WO2023021545A1

WO2023021545A1 - Aerosol generation device

Info

Publication number: WO2023021545A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/029881
Authority: WO
Inventors: 宏和石井; 創藤田; 真弓牧山
Original assignee: 日本たばこ産業株式会社
Priority date: 2021-08-16
Filing date: 2021-08-16
Publication date: 2023-02-23

Abstract

This aerosol generation device is provided with: a heating unit heating an aerosol source; a control unit controlling power supply to the heating unit; and an input unit operated by a user. The control unit stops heating of the aerosol source when, during heating of the aerosol source, inhalation is determined to be interrupted without an input made to the input unit and such an amount of the aerosol source remains that inhalable aerosol can be generated.

Description

aerosol generator

The present invention relates to an aerosol generator.

An aerosol generator generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source containing perfume or the like. There are two types of aerosol sources: liquids and solids. In the former case, an aerosol is generated by heating an aerosol source called a wick, which is induced in glass fibers, with a heater or the like. In the latter case, the aerosol source filled in the stick is heated with a heater or the like to generate the aerosol.
For example, Patent Literature 1 describes an aerosol generator that heats an aerosol source in a stick.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-80654

The aerosol generator has a prescribed number of times of suction and a prescribed heating time, and adopts a mechanism in which the generation of aerosol is stopped when either of them reaches the upper limit. In this case, the user is asked to replace the aerosol source.
By the way, it is not always possible to inhale the aerosol for the maximum number of times within the predetermined heating time. For example, when conversing with others, the heating time may pass without inhaling the aerosol. In addition, there may be a situation in which aerosol inhalation must be interrupted for some reason, such as when a home delivery service arrives or a vehicle arrives immediately after starting aerosol inhalation. Even in this case, current products basically continue to heat and consume the aerosol source.

The present invention provides a technology for stopping heating even if an aerosol source that can be inhaled remains, when suction is interrupted during heating of the aerosol source.

The invention according to claim 1 has a heating unit for heating an aerosol source, a control unit for controlling power supply to the heating unit, and an input unit operated by a user, wherein the control unit During the heating of the aerosol source, if it is determined that the inhalation is interrupted without any input to the input unit, and if the amount of the aerosol source that can generate inhalable aerosol remains, the heating of the aerosol source is started. It's an aerosol generator that shuts down.
The invention according to claim 2 further includes a sensor for detecting the attitude of the main body of the aerosol generating device, and the control unit interrupts the suction based on the attitude of the main body detected through the sensor. 2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, wherein the aerosol generating device determines.
In the invention according to claim 3, the control unit determines to interrupt the suction when the posture of the main body detected by the sensor is vertical and the main body is in a stationary state. 2. The aerosol generator according to 2 above.
The invention according to claim 4 further comprises a sensor for detecting the posture of the main body of the aerosol generating device, and the control unit controls the suction based on the change in the posture of the main body detected through the sensor. 10. The aerosol generating device of claim 1, which determines discontinuation.
The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the control unit judges suspension of the suction when suction is not detected within a predetermined time after starting heating of the aerosol source. It is an aerosol generator.
The invention according to claim 6 is the aerosol generation according to claim 5, wherein the control unit determines to interrupt the suction when no suction is detected within the predetermined time from the end of the previous suction. It is a device.
The invention according to claim 7 is the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines to stop the suction when the aerosol source is removed from the main body.
The invention according to claim 8 is the aerosol generating device according to claim 1, wherein when the aerosol source remains in an amount capable of generating an inhalable aerosol, the aerosol is generated by reheating the aerosol source. is.

According to the first aspect of the invention, when suction is interrupted during heating of the aerosol source, heating can be stopped even if the aerosol source that can be suctioned remains.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to realize the determination of suspension without the user's explicit operation.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to determine that the suction is interrupted when the main body is left standing.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, it is possible to determine that a change in a specific posture is interruption of suction.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, it is possible to determine that the inhalation is interrupted when inhalation of the aerosol by the user is not detected after the heating of the aerosol source is started.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, it is possible to determine that the suction is interrupted when the suction pattern is different from the standard suction pattern.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, it is possible to eliminate wasteful power consumption after detaching the aerosol source.
According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the aerosol suction can be resumed by reheating the aerosol source whose heating has been stopped due to the suspension of suction.

1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of an aerosol generating device assumed in Embodiment 1; FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example of heating control of the stick-shaped substrate BM by the aerosol generating device assumed in Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a specific example of processing operations performed in step 17; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of an aerosol generating device assumed in Embodiment 2; FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of an aerosol generating device assumed in Embodiment 3;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same parts are indicated by the same reference numerals.

<Embodiment 1>
<Device configuration>
The aerosol generating device described in the present embodiment is a device of a type in which a stick-shaped substrate including an aerosol source (hereinafter referred to as "stick-shaped substrate" or "stick") is attached to the device main body. This type of aerosol generator generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source filled in a stick-shaped substrate.
An example of the aerosol generator 1 assumed in the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of an aerosol generating device 1 assumed in Embodiment 1. As shown in FIG.
The aerosol generating device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a power supply section 11, a sensor section 12, a notification section 13, a storage section 14, a communication section 15, a control section 16, a heating section 17, a holding section 18, and a heat insulation section 19. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a stick-type base material BM (=Base Material) is held by the holding portion 18 .

The power supply unit 11 is a device that stores power necessary for operation. The power supply unit 11 supplies electric power to each unit constituting the aerosol generation device 1 through control by the control unit 16 . In the case of this embodiment, a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery is used for the power supply unit 11 .
If charging is possible, the power supply unit 11 may be charged from an external power supply connected through, for example, a USB (=Universal Serial Bus) cable. Alternatively, for example, wireless power transmission technology may be used to wirelessly charge the power supply unit 11 from the outside. However, the power supply unit 11 is not limited to the rechargeable type.
If the power supply unit 11 is detachable from the device main body, the old power supply unit 11 may be replaced with a new power supply unit 11 .

The sensor unit 12 is composed of a sensor device that detects various kinds of information of the aerosol generator 1 . The detected information is notified to the control unit 16 and used to control each unit.
The sensor device includes, for example, a flow rate sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and an attitude sensor.
The flow rate sensor detects the flow rate of gas that flows due to, for example, inhalation of aerosol by a user. The value of the detected flow rate is notified from the flow rate sensor to the controller 16 . The control unit 16 can detect the number of times of suction within one cycle (from the start of consumption of one aerosol source to the end of consumption), the elapsed time from the end of the previous suction, etc., based on the change in the flow rate.

The pressure sensor is, for example, a microphone capacitor, and is provided on a button, switch, or the like operated by the user. A pressure sensor is used to detect input of information by a user and the like.
Input of information by the user includes, for example, button operation or switch operation for instructing start or stop of aerosol generation.
The button operation or the like for instructing the start or stop of aerosol generation includes, for example, a long press of the power button while the stick-shaped base material BM is attached. However, it is also possible to detect mounting of the stick-type base material BM as an operation by the user to start generating aerosol.
Input of the detected information is notified from the pressure sensor to the control unit 16 . Various buttons, switches, and the like are examples of the input section used by the user.

The temperature sensor detects the temperature of the heating section 17, for example. The temperature sensor senses the temperature, for example, based on the electrical resistance of the conductive tracks of the heating section 17 .
Note that the temperature sensor may detect the temperature of the stick-shaped base material BM based on the temperature of the heating unit 17 . The detected temperature is notified to the control unit 16 from the temperature sensor.
The attitude sensor is, for example, a 6-axis acceleration sensor, and detects the attitude of the aerosol generating device 1 (hereinafter referred to as "main body attitude"). In the case of the present embodiment, the detected posture of the main body is used, for example, by the controller 16 to determine whether to suspend suction.
For example, if the posture of the main body is different from the standard posture during suction (hereinafter referred to as the "standard posture"), the current posture of the main body when the user inhales the aerosol is determined as the posture that is determined to interrupt the suction. In some cases, the posture of the main body (hereinafter, also referred to as “user-specific posture”) has changed.

Examples of postures different from the standard posture include, for example, a state in which the suction portion of the stick-shaped base material BM is inclined in a direction opposite to the user's mouth.
An example of a posture unique to the user is, for example, a state in which the stick-type base material BM is tilted obliquely downward from the mouth of the user. If these postures are known, it is possible to determine that the suction is interrupted.
It should be noted that even if the posture of the main body differs from the standard posture or the posture unique to the user, if the detection is temporary, it may not be regarded as an interruption. Whether it is temporary or non-temporary may be determined based on whether or not a state different from a standard posture or a posture unique to the user continues for a predetermined time or longer. For example, when the aerosol generator 1 is left on a desk or the like, the main body maintains the same posture. This state is detected as a stationary state.

The notification unit 13 is used to notify the user of information. For example, the notification unit 13 indicates that the power supply unit 11 needs to be charged, that the power supply unit 11 is being charged, that preparations for aerosol inhalation are complete, that the aerosol can be inhaled is short, and that the aerosol can be inhaled. It is used for notification such as that the number of times remaining is low.
For the notification unit 13, a light-emitting device such as an LED (=Light Emitting Diode), a display device such as a display, a sound output device such as a speaker, or a vibration device such as a vibrator may be used.

The light emission of the light emitting device is controlled in a pattern corresponding to information to be notified, for example. The light emission pattern is a concept including color, timing of lighting and extinguishing, and the like.
The display device displays information to be notified by characters, colors, symbols, images, and the like.
The sound output device outputs information to be notified by voice or sound, and the vibration device generates vibration according to the information to be notified.

Various kinds of information necessary for the operation of the aerosol generating device 1 are stored in the storage unit 14 . A non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory is used for the storage unit 14 .
The storage unit 14 stores, for example, BIOS (=Basic Input Output System), firmware, an operating system, application programs, information detected by the sensor unit 12, and judgment results by the control unit 16. FIG.
In addition, the storage unit 14 stores the heating profile, the number of times of suction in one cycle, the time of suction, the accumulated time of suction, the posture of the main body, the standard posture, the posture unique to the user, and the number of times since the end of the previous suction. The elapsed time of , etc. are also stored.

The communication unit 15 is a communication interface conforming to a wired or wireless communication standard. Communication standards include, for example, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), wired LAN (=Local Area Network), and wireless LAN.
The communication unit 15 is used for the purpose of displaying information on suction on an external device such as a smartphone. In addition, the communication unit 15 is also used for updating programs and the like stored in the storage unit 14 .

The control unit 16 is a device that functions as a processing device and a control device, and controls the general operations within the aerosol generation device 1 through the execution of various programs. In addition to the CPU (= Central Processing Unit) and MPU (= Micro Processing Unit), the control unit 16 includes a ROM (= Read Only Memory) that stores programs and calculation parameters, and a RAM (= Random Access Memory).

For example, the control unit 16 supplies power to each unit from the power supply unit 11, charges the power supply unit 11, inputs information from the sensor unit 12, notifies information by the notification unit 13, stores and reads information by the

storage unit

14, 15 controls the transmission and reception of information.
In addition, the control unit 16 outputs information to each unit, performs processing based on information input from each unit, determines whether to suspend suction, calculates the amount of the aerosol source remaining in the stick-shaped base material BM, and the like.

For example, if the time during which the stick-shaped base material BM is heated is shorter than a predetermined threshold (eg, 30 seconds), if the remaining time of the heating profile is longer than the threshold (eg, 30 seconds), the stick-shaped base material When the number of BM suctions is a predetermined number (for example, 12 times) or less, and when the remaining number of times up to the maximum number of suctions (for example, 14 times) is greater than a threshold value (for example, 2 times), the heating unit 17 was measured. If the maximum temperature is less than the maximum temperature on the heating profile, it is determined that the aerosol source remains on the stick-type substrate BM.

Basically, the longer the heating time of the aerosol source filled in the stick-type base material BM, the smaller the remaining amount of the aerosol that can generate the aerosol. For this reason, even if the entire period of the heating profile has not elapsed, the stick-type substrate BM whose remaining time until the end of the entire period is shorter than the threshold value (for example, 30 seconds) is substantially an inhalable aerosol source. assume there are none left.
The same applies to the number of times of suction. In the aerosol generator 1, the maximum number of times of suction (for example, 14 times) is determined for each stick-type base material BM, and when the number of times of suction exceeds the maximum number of times of suction, the heating time on the heating profile remains. heating is automatically stopped.

This is because when the number of times of suction reaches the maximum number of times of suction, it is determined that the aerosol source necessary for generating aerosol does not remain in the stick-type base material BM.
However, even if the maximum number of suctions is not exceeded, if the remaining number of suctions to the maximum number of suctions is one or two, it is expected that the amount of remaining aerosol source will be small. For this reason, stick-type base material BM for which the number of times of suction exceeds a predetermined threshold value (for example, 12 times) is regarded as having reached the maximum number of times of suction, and even if a situation that can be judged as an interruption occurs, it is not interrupted. , the heating is stopped in the same way as when one cycle is finished.
Therefore, only when the number of times of suctioning the stick-type base material BM is equal to or less than the threshold or when the remaining number of times until the maximum number of times of suctioning is greater than the threshold, it is determined that the suctioning is interrupted.

Further, in this embodiment, about 30 seconds from the start of heating is set as a preparation period for suction, and the temperature of the heating unit 17 is raised to the maximum temperature. Therefore, when the heating ends before the temperature measured for the heating part 17 reaches the maximum temperature, it means that the heating ends during the preparation period for suction, and thus it is determined that the suction is interrupted.
In addition, in the aerosol generating device 1, the heating profile and the number of times that aerosol can be inhaled are determined on the assumption of a standard user's aerosol inhalation behavior. For example, if one suction time is 2 seconds and the non-suction time before and after one suction is 30 seconds, if suction is not detected for more than about 62 seconds, it is determined that suction has been interrupted. to adopt. In other words, if the elapsed time from the end of the previous suction exceeds the threshold, if the suction has never been performed, and if the elapsed time from the start of heating exceeds the threshold, the control unit 16 controls the aerosol aspiration has been interrupted.

The holding portion 18 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is hollow inside. This cavity is called internal space 18A. The internal space 18A has approximately the same diameter as the stick-shaped base material BM. The stick-shaped base material BM inserted from the opening 18B is held by the holding part 18 with its tip part in contact with the inner wall of the internal space 18A.
The holding portion 18 has an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the stick-shaped base material BM at least partly in the height direction of the substantially cylindrical shape. For this reason, the outer periphery of the stick-shaped base material BM inserted into the internal space 18A is pressed by part of the inner wall of the holding section 18 . A portion of the stick-type base material BM is held in the internal space 18A by this compression.
The holding portion 18 has a bottom portion 18C on the opposite side of the opening 18B. The bottom portion 18C is connected to an air flow path (not shown). The bottom portion 18C functions as an air inflow hole, and the inflowing air passes through the opening 18B and the inside of the stick-shaped base material BM and flows out to the outside.

The stick-type base material BM is composed of a base material portion BM1 and a mouthpiece portion BM2. The base member BM1 holds an aerosol source. As described above, an aerosol source is a substance that is atomized by heating to produce an aerosol. The aerosol source held by the base member BM1 includes tobacco-derived substances, such as cut tobacco or tobacco raw material processed into granules, sheets, or powder.
However, the aerosol source may also be or include non-tobacco-derived substances made from plants other than tobacco (eg, mints and herbs). For example, the aerosol source may contain a perfume ingredient such as menthol.

When the aerosol generating device 1 is a medical inhaler, ie a nebulizer, the aerosol source of the stick-type substrate BM may contain a drug for patient inhalation.
The mouthpiece BM2 is a part held by the user when inhaling. At least part of the mouthpiece BM2 protrudes from the opening 18B when the stick-shaped base material BM is held by the holding part 18. As shown in FIG.

When the user holds the mouthpiece BM2 projecting from the opening 18B and sucks, air flows in from the bottom 18C of the holding section 18, and the inflowing air passes through the inside of the stick-shaped base material BM and reaches the inside of the user's mouth. .
The gas passing through the internal space 18A of the holding part 18 and the inside of the stick-shaped base material BM contains aerosol generated from the stick-shaped base material BM.

The heating unit 17 is a member that heats the aerosol source contained in the stick-shaped base material BM to atomize the aerosol source and generate an aerosol. The heating unit 17 is made of any material such as metal or polyimide. For example, the heating portion 17 is configured in a film shape and arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the holding portion 18 . The heating unit 17 in the present embodiment has, for example, resistance heating. The heating part 17 corresponding to resistance heating is an example of a heater.
When the heating unit 17 starts to generate heat, the heating of the aerosol source existing in the outer peripheral portion of the stick-shaped base material BM is started, and the aerosol source positioned more inside is heated over time. Therefore, the position where the aerosol is generated gradually moves inward from the outer circumference of the stick-shaped base material BM.

The heating unit 17 generates heat by power supply from the power supply unit 11 . For example, when a predetermined user input is detected by a sensor or the like (not shown), power supply to the heating unit 17 is started, and aerosol generation is started. A system may be adopted in which the control unit 16 automatically starts supplying power to the heating unit 17 when it detects that the stick-shaped base material BM has been inserted into the opening 18B.
The heating of the stick-shaped substrate BM by the heating unit 17 is performed based on a predetermined heating profile. The heating profile defines the time change of the temperature of the heating unit 17 after the start of heating.

When the temperature of the stick-shaped base material BM reaches a predetermined temperature due to heating by the heating unit 17, generation of an aerosol is started, and the user can inhale the aerosol.
When the time determined by the heating profile has passed, the power supply to the heating unit 17 is stopped by the control unit 16 .
However, when a heating end event is detected by a sensor (not shown) or the like, the control unit 16 stops power supply to the heating unit 17 even if the time determined by the heating profile remains.
In addition, the control unit 16 also stops power supply to the heating unit 17 when it is determined that the suction is interrupted and that the aerosol source remains in the stick-shaped base material BM.

The heat insulating part 19 is a member that prevents heat transfer from the heating part 17 to other elements in the aerosol generating device 1 .
The heat insulating part 19 is arranged so as to cover at least the outer periphery of the heating part 17 . For example, the heat insulating part 19 is made of a vacuum heat insulating material, an airgel heat insulating material, or the like.
A vacuum heat insulating material is a member in which, for example, glass wool, silica (powder of silicon) or the like is wrapped in a resin film to create a high-vacuum state, thereby reducing heat conduction through gas to as close to zero as possible.

<Heating control>
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of heating control of the stick-shaped base material BM by the aerosol generator 1 (see FIG. 1) assumed in the first embodiment. Note that the symbol S shown in the figure means a step.
The control unit 16 (see FIG. 1) determines whether or not an event to start heating of the heating unit 17 (see FIG. 1) (hereinafter also referred to as “heating start event”) has been detected (step 11).
The event here is, for example, a long press of the power button while the stick-type base material BM (see FIG. 1) is inserted into the holding portion 18 (see FIG. 1). The power button is arranged, for example, on the upper surface of the main body along with the opening 18B. Also, the long press of the power button is, for example, two seconds or longer.

Alternatively, if the opening 18B is fitted with an opening/closing type lid, a long press of the power button with the lid open may be used as the heating start event. The lid may, for example, be slidable along the top surface of the body. The lid is also an example of an input unit that receives user input. The lid is used for the purpose of preventing foreign matter from entering the opening 18B when suction is not performed.
Further, the opening of the lid may be used as the heating start event, and the insertion of the stick-shaped base material BM into the holding portion 18 may be used as the heating start event.

While a negative result is obtained in step 11, the control unit 16 repeatedly executes the determination of step 11.
If a positive result is obtained in step 11, the control section 16 starts heating the heating section 17 according to the heating profile (step 12). The control unit 16 may notify the user of reception of the event to start heating through the vibration device or the light emitting device, which is the notification unit 13, for example.

The heating profile defines the elapsed time after the start of heating and the temperature of the heating unit 17 at each time point. The control unit 16 controls the temperature of the heating unit 17 so as to match this heating profile. One cycle of the heating profile in this embodiment is, for example, about 6 minutes.
The temperature defined in the heating profile varies during one cycle. For example, immediately after the start of the heating profile (ie, during the preparatory period for inhalation), a second temperature above the first temperature at which aerosol generation begins is set as the target temperature. By setting the target temperature to the second temperature, the outer peripheral temperature of the stick-shaped base material BM, which has been kept at room temperature, reaches the first temperature in a short period of time, and the aerosol can be generated. Become.

However, the heating profile after reaching the second temperature has the first temperature or a temperature slightly higher than the first temperature as the target temperature. This is because if the second temperature is maintained, the generation of aerosol proceeds too much, shortening the time during which the user can inhale the aerosol.
On the other hand, aerosol generation starts from the outer peripheral portion of the stick-shaped base material BM, which is close to the heating section 17 . Therefore, the amount of aerosol generated from the outer peripheral portion near the heating portion 17 decreases with the lapse of time.
For continuous generation of aerosol, it is necessary to move the portion of the stick-type substrate BM that reaches the first temperature over time.

Therefore, the target temperature determined by the heating profile is gradually increased with the passage of time so that the aerosol is also generated from a portion farther from the heating unit 17, that is, near the center of the stick-shaped base material BM. However, the target temperature of the heating unit 17 is not set to the second temperature after the suction preparation period has elapsed. Due to this heating profile, the amount of aerosol generated from the stick-type substrate BM is maintained substantially uniform during one cycle.
Note that the amount of aerosol generated is not sufficient immediately after the start of heating. Therefore, the control unit 16 sets approximately 30 seconds after the start of heating as a suction preparation period. After the preparation period has elapsed, the control unit 16 notifies the user via the notification unit 13 that the aerosol can be inhaled.

When heating according to the heating profile is started, the controller 16 determines whether or not the time defined by the heating profile has expired (step 13). In the above example, it is determined whether or not approximately 6 minutes have elapsed since the start of heating.
When a positive result is obtained in step 13, the control section 16 terminates the heating of the heating section 17 (step 14). This is because no aerosol source remains in the stick-shaped base material BM and no aerosol is generated even if the heating of the heating unit 17 is continued.

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step 13, the control unit 16 determines whether or not the power button has been pressed for a long time (step 15). The long press of the power button here is an example of an operation input for forcibly instructing the end of heating before the time defined by the heating profile expires.
Therefore, in step 15, instead of pressing the power button for a long time, it may be determined whether or not the power button is continuously pressed multiple times or the heating stop button is operated. These operation inputs are examples of user inputs for instructing the user to stop heating.
Even if a positive result is obtained in step 15, the control unit 16 proceeds to step 14 and stops the heating of the heating unit 17.

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step 15, the control unit 16 determines whether or not a predetermined number of times of suction has been detected (step 16). The number of times of suction by the user can be detected through a flow rate sensor of the sensor unit 12 and a temperature sensor (since the temperature temporarily drops due to suction, it is determined to be one suction).
The predetermined number of times is determined according to the amount of aerosol generated by one stick-shaped base material BM.
In the case of this embodiment, 14 times is used as the predetermined number of times of suction. However, the number of times is an example.
Even if a positive result is obtained in step 16 , the control section 16 proceeds to step 14 and stops the heating of the heating section 17 .

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step 16, the control unit 16 proceeds to the process of determining whether or not the condition for ending the exceptional heating time is satisfied.
First, the control unit 16 determines whether or not the suction has been interrupted (step 17). In the present embodiment, the suspension of suction refers to a situation in which the suction of aerosol has to be interrupted for some reason, in other words, suction of the aerosol generated even though the generation of the aerosol continues due to the heating of the stick-type base material BM. It refers to the situation in which it is not possible to continue As described above, this situation includes, for example, a situation in which the person is preoccupied with a conversation with another person, a delivery service or the like, and a vehicle to board has arrived.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining a specific example of the processing operation executed in step 17. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 2 are shown with reference numerals corresponding thereto.
The control unit 16 that started step 17 first determines whether or not the inclination of the main body differs from the standard posture during suction (step 171).
In the case of the aerosol generating device 1 (see FIG. 1) according to the present embodiment, as a standard posture of the main body, the axial direction or longitudinal direction of the stick-shaped base material BM extending from the user's mouth is in a range from approximately horizontal to obliquely downward. It is defined as the inclination of the body when it is at This inclination of the main body can be detected by a posture sensor, which is an example of the sensor section 12 .

If a positive result is obtained in step 171 , the control section 16 proceeds to step 18 .
A case in which a positive result is obtained in step 171 is a case in which the mouthpiece portion BM2 of the stick-shaped base material BM is not inclined at the time of sucking aerosol. For example, this is the case where the direction of inclination of the stick-type base material BM is opposite to the user's mouth. In addition, when the posture of the main body detected by the posture sensor is vertical (that is, the axial direction of the stick-type base material BM is substantially vertical) and the stationary state of the main body is continuously detected. also yields a positive result in step 171 . This posture appears when the body of the aerosol generator 1 is left on a table or the like. The standard posture differs depending on the external shape of the aerosol generator 1 as well. For example, when the external shape is approximately cylindrical, the aerosol generating device 1 assumes a standard orientation approximately horizontally.

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step 171, the control unit 16 determines whether the current posture of the main body has changed from the posture of the main body when the user inhales the aerosol (step 172).
The determination in step 171 is based on the standard posture of the aerosol generating device 1 when the user inhales the aerosol. Not exclusively.
Therefore, in step 172, it is determined whether or not the current posture of the main body has changed from the posture of the main body when the user inhales the aerosol. Since the inhalation of the aerosol by the user can be detected by a flow sensor or the like, it is possible to store the orientation detected by the orientation sensor during inhalation as the orientation of the main body during inhalation.

The determination in step 172 is based on the premise that the attitude of the main body does not change significantly when the aerosol is continued to be inhaled.
It should be noted that in the determination of step 172, an allowable range is defined for the change. Suspension of aspiration is an exceptional process, so the allowable range is set relatively wide.
If a positive result is obtained in step 172 , the control section 16 proceeds to step 18 .
A positive result at step 172 is when the tilt of the body falls within the range of standard postures, but is different from the user's specific posture.
Therefore, if the inclination of the main body does not deviate from either the standard posture range or the user-specific posture, the control unit 16 obtains a negative result in step 172 .

If a negative result is obtained in step 172, the control unit 16 determines whether or not suction has not been detected within a predetermined time after the start of heating or the end of the previous suction (step 173).
“After starting heating” means that the heating unit 17 (see FIG. 1) starts heating the stick-shaped base material BM, and includes the preparation period described above. This determination yields a positive result in step 173 if no aerosol has been inhaled.
The "predetermined time from the end of the previous suction" depends on the suction time per time and the interval between suctions assumed for a standard user. For example, if the sucking time per time is 2 seconds and the interval between sucking is 30 seconds, the predetermined time is about 62 seconds (=30 seconds+2 seconds+30 seconds). Note that the predetermined time may be given as an initial value, or may be set or changed by a user's operation.

The user's operation to instruct the setting or change of the predetermined time includes the operation of the buttons provided on the main body, as well as the operation from an external device such as a smartphone connected through the communication unit 15 (see FIG. 1). included.
In step 173, even if the attitude of the main body satisfies the posture conditions for inhaling the aerosol, if the state in which the aerosol is not inhaled continues for a long time, there is a possibility that the next inhalation will not be performed. Assuming it will be higher.
If a positive result is obtained in step 173 , the control section 16 proceeds to step 18 .

On the other hand, if a negative result is obtained in step 173, the control unit 16 determines whether or not the aerosol source (stick-type base material BM in this embodiment) has been removed from the main body (step 174).
If the stick-type substrate BM is pulled out, the aerosol cannot be sucked, so even if the heating time on the heating profile remains, it is judged to be interrupted.
If a positive result is obtained in step 174 , the control section 16 proceeds to step 18 .
On the other hand, if a negative result is also obtained in step 174 , the control section 16 returns to step 13 .

Returning to the description of FIG.
When a positive result is obtained in step 17, that is, when a positive result is obtained in any of steps 171 to 174, the control unit 16 determines that the aerosol source remains in the held stick-type base material BM. It is determined whether or not there is (step 18).
Any or more of the techniques described above are used to determine whether an aerosol source capable of generating aerosols remains on the stick-type substrate BM.

For example, if the heating time of the stick-shaped base material BM is within a predetermined time, or if the remaining heating time until the end time of the preset heating profile is longer than a threshold, the control unit 16 heats the stick-shaped base material BM. When the number of times of suctioning is equal to or less than a predetermined number of times, when the remaining number of times until the set number of times of suctioning is greater than the threshold, and when the elapsed time from the end of the previous suctioning exceeds the threshold, the stick-type base material BM Determine if the aerosol source remains.

Even if the aerosol source remains, if it is less than the predetermined threshold value, it is considered that the aerosol source does not substantially remain.
If a positive result is obtained in step 18, that is, if a positive result is obtained in both

steps

17 and 18, the control unit 16 determines that the suction is interrupted and terminates the heating of the heating unit 17 ( step 14).

<Summary>
As described above, if the aerosol generating device 1 described in the present embodiment is used, at least after the start of heating by the heating unit 17, when the heating end condition determined by the heating profile or the number of times of suction is satisfied, or when the heating by the user Even if there is no input for instructing the end of the suction, the heating of the heating unit 17 can be automatically ended when it is determined that the suction is interrupted.
Therefore, if for some reason the suction of the aerosol is interrupted after the operation of starting the heating of the heating unit 17 is performed, the aerosol source held in the stick-shaped base material BM is wasted. It is possible to avoid the situation.

Further, when the heating profile is forcibly terminated due to the judgment that it is interrupted, if the aerosol generating device 1 is provided with a function that permits reheating of the stick-shaped base material BM whose suction has been interrupted, the stick-shaped base material Reheating the aerosol source remaining in the material BM allows aerosol suction to resume.
Further, when it is determined that the aerosol suction is to be interrupted, the heating of the heating unit 17 is forcibly interrupted, thereby suppressing wasteful power consumption and enabling the operation time with one charge. It becomes possible to extend it as compared with the conventional one.

<Embodiment 2>
In the present embodiment, an aerosol generator that uses a liquid aerosol source together will be described. This type of aerosol generating device is also called a hybrid type because an aerosol is generated from both the stick-type base material BM and the liquid.
FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of an aerosol generating device 1A assumed in the second embodiment. In FIG. 4, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 1 are shown with reference numerals corresponding thereto.

In addition to the configuration described in Embodiment 1, the aerosol generating apparatus 1A shown in FIG. and a liquid heating section 23 for heating and vaporizing the liquid held in the liquid guiding section 22 .
In addition, the aerosol generating device 1A shown in FIG. 4 includes an air flow path for guiding air taken in from an air inflow hole (hereinafter referred to as an "air inflow hole") 24 to an internal space 18A of the holding portion 18 via a liquid heating portion 23. 25 are formed.

An air outflow hole (hereinafter referred to as “air outflow hole”) 26 at the end of the air flow path 25 is connected to the bottom portion 18</b>C of the holding portion 18 . Therefore, the air that has flowed in from the air inlet 24 passes through the liquid heating portion 23, the air outlet 26, and the bottom portion 18C in order, and flows into the internal space 18A of the holding portion 18. FIG.
This air flow is formed when the user applies the mouthpiece BM2 of the stick-shaped base material BM and sucks. In FIG. 4 the air flow is represented by arrows 27 .

The liquid storage unit 21 is a tank that stores a liquid aerosol source. When the aerosol source stored in the liquid reservoir 21 is heated and atomized, an aerosol is generated.
Examples of aerosol sources include polyhydric alcohols such as glycerin and propylene glycol, and liquids such as water. Aerosol sources may include tobacco materials or extracts derived from tobacco materials that release flavoring components when heated. The aerosol source may also include nicotine.
If the aerosol-generating device 1 is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may contain a medicament.

The liquid guide section 22 is a member that guides and holds the liquid aerosol source from the liquid storage section 21 to the heating area. A member called a wick made by twisting a fiber material such as glass fiber or a porous material such as porous ceramic is used for the liquid guide portion 22 . The liquid guide portion 22 is connected to the liquid storage portion 21 . When the liquid guide section 22 is composed of a wick, the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage section 21 is guided to the heating area by capillary action of the wick. That is, the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage section 21 spreads over the entire liquid guide section 22 by capillary action.

The liquid heating unit 23 is a member that heats the aerosol source held in the heating area to atomize the aerosol source and generate an aerosol.
In the case of FIG. 4, the liquid heating section 23 is a coil and is wound around the liquid guide section 22 . A coil is also an example of a heater. The area around which the coil is wound in the liquid guide portion 22 serves as a heating area. The heat generated by the liquid heating unit 23 raises the temperature of the aerosol source held in the heating area to the boiling point, thereby generating an aerosol. The liquid heating part 23 may be in the form of a film or a blade instead of a coil. That is, the shape of the liquid heating part 23 may be arbitrary. The liquid heating part 23 is made of any material such as metal or polyimide.

Electric power is supplied to the liquid heating unit 23 through the control unit 16 during a period in which the sensor unit 12 detects the suction by the user, for example, and aerosol is generated.
In addition, power supply to the liquid heating unit 23 is started, for example, when a user instructs the start of aerosol generation, and power is supplied by detecting an event to end heating of the liquid heating unit 23. is stopped. The event for ending the heating of the liquid heating unit 23 is the same as the case described in the first embodiment. That is, in the present embodiment, generation of aerosol from the stick-shaped base material BM and generation of aerosol from the liquid heating unit 23 are synchronized. However, the generation of aerosol from the stick-type base material BM and the generation of aerosol from the liquid heating unit 23 may be controlled separately.

In the case of this embodiment, the case where the aerosol source is removed from the main body in step 174 (see FIG. 3) also includes the case where the liquid reservoir 21 is removed from the main body.
Also in the case of the aerosol generating device 1A described in the present embodiment, after the start of heating of the heating unit 17 (see FIG. 1) and the liquid heating unit 23, the automatic termination function of heating caused by interruption of suction is provided. Thus, it is possible to avoid a situation where the aerosol source held by the stick-shaped base material BM and the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage unit 21 are wasted.

<Embodiment 3>
The present embodiment describes an aerosol generator that uses only a liquid aerosol source.
FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of an aerosol generating device 1B assumed in the third embodiment. In FIG. 5, parts corresponding to those in FIG. 4 are shown with reference numerals corresponding thereto.
In FIG. 5 , the housing portion housing the power supply section 11, the control section 16, and the like is called a power supply unit 30, and the housing portion housing the liquid storage section 21, the liquid heating section 23, and the like is called a cartridge 31. FIG.
In the case of this embodiment, the cartridge 31 can be attached to and detached from the power supply unit 30 . A mouthpiece 28 is detachably attached to the cartridge 31 .

The mouthpiece 28 is provided with a mouthpiece 28A, and when the user sucks by adding the mouthpiece 28A, the air flowing in from the air inlet 24 passes through the liquid heating part 23 and the mouthpiece 28 in order. It flows into the mouthpiece 28A. This air flow is represented by arrows 27 .
The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the aerosol source is a liquid. By providing the automatic end function of , it is possible to avoid a situation where the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage unit 21 is wasted.

<Other embodiments>
(1) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above-described embodiments. It is clear from the scope of claims that the technical scope of the present invention includes various modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiment.

(2) In Embodiments 1 and 2 described above, the heating unit 17 heats the outer peripheral surface of the stick-shaped base material BM, but the stick-shaped base material BM may be heated from inside. The method of heating from the inside of the stick-shaped base material BM includes a method of heating a metal blade that is pierced into the inside of the stick-shaped base material BM from the bottom 18C (see FIG. 1) or the like, and a method of heating the inside of the stick-shaped base material BM. There is a method of heating the embedded metal piece with an induction heating coil or the like arranged on the outer circumference of the stick-shaped base material BM. Metal blades and induction heating coils are also examples of heaters.

(3) In the case of the above-described embodiment, an example of the method for determining whether or not to suspend suction is illustrated in FIG. 3, but other determination methods can also be applied.
For example, when a connection is established between the aerosol generation device 1 (see FIG. 1) and a smartphone, wearable device, or the like via the communication unit 15 by a short-range wireless communication method (for example, Bluetooth), the connection is disconnected. When it is detected, it may be determined that the suction is interrupted, and the heating may be terminated. For example, this may occur when the aerosol generator 1 is placed on a desk or the like and the user wears the wearable device and goes out to pick up a package or the like. In this case, the aerosol generator detects that the connection between the aerosol generator and the wearable device has been cut, or the smartphone detects that the connection between the smartphone and the wearable device has been cut, and the aerosol generator connects. It is possible to consider a mode in which the disconnection is notified from a smartphone that is connected to the network.

Further, for example, if a wearable device can acquire user's biological information such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar level, etc., the generation of aerosol may be controlled by the following processing method.
For example, when the user's heart rate increases, blood pressure decreases, or blood sugar level increases, the control unit 16 (see FIG. 1) can determine that the user is inhaling an aerosol. be. In this case, the heating of the aerosol source may be stopped when the threshold determined for each biological information is exceeded. Specifically, when the heart rate exceeds a predetermined value, or when the blood pressure falls below a predetermined threshold value, or when the blood sugar level exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 16 causes the heating unit Power supply to 17 may be stopped to stop suction.
These biological information may be directly provided to the aerosol generating device 1 from a wearable device such as a smartwatch, or indirectly provided from a wearable device such as a smartwatch via another mobile terminal such as a smartphone. may

1, 1A, 1B... aerosol generator, 11... power supply unit, 12... sensor unit, 13... notification unit, 14... storage unit, 15... communication unit, 16... control unit, 17... heating unit, 18... holding unit, 18A...Internal space 18B...Opening 18C...Bottom part 19...Heat insulation part 21...Liquid storage part 22...Liquid guide part 23...Liquid heating part 24...Air inflow hole 25...Air flow path 26... Air outflow hole 27 Arrow 28 Mouthpiece 28A Mouthpiece 30 Power supply unit 31 Cartridge

Claims

a heating unit that heats the aerosol source;
a control unit that controls power supply to the heating unit;
an input unit operated by a user;
has
When the control unit determines that the suction is interrupted without input to the input unit during the heating of the aerosol source, and the amount of the aerosol source that can generate inhalable aerosol remains, discontinuing heating of the aerosol source;
Aerosol generator.
further comprising a sensor for detecting the orientation of the main body of the aerosol generating device;
The control unit determines whether to suspend the suction based on the posture of the main body detected through the sensor.
2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1.
The control unit determines to interrupt the suction when the posture of the main body detected by the sensor is vertical and the main body is in a stationary state.
3. The aerosol generating device according to claim 2.
further comprising a sensor for detecting the orientation of the main body of the aerosol generating device;
The control unit determines suspension of the suction based on a change in the posture of the main body detected through the sensor.
2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1.
The control unit determines to interrupt the suction if suction is not detected within a predetermined time after starting heating of the aerosol source.
2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1.
The control unit determines to interrupt the suction when suction is not detected within the predetermined time from the end of the previous suction.
6. The aerosol generating device according to claim 5.
The control unit determines to interrupt the suction when the aerosol source is removed from the main body.
2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1.
If the aerosol source remains in an amount capable of generating an inhalable aerosol, reheating the aerosol source produces an aerosol.
2. The aerosol generating device of claim 1.