KR20230028089A - Aerosol generating apparatus including vibrator - Google Patents

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a battery for supplying a battery voltage, a first boost circuit for boosting the voltage to a first boosting voltage higher than the battery voltage, and generating first and second switching voltages based on the first and second PWM signals, respectively; , A second boosting circuit that boosts the first boosting voltage to a second boosting voltage according to the generated first and second switching voltages, and a vibrator that generates ultrasonic vibrations and atomizes aerosol-generating substances as the second boosting voltage is applied. And a battery, a processor for controlling the first boost circuit and the second boost circuit may be provided with an aerosol generating device.

Description

Aerosol generating device {AEROSOL GENERATING APPARATUS INCLUDING VIBRATOR}

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol generating device.

There is an increasing demand for an aerosol generating device that generates aerosol in a non-combustion method, replacing the method of generating an aerosol by burning a cigarette. For example, an aerosol-generating device may generate an aerosol from an aerosol-generating material in a non-combustion manner and supply it to a user.

An aerosol generating device using ultrasonic vibration may generate ultrasonic vibration by applying an alternating current voltage to a vibrator, and convert the aerosol generating material into fine particles through the ultrasonic vibration. An aerosol may be generated as the aerosol-generating material is micronized and released. On the other hand, in order to stably and efficiently drive the vibrator, an AC voltage having a voltage value much higher than the voltage value of the battery voltage of the aerosol generating device, for example, 3.4 V to 4.2 V, for example, 55 V to 70 V, should be applied to the vibrator. do. Accordingly, there is a need for a technique for applying an AC voltage having a high voltage value to the vibrator without excessively increasing the overall circuit size and power consumption.

Various embodiments seek to provide an aerosol generating device. The technical problem to be achieved by the present disclosure is not limited to the technical problems described above, and other technical problems may be inferred from the following embodiments.

As a technical means for achieving the above-described technical problem, an aerosol generating device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a battery supplying a battery voltage; a first boost circuit boosting the voltage to a first boosting voltage higher than the battery voltage; A second boost for generating first and second switching voltages based on first and second PWM signals, respectively, and boosting the first boosting voltage to a second boosting voltage according to the generated first and second switching voltages. Circuit; a vibrator generating ultrasonic vibrations and atomizing an aerosol-generating material as the second boosting voltage is applied; and a processor controlling the battery, the first boost circuit, and the second boost circuit.

The second boost circuit may include: a power driving circuit generating the first and second switching voltages, respectively, based on the first and second PWM signals input from the processor; and a boosting circuit boosting the first boosting voltage to the second boosting voltage according to the first and second switching voltages output from the power driving circuit.

The step-up circuit may include a first inductor having one end to which the first boosting voltage is applied and the other end connected to one end of the vibrator; a first transistor connected to the other terminal of the first inductor and switching current flow between the first inductor and a ground according to the first switching voltage; a second inductor having one end applied with the first boosting voltage and the other end connected to the other end of the vibrator; and a second transistor connected to the other terminal of the second inductor and switching current flow between the second inductor and a ground according to the second switching voltage.

The power driving circuit may further include an output blocking circuit that blocks an output of the power driving circuit when one of the first and second switching voltages is less than or equal to a threshold voltage.

The power driving circuit may be implemented as one integrated IC.

The first boosting voltage may be at least three times higher than the battery voltage, and the second boosting voltage may be at least four times higher than the first boosting voltage.

The battery voltage and the first boosting voltage may be direct current (DC) voltages, and the second boosting voltage may be alternating current (AC) voltages.

The first boost circuit includes a DC-DC including an input terminal to which the battery voltage is applied, a switch terminal connected to the input terminal through a power inductor, a reference voltage terminal, and an output terminal outputting the first boosting voltage. converter; a first resistor having one end connected to the output terminal and the other end connected to the reference voltage terminal; and a second resistor having one end connected to the reference voltage terminal and the other end connected to ground.

The DC-DC converter may output the first boosting voltage based on a ratio of the first resistance and the second resistance.

The first transistor is a semiconductor switch that switches a current flow between a source electrode connected to ground and a drain electrode connected to the other end of the first inductor according to a state of the first switching voltage applied to a gate electrode,

The second transistor may be a semiconductor switch that switches current flow between a source electrode connected to ground and a drain electrode connected to the other end of the inductor according to a state of the second switching voltage applied to a gate electrode. .

The first PWM signal and the second PWM signal may be complementary.

When the first switching voltage is in the first state and the second switching voltage is in the second state, as current flow between one of the first inductor and the second inductor and the ground is allowed, the one Energy corresponding to the change in current flowing through the inductor is stored in the one inductor, and as the current flow between the other one of the first inductor and the second inductor and the ground is blocked, the other inductor Energy stored in may be transferred to the vibrator.

The present disclosure may provide an aerosol generating device. Specifically, the aerosol generating device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure boosts a battery voltage to a first boosting voltage using a first boost circuit, and converts the first boosting voltage to a second boosting voltage using a second boost circuit. The voltage is boosted, and the second boosting voltage may be applied to the vibrator. The first boost circuit may include a DC-DC converter circuit that primarily boosts the battery voltage by an appropriate step-up rate so as not to excessively increase the overall circuit size. In addition, the second boost circuit converts a direct current voltage into an alternating current voltage by using the counter electromotive force of the inductor and the switching circuit, and obtains a secondary boosting effect, and includes two power semiconductor switches providing AC boosted power. By implementing the switching power driving circuit as one integrated integrated circuit, the number of required components and the PCB circuit size can be reduced.

Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, compared to the case of combining a plurality of DC-DC converter circuits in a cascade manner or using a converter circuit that can be boosted at a step-up rate of 10 times or more at a time, An AC voltage having a high voltage value can be applied to the vibrator without excessively increasing the size and power consumption of the overall circuit.

1 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.
2 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.
3 is a diagram showing hardware configurations of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.
4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a first boost circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.
5 is a schematic diagram of a second boost circuit according to one embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a detailed circuit diagram of the second boost circuit shown in FIG. 5 .
7 is a detailed circuit diagram of the power driving circuit shown in FIG. 6;
8 is a diagram illustrating PWM signals according to an exemplary embodiment.
9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the second boost circuit according to an embodiment.
11 is a graph illustrating a change in voltage applied to a vibrator according to an exemplary embodiment.
12 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

The terms used in the embodiments have been selected from general terms that are currently widely used as much as possible while considering the functions in the present invention, but they may vary depending on the intention of a person skilled in the art, precedent, or the emergence of new technologies. In addition, in a specific case, there is also a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention, not simply the name of the term.

When it is said that a certain part "includes" a certain component throughout the specification, it means that it may further include other components without excluding other components unless otherwise stated. In addition, terms such as "...unit" and "...module" described in the specification mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which is implemented as hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software. It can be.

As used in this disclosure, expressions such as “at least one”, when preceded by a list of elements, define the entire list of elements, not individual elements of the list. For example, the expression “at least one of a, b, and c” means “a”, “b”, “c”, “a and b”, “a and c”, “b and c”, or “a”. , b and c”.

In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as 'first' or 'second' used in the present disclosure may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

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

Referring to FIG. 1 , an aerosol generating device 10 may include a battery 110, an atomizer 120, a sensor 130, a user interface 140, a memory 150, and a processor 160. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 1 . Depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 10, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that some of the hardware configurations shown in FIG. 1 may be omitted or new configurations may be further added. .

As an example, the aerosol generating device 10 may include a body, in which case the hardware elements included in the aerosol generating device 10 are located in the body.

As another embodiment, the aerosol generating device 10 may include a main body and a cartridge, and hardware elements included in the aerosol generating device 10 may be separately located in the main body and the cartridge. Alternatively, at least some of the hardware elements included in the aerosol generating device 10 may be located in the main body and the cartridge, respectively.

Hereinafter, the position of each element included in the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited, and the operation of each element will be described.

The battery 110 supplies power used to operate the aerosol generating device 10 . For example, battery 110 may supply power to enable atomizer 120 to atomize an aerosol-generating substance. In addition, the battery 110 provides power required for the operation of other hardware elements included in the aerosol generating device 10, for example, the sensor 130, the user interface 140, the memory 150, and the processor 160. can supply The battery 110 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery.

For example, the battery 110 may be a nickel-based battery (eg, a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery), or a lithium-based battery (eg, a lithium-cobalt battery, a lithium-phosphate battery, or a lithium-based battery). titanate battery, lithium-ion battery or lithium-polymer battery). However, the type of battery 110 that can be used in the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited as described above. If necessary, the battery 110 may include an alkaline battery or a manganese battery.

The atomizer 120 receives power from the battery 110 under the control of the processor 160 . The atomizer 120 may atomize the aerosol generating material stored in the aerosol generating device 10 by receiving power from the battery 110 .

The atomizer 120 may be located in the body of the aerosol generating device 10 . Alternatively, when the aerosol generating device 10 includes a main body and a cartridge, the atomizer 120 may be located in the cartridge or separately located in the main body and the cartridge. When the atomizer 120 is located in the cartridge, the atomizer 120 may receive power from the battery 110 located in at least one of the main body and the cartridge. In addition, when the atomizer 120 is divided into the main body and the cartridge, parts requiring power supply in the atomizer 120 may be supplied with power from the battery 110 located in at least one of the main body and the cartridge.

The atomizer 120 generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material inside the cartridge. Aerosol means a suspension in which liquid and/or solid fine particles are dispersed in a gas. Accordingly, the aerosol generated from the atomizer 120 may refer to a state in which vaporized particles generated from an aerosol generating material and air are mixed. For example, the atomizer 120 may convert the phase of the aerosol-generating material into a gaseous phase through vaporization and/or sublimation. In addition, the atomizer 120 may generate an aerosol by discharging liquid and/or solid aerosol-generating substances into fine particles.

For example, the atomizer 120 may 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 an aerosol generating material with ultrasonic vibration generated by a vibrator.

Although not shown in FIG. 1 , the atomizer 120 may optionally include a heater capable of heating an aerosol generating material by generating heat. The aerosol-generating material may be heated by a heater, resulting in the creation of an aerosol.

The heater may be formed from any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials are 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. In addition, the heater may be implemented as a metal heating wire, a metal hot plate on which an electrically conductive track is disposed, a ceramic heating element, etc., but is not limited thereto.

For example, in one embodiment the heater may be part of a cartridge. Also, the cartridge may include a liquid delivery means and a reservoir described below. The aerosol-generating material contained in the reservoir may move to the liquid delivery means, and the heater may generate an aerosol by heating the aerosol-generating material absorbed in the liquid delivery means. For example, a heater may be wound around the liquid delivery means or disposed adjacent to the liquid delivery means.

As another example, the aerosol generating device 10 may include an accommodation space capable of accommodating cigarettes, and the heater may heat the cigarette inserted into the accommodation space of the aerosol generating device 10 . As the cigarette is accommodated in the accommodation space of the aerosol generating device 10, the heater may be located inside and/or outside the cigarette. As such, the heater may heat the aerosol-generating material in the cigarette to generate an aerosol.

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

The aerosol generating device 10 may include at least one sensor 130 . A result sensed by at least one sensor 130 is transmitted to the processor 160, and according to the sensing result, the processor 160 controls the operation of the atomizer 120, restricts smoking, and inserts a cartridge (or cigarette) / The aerosol generating device 10 may be controlled so that various functions such as non-judgment and notification display are performed.

For example, at least one sensor 130 may include a puff detection sensor. The puff detection sensor may detect a user's puff based on at least one of a change in flow of air flowing in from the outside, 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 160 may determine a puff period and a non-puff period according to the detected start timing and end timing of the puff. can judge

Also, at least one sensor 130 may include a user input sensor. The user input sensor may be a sensor capable of receiving a user's input, such as a switch, a physical button, or a touch sensor. For example, the touch sensor may be a capacitive sensor capable of detecting a user's input by generating a change in capacitance when the user touches a predetermined area formed of a metal material and detecting the change in capacitance. there is. The processor 160 may determine whether a user's input has occurred by comparing values before and after the change in capacitance received from the capacitive sensor. When the value before and after the capacitance change exceeds a preset threshold, the processor 160 may determine that a user's input has occurred.

Also, at least one sensor 130 may include a motion sensor. Information about the movement of the aerosol generating device 10, such as inclination, moving speed and acceleration of the aerosol generating device 10, may be obtained through the motion sensor. For example, the motion sensor may include a state in which the aerosol generating device 10 is moving, a state in which the aerosol generating device 10 is stationary, a state in which the aerosol generating device 10 is tilted at an angle within a predetermined range for a puff, and each puff operation. Information about a state in which the aerosol generating device 10 is tilted at an angle different from that during the puff operation may be measured between them. The motion sensor may measure motion information of the aerosol generating device 10 using various methods known in the art. For example, the motion sensor may include an acceleration sensor capable of measuring acceleration in three directions, an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis, and a gyro sensor capable of measuring angular velocity in three directions.

Also, at least one sensor 130 may include a proximity sensor. Proximity sensor refers to a sensor that detects the presence or distance of an approaching object or an object existing nearby without mechanical contact by using the force of an electromagnetic field or infrared rays, through which a user approaches the aerosol generating device 10 It can be detected whether or not

Also, at least one sensor 130 may include an image sensor. The image sensor may include, for example, a camera for obtaining an image of an object. The image sensor may recognize an object based on an image acquired by a camera. The processor 160 may determine whether the user is in a situation to use the aerosol generating device 10 by analyzing the image acquired through the image sensor. For example, when the user brings the aerosol generating device 10 close to the lips to use the aerosol generating device 10, the image sensor may acquire an image of the lips. The processor 160 may analyze the obtained image to determine that the user is in a situation to use the aerosol generating device 10 when it is determined as the lips. Through this, the aerosol generating device 10 may operate the atomizer 120 in advance or preheat the heater.

In addition, the at least one sensor 130 may include a consumables attachment/detachment sensor capable of detecting attachment or detachment of consumables (eg, cartridges, cigarettes, etc.) that may be used in the aerosol generating device 10 . For example, the consumables detachment sensor may detect whether consumables are in contact with the aerosol generating device 10 or determine whether consumables are detached by an image sensor. In addition, the consumable detachment sensor may be an inductance sensor that detects a change in inductance value of a coil that can interact with a marker of consumables, or a capacitance sensor that detects a change in capacitance value of a capacitor that can interact with markers of consumables.

Also, at least one sensor 130 may include a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the vibrator or heater (or aerosol generating material) of the atomizer 120 . The aerosol generating device 10 may include a separate temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of the vibrator or heater, or the heater itself may serve as the temperature sensor instead of including the separate temperature sensor. Alternatively, a separate temperature sensor may be further included in the aerosol generating device 10 while the heater serves as the temperature sensor. In addition, the temperature sensor may detect not only the vibrator or the heater, but also the temperature of internal parts such as a printed circuit board (PCB) and a battery of the aerosol generating device 10.

In addition, the at least one sensor 130 may include various sensors that measure information about the surrounding environment of the aerosol generating device 10 . For example, the at least one sensor 130 may include a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the surrounding environment, a humidity sensor for measuring the humidity of the surrounding environment, and an atmospheric pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the surrounding environment.

The sensor 130 that may be provided in the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to the above-described type, and may further include various sensors. For example, the aerosol generating device 10 may include a fingerprint sensor capable of obtaining fingerprint information from a user's finger for user authentication and security, an iris recognition sensor that analyzes an iris pattern of a pupil, and a vein injection from an image of a palm. It may include a vein recognition sensor that detects the amount of infrared absorption of reduced hemoglobin, a face recognition sensor that recognizes feature points such as eyes, nose, mouth, and facial contours in a 2D or 3D manner, and a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) sensor. there is.

In the aerosol generating device 10, only some of the examples of the various sensors 130 illustrated above may be selected and implemented. In other words, the aerosol generating device 10 may combine and utilize information sensed by at least one of the sensors described above.

User interface 140 may provide information about the status of aerosol-generating device 10 to a user. The user interface 140 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 a user or outputs information to the user. ) Terminals for data communication with interfacing means (e.g., buttons or touch screens) or receiving charging power, 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 interface.

However, only some of the various examples of the user interface 140 illustrated above may be selected and implemented in the aerosol generating device 10 .

The memory 150 is hardware that stores various data processed in the aerosol generating device 10, and the memory 150 may store data processed by the processor 160 and data to be processed. The memory 150 may be a random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). It can be implemented in different types.

The memory 150 may store the operation time of the aerosol generating device 10, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and data on a user's smoking pattern.

The processor 160 controls the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 10 . The processor 160 may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a microprocessor and a memory in which programs executable by the microprocessor are stored. In addition, those skilled in the art can understand that the processor 160 may be implemented in other types of hardware.

The processor 160 analyzes a result sensed by at least one sensor 130 and controls subsequent processes to be performed. For example, the processor 160 may control power supplied to the atomizer 120 so that the operation of the atomizer 120 starts or ends based on a result sensed by the at least one sensor 130. there is. In addition, the processor 160 determines the amount of power supplied to the atomizer 120 so that the atomizer 120 can generate an appropriate amount of aerosol based on the result sensed by the at least one sensor 130 and You can control when power is supplied. For example, the processor 160 may control the current or voltage supplied to the vibrator of the atomizer 120 so that the vibrator vibrates at a predetermined frequency.

In one embodiment, the processor 160 may initiate operation of the atomizer 120 after receiving a user input for the aerosol generating device 10 . Also, the processor 160 may start the operation of the atomizer 120 after detecting a user's puff using a puff sensor. In addition, the processor 160 may count the number of puffs using a puff sensor and stop supplying power to the atomizer 120 when the number of puffs reaches a predetermined number.

The processor 160 may control the user interface 140 based on a result sensed by the at least one sensor 130 . For example, when the number of puffs reaches a predetermined number after counting the number of puffs using a puff sensor, the processor 160 provides the user with an aerosol generating device 10 using at least one of a lamp, a motor, and a speaker. ) can be foretold that it will end soon.

Meanwhile, although not shown in FIG. 1 , the aerosol generating device 10 may be included in the aerosol generating system along with a separate cradle. For example, the cradle can be used to charge the battery 110 of the aerosol generating device 10 . For example, the aerosol generating device 10 may charge the battery 110 of the aerosol generating device 10 by receiving power from the battery of the cradle while being accommodated in the accommodation space inside the cradle.

An embodiment may be implemented in the form of a recording medium including 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 nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. Also, computer readable media may include both computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and nonvolatile, 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. Communication media typically includes computer readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal such as program modules, or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media.

2 is a schematic diagram of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

An aerosol generating device 10 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 includes a cartridge 20 containing an aerosol generating substance and a body 25 supporting the cartridge 20 .

The cartridge 20 may be coupled to the main body 25 while accommodating the aerosol generating material therein. For example, as at least a portion of the cartridge 20 is inserted into the body 25, the cartridge 20 and the body 25 may be coupled. As another example, by inserting at least a portion of the body 25 into the cartridge 20, the cartridge 20 and the body 25 may be coupled.

The cartridge 20 and the body 25 may be coupled by at least one of a snap-fit method, a screw coupling method, a magnetic coupling method, or an interference fit method, but the cartridge 20 and the body ( 25) is not limited to the above example.

In one embodiment, the cartridge 20 may include a mouthpiece 210 that is inserted into the user's oral cavity during the user's inhalation process. In one embodiment, the mouthpiece 210 may be disposed in another area opposite to one area coupled to the main body 25 of the cartridge 20, and discharges aerosol generated from an aerosol generating material to the outside. An outlet 210e may be included.

A pressure difference between the outside and the inside of the cartridge 20 may occur due to a user's inhalation or puff action, and the aerosol generated inside the cartridge 20 due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cartridge 20 It may be discharged to the outside of the cartridge 20 through the outlet 210e. The user may be supplied with aerosol discharged to the outside of the cartridge 20 through the outlet 210e by inhaling the mouthpiece 210 in contact with the oral cavity.

In one embodiment, the cartridge 20 may include a reservoir 220 located in the inner space of the housing 200 and containing an aerosol generating material. In the present disclosure, the expression "a reservoir accommodates an aerosol generating substance" refers to the fact that the reservoir 220 simply performs a function of containing an aerosol generating substance, such as the use of a container, and the inside of the reservoir 220 is exemplified. It means including elements containing (impregnating) an aerosol-generating material, such as, for example, a sponge, cotton, fabric, or porous ceramic structure.

The cartridge 20 may hold the aerosol generating material in any one state, such as, for example, a liquid state, a solid state, a gaseous state, or a gel state. Aerosol generating materials may include liquid compositions. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid comprising tobacco-containing substances, a liquid comprising volatile tobacco flavor components, and/or a liquid comprising non-tobacco substances.

The liquid composition may include, for example, any one of water, solvent, ethanol, plant extract, fragrance, flavoring agent, and vitamin mixture, or a mixture of these ingredients. Fragrance may include menthol, peppermint, spearmint oil, various fruit flavor components, etc., but is not limited thereto. Flavoring agents can include ingredients that can provide a variety of 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. Liquid compositions may also contain aerosol formers such as glycerin and propylene glycol.

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

The acid for forming the nicotine salt may be appropriately selected in consideration of the absorption rate of nicotine in the blood, the operating temperature of the aerosol generating device 10, flavor or taste, solubility, and the like. 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 a single acid selected from the group consisting of malic acid or the above It may be a mixture of two or more acids selected from the group, but is not limited thereto.

The aerosol generating device 10 may include an atomizer 120 that generates an aerosol by converting a phase of an aerosol generating material inside the cartridge 20 .

In one example, the aerosol-generating material stored or received in the reservoir 220 may be supplied to the atomizer 120 by the liquid delivery means 230, and the atomizer 120 is supplied from the liquid delivery means 230. An aerosol can be created by atomizing the aerosol-generating material. The liquid delivery unit 230 may be, for example, a wick including at least one of cotton fiber, ceramic fiber, glass fiber, and porous ceramic, but is not limited thereto.

According to one embodiment, the atomizer 120 of the aerosol generating device 10 may change the phase of the aerosol generating material by using an ultrasonic vibration method to atomize the aerosol generating material with ultrasonic vibration.

For example, the atomizer 120 may include a vibrator generating short-period vibration, and the vibration generated from the vibrator may be ultrasonic vibration. The frequency of the ultrasonic vibration may be about 100 kHz to about 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto. The aerosol-generating material supplied from the reservoir 220 to the atomizer 120 by the short-period vibration generated by the vibrator may be vaporized and/or made into particles to be atomized into an aerosol.

The vibrator may include, for example, a piezoelectric ceramic, and the piezoelectric ceramic generates electricity (voltage) by a physical force (pressure) and, conversely, generates vibration (mechanical force) when electricity is applied thereto. It may be a functional material capable of mutually converting mechanical forces. As electricity is applied to the vibrator, vibration (physical force) of a short period may be generated, and the generated vibration may break the aerosol-generating material into small particles and atomize it into an aerosol.

The vibrator may be electrically connected to other components of the aerosol generating device 10 through an electrical connection member. For example, the vibrator may be electrically connected to at least one of the battery 110 of the aerosol generating device 10, the processor 160, or the circuitry of the aerosol generating device 10 through an electrical connection member, but the vibrator and electrical Components connected to are not limited to the above-described examples.

The vibrator may receive current or voltage from the battery 110 through an electrical connection member to generate ultrasonic vibration, or the processor 160 may control its operation.

The electrical connection member may include, for example, at least one of a pogo pin or a C-clip, but the electrical connection member is not limited to the above examples. As another example, the electrical connection member may include at least one of a cable or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).

In another embodiment (not shown), the atomizer 120 also has the function of absorbing the aerosol-generating material and maintaining it in an optimal state for converting the aerosol-generating material into an aerosol without using a separate liquid delivery means 230 and the aerosol-generating material. It may also be implemented as a mesh-shaped or plate-shaped vibration receiving unit that performs all of the functions of generating aerosol by transmitting vibration to the body.

In the drawings, only the embodiment in which the liquid delivery means 230 and the atomizer 120 are disposed in the cartridge 20 is shown, but the arrangement structure of the liquid delivery means 230 and the atomizer 120 is shown. is not limited to In another embodiment, the liquid delivery means 230 may be disposed in the cartridge 20 and the atomizer 120 may be disposed in the body 25 .

The cartridge 20 of the aerosol generating device 10 may include an exit passageway 240 . The discharge passage 240 is located inside the cartridge 20 and may connect or communicate with the atomizer 120 and the outlet 210e of the mouthpiece 210 . Accordingly, the aerosol generated in the atomizer 120 may flow along the discharge passage 240, and may be discharged to the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 through the discharge port 210e and delivered to the user.

For example, the discharge passage 240 may be arranged to be surrounded by the reservoir 220 inside the cartridge 20, but is not limited thereto.

Although not shown in the drawing, the cartridge 20 of the aerosol generating device 10 is configured to allow air located outside the aerosol generating device 10 (hereinafter referred to as “external air”) to flow into the aerosol generating device 10. It may include at least one air inlet passage.

External air may be introduced into a space where aerosol is generated by the discharge passage 240 or the atomizer 120 inside the cartridge 20 through at least one air introduction passage. The entrained outside air may mix with vaporized particles generated from the aerosol-generating material, resulting in an aerosol.

The cross-sectional shape of the cartridge 20 and the main body 25 in the aerosol generating device 10 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction may be approximately circular, elliptical, square, rectangular, or various polygonal cross-sectional shapes. However, the shape of the cross section of the aerosol generating device 10 is not limited to the above-described shape, or the aerosol generating device 10 is not necessarily formed in a structure extending in a straight line when extending in the longitudinal direction.

In another embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the aerosol generating device 10 may be curved in a streamlined shape to make it easier for a user to hold by hand, or may be bent at a predetermined angle in a specific area and extended long. It can vary along the length direction.

3 is a diagram showing hardware configurations of an aerosol generating device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, an aerosol generating device (eg, the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 1 or 2) includes a battery 110 and a processor 160, as well as a first boost circuit 310 and a second boost circuit ( 320) may be further included.

For convenience of description in FIG. 3 and embodiments of the drawings to be described below, the processor 160, the first boost circuit 310, and the second boost circuit 320 are shown as separate components, but this Implementations of the embodiments are not limited thereto. In other words, at least one of the first boost circuit 310 and the second boost circuit 320 may be a component included in the processor 160 . In addition, each of the first boost circuit 310 and the second boost circuit 320 is located in either of the main body (eg, the main body 25 of FIG. 2) and the cartridge (eg, the cartridge 20 of FIG. 2) of the aerosol generating device. can be placed. Variations such as these may be construed as falling within the scope of the present embodiments.

The battery 110 may supply a battery voltage V _BAT having a first voltage value. The first voltage value may be included in the range of 3.4V to 4.2V, but is not limited thereto. The first voltage value may be included in the range of 3.8V to 6V, and may be included in the range of 2.5V to 3.6V. Since the size of the aerosol generating device may be limited for portability, the size of the battery 110 included in the aerosol generating device may also be limited. Accordingly, the first voltage value of the battery voltage V _BAT supplied by the battery 110 may not be sufficient to stably and efficiently drive the vibrator, and a step-up of the battery voltage V _BAT may be required. there is.

The first boost circuit 310 may boost the battery voltage V _BAT to a first boosting voltage V ₁ having a second voltage value higher than the first voltage value. The battery voltage (V _BAT ) and the first boosting voltage (V ₁ ) may be direct current (DC) voltages. The second voltage value may be included in the range of 10V to 13V, but is not limited thereto. The second voltage value may be included in the range of 7V to 10.5V, and may be included in the range of 12V to 20V. In one example, the second voltage value may be at least three times greater than the first voltage value, that is, the battery voltage. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto. Hereinafter, the first boost circuit 310 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4 .

4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a first boost circuit according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the first boost circuit 310 includes an input terminal V _IN to which a battery voltage V _BAT is applied, a switch terminal SW connected to the input terminal V _IN through a power inductor L0, and a reference voltage terminal V _REF , and a DC-DC converter 410 including an output terminal V _OUT outputting the first boosting voltage V ₁ . The reference voltage terminal V _REF may represent a reference voltage of the DC-DC converter 410 .

In addition, the first boost circuit 310 has a first resistor R1 having one end connected to the output terminal V _OUT and the other end connected to the reference voltage terminal V _REF , and one end connected to the reference voltage terminal V _REF , and the other end It may include a second resistor (R2) connected to the ground.

The DC-DC converter 410 may output the first boosting voltage V ₁ based on the ratio of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2. For example, the DC-DC converter 410 may output the first boosting voltage V ₁ to the output terminal V _OUT according to Equation 1 below.

In one example, the battery voltage (V _BAT ) is applied to the input terminal of the DC-DC converter 410, the first resistor (R1) is 510 kΩ, the second resistor (R2) is 42.5 kΩ, and the reference voltage terminal V When the voltage of _REF is 1V, the DC-DC converter 410 may output the first boosting voltage (V ₁ ) of 13V to the output terminal V _OUT according to Equation 1 above.

In the example, when the battery voltage (V _BAT ) is 4.2V, the first boost circuit 310 may boost the battery voltage (V _BAT ) three times or more. Meanwhile, the step-up rate of the first boost circuit 310 may vary according to the ratio of the first resistor R1 and the second resistor R2, but the first boost circuit 310 may not have a very high step-up rate. there is. For example, the first boost circuit 310 may boost the battery voltage V _BAT 3 times or more, but not more than 6 times. In this way, the first boost circuit 310 may boost the battery voltage V _BAT only by an appropriate boosting rate in order not to excessively increase the overall circuit size.

Returning to FIG. 3 again, the second boost circuit 320 sets the first boosting voltage (V ₁ ) to a second voltage having a third voltage value higher than the second voltage value as a peak-to-peak voltage value. It can be boosted with a boosting voltage (V ₂ ). The third voltage value may be included in the range of 55V to 70V, but is not limited thereto. The third voltage value may be included in the range of 45V to 60V, and may be included in the range of 65V to 80V. In one example, the third voltage value may be at least four times greater than the second voltage value. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto. Hereinafter, the second boost circuit 320 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 .

5 is a schematic diagram of a second boost circuit according to one embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the second boost circuit 320 includes a power driving circuit 500 and a boost circuit 510 . The power driving circuit 500 receives the first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM_N signal from the processor 160 and generates a first switching voltage Vsw_p and a second switching voltage Vsw_n, It is transmitted to the input side of the boost circuit 510.

The step-up circuit 510 boosts the first boosting voltage V1 output from the first boost circuit 310 to the second boosting voltage V2 according to the first switching voltage Vsw_p and the second switching voltage Vsw_n. and apply it to the vibrator. Detailed configurations of the power driving circuit 500 and the boost circuit 510 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , the power driving circuit 500 is illustrated as one IC (Integrated Circuit, hereinafter referred to as IC) having five input/output terminals. Here, only five input/output terminals are shown, but this is for convenience of explanation, and additional terminals may be further provided to implement additional functions.

The first boosting voltage V1 output from the first boost circuit 310 is applied to the VCC terminal and can be used as an internal power source of the power driving circuit 500 .

The PWM_P signal from the processor 160 is input to the INA terminal, and the PWM_N signal is input to the INB terminal. The PWM_P signal and the PWM_N signal are pulse signals complementary to each other and have a predetermined duty ratio. The PWM_P signal and the PWM_N signal will be described later with reference to FIG. 8 .

A switching voltage (Vsw_p) signal generated based on the PWM_P signal is output through the OUTA terminal, and a switching voltage (Vsw_n) signal generated based on the PWM_N signal is output through the OUTB terminal. Each of the switching voltage signals is applied to the gate electrode of each of the first transistor TR1 and the second transistor TR2 of the boost circuit 510 .

The boost circuit 510 includes a first inductor L1, a first transistor TR1, a second inductor L2, and a second transistor TR2.

One end of the first inductor L1 is connected to the first boosting voltage V1 line, and the other end is connected to one end of the vibrator.

The first transistor TR1 is connected to the other terminal of the first inductor L1 and switches current flow between the first inductor L1 and the ground according to the first switching voltage Vsw_p. The first transistor TR1 switches current flow between a source electrode connected to the ground and a drain electrode connected to the other end of the first inductor L1 according to the state of the first switching voltage V _{SW_P} applied to the gate electrode. A semiconductor switch may be included. For example, the first transistor TR1 may be implemented as an N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). However, it is not limited thereto, and the first transistor TR1 may be implemented with a P-channel MOSFET or other types of semiconductor switching elements instead of an N-channel MOSFET.

One end of the second inductor L2 is connected to the first boosting voltage V1 line, and the other end is connected to the other end of the vibrator.

The second transistor TR2 is connected to the other terminal of the second inductor L2 and switches current flow between the second inductor L2 and the ground according to the second switching voltage Vsw_n. The second transistor TR2 switches the current flow between the source electrode connected to the ground and the drain electrode connected to the other end of the second inductor L2 according to the state of the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} applied to the gate electrode. A semiconductor switch may be included. For example, the second transistor TR2 may be implemented as an N-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). However, it is not limited thereto, and the second transistor TR2 may be implemented with a P-channel MOSFET or other types of semiconductor switching elements instead of an N-channel MOSFET.

Meanwhile, as the voltage V _GS between the gate electrode and the source electrode of each of the first transistor TR1 and the second transistor TR2 increases, the source electrode and the drain of each of the first transistor TR1 and the second transistor TR2 increase. Effective resistance R _DS(on) in the case where current flow between the electrodes is allowed can be reduced. Since the source electrode is connected to the ground, the voltage V _GS between the gate electrode and the source electrode of the first transistor TR1 and the second transistor TR2 is the first switching voltage V _{SW_P} and the second switching voltage V _{SW_N,} respectively. ) can correspond to In one example, the maximum value of effective resistance R _DS(on) when voltage V _GS is 6V is 72 mΩ, whereas the maximum value of effective resistance R _DS(on) when voltage V _GS is 10 V is reduced to 59 mΩ. can Accordingly, the power driving circuit 500 may be controlled so that the first switching voltage V _{SW_P} and the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} are 10V or higher. For example, the first and second PWM signals input from the processor 160 through the power driving circuit 320 may be amplified into switching voltage signals of 10V or more. Accordingly, the overall efficiency of the circuit may be increased. However, the first switching voltage V _{SW_P} and the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} may be limited to a maximum of 20V or less.

FIG. 7 is a detailed circuit diagram of the power driving circuit 500 shown in FIG. 6 . FIG. 7 is a more detailed internal circuit of the power driving circuit 500 shown in FIG. 6 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , the first PWM signal PWM_P is input through the INA terminal 501 and the second PWM signal PWM_N is input through the INB terminal 502 . The first boosting voltage, that is, the voltage V1 boosted through the first boost circuit 310 shown in FIG. 3 is input through the VCC terminal 505 . The VCC voltage is used as an internal power source of the power driving circuit 500.

The first PWM signal PWM_P is amplified by the amplifier 507 through the AND gate, and is output through the OUTA terminal 503 as the first switching voltage Vsw_p.

The second PWM signal PWM_N is amplified by the amplifier 508 through the AND gate, and is output through the OUTB terminal 504 as the second switching voltage Vsw_n.

The output blocking circuit 506 detects when the output voltage of the power driving circuit 500 is insufficient, that is, when the first and second switching voltages are low, and performs a function of blocking the output. When the power switch is halfway turned on with insufficient gate-source voltage, the turn-on resistance becomes high. Current flows, and if the resistance is high, significant heat is generated in the power switch. Even if this state lasts for only a few seconds, the temperature rises rapidly and eventually there is a problem that an overcurrent flows due to a short circuit (if the temperature is higher than the critical point), or finally the power switch is destroyed. Therefore, the output blocking circuit 506 transmits an output blocking control signal to the AND gate when the voltage V _GS between the gate electrode and the source electrode of each of the first transistor TR1 and the second transistor TR2 is smaller than the threshold value. can In this case, when the value of the PWN control signal, for example, the logic signal "1" and the output blocking control signal, for example, the value of the logic signal "O" are applied, the output of the AND gate becomes "O" and the switching voltage is not printed out. Here, the determination may be made based on the gate-source voltage (Vgs) of the first or second transistor or based on whether the first or second switching voltage is equal to or less than a predetermined value, for example, 10V.

Although it has been described that the output blocking control signal from the output blocking circuit 506 described with reference to FIG. 7 is logically operated in the AND gate, it is not limited thereto, and it is possible to implement various logic circuits, of course.

The power driving circuit 500 processes complementary PWM signals, for example, the first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM signal PWM_N, in one integrated circuit, and then boosts the AC voltage to the vibrator ( For example, the second boosting voltage (V ₂ ) may be applied. A process of applying an AC voltage to the vibrator will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 8 to 11 .

8 is a diagram illustrating PWM signals according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8 , examples of the first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM signal PWM_N are shown. The first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM signal PWM_N may refer to signals that repeat a high state and a low state according to a predetermined period (T).

The first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM signal PWM_N may be complementary. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , when the first PWM signal PWM_P is in a high state, the second PWM signal PWM_N is in a low state, and when the first PWM signal PWM_P is in a low state, the second PWM signal is in a low state. The PWM signal PWM_N may be in a high state.

In one example, the duty ratio of each of the first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM signal PWM_N may be 50%. In this case, t ₁ may be 0.5T, t ₂ may be 1.5T, and t ₃ may be 2.5T. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto, and the duty ratios of the first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM signal PWM_N may have different values. However, since the first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM signal PWM_N are complementary, the sum of the duty ratios of the first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM signal PWM_N must be 100%.

Meanwhile, since the first PWM signal PWM_P and the second PWM signal PWM_N are complementary, when the high state first switching voltage V _{SW_P} is applied to the first transistor TR1, the second transistor TR2 When the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} in a low state is applied and the first switching voltage V SW_P in a low state is applied to the first transistor TR1, the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} in a high state is applied to the second transistor TR2. 2 A switching voltage (V _{SW_N} ) may be applied.

9 and 10 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the second boost circuit according to an embodiment.

When the first switching voltage V _{SW_P} is in a first state (eg, high or low state) and the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} is in a second state (eg, low or high state), As current flow between one of the first inductor (L1) and the second inductor (L2) and the ground is allowed, energy corresponding to a change in current flowing through the one inductor is stored in the one inductor, As current flow between the other one of the first inductor L1 and the second inductor L2 and the ground is blocked, energy stored in the other one inductor can be transferred to the vibrator.

Referring to FIG. 9 , an equivalent circuit of the second boost circuit 320 when the first switching voltage V _{SW_P} is in a high state and the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} is in a low state is shown.

As shown in FIG. 9 , when the first switching voltage V _{SW_P} is in a high state, current may flow between the source electrode and the drain terminal of the first transistor TR1 . Accordingly, current flow between the first inductor L1 and the ground may be permitted. The first inductor L1 is also connected to the transducer P, but the transducer P has a non-zero load value (eg, capacitance), whereas the resistance of the ground is zero or substantially close to zero, Substantially all of the current I ₁ flowing through the first inductor L1 may be transferred to the ground. Meanwhile, since current I 1 flows through the first inductor _L1 , the first inductor L1 may store energy corresponding to the current I ₁ .

When the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} is in a low state, current flow between the source electrode and the drain terminal of the second transistor TR2 may be blocked. Accordingly, energy stored in the second inductor L2 may be supplied to the vibrator P. For example, the current I flowing through the vibrator P may correspond to the current I ₂ flowing through the second inductor L2.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 10 , an equivalent circuit of the second boost circuit 320 when the first switching voltage V _{SW_P} is in a low state and the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} is in a high state is shown.

As shown in FIG. 10 , when the first switching voltage V _{SW_P} is in a low state, current flow between the source electrode and the drain terminal of the first transistor TR1 may be blocked. Accordingly, energy stored in the first inductor L1 may be supplied to the vibrator P. For example, the current I flowing through the vibrator P may correspond to the current I ₁ flowing through the first inductor L1.

When the second switching voltage V _{SW_N} is in a high state, current flow between the source electrode and the drain terminal of the second transistor TR2 may be allowed. Accordingly, current flow between the second inductor L2 and the ground may be permitted. The second inductor L2 is also connected to the oscillator P, but since the oscillator P has a non-zero load value (eg, capacitance), the resistance of the ground is 0 or substantially close to 0, Substantially all of the current I ₂ flowing through the second inductor L2 may be transferred to the ground. Meanwhile, since current I 2 flows through the second inductor _L2 , the second inductor L2 may store energy corresponding to the current I ₂ .

)에 비례할 수 있다.On the other hand, each of the first switching voltage (V _{SW_P} ) and the second switching voltage (V _{SW_N} ) has a frequency corresponding to the PWM signal and corresponds to a voltage signal that repeats a high state or a low state, FIGS. 9 and 10 The switching states described above with reference to can be quickly repeated. The counter electromotive force of the inductor is the inductance value (L) of the inductor and the change in current over time (

) can be proportional to

Therefore, as the first boosting voltage (V ₁ ) increases, the current (I) itself flowing through the inductor increases, or as the switching speed increases (ie, as the period of the PWM signal decreases), a higher voltage can be applied to the vibrator. there is.

In an embodiment, a PCB size may be reduced by integrating a switching driver circuit for driving an ultrasonic vibrator and a power driving circuit shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 into one IC.

11 is a graph illustrating a change in voltage applied to a vibrator according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 11 , changes in voltage applied to the vibrator are illustrated according to the circuit configurations described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 10 . In the example of FIG. 11 , the peak-to-peak voltage value of the AC voltage applied to the vibrator may correspond to a range of 55V to 70V. This is a value corresponding to a minimum of 13.1 times to a maximum of 20.6 times the battery voltage (eg, 3.4V to 4.2V). As such, according to the present disclosure, it can be seen that an AC voltage having a high voltage value can be applied to the vibrator without excessively increasing the size and power consumption of the overall circuit.

Returning to FIG. 3 again, the vibrator may generate ultrasonic vibration and atomize the aerosol-generating material as the second boosting voltage V ₂ is applied from the second boost circuit 320 . The processor 160 may control the battery 110 , the first boost circuit 310 and the second boost circuit 320 . For example, the processor 160 may transmit an enable signal to perform a step-up to the first boost circuit 310 and may transmit an enable signal and a PWM signal to the second boost circuit 320 .

12 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a cartridge according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 12 , a circuit configuration of a cartridge in an example in which a vibrator P is included in a cartridge (eg, the cartridge 20 of FIG. 2 ) is shown.

The cartridge is a resistor for removing or filtering noise generated in the process of applying an AC voltage (eg, the second boosting voltage (V ₂ )) to the vibrator from an external power source (eg, the second boost circuit 320 of FIG. 3 ). (R ₀ ). For example, the resistor R ₀ may be mounted on one area of the printed circuit board and disposed on the cartridge while being electrically connected to the vibrator.

As shown in FIG. 12 , the resistor R ₀ may remove or filter noise included in a voltage signal applied to the vibrator by forming a feedback circuit electrically connected to the vibrator in parallel. For example, the resistor R ₀ is a stable voltage to the vibrator by removing noise generated during operation (or “power on”) of the aerosol generating device (eg, the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 1 or 2). This can be authorized. In addition, the resistor R ₀ may remove or filter noise generated between the vibrator and an external power source when the AC voltage is applied to the vibrator or while the AC voltage is applied. Accordingly, damage to the vibrator due to noise can be prevented, and the cartridge or aerosol generating device can be drawn stably.

According to an embodiment, the resistor R ₀ is formed to have a resistance value of about 0.8MΩ to about 1.2MΩ to remove noise included in a voltage signal applied to the vibrator. However, the resistance value of the resistor R ₀ may be partially changed according to embodiments.

The description of the above-described embodiments is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention will be determined by the appended claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to those described in the claims will be construed as being included in the scope of protection defined by the claims.

10: aerosol generating device 320: second boost circuit
110: battery 410: DC-DC converter
120: atomizer 500: power drive circuit
130: sensor 510: boost circuit
140: user interface
150: memory
160: processor
20: cartridge
25: body
200: housing
210: mouthpiece
210e: outlet
220: reservoir
230 liquid delivery means
240: discharge passage
310: first boost circuit

Claims (12)

a battery supplying battery voltage;
a first boost circuit boosting the voltage to a first boosting voltage higher than the battery voltage;
A second boost for generating first and second switching voltages based on first and second PWM signals, respectively, and boosting the first boosting voltage to a second boosting voltage according to the generated first and second switching voltages. Circuit;
a vibrator generating ultrasonic vibrations and atomizing an aerosol-generating material as the second boosting voltage is applied; and
and a processor controlling the battery, the first boost circuit and the second boost circuit. According to claim 1,
The second boost circuit,
a power driving circuit for generating the first and second switching voltages, respectively, based on the first and second PWM signals input from the processor; and
and a boosting circuit for boosting the first boosting voltage to the second boosting voltage according to the first and second switching voltages output from the power driving circuit. According to claim 2,
The boost circuit,
a first inductor having one end to which the first boosting voltage is applied and the other end connected to one end of the vibrator;
a first transistor connected to the other terminal of the first inductor and switching current flow between the first inductor and a ground according to the first switching voltage;
a second inductor having one end applied with the first boosting voltage and the other end connected to the other end of the vibrator; and
and a second transistor connected to the other end of the second inductor and switching current flow between the second inductor and ground according to the second switching voltage. According to claim 2,
The power drive circuit,
When any one of the first and second switching voltages is less than or equal to a threshold voltage, the aerosol generating device further comprises an output blocking circuit for blocking the output of the power driving circuit. According to claim 2,
The power drive circuit,
Aerosol generating device implemented in one integrated IC. According to claim 1,
The first boosting voltage is at least three times higher than the battery voltage,
Wherein the second boosting voltage is at least four times greater than the first boosting voltage. According to claim 1,
The battery voltage and the first boosting voltage are direct current (DC) voltages, and the second boosting voltage is an alternating current (AC) voltage. According to claim 1,
The first boost circuit,
a DC-DC converter including an input terminal to which the battery voltage is applied, a switch terminal connected to the input terminal through a power inductor, a reference voltage terminal, and an output terminal outputting the first boosting voltage;
a first resistor having one end connected to the output terminal and the other end connected to the reference voltage terminal; and
An aerosol generating device comprising a second resistor having one end connected to the reference voltage terminal and the other end connected to ground. According to claim 8,
The DC-DC converter,
An aerosol generating device that outputs the first boosting voltage based on the ratio of the first resistance and the second resistance. According to claim 3,
The first transistor,
A semiconductor switch that switches a current flow between a source electrode connected to ground and a drain electrode connected to the other end of the first inductor according to a state of the first switching voltage applied to a gate electrode,
The second transistor,
A semiconductor switch that switches a current flow between a source electrode connected to the ground and a drain electrode connected to the other end of the inductor according to the state of the second switching voltage applied to the gate electrode, the aerosol generating device. According to claim 1,
The aerosol generating device, wherein the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal are complementary. According to claim 3,
When the first switching voltage is in a first state and the second switching voltage is in a second state,
As current flow between one of the first inductor and the second inductor and the ground is allowed, energy corresponding to a change in current flowing through the one inductor is stored in the one inductor,
As the current flow between the other one of the first inductor and the second inductor and the ground is blocked, the energy stored in the other inductor is transferred to the vibrator.

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