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EP-4338617-B1 - POWER SUPPLY UNIT FOR AEROSOL GENERATION DEVICE

EP4338617B1EP 4338617 B1EP4338617 B1EP 4338617B1EP-4338617-B1

Inventors

  • AOYAMA, Tatsunari
  • KAWANAGO, HIROSHI
  • NAGAHAMA, TORU
  • FUJIKI, TAKASHI
  • YOSHIDA, RYO

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20220304

Claims (15)

  1. A power supply unit (100) for an aerosol generation device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source (500), the power supply unit (100) comprising: a power supply (BAT); a connector (RCP) electrically connectable to an external power supply; a first load (1); a second load (HTR); a charging IC (2) including an input terminal connected to the connector (RCP), a charging terminal connected to the power supply (BAT), and an output terminal connected to the first load (1), and wherein the charging IC (2) is configured to convert electric power input to the input terminal and output the converted electric power from the charging terminal; and a discharge path configured to connect the power supply (BAT) and the second load (HTR) without passing through the charging IC (2), wherein the charging IC (2) is configured to supply electric power input from the power supply (BAT) to the charging terminal to the first load (1) via the output terminal, wherein the first load (1) is a microcontroller unit, the second load (HTR) is a heater, the first load (1) is configured to control the heating with the second load (HTR), and the first load (1) and the second load (HTR) operate simultaneously.
  2. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, further comprising: a first substrate; and a second substrate different from the first substrate, wherein the charging IC (2) and the first load (1) are provided on the first substrate, and the discharge path is provided in the second substrate.
  3. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein power consumption of the first load (1) is less than power consumption of the second load (HTR).
  4. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein the discharge path includes means configured to step up an output voltage of the power supply (BAT) and apply the step-up output voltage to the second load (HTR).
  5. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 4, further comprising: a third load connected to a node between the power supply (BAT) and the means in the discharge path and configured to operate by electric power supplied from the node.
  6. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 5, further comprising: a power supply connector to which the power supply (BAT) is connected; a first substrate; a second substrate different from the first substrate, wherein the charging IC (2) is provided on the first substrate, and the discharge path and the third load are provided on the second substrate.
  7. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a voltage converter connected between the output terminal and the first load (1) and configured to output a constant voltage.
  8. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 7, wherein the charging IC (2) is configured to supply electric power input to the input terminal to the first load (1) via the output terminal, and the voltage converter steps up or down a voltage input from the charging IC (2) to output the constant voltage when electric power input from the charging terminal is output from the output terminal, and steps down the voltage input from the charging IC (2) to output the constant voltage when electric power input from the input terminal is output from the output terminal.
  9. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 7, wherein the voltage converter is configured to step down a voltage input from the charging IC (2) to output the constant voltage.
  10. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the second load (HTR) and arranged in contact with or close to the second load (HTR), the temperature sensor including the second load (HTR) itself or another sensor (T3) arranged in contact with or close to the second load (HTR); a power supply line connected to the thermistor; and a load switch including a control terminal connected to the first load (1), an input terminal connected to the output terminal of the charging IC (2), and an output terminal connected to the power supply line.
  11. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the power supply unit (100) is an inhaler.
  12. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein the second load (HTR) is an induction heater.
  13. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the third load is a protection IC.
  14. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to claim 13, wherein the second load (HTR) consumes a largest amount of electric power among loads provided in the aerosol generation device.
  15. The power supply unit (100) for the aerosol generation device according to any one of claims 1 to 14 further comprising a notification unit (180) including a light emitting element (L1 to L8), wherein the notification unit (180) is supplied with electrical power from the power supply (BAT) through the charging IC (2).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a power supply unit for an aerosol generation device. BACKGROUND ART Patent Literature 1 describes an evaporator device having a converter capable of receiving a voltage from a USB power supply or a battery and supplying the received voltage to a heating element. The converter is configured to charge a battery with the voltage from the USB power supply. Patent Literature 2 describes a smoking system including a primary device including a primary power supply and a charging device that charges the primary power supply, and a secondary device including a secondary power supply charged by the primary power supply and a load that generates heat by power supply from the secondary power supply. In the smoking system, direct power supply from the primary power supply to the load is possible. Patent Literature 3 describes an electronic cigarette capable of supplying electric power from a charger to a heating element of a cigarette cartridge. JP 6865879 B1 discloses an aerosol generation system comprising: a controller for an inhalation device, the controller including a first power supply, a first connector, and a first processor configured to perform energization control of a heater which is used to heat an aerosol source, and a power supply device including a second power supply, a second connector which is electrically connected to the first connector at the time of charging of the first power supply, and a second processor configured to perform control of power supply from the second power supply to the controller via the second connector, wherein the first processor has a first operation mode and a first sleep mode, and the second processor has a second operation mode and a second sleep mode. CITATION LIST PATENT LITERATURE Patent Literature 1: US2020/0120991APatent Literature 2: WO2O18/167817Patent Literature 3: JP2015-500647A SUMMARY OF INVENTION TECHNICAL PROBLEM In a case where a charging IC is provided in an aerosol generation device equipped with a power supply, it is conceivable to supply electric power from an external power supply or a built-in power supply to a load such as a heater or a controller using a Power Path function of the charging IC. However, when a load connected to an output terminal of the charging IC increases, a current output from the output terminal increases, and it is necessary to use a large-scale and high-cost charging IC. An object of the present invention is to provide an aerosol generation device capable of realizing miniaturization and cost reduction. SOLUTION TO PROBLEM A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to an aspect of the present invention is a power supply unit for an aerosol generation device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source, the power supply unit including: a power supply; a connector electrically connected to an external power supply; a first load; a second load; a charging IC including an input terminal connected to the connector, a charging terminal connected to the power supply, and an output terminal connected to the first load, and wherein the charging IC is configured to convert electric power input to the input terminal and output the converted electric power from the charging terminal; and a discharge path configured to connect the power supply and the second load without passing through the charging IC, wherein the charging IC is configured to supply electric power input from the power supply to the charging terminal to the first load via the output terminal, wherein the first load is a microcontroller unit, the second load is a heater, the first load is configured to control the heating with the second load, and the first load and the second load operate simultaneously. ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an aerosol generation device capable of realizing miniaturization and cost reduction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a non-combustion-type inhaler.FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the non-combustion-type inhaler with a rod mounted thereon.FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the non-combustion-type inhaler.FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the non-combustion-type inhaler.FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an internal unit of the non-combustion-type inhaler.FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the internal unit of FIG. 5.FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the internal unit with a power supply and a chassis removed.FIG. 8 is another perspective view of the internal unit with the power supply and the chassis removed.FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining an operation mode of an inhaler.FIG. 10 shows a schematic configuration of an electric circuit of the internal unit.FIG. 11 shows a schematic configuration of the electric circuit of the internal unit.FIG. 12 shows a schematic configuration of the electric circuit of the internal unit.FIG. 13 is a diagram for