CN117999006A

CN117999006A - Aerosol generating device

Info

Publication number: CN117999006A
Application number: CN202380012696.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 金龙焕; 权宁范; 金东星; 林宪一
Original assignee: KT&G Corp
Current assignee: KT&G Corp
Priority date: 2022-09-05
Filing date: 2023-08-17
Publication date: 2024-05-07

Abstract

The aerosol-generating device comprises: a battery; an induction coil configured to generate an alternating magnetic field based on electric power supplied from a battery; a susceptor configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate by using heat generated by an alternating magnetic field; a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the susceptor and configured to output a temperature sensing value as detection information; and a controller configured to disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil according to the first abnormal heating condition and the second abnormal heating condition based on the detection information of the temperature sensor.

Description

Aerosol generating device

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol-generating device, and more particularly, to an aerosol-generating device capable of preventing abnormal heating of a heating element.

Background

Recently, there has been an increase in the need for alternative methods to overcome the disadvantages of conventional cigarettes. For example, there is an increasing need for methods of generating aerosols by heating aerosol-generating substances in cigarettes or liquid reservoirs (e.g., cartridges) rather than by burning cigarettes.

At the same time, the aerosol-generating device controls the heating element in dependence on the sensed value. However, when errors occur in the sensed values (e.g., cigarette sensed values, temperature sensed values, etc.), abnormal heating may occur in which the temperature of the heating element is higher or lower than the target temperature. When abnormal heating as described above occurs, a user is not satisfied due to power consumption or failure to exhibit desired performance.

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem

The technical problem to be solved by the invention is to provide an aerosol-generating device capable of preventing abnormal heating of a heating element.

The technical problems of the present disclosure are not limited to the foregoing description, and other technical problems may be derived from the embodiments described below.

Technical proposal for solving the problems

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an aerosol-generating device comprises: a battery; an induction coil configured to generate an alternating magnetic field based on electric power supplied from the battery; a susceptor configured to heat the aerosol-generating substrate by using heat generated by the alternating magnetic field; a temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the susceptor and configured to output a temperature sensing value as detection information; and a controller configured to disconnect power supplied to the induction coil according to a first abnormal heating condition and a second abnormal heating condition based on the detection information of the temperature sensor.

Advantageous effects of the invention

The aerosol-generating device of the present disclosure can significantly prevent power consumption by immediately shutting off power supplied to the heating element when abnormal heating of the heating element occurs due to an error in the sensed value.

Furthermore, the aerosol-generating device of the present disclosure may detect an abnormal heating state by the temperature sensing value, in which the heating element is heated without the aerosol-generating substrate being inserted. In addition, when an abnormal heating state is detected in which the heating element is heated without inserting the aerosol-generating substrate, the aerosol-generating device may significantly prevent power consumption by immediately cutting off the power.

In addition, the aerosol-generating device of the present disclosure may detect a failure of the temperature sensor by the temperature sensing value and the power sensing value. In addition, when a temperature sensor failure is detected, the aerosol-generating device can prevent internal components from failing due to overheating of the aerosol-generating device by immediately turning off power.

The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the descriptions exemplified above, and more various effects are included herein.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an aerosol-generating system according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a view showing an aerosol-generating substrate according to an embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating hardware components of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a view showing an arrangement structure of a matrix detection sensor according to an embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a view showing an arrangement structure of a temperature sensor according to an embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a view showing an error of a temperature sensing value according to an embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a graph showing time points at which the first abnormal heating condition and the second abnormal heating condition are determined according to the embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method of operation of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Detailed Description

Best mode for carrying out the invention

The controller may be configured to control the power supplied to the induction coil according to a temperature profile including a preheating section and a smoking section, and to disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil based on the first abnormal heating condition in at least a portion of the preheating section.

The controller may be configured to: in the preheating section and the smoking section, the power supplied to the induction coil is disconnected based on the second heating condition.

The controller may be configured to: according to the first abnormal heating condition, when the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor within a preset reference time reaches a preset heating temperature, power supplied to the induction coil is disconnected.

The second abnormal-heating condition may include a first sub-condition and a second sub-condition, and the controller may be configured to: when at least one of the first sub-condition and the second sub-condition is satisfied, the power supplied to the induction coil is turned off.

The controller may be configured to: according to the first sub-condition, when the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor is less than or equal to a preset maintenance temperature, the power supplied to the induction coil is turned off.

The preset maintenance temperature may be set to be lower than the target temperature of the susceptor according to a temperature profile.

The controller may be configured to: according to the second sub-condition, when the power supplied to the induction coil is greater than or equal to a preset reference power, the power supplied to the induction coil is turned off.

The preset reference power may be set higher than a target power to be supplied to the induction coil to allow the temperature of the susceptor to reach a target temperature.

The susceptor may be formed around the peripheral surface of the cavity into which the aerosol-generating substrate is inserted.

The temperature sensor may include a first wire, a second wire, and a contact element contacting the first wire and the second wire.

The first and second wires may be spaced apart from each other to contact the contact element, and the contact element may contact the outer circumferential surface of the susceptor.

The aerosol-generating device may further comprise a substrate detection sensor, the inductance of which changes when an aerosol-generating substrate comprising the electromagnetic sensor is inserted into the cavity, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the aerosol-generating substrate is inserted into the cavity based on a detection result of the substrate detection sensor.

The aerosol-generating device further comprises an output unit configured to: when the power supplied to the induction coil is turned off according to the first abnormal heating condition and the second abnormal heating condition, a first user notification and a second user notification are output, respectively.

The output modes of the first user notification and the second user notification may be set to be different from each other.

Aspects of the invention

As terms in the various embodiments, general terms that are currently widely used are selected in consideration of functions of structural elements in the various embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the meaning of these terms may vary depending on the intent, judicial cases, the advent of new technology, and the like. In addition, in some cases, terms that are not commonly used may be selected. In this case, the meaning of the term will be described in detail at the corresponding part in the description of the present disclosure. Thus, terms used in various embodiments of the present disclosure should be defined based on meanings of the terms and descriptions provided herein.

In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the term "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising" will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements. In addition, the terms "-means", "-means" and "module" described herein mean a unit for processing at least one function and operation, and may be implemented by hardware components or software components, and combinations thereof.

Hereinafter, the present disclosure will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are shown so that those having ordinary skill in the art may readily implement the disclosure. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

Referring to fig. 1, an aerosol-generating system 1 may comprise an aerosol-generating device 10 and an aerosol-generating substrate 20. The aerosol-generating substrate 20 may hereinafter be referred to as a cigarette. The aerosol-generating device 10 may comprise a cavity 11 into which the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted, and the aerosol may be generated by heating the aerosol-generating substrate 20 inserted into the cavity 11. The aerosol-generating substrate 20 may comprise an aerosol-generating substance.

The aerosol-generating device 10 may comprise a battery 110, a controller 120, a susceptor 130 and an induction coil 140. However, the internal structure and arrangement of the aerosol-generating device 10 is not limited to those shown in fig. 1. Those of ordinary skill in the art relating to the present embodiment will appreciate that, depending on the design of the aerosol-generating device 10, some of the hardware components shown in fig. 1 may be omitted or new components may be further added, and each hardware component may be implemented in various arrangements.

The aerosol-generating device 10 may generate an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating substrate 20 housed in the aerosol-generating device 10 by an induction heating method. The induction heating method may refer to a method of generating heat by applying an alternating magnetic field having a periodically varying direction to a magnet generating heat by an external magnetic field.

When an alternating magnetic field is applied to the magnet, energy loss due to eddy current loss and hysteresis loss may occur in the magnet, and the lost energy may be released from the magnet as thermal energy. As the amplitude or frequency of the alternating magnetic field applied to the magnet increases, more thermal energy may be released from the magnet. The aerosol-generating device 10 may release thermal energy from the magnet by applying an alternating magnetic field to the magnet and transfer the thermal energy released from the magnet to the aerosol-generating substrate 20.

The magnet that generates heat by an external magnetic field may be a susceptor. The susceptor 130 may be provided in the aerosol-generating device 10 in a shape such as a sheet, sheet or strip. For example, at least a portion of the susceptor 130 disposed inside the aerosol-generating device 10 may be formed of a susceptor material.

At least a portion of the susceptor material may be formed of a ferromagnetic substance. For example, the susceptor material may comprise metal or carbon. The susceptor material may include at least one of ferrite, ferromagnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al). In addition, the susceptor material may include at least one of: ceramics such as graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, niobium, nickel alloys, metal films or zirconia; transition metals such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co); and metalloids such as boron (B) or phosphorus (P).

The aerosol-generating device 10 may house an aerosol-generating substrate 20. The aerosol-generating device 10 may comprise a cavity 11 formed therein for receiving an aerosol-generating substrate 20. The susceptor 130 may have a tubular or cylindrical shape and may be arranged outside the cavity 11 to surround the cavity 11, into which cavity 11 the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted. Thus, when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 of the aerosol-generating device 10, the susceptor 130 may be arranged outside the aerosol-generating substrate 20 to surround the aerosol-generating substrate 20. Thus, the temperature of the aerosol-generating substance in the aerosol-generating substrate 20 may be increased by the heat transferred from the susceptor 130.

The susceptor 130 may heat the aerosol-generating substrate 20 housed in the aerosol-generating device 10. As mentioned above, the susceptor 130 may heat the aerosol-generating substrate 20 in an induction heating method. The susceptor 130 may comprise a susceptor material that generates heat by an external magnetic field, and the aerosol-generating device 10 may apply an alternating magnetic field to the susceptor 130.

The induction coil 140 may be provided in the aerosol-generating device 10. The induction coil 140 may apply an alternating magnetic field to the susceptor 130. When power is supplied from the aerosol-generating device 10 to the induction coil 140, a magnetic field may be formed inside the induction coil 140. When Alternating Current (AC) is applied to the induction coil 140, the direction of the magnetic field formed inside the induction coil 140 may be continuously changed. When the susceptor 130 is located inside the induction coil 140 and is exposed to an alternating magnetic field having a periodically varying direction, the susceptor 130 may generate heat and the aerosol-generating substrate 20 contained in the cavity 11 may be heated.

The induction coil 140 may be wound along the outer surface of the susceptor 130. Further, the induction coil 140 may be wound along the inner surface of the outer housing of the aerosol-generating device 10. Susceptor 130 may be located in an interior space formed by winding induction coil 140. When power is supplied to the induction coil 140, an alternating magnetic field generated by the induction coil 140 may be applied to the susceptor 130.

The induction coil 140 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device 10. The induction coil 140 may extend to an appropriate length in the longitudinal direction. For example, the induction coil 140 may extend to a length corresponding to the length of the susceptor 130, or may extend to a length longer than the length of the susceptor 130.

The induction coil 140 may be arranged at a position adapted to apply an alternating magnetic field to the susceptor 130. For example, the induction coil 140 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the susceptor 130. The efficiency with which the induction coil 140 applies an alternating magnetic field to the susceptor 130 can be improved by the size and arrangement of the induction coil 140.

When the amplitude or frequency of the alternating magnetic field formed by the induction coil 140 is changed, the degree to which the susceptor 130 heats the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is also changed. The amplitude or frequency of the alternating magnetic field formed by the induction coil 140 may be varied by the power applied to the induction coil 140, and thus the aerosol-generating device 10 may control the heating of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 by adjusting the power applied to the induction coil 140. For example, the aerosol-generating device 10 may control the amplitude and frequency of the AC applied to the induction coil 140.

As an example, the induction coil 140 may be implemented as a solenoid. The induction coil 140 may be a solenoid wound along the inner surface of the outer housing of the aerosol-generating device 10, and the susceptor 130 and the aerosol-generating substrate 20 may be located in the interior space of the solenoid. The material of the wire constituting the solenoid may be copper (Cu). However, the material of the wire constituting the solenoid is not limited thereto, and may include any one of the following: silver (Ag), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), tungsten (W), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni), or an alloy including at least one of silver (Ag), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), tungsten (W), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni).

The battery 110 may supply power to the induction coil 140. The battery 110 may be a lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO ₄) battery, but is not limited thereto. For example, the battery 110 may be a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO ₂) battery, a lithium titanium battery, a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, or the like.

The controller 120 may control the power supplied to the induction coil 140. The controller 120 may control the battery 110 such that the power supplied to the induction coil 140 is regulated. For example, the controller 120 may control the power supplied to the induction coil 140 such that the susceptor 130 maintains a target temperature.

Meanwhile, although not shown in fig. 1, the aerosol-generating device 10 may constitute a system together with a separate carrier. For example, the cradle may be used to charge the battery 110 of the aerosol-generating device 10. Alternatively, the induction coil 140 may be heated when the carrier and aerosol-generating device 10 are coupled to one another.

Referring to fig. 2, the aerosol-generating substrate 20 may correspond to the cigarette of fig. 1. The aerosol-generating substrate 20 may be divided into a first portion 201, a second portion 202, a third portion 203 and a fourth portion 204, and the first portion 201, the second portion 202, the third portion 203 and the fourth portion 204 may comprise an aerosol-generating element, a tobacco element, a cooling element and a filter element, respectively. In detail, the first portion 201 may comprise aerosol-generating material, the second portion 202 may comprise tobacco material and humectant, the third portion 203 may comprise means for cooling the airflow through the first and second portions 201, 202, and the fourth portion 204 may comprise filter material.

The first portion 201, the second portion 202, the third portion 203 and the fourth portion 204 may be arranged in sequence based on the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 20. Here, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 may be the direction in which the length of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 extends. For example, the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 may be the direction from the first portion 201 towards the fourth portion 204. Accordingly, the aerosol generated in at least one of the first portion 201 and the second portion 202 may form an air flow by passing through the first portion 201, the second portion 202, the third portion 203, and the fourth portion 204 in sequence, and thus, the user may inhale the aerosol from the fourth portion 204.

The first portion 201 may comprise an aerosol-generating element. The first portion 201 may include other additives, such as flavourants, humectants and/or organic acids, and may include flavour fluids, such as menthol or humectants, in addition to the aerosol-generating element. Here, the aerosol-generating element may comprise, for example, at least one of glycerol, propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, and oleyl alcohol.

The first portion 201 may comprise a curled sheet and the aerosol-generating element may be included in the first portion 201 whilst being impregnated into the curled sheet. In addition, the fragrance solution, as well as other additives such as fragrances, wetting agents, and/or organic acids, may be contained in the first portion 201 while being absorbed into the curled sheet. The curled sheet may be a sheet comprising a polymeric material. For example, the polymeric material may include at least one of paper, cellulose acetate, lyocell, and polylactic acid. For example, the curled sheet may be a paper sheet which does not generate an odor by heat even when heated at a high temperature. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

The first portion 201 may extend from the end of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 to a point of about 7mm to about 20mm, and the second portion 202 may extend from the end of the first portion 201 to a point of about 7mm to about 20 mm. However, the extension length of the first portion 201 and the second portion 202 is not limited to the above numerical range, and the extension length of each of the first portion 201 and the second portion 202 may be appropriately adjusted within a range that can be easily changed by one of ordinary skill in the art.

The second portion 202 may include a tobacco element. The tobacco element may comprise a particular form of tobacco material. For example, the tobacco element may have the form of cut filler, tobacco particles, tobacco sheet, tobacco beads, tobacco particles, tobacco powder, or tobacco extract. In addition, the tobacco material may include, for example, at least one of tobacco leaf, tobacco leaf vein, expanded tobacco, cut leaf, reconstituted tobacco leaf, and reconstituted tobacco.

The third portion 203 may comprise means for cooling the air flow through the first portion 201 and the second portion 202. The third portion 203 may comprise a polymeric material or a biodegradable polymeric material and may have a cooling function. For example, the third portion 203 may include polylactic acid (PLA) fibers, but is not limited thereto. Alternatively, the third portion 203 may comprise a cellulose acetate filter having a plurality of holes therethrough. However, the third portion 203 is not limited to the above example, and may include any material that performs a function of cooling the aerosol without limitation. For example, the third portion 203 may comprise a tube filter or a paper tube filter comprising a hollow portion.

The fourth portion 204 may include a filter material. For example, the fourth portion 204 may include a cellulose acetate filter. Meanwhile, the shape of the fourth portion 204 is not limited. For example, the fourth portion 204 may include a tubular rod or a tubular rod having a hollow interior. In addition, the fourth portion 204 may include a concave bar. When the fourth portion 204 includes a plurality of segments, at least one of the plurality of segments may be manufactured in different shapes.

The fourth portion 204 may be manufactured to generate a scent. For example, a fragrance solution may be injected onto the fourth portion 204, or additional fibers coated with fragrance solution may be inserted into the fourth portion 204.

The aerosol-generating substrate 20 may comprise a wrapper 250 surrounding at least some of the first portion 201 to the fourth portion 204. In addition, the aerosol-generating substrate 20 may comprise a wrapper 250 surrounding all of the first portion 201 to the fourth portion 204. The package 250 may be located at the outermost portion of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 and the package 250 may be a single package, but may be a combination of multiple packages.

The package 250 may be an electromagnetic sensor for detecting cigarettes by using the matrix detection sensor 191 of fig. 3, and may include a thermally conductive material. For example, the heat conductive material may be a metal foil, such as a silver (Ag) foil, an aluminum (Al) foil, or a copper (Cu) foil, but is not limited thereto. The heat conductive material included in the package 250 may increase the heat conductivity by uniformly dispersing the heat transferred to the first and second portions 201 and 202, and thus may increase the taste of tobacco. In addition, the thermally conductive material included in the package 250 may also act as a susceptor.

The thermally conductive material of the package 250 may change the inductance of the matrix detection sensor 191. Based on the change in inductance detected by the matrix detection sensor 191, the aerosol-generating device 10 of fig. 1 may determine whether the aerosol-generating matrix 20 is inserted into the aerosol-generating device 10 of fig. 1 or withdrawn from the aerosol-generating device 10 of fig. 1.

Referring to fig. 3, the aerosol-generating device 10 may comprise a battery 110, a susceptor 130, an induction coil 140, a power converter 150, a memory 160, an input unit 170, an output unit 180 and a sensor unit 190. Fig. 3 shows that the aerosol-generating device 10 comprises components relevant to the present embodiment. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art relating to this embodiment will appreciate that the aerosol-generating device 10 may include other general-purpose components in addition to those shown in fig. 3.

Meanwhile, the operation of the aerosol-generating device 10 described with reference to fig. 1 may also be applied to the aerosol-generating device 10 of fig. 3.

The battery 110 supplies electric power for operating the aerosol-generating device 10. In other words, the battery 110 may supply power to the induction coil 140 so that the susceptor 130 may be heated. The battery 110 may convert electric power via the power converter 150 and supply the converted electric power to the induction coil 140. Further, the battery 110 may supply electric power required to operate other components provided in the aerosol-generating device 10, that is, the power converter 150, the memory 160, the input unit 170, the output unit 180, and the sensor unit 190. The battery 110 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery.

The power converter 150 may be supplied with Direct Current (DC) power from the battery 110 and converts the DC power into AC power. Accordingly, the power converter 150 may include at least one switching element. In addition, the power converter 150 may include a filtering element for filtering the DC power supplied from the battery 110 or filtering the AC power supplied to the induction coil 140. Further, the power converter 150 may include an amplifier for amplifying DC power supplied from the battery 110 and/or AC power supplied to the induction coil 140. In an embodiment, the power converter 150 may be implemented as a class D amplifier and/or a class E amplifier.

The controller 120 may supply power to the induction coil 140 by controlling driving of at least one switching element provided in the power converter 150. For example, the controller 120 may control the power supplied to the induction coil 140 by controlling a driving frequency of a switching element included in the power converter 150, a duty ratio of a current supplied to the induction coil 140, and the like. Here, the duty ratio may point to a ratio of a supply time for which the induction coil 140 supplies power within the switching period.

According to an embodiment, the controller 120 may include a separate heating Integrated Circuit (IC) for controlling only the power supply of the induction coil 140.

The induction coil 140 may be supplied with AC power from the power converter 150 to generate an alternating magnetic field. The induction coil 140 may heat the susceptor 130 by applying an alternating magnetic field having a periodically varying direction to the susceptor 130 based on AC power.

The susceptor 130 may be heated by an alternating magnetic field to heat the aerosol-generating substrate. When the aerosol-generating substrate is heated, an aerosol may be generated.

The susceptor 130 may be provided in the aerosol-generating device 10 in a shape such as a sheet, sheet or strip. According to an embodiment, the susceptor 130 may be provided on the aerosol-generating substrate 20. The susceptor 130 may be formed of a ferromagnetic matrix. For example, susceptor 130 may comprise metal or carbon. Susceptor 130 may comprise at least one of ferrite, magnetic alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum (Al). In addition, susceptor 130 may include at least one of: ceramics such as graphite, molybdenum, silicon carbide, niobium, nickel alloys, metal films or zirconia; transition metals such as nickel (Ni) or cobalt (Co); and metalloids such as boron (B) or phosphorus (P).

The sensor unit 190 may sense various types of status information of the aerosol-generating device 10. The result sensed by the sensor unit 190 may be sent to the controller 120, and the controller 120 may control the aerosol-generating device 10 to perform various functions, such as controlling operation of the heating unit (including the induction coil and susceptor), restricting smoking, determining whether to insert the aerosol-generating substrate 20, and displaying a notification, according to the sensed result.

The sensor unit 190 may include a substrate detection sensor 191, a temperature sensor 192, and a power detection sensor 193.

The matrix detection sensor 191 may detect whether the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11. In an embodiment, the substrate detection sensor 191 may be implemented as an inductive sensor. The substrate detection sensor 191 may measure an inductance variation amount that is changed due to a decrease or increase in a distance between an electromagnetic sensor provided in the aerosol-generating substrate 20 and an induction sensor when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 or taken out from the cavity 11. The substrate detection sensor 191 may be replaced with a different type of sensor such as an optical sensor or a resistive sensor, according to an embodiment.

The controller 120 may control the aerosol-generating device 10 such that heating is automatically initiated when insertion of an aerosol-generating article is detected without additional external input. For example, when the insertion of the aerosol-generating article is detected, the controller 120 may control the battery 110 to supply power to the coil. However, the controller unit 120 is not limited thereto, and may control the aerosol-generating device 10 such that heating is started only when there is an additional external input.

Temperature sensor 192 may detect the temperature of susceptor 130. Temperature sensor 192 may contact susceptor 130 and detect the temperature of susceptor 130. For example, the temperature sensor 192 may be implemented as a thermocouple. When the temperature sensor 192 is implemented as a thermocouple, the temperature sensor 192 may have a fast response speed and a small error.

The controller 120 may control the temperature of the susceptor 130 based on the sensed information of the temperature sensor 192. The controller 120 may control the power supplied to the induction coil 140 to maintain the temperature of the susceptor 130 at a target temperature according to a preset temperature profile.

The power detection sensor 193 may detect power applied to the induction coil 140. The power detection sensor 193 may be disposed between the power converter 150 and the induction coil 140 to detect an AC current and/or an AC voltage applied to the induction coil 140. For example, the power detection sensor 193 may be implemented as a shunt resistor.

The sensing information of the power detection sensor 193 may include instantaneous power, active power, average power, etc. supplied to the induction coil 140. The controller 120 may control the power supplied to the induction coil 140 based on the sensing information of the power detection sensor 193.

Meanwhile, fig. 3 shows that the sensor unit 190 includes components related to the present embodiment. Accordingly, one of ordinary skill in the art associated with this embodiment will appreciate that the sensor unit 190 of the aerosol-generating device 10 may include other general-purpose components in addition to those shown in fig. 3. For example, the sensor unit 190 may further comprise a suction sensor for detecting user suction, a water detection sensor for detecting water inside and/or outside the aerosol-generating device 10, etc.

The memory 160 may be hardware that stores various types of data processed in the aerosol-generating device 10, and the memory 160 may store data segments processed by the controller 120 and data segments to be processed by the controller 120. The memory 160 may be implemented as a Random Access Memory (RAM) such as a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) or a Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), and an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM).

The memory 160 may store data related to the operating time of the aerosol-generating device 10, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern, among others. In an embodiment, the memory 160 may store a reference value for determining whether the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted/removed from the electrical inductance variation. In addition, the memory 160 may store a temperature reference value and a power reference value for determining an abnormality of the temperature sensor 192.

The input unit 170 may receive a user input. The input unit 170 may be implemented as physical keys and/or a touch sensor for receiving user input. When the substrate detection sensor 191 detects the aerosol-generating substrate 20, the aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure may heat the susceptor 130 even without user input. According to an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 10 may heat the susceptor 130 based on user input.

The output unit 180 may comprise a display outputting visual information related to the aerosol-generating device 10. In addition, the output unit 180 may include a motor that outputs tactile information related to the aerosol-generating device 10. Here, the visual information and the tactile information related to the aerosol-generating device 10 include all information related to the operation of the aerosol-generating device 10. For example, the display may output: information about the state of the aerosol-generating device 10 (e.g., whether the aerosol-generating device 10 is available, etc.), information about the susceptor 130 (e.g., start of warm-up, progress of warm-up, completion of warm-up, etc.), information about the battery 110 (e.g., remaining capacity of the battery 110, whether the battery 110 is available, etc.), information about the reset of the aerosol-generating device 10 (e.g., reset time, reset progress, completion of reset, etc.), information about the cleaning of the aerosol-generating device 10 (e.g., cleaning time, cleaning requirement, cleaning progress, completion of cleaning, etc.), information about the charging of the aerosol-generating device 10 (e.g., charging requirement, charging progress, completion of charging, etc.), information about suction (e.g., number of suction, suction end notification, etc.), information about safety (e.g., elapsed time of use, etc.), etc.

The controller 120 controls the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 10. The controller 120 includes at least one processor. A processor may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or as a combination of a general purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the processor may be implemented as other types of hardware.

The controller 120 may determine abnormal heating of the aerosol-generating device 10 according to the sensing information of the sensor unit 190. The abnormal heating may include: a first abnormal heating in which the susceptor 130 is heated when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11; and a second abnormal heating occurs due to an error of the temperature sensing region.

The memory 160 may store a first abnormal heating condition for determining the first abnormal heating and a second abnormal heating condition for determining the second abnormal heating.

The controller 120 may prevent the overload of the internal components of the aerosol-generating device 10 and the battery consumption due to the abnormal heating by disconnecting the power supplied to the induction coil 140 according to the first abnormal heating condition and the second abnormal heating condition. A detailed method of determining abnormal heating by the controller 120 will be described below with reference to fig. 4.

According to an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 10 may comprise, in addition to the components of fig. 3, a communication interface for communicating with an external device. The communication interface may be implemented in a form supporting at least one of the following various types of communication methods: digital interface, AP-based Wi-Fi (e.g., wi-Fi, wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)), bluetooth, zigbee, wired/wireless LAN, wide Area Network (WAN), ethernet, IEEE1394, high Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), universal Serial Bus (USB), MHL, AES/EBU, fiber optic, coaxial cable, etc. In addition, the communication interface may include a Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) channel for transmitting video and audio signals, a Display Data Channel (DDC) for transmitting and receiving device information and video or audio-related information, such as enhanced extended display identification data (E-EDID), and a Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) for transmitting and receiving control signals. However, the communication interface is not limited thereto, and may be implemented as various types of interfaces.

Fig. 4 is a view showing an arrangement structure of the matrix detection sensor of the embodiment.

Referring to fig. 4, the susceptor 130 has a cylindrical shape and is arranged to inductively heat the aerosol-generating substrate 20 contained in the cavity 11.

The induction coil 140 is arranged outside the susceptor 130 in the longitudinal direction of the susceptor 130. The induction coil 140 may be supplied with power under the control of the controller 120 to generate an alternating magnetic field and inductively heat the susceptor 130.

The substrate detection sensor 191 is arranged in the area between the susceptor 130 and the induction coil 140. The length of the substrate detection sensor 191 may be longer than the length of the susceptor 130, and the susceptor 130 may be arranged to be included in the length of the substrate detection sensor 191.

The inductance of the substrate detection sensor 191 may be changed by an electromagnetic induction material adjacent to the substrate detection sensor 191. The inductance of the substrate detection sensor 191 may be changed by an electromagnetic inductor included in the aerosol-generating substrate 20. When the change in inductance of the substrate detection sensor 191 is greater than or equal to the preset threshold inductance, the controller 120 may inductively heat the susceptor 130 without user input. However, even when the object 400 including the electromagnetic induction material is adjacent to the substrate detection sensor 191, the susceptor 130 may be heated. In other words, when the value of the change in inductance due to the object 400 is greater than or equal to the preset threshold inductance, the susceptor 130 may be heated, which is contrary to the user's intention, even when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11. Unintentional heating may increase the power consumption of the aerosol-generating device 10 and impair the durability of the internal components.

The aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure may determine whether an abnormal heating condition is met to determine an error in the detection of the aerosol-generating substrate 20. The abnormal heating condition for determining an error in the detection of the aerosol-generating substrate 20 may be referred to as a first abnormal heating condition to distinguish from the abnormal heating condition described below. In addition, the abnormal heating condition described below may be set as an error in the detection of the determination temperature sensor, and may be referred to as a second abnormal heating condition.

The controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied based on the detection information of the temperature sensor 192. The controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied based on the heating rate of the temperature of the susceptor 130. The heating rate (c/s) may be defined as the amount of temperature change of susceptor 130 during a preset time.

The heating rate when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11 may be higher than when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11. The heating rate is changed because the aerosol-generating substrate 20 acts as a load for the susceptor 130. In other words, the situation in which the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 may correspond to an unloaded state, whereas the situation in which the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11 may correspond to a loaded state. The aerosol-generating device 10 may heat the susceptor 130 more quickly in the unloaded state.

The memory 160 may store a threshold value to prevent the susceptor 130 from being heated when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11. The threshold may refer to a threshold heating rate. The threshold heating rate may be set based on the normal heating rate of the susceptor 130 when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11. The threshold heating rate may be determined experimentally.

The controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied based on the threshold heating rate. When the heating rate of susceptor 130 is greater than the threshold heating rate, controller 120 may determine that the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied. In other words, the controller 120 may turn off the power supplied to the induction coil 140 when the temperature of the susceptor 130 reaches a preset heating temperature within a preset reference time.

The aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure may detect whether the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted by using only the temperature sensor 192 without requiring additional components. In addition, the aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure may minimize power consumption and increase the durability of the internal components by preventing the susceptor 130 from being unintentionally heated when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11.

Referring to fig. 5, the temperature sensor 192 may be implemented as a thermocouple. The temperature sensor 192 may include a first wire 192a, a second wire 192b, and a contact member 192c contacting the first wire 192a and the second wire 192 b.

The first wire 192a and the second wire 192b may be formed of different types of metals and may be provided by calibration of various pairs of metals for the thermocouple. The first wire 192a and the second wire 192b may be provided in the form of a ground type, a non-ground type, an exposed type, and a bead wire.

The first and second wires 192a, 192b may be spaced apart from each other to contact the contact element 192c. One end of the first wire 192a may contact the contact element 192c, and the other end of the first wire 192a may contact the controller 120. One end of the second wire 192b may contact the contact member 192c, and the other end of the second wire 192b may contact the controller 120. According to an embodiment, the other end of each of the first and second wires 192a and 192b may contact another metal material outside the controller 120.

The contact elements 192c may contact the outer circumferential surface of the susceptor 130. The contact element 192c may comprise a conductive material and may be conductive.

When the first wire 192a and the second wire 192b form a closed circuit through the contact element 192c, an electromotive force may be generated due to a temperature change of the contact element 192 c. The electromotive force may be used as a sensing value for detecting the temperature of susceptor 130. The temperature at contact element 192c contacting susceptor 130 may be detected as the temperature of susceptor 130.

The temperature sensor 192 may include a converter that converts an analog sensed value to a digital sensed value, and the temperature sensor 192 may transmit the sensed value to the controller 120. Memory 160 may store a matching table of digital sensed values and susceptor temperature, and controller 120 may determine the temperature of susceptor 130 from the matching table stored in memory 160.

Referring to fig. 6, as shown in fig. 5, the temperature sensor 192 detects the temperature at the contact element 192c according to a closed circuit formed by the contact element 192 c. However, due to the manufacturing process or use, electrical contacts of temperature sensor 192 may be generated at a different location than susceptor 130. Fig. 6 shows an example in which the electrical contact is formed at a different position from the susceptor 130. However, the positions of the electrical contacts in fig. 6 are only examples, and the generation positions of the electrical contacts may be different according to manufacturing processes or uses.

Fig. 6 shows an example in which the electrical contacts 800 of the temperature sensor 192 are formed spaced apart from the susceptor 130. As shown in fig. 6, when electrical contact 800 is formed spaced apart from susceptor 130, temperature sensor 192 may not be able to detect the exact temperature of susceptor 130. For example, as shown in fig. 6, when the electrical contact 800 is formed spaced apart from the susceptor 130, the temperature sensor 192 provides the temperature at the electrical contact 800 to the controller 120. The controller 120 controls the power supplied to the induction coil 140 based on the temperature at the electrical contact 800.

Meanwhile, the heat source of the aerosol-generating device 10 corresponds to the susceptor 130, and thus, when the electrical contact 800 is formed at a position other than the susceptor 130 or the contact element 192c, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 192 becomes lower than the temperature at the susceptor 130 or the contact element 192 c. In other words, the first temperature detected by temperature sensor 192 may be lower than the second temperature, which is the actual temperature of susceptor 130. The controller 120 is provided with a first temperature at which the electrical contact 800 is formed, rather than the actual temperature of the susceptor 130, and thus, it is possible to supply excessive power to the induction coil 140. Supplying excess power may increase the power consumption of the aerosol-generating device 10 and impair the durability of the internal components.

When excessive power is supplied to the induction coil 140, the aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure may disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil 140 by determining the supply of excessive power as abnormal heating.

The controller 120 may determine whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied to determine an error in detection of the temperature sensor 192. The controller 120 may determine whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied based on the detection information of the temperature sensor 192. When the detection information of the temperature sensor 192 does not correspond to the preset temperature profile, the controller 120 may determine whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied. The preset temperature profile will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 7, and may be stored in the memory 160.

The second abnormal heating condition may include a first sub-condition and a second sub-condition. When at least one of the first and second sub-conditions is satisfied, the controller 120 may disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil 140. The first sub-condition may be a temperature condition and the second sub-condition may be a power condition.

When electrical contact 800 is formed at a location other than susceptor 130 or contact element 192c, the temperature detected by temperature sensor 192 may be lower than the temperature at susceptor 130 or contact element 192 c. The controller 120 may determine that the first sub-condition is satisfied when the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 192 is lower than or equal to the preset maintenance temperature for the preset monitoring time. When the first sub-condition is detected, the controller 120 may disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil 140. The preset maintenance temperature may be set to be lower than the target temperature according to the temperature profile. The maintenance temperature may be set lower than the target temperature to increase user convenience by maintaining the power supplied to the induction coil 140 in the event of a fine control error instead of an error in the temperature sensor 192.

When the electrical contact 800 is formed at a location other than the susceptor 130 or the contact element 192c, the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 192 is lower than the temperature at the susceptor 130 or the contact element 192c, and thus the controller 120 may supply more power to the induction coil 140 than the target power according to the temperature profile. The controller 120 may determine that the second sub-condition is satisfied when the power detected by the power detection sensor 193 during the preset monitoring time is greater than or equal to the preset reference power. When the second sub-condition is detected, the controller 120 may disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil 140. The preset reference power may be set higher than the target power according to the temperature profile. The reference power may be set higher than the target power to increase user convenience by maintaining the power supplied to the induction coil 140 according to the fine control error instead of the error in the temperature sensor 192.

When at least one of the first and second sub-conditions is detected, the aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure can minimize power consumption and increase the durability of the internal components by disconnecting the power supplied to the induction coil 140 to prevent the susceptor 130 from being unintentionally heated due to errors in detection by the temperature sensor 192.

Fig. 7 shows a temperature profile of susceptor 130 according to an embodiment. The temperature profile may include information about the target temperature 710 over time. However, the temperature profile of susceptor 130 is not limited to fig. 7. The heating time, the target temperature, the target amount of electric power, and the like may be set differently according to the design.

The controller 120 may heat the susceptor 130 during the first time Tia based on the first target temperature Te1. The temperature of susceptor 130 may reach a first target temperature Te1 within a predetermined time Tif under the control of controller 120. For example, the first time Tia may be set in a range of about 20 seconds to about 40 seconds, and the first target temperature Te1 may be set in a range of about 276 ℃ to about 300 ℃.

The controller 120 may heat the susceptor 130 from the first time Tia to the second time Tib based on a second target temperature Te2 lower than the first target temperature Te 1. The temperature of susceptor 130 may be reduced to a second target temperature Te2 under the control of controller 120. For example, the difference between the second time Tib and the first time Tia may be set in a range of about 10 seconds to about 15 seconds, and the second target temperature Te2 may be set in a range of about 230 ℃ to about 275 ℃.

In an embodiment, the preheating section may include a first time Tia and a second time Tib. In addition, the first time Tia may be referred to as a first sub-preheating section, and a section from the first time Tia to the second time Tib may be referred to as a second sub-preheating section. The pre-heat section may refer to a section where the temperature of susceptor 130 increases and decreases to an appropriate temperature for generating an aerosol. In addition, the preheating section may refer to a section where the user does not perform actual suction.

The controller 120 may heat the susceptor 130 based on a third target temperature Te3 lower than the second target temperature Te2 from the second time Tib to the third time Tic. The temperature of susceptor 130 may be reduced to a third target temperature Te3 under the control of controller 120. For example, the difference between the third time Tic and the second time Tib may be set in a range of about 10 seconds to about 15 seconds, and the third target temperature Te3 may be set in a range of about 220 ℃ to about 268 ℃.

The controller 120 may heat the susceptor 130 from the third time Tic to the fourth time Tid based on a fourth target temperature Te4 that is lower than the third target temperature Te 3. The temperature of susceptor 130 may be reduced to a fourth target temperature Te4 under the control of controller 120. For example, the difference between the fourth time Tid and the third time Tic may be set in a range of about 50 seconds to about 220 seconds, and the fourth target temperature Te4 may be set in a range of about 210 ℃ to about 257 ℃.

In an embodiment, the smoking section may comprise a third time Tic and a fourth time Tid. A smoking segment may refer to a segment in which the temperature of susceptor 130 is maintained at a target temperature for a user to draw. In addition, a smoking section may refer to a section that is actually smoked by a user.

The controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied in at least a portion of the preheating zone. In an embodiment, the controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied in the initial preheating section. For example, the controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied in the first sub-preheating section after the susceptor 130 begins to heat. A determination is made in the initial pre-heating section as to whether the first abnormal heating condition is met, as the heating rate of the susceptor 130 varies most significantly depending on whether the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is present in the initial pre-heating section. In addition, a determination is made in the initial pre-heating section as to whether the first abnormal heating condition is met to significantly reduce power consumption by disconnecting power supplied to the induction coil 140 prior to entering the smoking section when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted.

Fig. 7 shows information 720 about the temperature of the susceptor 130 when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 and information 730 about the temperature of the susceptor 130 when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11. Fig. 7 shows the temperature sensor in a normal state. In other words, in temperature sensor 192, the electrical contacts as shown in fig. 6 may not be spaced apart from susceptor 130.

The situation in which the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11 corresponds to an unloaded state, and thus the temperature of the susceptor 130 may rise rapidly. The controller 120 may determine abnormal heating of the susceptor 130 based on the first abnormal heating condition. When the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 192 reaches the preset heating temperature within the preset reference time Tif, the controller 120 may determine that the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied.

The preset reference time Tif may be experimentally set based on the time the temperature of the susceptor 130 reaches the initial pre-heating temperature when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11. Here, the initial warm-up temperature may refer to a first target temperature Te1. In an embodiment, the time when the temperature of the susceptor 130 reaches the first target temperature Te1 as initial pre-heating temperature may be a first time Tia when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11. For example, the first target temperature Te1 may be 276 ℃ selected in a range of about 276 ℃ to about 300 ℃, and the first time Tia may be 20 seconds set in a range of about 20 seconds to about 40 seconds.

The preset reference time Tif may be set to be shorter than the first time Tia. For example, the preset reference time Tif may be set to be 10 seconds less than the first time Tia. In addition, the heating temperature may be set equal to the initial preheating temperature. In other words, the heating temperature may be set equal to the first target temperature Te1.

Referring to fig. 7, when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11, the temperature of the susceptor 130 reaches the first target temperature Te1 as the heating temperature at a time (e.g., 5 seconds) earlier than the reference time Tif, and thus, the controller 120 may determine that the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied. In other words, the controller 120 may turn off the power supplied to the induction coil 140 by determining that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11.

The controller 120 may determine whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied in the pre-heat section and the smoking section. The determination of whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied is made in all of the preheating section and the smoking section because the difference between the actual temperature and the measured temperature of the susceptor 130 according to the abnormality of the temperature sensor 192 is not significantly displayed according to the heating section.

The second abnormal heating condition may include a first sub-condition as a temperature condition and a second sub-condition as an electric power condition.

The controller 120 may determine that the first sub-condition is satisfied when the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 192 during the preset monitoring time is less than or equal to the preset maintenance temperature. The preset maintenance temperature may be set based on a temperature profile stored in the memory 160.

In an embodiment, the preset monitoring time may be set to be greater than a preset reference time Tif for determining the first abnormal heating condition. In other words, the preset monitoring time may be set to be greater than the preset reference time Tif to prevent a large difference between the target temperature and the actual temperature of susceptor 130 in the initial preheating section and to prevent a collision with the first abnormal heating condition. For example, the monitoring time may be set to 20 seconds, but is not limited thereto.

In an embodiment, the maintenance temperature may be set to be lower than the target temperature according to the temperature profile. The maintenance temperature may be set lower than the target temperature to increase user convenience by maintaining the power supplied to the induction coil 140 in the event of a fine control error instead of an error in the temperature sensor 192. For example, the maintenance temperature may set the temperature to be about 10 ℃ to about 20 ℃ lower than the target temperature.

When the first sub-condition is detected, the controller 120 may disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil 140.

The controller 120 may determine that the second sub-condition is satisfied when the power acquired from the power detection sensor 193 is greater than or equal to the preset reference power for the preset monitoring time. The determination of the second sub-condition may be performed simultaneously with the determination of the first sub-condition or at a different time.

In an embodiment, the monitoring time for determining the second sub-condition may be the same as the monitoring time for determining the first sub-condition.

In an embodiment, the preset reference power may be set based on a power curve according to the target temperature. According to the power curve, the preset reference power may be set higher than the target power. The target power may refer to power supplied to the induction coil 140 to bring the temperature of the susceptor 130 to a target temperature when the temperature sensor 192 is in a normal state. The preset reference power may be set higher than the target power to increase user convenience by maintaining the power supplied to the induction coil 140 in the event of a fine control error instead of an error in the temperature sensor 192. For example, the target power for the susceptor 130 to reach the third target temperature Te3 at the third time Tic after the second time Tib may be set in a range of about 120mA to about 130mA, and the preset reference power may be set in a range of about 80mA to about 90 mA.

When the second sub-condition is detected, the controller 120 may disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil 140.

The aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure may more accurately identify the state in which the susceptor 130 is abnormally heated when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11 and the state in which the susceptor 130 is abnormally heated due to an error in the temperature sensor 192 by differentially determining the first abnormal heating condition and the second abnormal heating condition.

Referring to fig. 8, in operation S810, the controller 120 may start heating the susceptor 130.

The controller 120 may determine whether the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11 based on the amount of change in inductance of the substrate detection sensor 191. The inductance of the substrate detection sensor 191 may be changed by an electromagnetic inductor included in the aerosol-generating substrate 20 or the object 400 comprising an electromagnetic inducing material adjacent to the aerosol-generating device 10. When the value of the change in inductance of the substrate detection sensor 191 is greater than or equal to the preset threshold inductance, the controller 120 may inductively heat the susceptor 130 without user input.

When the amount of change in the inductance of the substrate detection sensor 191 is greater than or equal to the preset threshold inductance, the controller 120 may inductively heat the susceptor 130 based on the first target temperature Te 1.

In operation S820, the temperature sensor 192 may detect the temperature of the susceptor 130.

A temperature sensor 192 may be disposed adjacent the susceptor 130 and provide a temperature sensing value to the controller 120. The controller 120 may determine abnormal heating of the susceptor 130 based on the detection information of the temperature sensor 192.

In operation S830, the controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied.

The first abnormal heating condition may refer to a condition in which it is determined that the susceptor 130 is unintentionally heated when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11.

The controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied in at least a portion of the preheating zone. In an embodiment, the controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied in the initial preheating section. For example, the controller 120 may determine whether the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied in the first sub-preheating section after the susceptor 130 begins to heat. The first sub-preheating section may be provided in the range of about 20 seconds to about 40 seconds, but is not limited thereto.

When the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 192 reaches the preset heating temperature within the preset reference time Tif, the controller 120 may determine that the first abnormal heating condition is satisfied. The preset heating temperature may be set equal to the first target temperature Te1 as the initial preheating temperature. The preset reference time Tif may be set based on a first time Tia taken for the temperature of the susceptor 130 to reach the first target temperature Te1 when the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is inserted into the cavity 11. The preset reference time Tif may be set to be smaller than the first time Tia. For example, the preset reference time Tif may be set to be 10 seconds less than the first time Tia.

When the first abnormal heating condition is detected, the controller 120 may disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil 140 in operation S840.

When the first abnormal heating condition is detected, the controller 120 may immediately disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil 140 by determining that the aerosol-generating substrate 20 is not inserted into the cavity 11, to prevent an operation contrary to the intention of the user.

According to an embodiment, when the power supplied to the induction coil 140 is turned off according to the first abnormal heating condition, the controller 120 may control the output unit 18 to output the first user notification.

In operation S850, when the first abnormal heating condition is not detected, the controller 120 may maintain heating of the susceptor 130.

When the first abnormal heating condition is not detected, the controller 120 may maintain heating of the susceptor 130 by continuously supplying power to the induction coil 140.

In operation S860, the controller 120 may determine whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied while maintaining the heating of the susceptor 130.

The second abnormal heating condition may refer to a condition that determines that susceptor 130 is not controlled to a desired temperature due to an abnormality of temperature sensor 192.

The controller 120 may determine whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied in the pre-heat section and the smoking section. In an embodiment, the controller 120 may determine whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied in the remaining preheating section and the smoking section other than the determination section for the first abnormal heating condition. Since the monitoring time for determining whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied is set to be greater than the preset reference time Tif, the determination whether the second abnormal heating condition is satisfied is made in the remaining preheating section and the smoking section other than the determination section of the first abnormal heating condition. For example, the monitoring time may be set to 20 seconds greater than the preset reference time Tif.

The second abnormal heating condition may include a first sub-condition and a second sub-condition. When at least one of the first sub-condition and the second sub-condition is satisfied, the controller 120 may determine that the second abnormal-heating condition is satisfied.

The controller 120 may determine that the first sub-condition is satisfied when the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 192 is lower than or equal to the preset maintenance temperature for the preset monitoring time. The preset maintenance temperature may be set to be lower than each target temperature included in the temperature profile. For example, the preset maintenance temperature may be set to be about 10 ℃ to about 20 ℃ lower than each target temperature.

The controller 120 may determine that the second sub-condition is satisfied when the power acquired from the power detection sensor 193 is greater than or equal to the preset reference power for the preset monitoring time. The preset reference power may be set higher than each target power included in the power curve.

The determination of the second sub-condition may be performed simultaneously with the determination of the first sub-condition or at a different time.

When the second abnormal heating condition is not detected, the controller 120 may maintain heating of the susceptor 130 by continuously supplying power to the induction coil 140 in operation S850.

When the second abnormal heating condition is detected, the controller 120 may disconnect the power supplied to the induction coil 140 in operation S870.

According to an embodiment, when the power supplied to the induction coil 140 is turned off according to the second abnormal heating condition, the controller 120 may control the output unit 18 to output the second user notification. The output mode of the first user notification when the first abnormal heating condition is detected and the output mode of the second user notification when the second abnormal heating condition is detected may be different from each other.

For example, when the output unit 180 is implemented as an LED that outputs visual information, the number of blinking times, the period, and the color of the first user notification and the second user notification may be set to be different from each other. As another example, when the output unit 180 is implemented as a haptic motor that outputs haptic information, the number of vibrations, the period, etc. of the first user notification and the second user notification may be set to be different from each other. As another example, when the output unit 180 is implemented as an LED and a haptic motor, any one user notification may be output by the LED and another user notification may be output by the haptic motor.

When normal heating of the susceptor 130 occurs due to errors in the sensed values of the sensors, such as the substrate detection sensor 191 and the temperature sensor 192, the aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure can minimize power consumption and increase durability of internal components by immediately disconnecting the power supplied to the induction coil 140.

In addition, the aerosol-generating device 10 of the present disclosure may more accurately detect the sensor causing abnormal heating by setting the first abnormal heating condition and the second abnormal heating condition to be different from each other.

It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art relating to the present embodiment that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the above-described features. The disclosed methods should be considered as illustrative only and not for the purpose of limitation. The scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope and range of equivalents of the disclosure should be construed as being included in the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An aerosol-generating device, the aerosol-generating device comprising:

a battery;

An induction coil configured to generate an alternating magnetic field based on electric power supplied from the battery;

a susceptor configured to heat an aerosol-generating substrate by using heat generated by the alternating magnetic field;

A temperature sensor disposed adjacent to the susceptor and configured to output a temperature sensing value as detection information; and

A controller configured to: according to a first abnormal heating condition and a second abnormal heating condition based on the detection information of the temperature sensor, power supplied to the induction coil is disconnected.

2. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: the power supplied to the induction coil is controlled according to a temperature profile including a preheating section and a smoking section, and in at least a portion of the preheating section, the power supplied to the induction coil is disconnected based on the first abnormal heating condition.

3. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to: in the preheating section and the smoking section, power supplied to the induction coil is disconnected based on the second heating condition.

4. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: according to the first abnormal heating condition, when the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor within a preset reference time reaches a preset heating temperature, power supplied to the induction coil is disconnected.

5. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the second abnormal-heating condition comprises a first sub-condition and a second sub-condition, and the controller is configured to: when at least one of the first and second sub-conditions is satisfied, power supplied to the induction coil is disconnected.

6. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to: according to the first sub-condition, when the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor is less than or equal to a preset maintenance temperature, the power supplied to the induction coil is disconnected.

7. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 6, wherein the preset maintenance temperature is set below a target temperature of the susceptor according to a temperature profile.

8. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to: according to the second sub-condition, when the power supplied to the induction coil is greater than or equal to a preset reference power, the power supplied to the induction coil is disconnected.

9. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 8, wherein the preset reference power is set higher than a target power supplied to the induction coil to allow the temperature of the susceptor to reach a target temperature.

10. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the susceptor is formed to surround an outer circumferential surface of a cavity into which the aerosol-generating substrate is inserted.

11. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor comprises:

A first wire;

A second line; and

A contact element contacting the first and second wires.

12. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 11, wherein the first and second wires are spaced apart from each other and in contact with the contact element, and the contact element is in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the susceptor.

13. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, further comprising a matrix detection sensor whose inductance changes when an aerosol-generating matrix comprising an electromagnetic sensor is inserted into a cavity, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the aerosol-generating matrix is inserted into the cavity based on a detection result of the matrix detection sensor.

14. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, further comprising an output unit configured to: when the power supplied to the induction coil is turned off according to the first abnormal heating condition and the second abnormal heating condition, a first user notification and a second user notification are output, respectively.

15. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 14, wherein the output mode of the first user notification and the output mode of the second user notification are set to be different from each other.