850, when it is detected that the user's suction is cut off 2 seconds after switching to the puffing low state, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 switches on the puff. You can enter standby mode (870).

The puff standby mode 870 switching algorithm as shown in FIG. 8 prevents unnecessary application of voltage to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 and generation of aerosol even when the user's inhalation is not detected. In addition, the puffing block state is omitted and immediately switches to the puff standby mode (870), helping the user to quickly inhale the aerosol again.

Figure 9 is a flowchart showing another example of a control method of an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention.

More specifically, Figure 9 is a diagram for explaining the process of omitting the preheating mode and immediately entering the puff standby mode in the ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention. As with other flowcharts, it will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

First, when the ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device is turned on by the user (S910), the processor 1200 determines whether the idle period is smaller than the reference time (S920).

In step S920, the idle period is a time value that counts how long the device has not been used by the user, and the processor 1200 can detect the idle period based on the most recent time when the device was used. The processor 1200 may detect the gap between the most recent use time of the aerosol generating device stored in the memory and the current time as the idle period. As another example, the processor 1200 may immediately obtain the idle period based on a separately provided time counter to count the idle period.

As an optional embodiment, in step S920, the processor may determine whether to omit the preheating mode after checking whether the preset preheating time is set to a value greater than 0 seconds without detecting and comparing the idle period with the reference time. This optional embodiment will be described later with reference to FIG. 14.

If the rest period is smaller than the preset reference time based on the size, the processor 1200 controls the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 to skip the preheating mode for the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 and immediately enter the puff standby mode (S320). You can do it (S930).

Meanwhile, if the idle period is longer than the preset reference time, the processor 1200 may enter the preheating mode for the ultrasonic transducer 1300 to increase the efficiency of aerosol generation (S940).

Figure 10 is a diagram schematically showing a graph compared to time and power with the preheating mode omitted.

Referring to the time axis of the graph of FIG. 10, the processor 1200 determines whether to omit the preheating mode at the moment the aerosol generating device is turned on (1010), and as the preheating mode is omitted, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 It can be seen that it immediately entered the puff standby mode (1030).

Figure 11 is a flowchart showing another example of a control method of an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention.

More specifically, FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of determining in advance the number of entries into the puff standby hit section in the puff standby mode (power repetition control mode).

When the ultrasonic vibrating aerosol generating device 10000 is turned on, the processor 1200 controls the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 to start preheating (S1110).

When the preheating of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is completed, the processor 1200 controls the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 to enter the power repetition control mode (S1120) and determines whether the preset number of puff standby hits is greater than the accumulated number of puffs. Judge (S1130).

The number of puff standby hits in step S1130 refers to the number of times the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 enters the puff standby hit section in the power repetition control mode and can be set in advance. In step S1130, the cumulative number of puffs is the number of puffs accumulated by the user and is usually set to 0 unless the user uses the device continuously without turning off the power.

If the number of puff standby hits is set to an integer value greater than 0, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 enters the puff standby hit section as many times as the preset puff standby hit count (S1140). It has already been described in FIG. 4 that in step S1140, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 alternately and repeatedly enters the puff standby heat section and the puff standby off section.

Meanwhile, if the number of puff standby hits is smaller than the accumulated puff count, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 maintains the puff standby off section (S1150). In step S1150, the puff standby off period may be maintained until the user turns off the device or the user's puff is detected and switched to puffing mode.

Figure 12 shows a graph to schematically explain the number of puff standby hits described in Figure 11.

Referring to FIG. 12, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300, which has completed primary preheating, enters one puff standby off section for device protection, and then the processor 1200 determines the number of preset puff standby hits. You can see that (1250).

As an example, if the number of puff standby hits determined by the processor 1200 is 4 and the accumulated number of puffs is 0, the total number of entries into the puff standby hit section in the puff standby mode 1230 is 4, so Figure 12 As shown, it can be seen that the puff standby heat section and the puff standby off section alternately enter the puff standby heat section a total of four times.

The embodiment described in FIGS. 11 and 12 is an embodiment of how the total number of puff standby hit sections will be generated until the user's puff is detected when the preheating of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 is completed. If the appropriate number of puff standby hits is set, it is possible to minimize the length of the puff standby mode and prevent waste of the battery of the aerosol generating device.

Figure 13 shows a graph of power supplied to the ultrasonic vibrator versus time when the puff high time is set to 0.

As described in FIG. 6, the puffing mode may be comprised of a puffing high state, a puffing low state, and a puffing block state. However, if the puffing high time, which determines the maintenance time of the puffing high state, is set to 0, the ultrasonic transducer 1300 may operate by applying voltage according to the puffing low state as soon as it enters the puffing mode. there is.

Figure 13 schematically shows that the puffing high time is set to 0 and the puffing low state 1351 is entered from the starting point of the puffing mode. In particular, the processor 1200 checks the puffing high time at the point in time 1399 when a puff is detected, and controls the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 to enter the puffing low state and operate based on the puffing high time being 0. .

FIG. 14 is a flowchart that comprehensively explains the embodiment described in FIGS. 3 to 13.

Specifically, Figure 14 is a diagram that integrates the flowcharts described in Figures 3, 5, 9, and 11 into one flowchart, and the processor 1200 generates the control algorithm as shown in Figure 14 as a control signal and performs sequential and repetitive operation. The operation of the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 can be controlled. By using the ultrasonic transducer 1300 controlled by the method according to FIG. 14, the aerosol generating device according to the present invention can be controlled to prevent damage due to overheating of the ultrasonic transducer 1300 and at the same time produce a uniform amount of atomization for each puff. there is.

First, the processor 1200 determines whether the preset preheating time is greater than 0 (S1410), and if the preset preheating time is greater than 0, the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 operates in preheating mode (S1420).

When the preheating mode times out, the processor 1200 controls the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 to enter the power repetition control mode (puff standby mode) (S1430).

After the first puff standby off period elapses, the processor 1200 checks whether the preset puff standby hit count is greater than the accumulated puff count (S1440), and if the puff standby hit count is greater than the accumulated puff count, the ultrasonic vibrator (1300) can be controlled to enter the puff standby hit section and operate (S1450).

If the processor 1200 detects a puff by the user while operating in the puff standby hit section or the puff standby off section, the processor 1300 may control the ultrasonic vibrator 1300 to enter the puffing mode and operate.

In addition, the processor 1200 determines whether the preset puffing high time is greater than 0 before the ultrasonic transducer 1300 enters the puffing mode (S1460), and only when the preset puffing high time is greater than 0, the ultrasonic transducer 1300 ) can be controlled to enter the puffing high state and operate (S1470). As an example, it has already been described that in the puffing high state, a voltage of 13V can be applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 for 2 seconds.

Meanwhile, the processor 1200 may control the ultrasonic transducer 1300 to enter the puffing low state and operate if the preset puffing high time is not greater than 0 or the puffing high state of the ultrasonic transducer 1300 times out. (S1480). As an example, it has already been described that in the puffing low state, a voltage of 10V can be applied to the ultrasonic transducer 1300 for 3 seconds.

When the puffing low state of the ultrasonic transducer 1300 times out, the processor 1200 may control the ultrasonic transducer 1300 to enter the puffing block state (S1490). It has already been explained that the ultrasonic transducer 1300 that has entered the puffing block state can block the control signal for the ultrasonic transducer 1300 for a certain period of time in order to protect the overheated ultrasonic transducer 1300 while generating aerosol.

The ultrasonic vibrating aerosol generating device according to the present invention is a device that operates in a preheating mode, a power repetition control mode (puff standby mode), and a puffing mode. It prevents damage due to overheating of the ultrasonic vibrator and ensures a uniform amount of atomization for each puff. It includes a control algorithm that allows it to be done.

In particular, the ultrasonic vibrating aerosol generating device according to the present invention can prevent overheating of the ultrasonic vibrator by entering the puff standby off section at least once after primary preheating is completed, and after the user's puff is completed, the puff By setting up a separate block state, all user input can be blocked and wasteful use of the aerosol generating device can be prevented.

In addition, the ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device according to the present invention additionally includes a control algorithm that does not unnecessarily maintain the puffing mode when the user's inhalation is detected and then quickly interrupted.

The specific implementations described in the present invention are examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. For the sake of brevity of the specification, descriptions of conventional electronic components, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of the systems may be omitted. In addition, the connections or connection members of lines between components shown in the drawings exemplify functional connections and/or physical or circuit connections, and in actual devices, various functional connections or physical connections may be replaced or added. Can be represented as connections, or circuit connections. Additionally, if there is no specific mention such as “essential,” “important,” etc., it may not be a necessary component for the application of the present invention.

In the specification (particularly in the claims) of the present invention, the use of the term “above” and similar referential terms may refer to both the singular and the plural. In addition, when a range is described in the present invention, the invention includes the application of individual values within the range (unless there is a statement to the contrary), and each individual value constituting the range is described in the detailed description of the invention. It's the same. Finally, unless there is an explicit order or statement to the contrary regarding the steps constituting the method according to the invention, the steps may be performed in any suitable order. The present invention is not necessarily limited by the order of description of the above steps. The use of any examples or illustrative terms (e.g., etc.) in the present invention is merely to describe the present invention in detail, and unless limited by the claims, the scope of the present invention is limited by the examples or illustrative terms. It doesn't work. Additionally, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, combinations and changes may be made depending on design conditions and factors within the scope of the appended claims or their equivalents.

1000: Body
10000: Aerosol generating device
11000: Battery
12000: Atomizer
1300: Oscillator
14000: User Interface
15000: memory
16000: Processor
2000: Cartridge
2100: Mouthpiece
2110: discharge hole
2200: liquid storage unit
2300: Vibration receptor
2400: Liquid delivery means
2500: Aerosol discharge passage
2600: airflow passage

Claims (16)

When the power is turned on, operating in a preheating mode to preheat the ultrasonic vibrator;
When the preheating is completed, operating in a power repetition control mode that alternately repeats supplying power to the ultrasonic vibrator and cutting off the power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator; and
When a user's puff is detected while operating in the power repetition control mode, operating in a puffing mode to supply power to the ultrasonic vibrator to generate an aerosol. According to paragraph 1,
The step of operating in the power repetition control mode is,
A control method for an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device, wherein power control for the ultrasonic vibrator is repeated a predetermined number of times and then switched to the preheating mode. According to paragraph 1,
The preheating mode is,
A method of controlling an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device, applying a fixed amount of power to the ultrasonic vibrator while the preheating mode continues. According to paragraph 3,
The magnitude of the voltage applied in the preheating mode is,
A method of controlling an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device selected from 10 to 15 volts. According to paragraph 1,
The puffing mode is,
A first section for applying a first voltage to the ultrasonic vibrator,
A second section for applying a second voltage lower than the first voltage to the ultrasonic vibrator, and
A control method for an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device, wherein blocking sections for blocking the voltage provided to the ultrasonic vibrator are sequentially configured. According to clause 5,
A control method for an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device, wherein the ratio of the time lengths of the first section, the second section and the blocking section is a preset ratio value. According to clause 6,
The ratio of the above time lengths is,
2:3:1, control method of ultrasonic vibration aerosol generating device. According to clause 5,
The step of operating in the puffing mode is,
If the user's inhalation ends before the end of the first section, the control method of the ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device operates in the power repetition control mode. According to clause 5,
The step of operating in the puffing mode is,
If the user's inhalation ends before the end of the second section, the control method of the ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device operates in the power repetition control mode. According to clause 5,
The step of operating in the puffing mode is,
If the value that determines the length of the first section is 0 or less, the control method of the ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device operates by including only the second section and the blocking section in the puffing mode. According to clause 5,
The step of operating in the puffing mode is,
A control method for an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device that maintains a power cutoff state for the ultrasonic vibrator until the blocking section ends even if the user's inhalation is detected in the blocking section. According to clause 5,
The first voltage is a voltage value selected from 12V to 14V,
The second voltage is a voltage value selected from 9V to 11V. According to paragraph 1,
The power repetition control mode is,
A method of controlling an ultrasonic oscillatory aerosol generating device, controlled by a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal based on a value selected from 40% to 60%. According to paragraph 1,
The step of operating in the preheating mode is,
When the power is turned on, the idle period is detected based on the latest time the device was used, and if the detected idle period is smaller than the preset reference time, preheating for the ultrasonic vibrator is omitted and the power repetition control is performed. Control method of an ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device entering into mode. A computer-readable recording medium storing a program for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 14. cartridge;
An ultrasonic vibrator that vibrates based on a received control signal;
a vibration receiving unit that receives vibration from the ultrasonic transducer and generates an aerosol by vibrating the aerosol-generating substrate discharged from the cartridge; and
It includes a processor that generates a control signal to control the ultrasonic vibrator,
The processor,
When the power is turned on, the ultrasonic vibrator is preheated,
When the preheating is completed, operate in a power repetition control mode that alternates between supplying power to the ultrasonic vibrator and cutting off the power supply to the ultrasonic vibrator,
An ultrasonic vibration-type aerosol generating device that generates a control signal to control operation in puffing mode to supply power to the ultrasonic vibrator to generate aerosol when a user's puff is detected while operating in the power repetition control mode.

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