JP7496315B2 - Control unit, aerosol generating device, and method and program for controlling heater - Google Patents

Description

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

As an alternative to conventional combustion cigarettes, non-combustion aerosol generating devices are known that deliver aerosol generated by atomizing an aerosol source with a heater to a user (Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). Non-combustion aerosol generating devices heat smoking articles containing an aerosol source at high temperatures, which can result in high power consumption. For this reason, non-combustion aerosol generating devices are sometimes equipped with large-capacity batteries, which can result in the entire device becoming larger and heavier.

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

The first feature is a control unit including a control unit that controls a heater that heats an aerosol source, and the control unit is configured to control the temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first period, to control the temperature of the heater toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature during a second period after the first period, and to control the temperature of the heater toward a third target temperature lower than the second target temperature during a third period after the second period.

The second feature is a control unit in the first feature, wherein the difference between the first target temperature and the second target temperature is greater than the difference between the second target temperature and the third target temperature.

The third feature is a control unit in the first feature or the second feature, wherein the second period is longer than the first period and the third period.

The fourth feature is a control unit in any one of the first to third features, wherein the control unit is configured to be able to change the length of the first period based on the rate of temperature rise of the heater during the first period.

The fifth feature is a control unit in the fourth feature, in which the control unit is configured to change the first period to be shorter the shorter the period from when the heater starts to heat to when the predetermined temperature is reached.

The sixth feature is a control unit in the fourth or fifth feature, wherein the variable range of the first period has a predetermined upper limit value.

The seventh feature is a control unit in any one of the first to sixth features, wherein the control unit has a first off period in which power supply to the heater is stopped from the end of the first period through the beginning of the second period, and the first off period is set to 20 seconds or shorter.

The eighth feature is a control unit in any one of the first to seventh features, wherein the control unit has a second off period in which power supply to the heater is stopped from the end of the second period through the beginning of the three periods, and the second off period is set to 20 seconds or shorter.

The ninth feature is a control unit in any one of the first to eighth features, wherein the control unit is configured to notify that an inhalation period has started during the first period while the temperature of the heater is maintained at the first target temperature.

The tenth feature is a control unit in the ninth feature, wherein the control unit is configured to notify that the suction period has started in the latter half of the first period.

An eleventh feature is a control unit in any one of the first to tenth features, wherein the control unit is configured to stop supplying power to the heater after the third period.

The twelfth feature is a control unit in any one of the first to eleventh features, wherein the control unit is configured to stop the supply of power to the heater after the third period, and to notify the user that the inhalation period has ended a predetermined period after the stoppage.

The thirteenth feature is an aerosol generating device including a control unit in any one of the first to twelfth features and the heater.

The fourteenth feature is an aerosol generating device in the thirteenth feature, characterized in that the heater has a cylindrical shape capable of heating the outer periphery of a cylindrical smoking article.

The fifteenth feature is a method for controlling a heater that heats an aerosol source, comprising a first step of controlling the temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first period, a second step of controlling the temperature of the heater toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature during a second period after the first period, and a third step of controlling the temperature of the heater toward a third target temperature lower than the second target temperature during a third period after the second period.

The sixteenth feature is a program for causing an aerosol generating device to execute the method in the fifteenth feature.

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

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

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

[Disclosure Summary]
Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose heating profiles of a heater for generating aerosol by heating a smoking article. However, there is still room for further study on a heating profile that suppresses power consumption while achieving a desired amount of aerosol generation.

According to one aspect, the control unit includes a control unit that controls a heater that heats the aerosol source, and the control unit is configured to control the temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first period, to control the temperature of the heater toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature during a second period after the first period, and to control the temperature of the heater toward a third target temperature lower than the second target temperature during a third period after the second period.

In this embodiment, the first target temperature is set high in the first period, thereby increasing the rate at which the heater heats up. By increasing the rate at which the heater heats up, the period from when power supply to the heater starts until when the aerosol can be inhaled can be shortened.

By lowering the target temperature in the second and third periods, the power consumed in the second and third periods can be reduced. This makes it possible to lengthen the period during which aerosol can be generated, i.e., the period during which aerosol can be inhaled.

From the viewpoint of reducing power consumption as described above, it is preferable to control the heater at the third target temperature without passing through the second target temperature from the first target temperature. However, in that case, the period from the first target temperature to the third target temperature becomes longer. Since the heater is stopped during the period from the first target temperature to the third target temperature, if the user performs a puffing operation multiple times during this period, the heater temperature may fall below the third temperature. The inventor of the present application has found that once the heater temperature becomes too low, aerosol is not generated sufficiently, and it may become difficult to regenerate the aerosol.

In this embodiment, the temperature is passed through a second target temperature between the first and third target temperatures before transitioning from the first target temperature to the third target temperature, thereby shortening the period required for transition between each target temperature. Since the transition period during which the heater is stopped is shortened, it is possible to prevent the heater temperature from dropping too much due to multiple puffing operations.

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

The flavor inhaler 100 may be a non-combustion flavor inhaler for generating an aerosol from a smoking article without combustion. The flavor inhaler 100 may be, in particular, a portable device.

The flavor inhaler 100 has a smoking article 110 containing an aerosol source and an aerosol generating device 120 that generates an aerosol from the smoking article 110.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The lid 170 does not airtightly close the air flow path 160 even when it covers the air flow path 160. In other words, even when the lid 170 covers the air flow path 160, outside air can flow into the air flow path 160 through the vicinity of the lid 170.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Figure 8 is a diagram showing the heating profile of the heater. In this embodiment, the heating profile is a graph showing the time change of the target temperature for the control of the heater 30. The temperature control of the heater 30 can be realized, for example, by known feedback control. Specifically, the control unit 22 can supply power from the battery 22 to the heater 30 in the form of pulses by pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse frequency modulation (PFM). In this case, the control unit 22 can control the temperature of the heater 30 by adjusting the duty ratio of the power pulse.

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

As described above, in this embodiment, the power supplied to the heater 30 is controlled so that the actual temperature of the heater 30 approaches the target temperature of the heating profile. However, the heating profile may include points where the target temperature changes suddenly, and in such points the actual temperature of the heater 30 may temporarily deviate significantly from the target temperature. In the heating profile illustrated in Figure 8, the points where the actual temperature of the heater 30 deviates significantly from the target temperature are indicated by dashed lines.

In the example of FIG. 8, when power supply from the battery 10 to the heater 30 is started in response to a start-up request from a user, the control unit 22 first controls the temperature of the heater 30 toward the first target temperature TA1 during the first period P1. That is, the control unit 22 heats the heater 30 from the initial temperature toward the first target temperature TA1. In the first period P1, when the heater 30 reaches the first target temperature TA1, the control unit 22 controls the temperature of the heater 30 to maintain the first target temperature TA1.

The first target temperature TA1 is preferably 225-240°C, and may typically be 230°C. By setting the first target temperature TA1 relatively high in the first period P1, the rate at which the heater 30 heats up can be increased. By increasing the rate at which the heater 30 heats up, the period from when power supply to the heater 30 starts until aerosol inhalation becomes possible can be shortened.

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

In the example of FIG. 8, the notification that the inhalation period has started is made at timing T2. More specifically, the notification that the inhalation period has started may be made at timing T2 when a predetermined period P1b has elapsed since the temperature of the heater 30 reaches the first target temperature, or when a predetermined period has elapsed since the start of power supply to the heater 30, whichever is earlier. The predetermined period P1b is preferably 20 to 26 seconds, and may typically be 23 seconds. Preferably, the control unit 22 may be configured to notify that the inhalation period has started in the latter half of the first period P1. The latter half of the first period P1 means the period after the middle of the first period P1.

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

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

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

In this way, when the temperature of the heater 30 rises quickly, the power consumption used during the pre-heating period can be reduced by shortening the pre-heating period.

It is preferable that the range of variation of the first period P1, more specifically, the range of variation of the period (P1a+P1b) until the start of the inhalation period is notified, has a predetermined upper limit. For example, the upper limit of the period (P1a+P1b) from the start of power supply T0 to the start of the inhalation period is notified T2 is preferably 40 to 60 seconds, and typically 50 seconds. This makes it possible to prevent the control unit 22 from continuing preheating without transitioning to the second period P2 when the temperature of the heater 30 does not reach the first target temperature TA1.

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

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

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

It is preferable that the first off period is a time interval that does not allow a typical user to perform two or more inhalation operations. If a user performs two or more inhalation operations during the off period, the temperature of the heater 30 may drop rapidly and fall significantly below the second target temperature TA2. In this case, the amount of aerosol generated from the smoking article 110 may decrease. Assuming that the time interval between normal inhalation operations by a typical user is about 20 seconds, it is preferable that the first off period is in the range of, for example, 15 to 20 seconds. The first target temperature TA1 and the second target temperature TA2 can be set so that the temperature drop from the first target temperature TA1 to the second target temperature TA2 due to natural cooling during the first off period is performed within the above-mentioned time range. Alternatively, the control unit 22 can be configured to measure the time elapsed during the first off period and forcibly resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the first off period reaches a predetermined upper limit value. In this case, it is preferable that the upper limit value of the first off period is 15 to 20 seconds.

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

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

The control unit 22 may have a second off period in which the power supply to the heater 30 is stopped from the end of the second period P2 to the beginning of the third period P3. By providing the second off period, the temperature drop from the second target temperature TA2 to the third target temperature TA3 can be achieved in the shortest time. The control unit 22 can continue to measure the temperature of the heater 30 during the second off period. In this case, the control unit 22 can be configured to resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the temperature of the heater 30 drops to near the third target temperature TA3. The second off period, like the first off period, is preferably a time interval that prevents a typical user from performing two or more suction operations, and is preferably in the range of, for example, 15 to 20 seconds. The second target temperature TA2 and the third target temperature TA3 can be set so that the temperature drop from the second target temperature TA2 to the third target temperature TA3 due to natural cooling during the second off period is performed within the above-mentioned time range. Alternatively, the control unit 22 can be configured to measure the time lapse of the second OFF period, and forcibly resume the power supply to the heater 30 when the second OFF period reaches a predetermined upper limit value.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9 shows the heating profile of the heater and the aerosol delivery profile. The aerosol delivery profile is a graph showing the change over time of the main aerosol components delivered to the user's oral cavity when the user uses the flavor inhaler 100 according to specified inhalation conditions. The "main aerosol components" referred to here are substances that generate visible aerosol when heated to a certain temperature or higher, and specifically refer to the aerosol source contained in the filling 111 of the smoking article 110.

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

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

As previously discussed, the delivery profile of the primary aerosol component may depend primarily on the heating profile of the heater 30. However, it should be noted that the delivery profile in FIG. 9 is illustrative, since the delivery profile of the primary aerosol component may vary depending on factors such as the shape of the heater 30, the presence and shape of the insulating material 138, the size of the smoking article 110, the degree of contact between the heater 30 and the smoking article 110, and the location of the heated portion of the heater 30 relative to the smoking article 110.

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

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

Claims (16)

A control unit is provided for controlling a heater that heats the aerosol source,
the control unit is configured to control a temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first period, to control the temperature of the heater toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature during a second period after the first period, and to control the temperature of the heater toward a third target temperature lower than the second target temperature during a third period after the second period;
said control causes the aerosol delivery profile to have an ascending curve in the beginning, an upwardly convex curve in the middle, and a descending curve in the end, so that the aerosol delivery profile during a given inhalable period has a maximum value between the beginning and end of said inhalable period;
the inhalable period is a period spanning multiple inhalations, the delivery profile represents a time variation across the multiple inhalations of an amount of aerosol inhaled in each inhalation, the delivery profile having a shape that lags in time with respect to a heating profile of the heater defined by the first, second, and third target temperatures;
Controller unit. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the difference between the first target temperature and the second target temperature is greater than the difference between the second target temperature and the third target temperature. The control unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second period is longer than the first period and the third period. The control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit is configured to change the length of the first period based on the rate of temperature rise of the heater during the first period. The control unit according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured to change the first period to be shorter as the period from when the heater starts heating to when the predetermined temperature is reached is shorter. The control unit according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the variable range of the first period has a predetermined upper limit value. the control unit has a first off period in which power supply to the heater is stopped from an end of the first period through an initial period of the second period,
7. The control unit of claim 1, wherein the first off period is set to 20 seconds or less. the control unit has a second off period in which power supply to the heater is stopped from an end of the second period through an initial period of the three periods,
8. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the second off period is set to 20 seconds or less. The control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control unit is configured to notify that a period in which inhalation is possible has started during the first period in which the temperature of the heater is maintained at the first target temperature. The control unit according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to notify that a suction-enabled period has started in the latter half of the first period. The control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the control unit is configured to stop supplying power to the heater after the third period. The control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the control unit is configured to stop the supply of power to the heater after the third period and to notify the user that the inhalation period has ended after a predetermined period has elapsed since the stoppage. A control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 12;
The heater. The aerosol generating device according to claim 13, wherein the heater has a cylindrical shape capable of heating the outer periphery of a cylindrical smoking article. 1. A method for controlling a heater that heats an aerosol source, comprising:
a first step of controlling a temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first time period;
a second step of controlling a temperature of the heater during a second period after the first period toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature;
and a third step of controlling the temperature of the heater during a third period after the second period toward a third target temperature that is lower than the second target temperature,
By controlling the first, second, and third steps, the aerosol delivery profile has an ascending curve in the beginning, an upwardly convex curve in the middle, and a descending curve in the end, so that the aerosol delivery profile during a given inhalable period has a maximum value between the beginning and end of the inhalable period;
the inhalable period is a period spanning multiple inhalations, the delivery profile represents a time variation across the multiple inhalations of an amount of aerosol inhaled in each inhalation, the delivery profile having a shape that lags in time with respect to a heating profile of the heater defined by the first, second, and third target temperatures;
Method. A computer of a control unit that controls a heater that heats the aerosol source
a first step of controlling a temperature of the heater toward a first target temperature during a first time period;
a second step of controlling a temperature of the heater during a second period after the first period toward a second target temperature lower than the first target temperature;
a third step of controlling the temperature of the heater toward a third target temperature lower than the second target temperature during a third period after the second period,
By controlling the first, second, and third steps, the aerosol delivery profile has an ascending curve in the beginning, an upwardly convex curve in the middle, and a descending curve in the end, so that the aerosol delivery profile during a given inhalable period has a maximum value between the beginning and end of the inhalable period;
the inhalable period is a period spanning multiple inhalations, the delivery profile represents a time variation across the multiple inhalations of an amount of aerosol inhaled in each inhalation, the delivery profile having a shape that lags in time with respect to a heating profile of the heater defined by the first, second, and third target temperatures;
program.

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