CN-114245713-B - Aerosol generating device with means for detecting insertion and/or extraction of an aerosol-generating article into and/or from the aerosol-generating device

CN114245713BCN 114245713 BCN114245713 BCN 114245713BCN-114245713-B

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an aerosol-generating device having means for detecting insertion and/or extraction of an aerosol-generating article into/from the aerosol-generating device. The device comprises a cavity for removably receiving at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article, wherein the article comprises an aerosol-forming substrate and an inductively heatable susceptor for heating the substrate. The apparatus further includes a DC power source and an induction heating device configured to generate an alternating magnetic field within the cavity for inductively heating a susceptor of the article when the article is received in the cavity. The device further comprises a control circuit configured to generate a detection power pulse for intermittently powering the induction heating device and to detect a change in at least one characteristic of the induction heating device due to the susceptor being present or absent in the cavity when an aerosol-generating article is inserted into or withdrawn from the cavity and, in response, to detect the insertion and/or withdrawal of an article into or from the cavity.

Inventors

J in Library
O. Folsa
O. Mironov
E. Stula
5. Oriana
Y trimebutine maleate

Assignees

菲利普莫里斯生产公司

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20200527
Priority Date: 20190823

Claims (15)

1. An aerosol-generating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate capable of forming an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the device comprising: -a cavity for removably receiving at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article comprising the aerosol-forming substrate and an inductively heatable susceptor for heating the substrate; -a DC power supply; -an induction heating device connected to the DC power supply and configured to generate an alternating magnetic field within the cavity for inductively heating susceptors of the article in a heating operation when the article is received in the cavity; -a control circuit configured to operate in two different modes, a heating mode in which the aerosol-generating device performs a heating operation, and a detection mode in which at least one of insertion of the aerosol-generating article into the cavity or extraction of the aerosol-generating article from the cavity is detected, wherein in the detection mode the control circuit is configured to -Generating power pulses for intermittently powering up the induction heating means; -for each power pulse, measuring at least one characteristic of the induction heating device; -detecting whether a change in at least one characteristic of the induction heating means due to the susceptor becoming present or absent in the cavity upon insertion or extraction of an aerosol-generating article into or from the cavity has occurred compared to one or more previous power pulses, and -Detecting at least one of insertion of an article into the cavity or extraction of an article from the cavity in response to detecting a change in at least one characteristic of the induction heating device.
2. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to disable heating operation of the induction heating device if: In response to detecting extraction of the product from the cavity during a heating operation, in order to stop the heating operation, or -After a previous heating operation and until after detection of extraction of the product from the cavity, in order to prevent the user from reheating the depleted aerosol-generating product of the previous heating operation.
3. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to enable activation of a heating operation of the induction heating device if: In response to detecting extraction of the product from the cavity during a heating operation and after disabling the heating operation, to stop disabling the heating operation, or -After a previous heating operation, and in response to detecting extraction of the article from the cavity, allowing the user to insert a new aerosol-generating article and to start a next heating operation.
4. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to initiate a heating operation of the induction heating device in response to detecting insertion of the article into the cavity.
5. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit further comprises a motion sensor for detecting movement of the device.
6. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 5, wherein the control circuit is configured to start generating a power pulse in response to detecting movement of the device.
7. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 5, wherein the control circuit is configured to stop generating the power pulse in response to detecting that the movement of the device does not reach a predetermined movement threshold for a predetermined idle time or in response to detecting that there is no movement for a predetermined idle time.
8. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to detect that the aerosol-generating device is drawn from a charging unit.
9. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 8, wherein the control circuit is configured to start generating the power pulse in response to detecting extraction of the aerosol-generating device from the charging unit.
10. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to detect insertion of the aerosol-generating device into a charging unit.
11. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 10, wherein the control circuit is configured to stop generating the power pulse in response to detecting insertion of the aerosol-generating device into a charging unit.
12. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to start generating a power pulse for detecting extraction of the article in response to detecting that a heating operation of the device ceases.
13. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to cease heating operation of the induction heating device in response to detecting extraction of the article from the cavity.
14. An aerosol-generating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit comprises measurement means for measuring a current indicative of at least one characteristic of the induction heating means.
15. An aerosol-generating article for use with an aerosol-generating device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the aerosol-generating article is removably receivable in a cavity of the device, and wherein the article comprises an aerosol-forming substrate and an inductively heatable susceptor for heating the substrate.

Description

Aerosol generating device with means for detecting insertion and/or extraction of an aerosol-generating article into and/or from the aerosol-generating device The present invention relates to an aerosol-generating device comprising a cavity and means for detecting insertion into or extraction from the cavity of an aerosol-generating article. The invention also relates to an aerosol-generating system comprising such a device and to a method for operating such a device. Aerosol-generating devices for generating an inhalable aerosol by heating an aerosol-forming substrate are generally known from the prior art. Such devices typically include a cavity for removably receiving at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article comprising an aerosol-forming substrate to be heated. For heating the substrate, the device may comprise an induction heating device powered by a battery and configured to generate an alternating magnetic field within the cavity for induction heating a susceptor in thermal proximity or direct physical contact with the substrate in use of the device. The susceptor may be an integral part of the aerosol-generating article. Such a device may further comprise means for detecting insertion or extraction of the aerosol-generating article into or from the receiving cavity in order to enable or disable the heating process. Such detection may be achieved by a separate sensor component that continuously monitors the presence or absence of the article in the cavity. However, separate sensor components typically require additional assembly space in the device. Furthermore, the continuous operation of the sensor is energy consuming and thus the operating time of the device can be significantly reduced. It would therefore be desirable to have an aerosol-generating device that has the advantages of the prior art solutions without the limitations thereof. In particular, it is desirable to have an aerosol-generating device that provides improved means for detecting insertion or extraction of an aerosol-generating article into or from a receiving cavity of the device. According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an aerosol-generating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate capable of forming an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the device comprising: -a cavity for removably receiving at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article, the article comprising the aerosol-forming substrate and an inductively heatable susceptor for heating the substrate; -a DC power supply; -an induction heating device connected to the DC power supply and configured to generate an alternating magnetic field within the cavity for inductively heating susceptors of the article in a heating operation when the article is received in the cavity; -a control circuit configured to supply power from the DC power source to the heating device for powering up the induction heating device and to detect a change in at least one characteristic of the induction heating device due to the presence or absence of the susceptor within the cavity when an aerosol-generating article is inserted into or withdrawn from the cavity and, in response, to detect insertion and/or withdrawal of an article into or from the cavity. According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an aerosol-generating device for heating an aerosol-forming substrate capable of forming an inhalable aerosol upon heating, the device comprising: -a cavity for removably receiving at least a portion of an aerosol-generating article, the article comprising the aerosol-forming substrate and an inductively heatable susceptor for heating the substrate; -a DC power supply; -an induction heating device connected to the DC power supply and configured to generate an alternating magnetic field within the cavity for inductively heating susceptors of the article in a heating operation when the article is received in the cavity; -a control circuit configured to generate power pulses for intermittently powering the induction heating device and to detect a change in at least one characteristic of the induction heating device due to the presence or absence of the susceptor within the cavity when an aerosol-generating article is inserted into or withdrawn from the cavity and, in response, to detect the insertion and/or withdrawal of an article into or from the cavity. In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that an induction heating device can be used not only to heat a substrate, but also to detect the insertion of an article into and/or withdrawal of an article from a cavity. Thus, the induction heating device can be used for a number of purposes. Advantageously, this can avoid additional assembly space for the individual sensor components. Furthermore, it has been found that operating the induction heating device in a pulsed mode for the purpose of article detection advantageously reduces power consumption and thus increases the