AEROSOL-GENERATING DEVICE

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0201173, filed on Dec. 30, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The disclosure relates to a dielectric heating-type aerosol-generating device, and more particularly, to an aerosol-generating device capable of preventing electromagnetic wave leakage. 2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, the demand for alternative methods to overcome the shortcomings of general cigarettes has increased. For example, there has been an increasing demand for a system that generates an aerosol by heating a cigarette (or an “aerosol-generating article”) by using an aerosol-generating device, instead of a method of generating an aerosol by burning a cigarette.

Meanwhile, aerosol-generating devices of the related art heat an aerosol-generating article by using resistance heating, induction heating, and ultrasonic heating methods, but compared aerosol-generating devices using dielectric heating methods, these aerosol-generating devices of the related art have slower preheating speeds and an inability to achieve uniform heating.

In addition, some of the aerosol-generating devices of the related art use a dielectric heating method and adopt a shielding structure, but shielding structures of the related art include a metal plate, making it difficult to achieve device miniaturization.

SUMMARY

Provided is an aerosol-generating device capable of preventing external leakage of electromagnetic waves in a dielectric heating method.

The technical objective of the disclosure is not limited to that described above, and other technical objective can be inferred from the following examples.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.

According to an embodiment, an aerosol-generating device includes a resonating unit defining an insertion space into which an aerosol-generating article is inserted, an electromagnetic wave output unit configured to generate a radio frequency (RF) signal, radiate the RF signal to the resonating unit in the form of an electromagnetic wave, and heat the aerosol-generating article, a first shielding unit which at least partially surrounds the resonating unit and the electromagnetic wave output unit and is configured to shield electromagnetic waves leaked from the resonating unit and the electromagnetic wave output unit, and a second shielding unit which at least partially surrounds the first shielding unit and is configured to shield electromagnetic waves leaked from the first shielding unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining an operation of a dielectric heating unit according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a dielectric heating unit according to an embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a heater assembly according to another embodiment;

FIG. 7 shows a flexible circuit board on which a power line and a control line are formed, according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a difference in mesh patterns between a first shielding unit and a second shielding unit, according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same or similar components will be assigned the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals in the drawings, and the same descriptions thereof will be omitted. With regard to the description of the drawings, like reference numerals may be used to represent like or related elements.

The suffixes “module”, “-er”, and “-or” for the components used in the following description are given or used interchangeably by considering only the ease of writing the description, and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves. The suffix “module” or “unit”, as used herein, may include a unit implemented as hardware, software, or firmware. For example, the suffix “module” or “unit” may be interchangeably used with the term a “logic”, a “logical block”, a “component”, or a “circuit”. The “module” or “unit” may be an integrally formed component, a minimum unit of the component performing one or more functions, or a part of the minimum unit. For example, the “module” or “unit” may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

In addition, when describing the embodiments of the disclosure, the detailed description of the related known art, which may obscure the subject matter of the embodiments, may be omitted. Also, the accompanying drawings are only intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiments described herein, and the spirit of the disclosure is not limited by the accompanying drawings and should be understood to include all changes, equivalents or alternatives included in the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements or components, these elements or components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element or component from another element or component.

When an element is referred to as being “connected to” or “coupled to” another element, it may be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected to” or “directly coupled to” another element, there are no intervening elements present.

The singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as software including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., a memory 15) readable by a machine (e.g., an aerosol-generating device 1). For example, a processor (e.g., a controller 10) of the machine (e.g., the aerosol-generating device 1) may call at least one instruction among one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute the at least one instruction. This makes it possible for the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to the called at least one instruction. Examples of the one or more instructions may include codes created by a compiler, or codes executable by an interpreter. A machine-readable storage medium may be provided as a non-transitory storage medium. The ‘non-transitory storage medium’ is a tangible device and only means that it does not contain a signal (e.g., electromagnetic waves). This term does not distinguish a case in which data is stored semi-permanently in a storage medium from a case in which data is temporarily stored.

In the present disclosure, a direction of the aerosol-generating device 1 may be defined based on an orthogonal coordinate system. The x-axis direction in the orthogonal coordinate system may be defined as a left-right direction of the aerosol-generating device 1. The y-axis direction may be defined as a front-back direction of the aerosol-generating device 1. The z-axis direction may be defined as an upward and downward direction of the aerosol-generating device 1.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol-generating device 1 according to an embodiment may include: a housing 100 capable of accommodating an aerosol-generating article S; and a heater assembly 500 for heating the aerosol-generating article S accommodated in the housing 100.

The housing 100 may form an overall exterior of the aerosol-generating device 1, and components of the aerosol-generating device 1 may be arranged in an inner space (or a “mounting space”) of the housing 100. For example, the heater assembly 500, a battery, a processor, and/or a sensor may be arranged in the inner space of the housing 100, but the components arranged in the inner space are not limited thereto. An insertion space 100h may be formed in one region of the housing 100, and at least one region of the aerosol-generating article S may be inserted into the housing 100 through the insertion space 100h. For example, the insertion space 100h may be formed in one region of an upper surface (for example, a surface in a z direction) of the housing 100, but the position of the insertion space 100h is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the insertion space 100h may be formed in one region of a side surface (for example, a surface in an x direction) of the housing 100.

The heater assembly 500 may be arranged in the inner space of the housing 100 and may heat the aerosol-generating article S inserted into or accommodated in the housing 100 through the insertion space 100h. For example, the heater assembly 500 may be arranged to surround at least one region of the aerosol-generating article S inserted into or accommodated in the housing 100, thus heating the aerosol-generating article S.

According to an embodiment, the heater assembly 500 may heat the aerosol-generating article S by a dielectric heating method. In the disclosure, the “dielectric heating method” refers to a method of heating a dielectric, which is an object to be heated, by utilizing electromagnetic waves of microwave wavelength. Microwaves are energy sources used to heat an object to be heated, and because the microwaves are generated by high-frequency power, the term ‘microwaves’ may hereinafter be used interchangeably with microwave power.

Charges or ions in a dielectric included in the aerosol-generating article S may vibrate or rotate due to microwaves within the heater assembly 500, and frictional heat generated during the vibration or rotation of the charges or ions may cause heat to be generated from the dielectric such that the aerosol-generating article S may be heated.

As the aerosol-generating article S is heated by the heater assembly 500, an aerosol may be generated from the aerosol-generating article S. In the disclosure, the term “aerosol” may refer to gaseous particles generated from a mixture of vapor and air that are produced as the aerosol-generating article S is heated.

The aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating article S may pass through the aerosol-generating article S or may be discharged to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 1 through an empty space between the aerosol-generating article S and the insertion space 100h. A user may smoke by placing their mouth on one region of the aerosol-generating article S exposed to the outside of the housing 100, and inhaling the aerosol discharged from the aerosol-generating device 1.

The aerosol-generating device 1 according to an embodiment may further include a cover 100c that is movably disposed in the housing 100 to open or close the insertion space 100h. For example, the cover 100c may be slidably coupled to the upper surface of the housing 100, thereby exposing the insertion space 100h to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 1 or covering the insertion space 100h so that the insertion space 100h is not exposed to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 1.

In one example, the cover 100c may be positioned at a first position (or an “open position”) to expose the insertion space 100h to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 1. When the aerosol-generating device 1 is exposed to the outside, the aerosol-generating article S may be inserted into the housing 100 through the insertion space 100h.

In another example, the cover 100c may be positioned at a second position (or a “closed position”) to cover the insertion space 100h, thereby preventing the insertion space 100h from being exposed to the outside of the aerosol-generating device 1. In this case, when the aerosol-generating device 1 is not in use, the cover 100c may prevent external foreign substances from entering the heater assembly 500 through the insertion space 100h.

Although FIG. 1 shows only the aerosol-generating device 1 for heating the solid-state aerosol-generating article S, the aerosol-generating device 1 is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.

The aerosol-generating device 1 according to another embodiment may generate an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating material in a liquid or gel state, instead of the solid-state aerosol-generating article S, through the heater assembly 500.

The aerosol-generating device 1 according to another embodiment may include both the heater assembly 500 for heating the aerosol-generating article S and a cartridge (or a “vaporizer”) containing an aerosol-generating material in a liquid or gel state and being for heating the aerosol-generating material. An aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating material may move to the aerosol-generating article S along an airflow passage communicating between the cartridge and the aerosol-generating article S and may then be mixed with an aerosol generated from the aerosol-generating article S, and then, the mixture may be transferred to a user through the aerosol-generating article S.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an aerosol-generating device according to an embodiment.

According to an embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include a power supply 11, the controller 10, a detection unit 12, an output unit 13, an input unit 16, a communication unit 14, the memory 15, and/or a dielectric heating unit 17. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art related to the present embodiment that some of the components illustrated in FIG. 2 may be omitted or new components may be added according to the design of the aerosol-generating device 1.

The detection unit 12 may detect a state of the aerosol-generating device 1 or a state of surrounding of the aerosol-generating device 1, and may transmit the detected information to the controller 10. For example, the detection unit 12 may include a temperature sensor, a puff sensor, an insertion detection sensor, a reuse detection sensor, a cigarette identification sensor, a cartridge detection sensor, a cap detection sensor, and/or a motion detection sensor. The detection unit 12 may further include various sensors, such as a liquid remaining amount sensor for detecting the remaining liquid amount of a cartridge, and an immersion sensor for detecting immersion of the aerosol-generating device 1. The controller 10 may control the dielectric heating unit 17 based on a detection result of the detection unit 12.

The output unit 13 may output information about a state of the aerosol-generating device 1. The output unit 13 may include, but is not limited to, a display, a haptic unit, and/or an audio output unit. For example, the information about the aerosol-generating device 1 may include a charging/discharging state of the power supply 11 of the aerosol-generating device 1, a preheating state of the dielectric heating unit 17, an insertion/removal state of the aerosol-generating article S and/or a cartridge, an attachment and/or removal state of a cap, or a state in which the use of the aerosol-generating device 1 is limited (for example, detection of an abnormal article). The display may visually provide a user with information about a state of the aerosol-generating device 1. For example, the display may include a light-emitting diode (LED) light emitting element, a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel. The display may also be used as the input unit 16 when the display includes a touch pad. The haptic unit may tactually provide a user with information about a state of the aerosol-generating device 1. For example, the haptic unit may include a vibration motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device. The audio output unit may audibly provide a user with information about the aerosol-generating device 1. For example, the audio output unit may convert an electrical signal into an audio signal and output the audio signal to the outside.

The power supply 11 may supply power for operation of the aerosol-generating device 1. The power supply 11 may include one or more batteries. The power supply 11 may supply power to operate the dielectric heating unit 17. In addition, the power supply 11 may supply power required to operate the controller 10, the detection unit 12, the output unit 13, the input unit 16, the communication unit 14, and the memory 15, which are the components included in the aerosol-generating device 1. The power supply 11 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the power supply 11 may include, but is not limited to, a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery. The power supply 11 may be a replaceable type (separable type) battery (hereinafter, referred to as a removable battery). The removable battery may be mounted in a battery holder provided within the aerosol-generating device 1 or removed from the battery holder. The removable battery may be charged in a wired manner and/or wirelessly.

The dielectric heating unit 17 may heat the aerosol-generating article S by a dielectric heating method. The dielectric heating unit 17 may heat the aerosol-generating article S by microwave radiation or a microwave resonance method. To this end, the dielectric heating unit 17 may include an electromagnetic wave output unit 171 and a resonating unit 172. In addition, the dielectric heating unit 17 may include some components of the heater assembly 500 of FIG. 1.

The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may generate an RF signal and radiate the RF signal to the resonating unit 172 in the form of an electromagnetic wave. The aerosol-generating article S may be heated by the electromagnetic wave radiated to the resonating unit 172. An operating method of the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

The resonating unit 172 may be understood as a space in which electromagnetic waves are radiated. In an embodiment in which the electromagnetic waves resonates within the resonating unit 172, the length of the resonating unit 172 may be designed in consideration of the wavelength of electromagnetic waves output by the electromagnetic wave output unit 171.

The aerosol-generating article S may be inserted into the insertion space 100h within the resonating unit 172, and a dielectric material within the aerosol-generating article S may be heated by electromagnetic waves. For example, the aerosol-generating article S may include a polar material, and molecules within the polar material may be polarized within the insertion space 100h. The molecules may vibrate or rotate due to the polarization, and the aerosol-generating article S may be heated by frictional heat generated during the vibration or rotation.

The input unit 16 may receive information input by a user. For example, the input unit 16 may include a touch panel, a button, a key pad, a dome switch, a jog wheel, and a jog switch.

The memory 15 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol-generating device 1, and may store data processed or to be processed by the controller 10. For example, the memory 15 may include at least one type of storage medium among a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, secure digital (SD) or extreme digital (XD) memory), random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. For example, the memory 15 may store data about an operation time of the aerosol-generating device 1, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and a user's smoking pattern.

The communication unit 14 may include at least one component for communicating with another electronic device (for example, a portable electronic device). For example, the communication unit 14 may include a Bluetooth communication unit, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication unit, a near field communication unit, a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication unit, a Zigbee communication unit, an infrared (Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) communication unit, a wireless fidelity direct (WFD) communication unit, an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication unit, an adaptive network topology (ANT)+ communication unit, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (for example, LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc.

The controller 10 may control the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 1. For example, the controller 10 may include at least one processor 170 (of FIG. 3). The controller 10 may be implemented as an array of a plurality of logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microcontroller unit (MCU) (or microprocessor) and a memory storing a program that may be executed in the MCU. In addition, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the controller 10 may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

According to an embodiment, the controller 10 may control output of the dielectric heating unit 17. The controller 10 may control the temperature within the insertion space 100h by controlling the amplitude (or power), frequency, and phase of electromagnetic waves output by the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. The controller 10 may control output of the electromagnetic wave output unit 171, based on the temperature within the insertion space 100h detected using the temperature sensor (for example, the detection unit 12). The controller 10 may control power supplied to the electromagnetic wave output unit 171, based on a temperature profile and/or power profile stored in the memory 15.

According to an embodiment, the controller 10 may control power supply with respect to the dielectric heating unit 17, based on a result detected by the detection unit 12. In addition, the controller 10 may control the output unit 13 based on a result detected by the detection unit 12. For example, the controller 10 may control the output unit 13 to provide visual, tactile and/or auditory information indicating that the aerosol-generating device 1 is about to be terminated, when the number of puffs counted using the puff sensor (for example, the detection unit 12) reaches a preset number. For example, the controller 10 may control the output unit 13 to provide visual, tactile and/or auditory information about the temperature of the electromagnetic wave output unit 171.

The controller 10 may store and update a history of events that have occurred in the memory 15, based on occurrence of a certain event. For example, an event may include detection of insertion of the aerosol-generating article S, starting of heating of the aerosol-generating article S, puff detection, puff termination, detection of overheating of the dielectric heating unit 17, detection of overvoltage application with respect to the dielectric heating unit 17, termination of heating of the aerosol-generating article S, power on/off operations of the aerosol-generating device 1, starting of charging of the power supply 11, detection of overcharging of the power supply 11, and termination of charging of the power supply 11, which are performed in the aerosol-generating device 1.

According to an embodiment, the controller 10 may control the communication unit 14 to form a communication link with an external device such as a user's mobile terminal.

According to an embodiment, the controller 10 may release a restriction on the use of at least one function (for example, a heating function) of the aerosol-generating device 1 when data regarding authentication is received from an external device through a communication link. For example, the data regarding authentication may include a user's date of birth, a unique number that identifies the user, whether the user has completed authentication, etc.

According to an embodiment, the controller 10 may transmit data (for example, remaining capacity of the power supply 11, operating mode, etc.) about a state of the aerosol-generating device 1 to an external device through a communication link. The transmitted data may be output through a display of the external device.

The aerosol-generating article S as described herein may include at least one aerosol-generating rod (for example, a medium portion) and at least one filter rod. The dielectric heating unit 17 may be arranged to correspond to the at least one aerosol-generating rod and the at least one filter rod, and may be designed differently depending on the arrangement order and/or positions of the at least one aerosol-generating rod and the at least one filter rod.

An aerosol-generating rod may include at least one of nicotine, an aerosol-generating material, and an additive. For example, the aerosol-generating material may include glycerin (for example, vegetable glycerin (VG)) and/or propylene glycol (PG), and may also include various other materials. For example, the additive may include flavoring agents and/or organic acids, and may also include various other materials. For example, the aerosol-generating rod may include an aerosol-generating substrate (for example, a sheet) impregnated with a liquid non-tobacco material (for example, an aerosol-generating material and/or nicotine), and/or may include a solid tobacco material (for example, leaf tobacco, reconstituted tobacco, etc.). The tobacco material may be included in the aerosol-generating rod in various forms, such as cut tobacco, granules, or powder. In an embodiment, the additive of the aerosol-generating rod may include a basic substance. Based on the basic substance, the nicotine of the tobacco material included in the aerosol-generating rod may have an alkaline pH (for example, pH 7.0 or higher). In this case, freebase nicotine may be released from the aerosol-generating rod even at low temperatures. According to an embodiment, the aerosol-generating rod may include two or more aerosol-generating rods, wherein the two or more aerosol-generating rods may each include tobacco material and/or non-tobacco material.

A filter rod may include a single segment or a plurality of segments. In an example in which the filter rod includes a plurality of segments, the filter rod may include a cooling segment that cools aerosol and a filter segment that filters a certain component included in the aerosol. The cooling segment may not include a dielectric material. For example, the cooling segment may be in the form of a hollow paper tube. Because the cooling segment does not include a dielectric material, even when the aerosol-generating article S is inserted into the insertion space 100h, the cooling segment may not be heated. The filter rod may include a cellulose acetate filter. The filter segment may have one end in contact with the cooling segment and the other end in direct contact with a user's mouth end. The filter segment may not be inserted into the insertion space 100h and may be entirely exposed to the outside, and thus may not undergo dielectric heating.

Although not shown, at least one aerosol-generating rod and at least one filter rod may be individually and/or integrally wrapped by at least one wrapper. In the disclosure, the aerosol-generating article S may be referred to as a stick.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining operation of a dielectric heating unit, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 3, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include the controller 10, a source unit 20, and a radiating unit 30. The source unit 20 and the radiating unit 30 of FIG. 3 may be components of the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 of FIG. 2. The controller 10 may refer to a circuit for controlling the basic operation of the aerosol-generating device 1. The source unit 20 may refer to a circuit for generating a radio frequency (RF) signal under the control by the controller 10. The radiating unit 30 may be a device for radiating an RF signal generated by the source unit 20 in the form of electromagnetic waves into a space into which an aerosol-generating article is inserted (hereinafter, “insertion space 100h”). Charges or ions of a dielectric (e.g., glycerin) included in an aerosol-generating article may vibrate or rotate due to radiated electromagnetic waves (e.g., RF signals), and the aerosol-generating article may be heated as the dielectric generates heat due to frictional heat generated in the process of the charges or ions vibrating or rotating. In other words, the aerosol-generating device 1 may be a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating article in a dielectric heating manner.

In an embodiment, the controller 10 may include a power connector 110, a charging circuit 120, the power supply 11, a first power converter 140, a second power converter 150, a third power converter 160, and/or a processor 170. Additionally, the source unit 20 may include an RF signal generation circuit 210, a drive amplifier 220, a power amplifier 230, a directional coupler 240, and/or a temperature sensing circuit 250. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art related to the present embodiment that some of the components illustrated in FIG. 3 may be omitted or new components may be added according to the design of the aerosol-generating device 1.

The power connector 110 may refer to a physical connection device that is electrically connected to an electronic device or system (e.g., an external power supply) outside the aerosol-generating device 1 and used to transmit and receive power. For example, the power connector 110 may receive power from an external power supply and transmit the received power to a component requiring charging (e.g., the power supply 11). The power connector 110 may also provide a path for data transmission. In this case, the power connector 110 may be referred to as a data and power connector. The aerosol-generating device 1 may transmit and receive data to or from an external electronic device or system (e.g., a smartphone, a computer, etc.) through the power connector 110. The power connector 110 may include a Universal Serial Bus (USB) power connector, a direct current (DC) power connector, etc. In an example, the power connector 110 may include, but is not limited to, a USB-C type connector capable of supplying 9 V of direct current (DC) voltage at a current of 1 A. The power connector 110 may also include an interface for transmitting and receiving power wirelessly.

The charging circuit 120 may refer to a circuit for charging the power supply 11. The charging circuit 120 may charge the power supply 11 by using power transmitted from the power connector 110. In an example, the charging circuit 120 may be implemented as a charger IC, which is an integrated circuit (IC) that performs functions for efficiently and safely charging the power supply 11. The charging circuit 120 may monitor the charging status of the power supply 11 or optimize the charging process by monitoring the voltage, current, and/or temperature of the power supply 11. For example, the charging circuit 120 may detect the status of the power supply 11 and prevent overcharging or overdischarging by providing an appropriate charging voltage and current.

The power supply 11 may supply power to the radiating unit 30 such that the radiating unit 30 may radiate electromagnetic waves (e.g., RF signals) into the insertion space 100h to heat an aerosol-generating article. Here, power supply to the radiating unit 30 may indicate power supply to the source unit 20. Additionally, the power supply 11 may supply power required for the operation of the processor 170, the RF signal generation circuit 210, the drive amplifier 220, the power amplifier 230, the temperature sensing circuit 250, etc.

The aerosol-generating device 1 may include a power conversion circuit for converting power supplied from the power supply 11 into power (e.g., voltage and/or current) suitable for other components. The power conversion circuit may include at least one of a buck converter, a buck-boost converter, a boost converter, a Zener diode, and a low-dropout (LDO) regulator. Additionally, the power conversion circuit may include a DC/AC converter (e.g., an inverter) as required.

In an example, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include the first power converter 140, the second power converter 150, and the third power converter 160. The first power converter 140 may be an LDO regulator for supplying power (e.g., a DC of 3.3 V) suitable for the processor 170, the second power converter 150 may be a buck-boost converter for supplying power (e.g., a DC of 5 V) suitable for the temperature sensing circuit 250, the RF signal generation circuit 210, and the drive amplifier 220, and the third power converter 160 may be a boost converter for supplying power (e.g., a DC of 12 V/25 W) suitable for the power amplifier 230.

However, the first power converter 140, the second power converter 150, and the third power converter 160 are not limited to the examples described above and may include other types of power conversion circuits. Additionally, although FIG. 3 illustrates the aerosol-generating device 1 including three power converters, the aerosol-generating device 1 may include more than three power converters or may include fewer power converters. In an example, at least some of the first power converter 140, the second power converter 150, and the third power converter 160 may be integrated into a single power converter.

The processor 170 may control the overall operation of the aerosol-generating device 1. For example, the processor 170 may directly or indirectly control charging and discharging of the power supply 11 by using the charging circuit 120. Additionally, the processor 170 may control the voltage and/or current output by a power conversion circuit by controlling the frequency and/or duty ratio of a current pulse input to at least one switching element of the power conversion circuit. In addition to the components described above, the processor 170 may also control the overall operation of other components to be described later.

The processor 170 may be implemented as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be implemented as a combination of a general-purpose microcontrol unit (MCU) (or microprocessor) and a memory storing a program that may be executed in the MCU. Additionally, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the processor 170 may be implemented in other forms of hardware.

The RF signal generation circuit 210 may generate an RF signal based on power delivered from the power supply 11 or the second power converter 150. An RF signal may refer to a signal having a frequency within a range of about 300 MHz to about 300 GHz. In an example, the RF signal may have a frequency of about 1 GHz to about 100 GHz. Additionally, the RF signal may have a frequency in the Industrial Scientific and Medical equipment (ISM) band, for example, 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and/or 5.8 GHz.

The RF signal generation circuit 210 may include a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) that generates an RF signal having a different frequency depending on an input voltage. The RF signal generation circuit 210 may receive a control signal (e.g., a DC signal) from the processor 170 and generate an RF signal having a frequency corresponding to the received control signal. The processor 170 may store a control signal corresponding to a desired frequency in the form of a look-up table, or calculate a control signal corresponding to a desired frequency in real time through at least one operation.

In an example, the aerosol-generating device 1 may further include a digital to analog converter (D/A converter) for converting a digital control signal output from the processor 170 into an analog control signal. The RF signal generation circuit 210 may receive the analog control signal and generate an RF signal having a frequency corresponding to the received analog control signal.

The drive amplifier 220 may amplify the RF signal generated by the RF signal generation circuit 210. For example, the drive amplifier 220 may provide an input signal suitable for a component of a next stage (e.g., the power amplifier 230) by amplifying the signal level (e.g., amplitude) of the RF signal. The drive amplifier 220 may minimize signal distortion by maintaining high linearity. However, since the drive amplifier 220 is an amplifier focused on increasing the signal level, the drive amplifier 220 may provide relatively low output power.

The power amplifier 230 may amplify power of an RF signal received from the drive amplifier 220. The power amplifier 230 may be an amplifier focused on providing sufficient power to a final output device (e.g., the radiating unit 30). For example, the power amplifier 230 may provide a high-power RF signal to the radiating unit 30 so that the radiating unit 30 may radiate electromagnetic waves into the insertion space 100h to heat an aerosol-generating article. The power amplifier 230 may perform an amplification operation by using power received through the third power converter 160 that provides higher power and/or voltage than the second power converter 150.

The drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may include transistors such as a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a field effect transistor (FET), or a vacuum tube. In an example, the drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may be, but are not limited to, gallium nitride (GaN) transistors configured to handle high efficiency, high speed, and high voltage. The drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may also include an operational amplifier.

In FIG. 3, the drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 are illustrated as individual amplifiers, but the drive amplifier 220 and the power amplifier 230 may be integrated into a single amplifier. Additionally, the drive amplifier 220 and/or the power amplifier 230 may be configured as a series connection, a parallel connection, and/or a combination thereof of a plurality of amplifiers.

The radiating unit 30 may include at least one antenna for radiating electromagnetic waves into space. At least one antenna may have a size and shape suitable for the size and shape of an aerosol-generating article. For example, if the aerosol-generating article is cylindrical in shape, at least one antenna may be tubular surrounding the aerosol-generating article that is cylindrical. Here, the shape of the antenna being tubular may indicate that the overall shape of the antenna is tubular. In other words, if the antenna is formed of a metal (e.g. SUS) track, this may indicate that the overall shape of the entire track is tubular. The shape of at least one antenna is not limited to the examples described above and may include various shapes such as a flat plate shape, a curved plate shape, etc.

The radiating unit 30 may heat the aerosol-generating article by radiating electromagnetic waves (e.g., an amplified RF signal or a transmitted RF signal) into the insertion space 100h. For the heating efficiency of the aerosol-generating article to be maximized, resonance of electromagnetic waves is to occur within the insertion space 100h. The resonance conditions (e.g., resonant frequency) of the insertion space 100h may vary depending on the amount of dielectric contained in the inserted aerosol-generating article. The processor 170 may control the frequency of an RF signal generated by the RF signal generation circuit 210 to correspond to or be close to the resonance condition of the insertion space 100h by adjusting a control signal input to the RF signal generation circuit 210. The processor 170 may use the directional coupler 240 to obtain information about the resonance conditions of the insertion space 100h.

The directional coupler 240 may refer to a passive element having a waveguide structure that separates an incident wave and a reflected wave from each other. The directional coupler 240 may receive an RF signal transmitted from the power amplifier 230 toward the radiating unit 30 and electromagnetic waves reflected from the insertion space 100h after they are radiated by the radiating unit 30. The directional coupler 240 may separate the transmitted RF signal and the reflected electromagnetic waves, and provide them to the processor 170.

In an example, the aerosol-generating device 1 may further include an analog to digital converter (A/D converter) for converting an analog output of the directional coupler 240 into a digital output. The A/D converter may be built into the processor 170 or may exist as a separate component outside the processor 170. The processor 170 may analyze the characteristics (e.g., current, voltage, power, phase, and/or frequency) of the transmitted RF signal and the characteristics (e.g., current, voltage, power, phase, and/or frequency) of the reflected electromagnetic waves by monitoring the output of the directional coupler 240.

The processor 170 may determine whether the operation of the source unit 20 is being performed as intended, based on the characteristics of the transmitted RF signal. Additionally, the characteristics of the transmitted RF signal may be used to determine the heating efficiency of the source unit 20 or the radiating unit 30, together with the characteristics of the reflected electromagnetic wave. The processor 170 may control the source unit 20 such that the heating efficiency of the source unit 20 or the radiating unit 30 is maximized. For example, the processor 170 may adjust the frequency of an RF signal generated by the RF signal generation circuit 210 such that the power of the reflected electromagnetic waves is minimized. Minimizing the power of the reflected electromagnetic waves may indicate that the frequency of the RF signal is closer to the resonance conditions of the insertion space 100h. The characteristics of the transmitted RF signal may provide a criterion for whether the power of the reflected electromagnetic waves is minimized.

Since resonance of electromagnetic waves may occur in the insertion space 100h depending on the frequency of the RF signal, the insertion space 100h may be referred to as a resonant section. At least a portion of the insertion space 100h may be surrounded by at least one shielding member to prevent electromagnetic waves from leaking outside the aerosol-generating device 1. In an embodiment, the insertion space 100h may further include a physical structure to ensure that the resonance conditions are within a range controllable by the processor 170. The physical structure may include at least one conductor, and the resonance conditions of the insertion space 100h may vary depending on the arrangement, thickness, and length of the conductor. Additionally, the physical structure may include a space for accommodating a dielectric having low electromagnetic absorption, separate from the dielectric contained in the aerosol-generating article. A dielectric with low electromagnetic absorption may change the resonant frequency of the entire resonant section without absorbing the energy that are to be transferred to the heated material. Accordingly, even if the resonant section is reduced in size, the resonance conditions may be determined within a range controllable by the processor 170.

The temperature sensing circuit 250 may be arranged in contact with or adjacent to components included in the source unit 20 to measure the temperature of the source unit 20. For example, the temperature sensing circuit 250 may be arranged in contact with or adjacent to at least one of the RF signal generation circuit 210, the drive amplifier 220, and the power amplifier 230. Heat may be generated due to limited efficiency in the process of generating and/or amplifying RF signals, and if excessive heat is generated, this heat may have a negative impact on components included in the source unit 20 or other components included in the aerosol-generating device 1. The temperature measured by the temperature sensing circuit 250 may be used to prevent overheating of the source unit 20.

The processor 170 may receive the temperature (or a value corresponding to the temperature) measured from the temperature sensing circuit 250, and if it is determined that the source unit 20 is overheated, the processor 70 may stop the operation of the source unit 20. For example, the processor 170 may stop the operation of the source unit 20 by cutting off the power supply to the source unit 20 or transmitting a control signal. Hereinafter, the term ‘power supply’ to the source unit 20 is used to indicate controlling whether the source unit 20 operates.

The temperature sensing circuit 250 may include at least one temperature sensor among a thermocouple, a resistance temperature detector (RTD), a thermistor, a semiconductor temperature sensor, and an optical temperature sensor. In an example, the temperature sensing circuit 250 may be implemented as a chip-type sensor (e.g., a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) sensor) to minimize the area occupied, but is not limited thereto.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a dielectric heating unit according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the dielectric heating unit 17 according to an embodiment may include the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 and the resonating unit 172.

The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may generate an RF signal under control by the controller 10 and radiate the RF signal to the resonating unit 172 in the form of an electromagnetic wave. The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may include the source unit 20 and the radiating unit 30 of FIG. 3. The source unit 20 and the radiating unit 30 may be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), and may be integrally packaged in the form of a chip. In addition, the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may further include a protective case to protect the source unit 20 and the radiating unit 30. The protective case may be manufactured to correspond to the shape of the PCB on which the source unit 20 and the radiating unit 30 are mounted.

The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may be fixed to one side surface of the resonating unit 172. In an embodiment, the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may be fixed to a right side surface (a surface in the x direction) of the resonating unit 172. As such, FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 is arranged on the right side surface of the resonating unit 172, but in some embodiments, the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may be fixed to any one of other side surfaces of the resonating unit 172. The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may be fixed to the resonating unit 172 by a bracket (not shown). Alternatively, the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may be fixed to the resonating unit 172 by an adhesive material. Alternatively, the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may be directly soldered to the resonating unit 172.

The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may generate an RF signal and radiate the RF signal to the resonating unit 172 in the form of an electromagnetic wave through a coupler 1712 (of FIG. 5).

The resonating unit 172 may include the insertion space 100h into which the aerosol-generating article S is inserted. The insertion space 100h of the resonating unit 172 may be in communication with the insertion space 100h of FIG. 1. In other words, the insertion space 100h may be formed on an upper surface (a surface in the z direction) of the resonating unit 172, and the aerosol-generating article S may be at least partially inserted through the insertion space 100h.

The resonating unit 172 may heat the aerosol-generating article S by resonating the electromagnetic wave radiated by the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. Dielectric materials within the aerosol-generating article S may vibrate or rotate in the insertion space 100h, and frictional heat generated by such vibration or rotational motion may heat the aerosol-generating article S.

The resonating unit 172 may include a material with low electromagnetic wave absorption to prevent electromagnetic waves radiated from the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 from being absorbed by the resonating unit 172. A cross-section of the resonating unit 172 may be polygonal. Although FIG. 4 shows an example in which the cross-section of the resonating unit 172 is square, the disclosure is not limited thereto.

The resonating unit 172 may extend in a longitudinal direction (a-z or z direction) of the aerosol-generating device 1. The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may be fixed to one side surface of the resonating unit 172 and may partially extend in a longitudinal direction of the resonating unit 172. In other words, the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 and the resonating unit 172 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device 1, and a first extension length of the resonating unit 172 may be greater than a second extension length of the electromagnetic wave output unit 171.

The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 and the resonating unit 172 may be accommodated in the housing 100 and may heat the aerosol-generating article S either manually by a user input or automatically upon insertion of the aerosol-generating article S. However, as such, when the aerosol-generating device 1 heats the aerosol-generating article S by using electromagnetic waves, the electromagnetic waves may partially leak to the outside. The disclosure prevents such external leakage of electromagnetic waves by using a dual shielding structure and/or a triple shielding structure. The dual shielding structure is illustrated in FIG. 5, and the triple shielding structure is illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a heater assembly according to an embodiment.

More specifically, FIG. 5 shows a portion of a cross-section of the aerosol-generating device 1 of FIG. 1 taken along a line A-A′ of FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 5, the heater assembly 500 may include the electromagnetic wave output unit 171, the resonating unit 172, a first shielding unit 180, and a second shielding unit 190.

The resonating unit 172 may surround at least one region of the aerosol-generating article S. The resonating unit 172 may include a first case 1721 and a second case 1722. In some embodiments, the disclosure may further include a dielectric between the first case 1721 and the second case 1722. In this case, the dielectric may not be a subject of dielectric heating, but may be arranged to reduce the size of the resonating unit 172. For example, the dielectric may be quartz, but is not limited thereto.

The first case 1721 may include an opening in an upper surface thereof and may extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device 1. The second case 1722 may be coupled to the first case 1721, and the coupling of the second case 1722 and the first case 1721 may form an overall exterior of the resonating unit 172. In addition, when the second case 1722 and the first case 1721 are coupled, the insertion space 100h may be formed inside the second case 1722 and the first case 1721. The opening in the first case 1721 may be connected to the insertion space 100h. Because the opening is open toward the outside of the resonating unit 172, the insertion space 100h may be connected to the outside through the opening. Therefore, the aerosol-generating article S may be inserted into the insertion space 100h through the opening in the first case 1721.

A portion of the second case 1722 may accommodate the aerosol-generating article S. The portion of the second case 1722, which accommodates the aerosol-generating article S, may be referred to as an inner conductor. The inner conductor may support the inserted aerosol-generating article S to prevent the aerosol-generating article S from deviating from a designated position. The inner conductor may extend into the insertion space 100h when the second case 1722 is coupled to the first case 1721. The inner conductor may be formed to have a hollow shape and may accommodate the aerosol-generating article S. The inner diameter of the inner conductor may be set to be greater than the outer diameter of the aerosol-generating article S, and the radius of curvature of a cross-section of the inner conductor may be set to be equal to the radius of curvature of the aerosol-generating article S. Accordingly, the aerosol-generating article S may be easily inserted into the insertion space 100h.

The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may include: a main body portion 1711, on which the entire source unit 20 of FIG. 3 and at least a portion of the radiating unit 30 of FIG. 3 are mounted; and the coupler 1712 connecting the main body portion 1711 and the inner conductor of the second case 1722 together.

The main body portion 1711 may be coupled to a lower portion (a surface in the −z direction) of the right side surface (a surface in the x direction) of the resonating unit 172. The main body portion 1711 may be coupled to the first case 1721 by a bracket (not shown) or may be fixed to the first case 1721 by an adhesive material. Alternatively, the main body portion 1711 may be directly soldered to the resonating unit 172. In this case, a soldering region may be where the coupler 1712 is arranged.

The coupler 1712 may be formed in one region of the main body portion 1711 and may extend into the resonating unit 172. The coupler 1712 may be in contact with a portion of the second case 1722 through one side surface of the first case 1721. The coupler 1712 may be in contact with the inner conductor of the second case 1722. As one end of the coupler 1712 is in contact with the main body portion 1711, and the other end of the coupler 1712 is in contact with the inner conductor, electromagnetic waves generated by the main body portion 1711 may be transmitted to the inner conductor through the coupler 1712. In this regard, the coupler 1712 may perform some functions of the radiating unit 30.

Electromagnetic waves provided to the resonating unit 172 may resonate inside the resonating unit 172 due to internal structures of the resonating unit 172. More specifically, the second case 1722 may constitute the main shape of the internal structures of the resonating unit 172. The second case 1722 may have one end that is completely closed and the other end that is opened by the inner conductor. In other words, the second case 1722 may include a closed end and an open end. A distance between the closed end and the open end of the second case 1722 may be set to an integer multiple of one-quarter of the wavelength of electromagnetic waves radiated by the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. Accordingly, electromagnetic waves provided to the resonating unit 172 may resonate inside the resonating unit 172.

The aerosol-generating article S may be inserted into the opening in the first case 1721 and may be supported by the inner conductor of the second case 1722. The aerosol-generating article S may be surrounded by the inner conductor of the second case 1722 and heated by a dielectric heating method. In an embodiment, at least part (for example, glycerin) of an aerosol-generating material included in an aerosol-generating rod SS may be a dielectric with polarity in an electric field, and the at least part of the aerosol-generating material may generate heat by a dielectric heating method and heat the aerosol-generating article S. Accordingly, an aerosol may be generated from the aerosol-generating article S.

When the aerosol-generating article S is inserted into the insertion space 100h within the resonating unit 172, the aerosol-generating rod SS of the aerosol-generating article S may be located within the inner conductor of the second case 1722. The length of the aerosol-generating rod SS may be greater than the extension length of the inner conductor. The open end, which is the end of the inner conductor of the second case 1722, may be a resonance peak region where the intensity of an electric field is the greatest. Therefore, when the length of the aerosol-generating rod SS is set to be greater than the extension length of the inner conductor, a downstream portion (where the downstream refers to a direction in which the user's mouth is to be placed) of the aerosol-generating rod SS may be heated faster than an upstream portion (wherein “upstream” refers to a direction opposite to downstream) of the aerosol-generating rod SS. As such, when an aerosol source present in the downstream portion of the aerosol-generating rod SS is consumed quickly, user satisfaction may be increased due to reduced inhalation resistance.

The first shielding unit 180 may be located outside the resonating unit 172 and the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 and surround at least portions of the resonating unit 172 and the electromagnetic wave output unit 171, and may shield electromagnetic waves leaked from the resonating unit 172 and the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. When a state in which the resonating unit 172 and the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 are assembled is referred to as a dielectric heating assembly, the first shielding unit 180 may completely surround side surfaces and a bottom surface of the dielectric heating assembly. The first shielding unit 180 does not surround a top surface of the dielectric heating assembly because, as the length of the inner conductor of the second case 1722 is set to an integer multiple of one-quarter of the wavelength of electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic wave leakage in a direction of the opening is significantly reduced. Although FIG. 5 shows an example in which the first shielding unit 180 is spaced apart from the dielectric heating assembly, in some embodiments, the first shielding unit 180 may be in direct contact with the dielectric heating assembly.

In an embodiment in which the cross-section of the resonating unit 172 is square, a cross-section of the first shielding unit 180 may be quadrangular. The first shielding unit 180 may be sufficiently rigid to maintain its shape or may be manufactured to be flexible to surround the dielectric heating assembly.

The first shielding unit 180 may include an open end, a closed end facing the open end, and a sidewall C182 between the open end and the closed end. The closed end of the first shielding unit 180 may be referred to as a bottom wall C181. In order to distinguish the sidewall C182 of the first shielding unit 180 from a sidewall C192 of the second shielding unit 190, the sidewall C182 of the first shielding unit 180 may be referred to as a first sidewall C182, and the sidewall C192 of the second shielding unit 190 may be referred to as a second sidewall C192. Likewise, the bottom wall C181 of the first shielding unit 180 may be referred to as a first bottom wall C181, and a bottom wall C191 of the second shielding unit 190 may be referred to as a second bottom wall C191.

The first sidewall C182 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device 1 to correspond to the length of the resonating unit 172. The first bottom wall C181 may extend in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device 1 to correspond to the entire thickness of the resonating unit 172 and the electromagnetic wave output unit 171.

The first shielding unit 180 may be formed as a first mesh body. The first mesh body may be defined by metal wires, and the pore size of the first mesh body may be set to be smaller than 1/80 of the length of the wavelength of electromagnetic waves output by the electromagnetic wave output unit 171.

The second shielding unit 190 may be located outside the first shielding unit 180 and surround at least a portion of the first shielding unit 180, and may shield electromagnetic waves leaked from the first shielding unit 180. The second shielding unit 190 may completely surround side surfaces and a bottom surface of the first shielding unit 180. Like the first shielding unit 180, the second shielding unit 190 does not surround a top surface of the first shielding unit 180 because electromagnetic wave leakage in a direction of the opening into which the aerosol-generating article S is inserted is significantly small. In addition, although FIG. 5 shows an example in which the second shielding unit 190 is spaced apart from the first shielding unit 180, in some embodiments, the second shielding unit 190 may be in direct contact with the first shielding unit 180.

An overall exterior of the second shielding unit 190 may correspond to an overall exterior of the first shielding unit 180. In an embodiment in which the cross-section of the first shielding unit 180 is quadrangular, a cross-section of the second shielding unit 190 may be quadrangular. However, the area of the cross-section of the second shielding unit 190 may be greater than the area of the cross-section of the first shielding unit 180, such that the second shielding unit 190 may accommodate the first shielding unit 180. The second shielding unit 190 may be sufficiently rigid to maintain its shape or may be manufactured to be flexible to surround the first shielding unit 180.

The second shielding unit 190 may include an open end, a closed end facing the open end, and the second sidewall C192 between the open end and the closed end. The closed end of the second shielding unit 190 may be referred to as the second bottom wall C191. The second sidewall C192 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device 1 to correspond to the length of the first sidewall C182. The second bottom wall C191 may extend in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device 1 to correspond to the length of the first bottom wall C181.

The second shielding unit 190 may be formed as a second mesh body. The second mesh body may be defined by metal wires, and the pore size of the second mesh body may also be set to be smaller than 1/80 of the length of the wavelength of electromagnetic waves output by the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. In addition, the first mesh body and the second mesh body may have the same pattern shape or different pattern shapes, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 8.

The first shielding unit 180 may include a first through-hole h183 in the first bottom wall C181. The second shielding unit 190 may include a second through-hole h193 in the second bottom wall C191. When the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 are each formed as a mesh body, the first through-hole h183 and the second through-hole h193 may be easily formed. The first through-hole h183 and the second through-hole h193 may be provided to allow a control line and a power line to pass through.

Each of the control line and the power line may be at least any one of signal wires between the controller 10 and the source unit 20 of FIG. 3. In some embodiments, the control line and the power line may be integrally formed, and in this case, the integrated control line and power line may be referred to as a signal line 700. The control line and the power line may be formed on a flexible PCB (FPCB). Specific methods for forming the control line and the power line will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

The first through-hole h183 and the second through-hole h193 may be formed in consideration of the thickness and width of each of the control line and the power line. In particular, the first through-hole h183 and the second through-hole h193 may be formed to be misaligned with each other in a direction (x direction) crossing the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device 1. In an embodiment, the first through-hole h183 may be arranged at a position corresponding to the main body portion 1711 of the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. In addition, the second through-hole h193 may be arranged near a central axis of the aerosol-generating device 1. As such, when the first through-hole h183 and the second through-hole h193 are spaced apart from each other in a direction (x direction) crossing the longitudinal direction of the aerosol-generating device 1, electromagnetic wave leakage is significantly reduced.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a heater assembly according to another embodiment.

In FIG. 6, except for a third shielding unit 200, all other components are the same as those in FIG. 5. In other words, when the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 5 are shown in FIG. 6, the components have the same functions, and thus redundant descriptions will be omitted hereinafter.

Referring to FIG. 6, the main body portion 1711 of the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may at least partially extend from the right side surface of the resonating unit 172 in the longitudinal direction of the resonating unit 172. In other words, the second extension length of the main body portion 1711 is smaller than the first extension length of the resonating unit 172. As such, due to integration design of IC elements, the main body portion 1711 may include all components of the source unit 20 and the radiating unit 30 of FIG. 3, even when only partially extending in the longitudinal direction of the resonating unit 172.

In addition, as such, when there is a difference in length between the resonating unit 172 and the main body portion 1711, a space is formed between the resonating unit 172 and the first shielding unit 180 due to the thickness of the main body portion 1711. Electromagnetic waves radiated inside the resonating unit 172 may have little external leakage due to an internal structure of the resonating unit 172, but electromagnetic waves leaked from the main body portion 1711 itself or electromagnetic waves leaked during an electromagnetic wave conduction process of the coupler 1712 may leak into the space between the resonating unit 172 and the first shielding unit 180. This is particularly problematic when the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 are manufacture to be rigid.

Therefore, the disclosure may further include the third shielding unit 200 that is arranged between the resonating unit 172 and the first shielding unit 180 and shields electromagnetic waves leaked from the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. The third shielding unit 200 may be connected to the resonating unit 172. In other words, the third shielding unit 200 may be in contact with the resonating unit 172 and supported by the first case 1721 of the resonating unit 172. The third shielding unit 200 is in contact with the first case 1721 of the resonating unit 172 because the rigidity of the first case 1721 is superior to the rigidity of the first shielding unit 180, which is a mesh body.

The third shielding unit 200 may cover a partial region between the resonating unit 172 and the first shielding unit 180. In an embodiment, the third shielding unit 200 may be formed as a conductive tape that shields electromagnetic waves. For example, the third shielding unit 200 may include copper and/or aluminum. Alternatively, the third shielding unit 200 may include a ferrite material or an iron-nickel alloy. As such, when the third shielding unit 200 is formed as a conductive tape, the third shielding unit 200 may be laminated based on a spacing between the resonating unit 172 and the first shielding unit 180. In other words, the third shielding unit 200, which is a conductive tape, may be layered and laminated between the resonating unit 172 and the first shielding unit 180. FIG. 6 shows an example in which the third shielding unit 200 is partially laminated in a region between the resonating unit 172 and the first shielding unit 180, but in some embodiments, the third shielding unit 200 may fill the entire region between the resonating unit 172 and the first shielding unit 180. The degree of lamination of the third shielding unit 200 may be determined by measuring the actual intensity of leaked electromagnetic waves, but the disclosure is not limited thereto.

Because a distance between the resonating unit 172 and the first shielding unit 180 is very small, it is impossible to place a shielding material that precisely fits such a space, due to manufacturing tolerances and other factors. Therefore, the disclosure addresses this issue through manufacture of the third shielding unit 200 to allow for a lamination design.

FIG. 7 shows a flexible circuit board on which a power line and a control line are formed, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7, a power line 730 and a control line 740 are formed as a single body. When the power line 730 and the control line 740 are formed as a single body, they may be referred to as the signal line 700.

The power line 730 and the control line 740 may be implemented in a patterned form on a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board may include an insulating substrate 710 and conductor layers 731, 732, 733, 741, 742, and 743. The insulating substrate 710 is flexible and may be formed of, for example, at least any one of polyimide, polyester, Teflon, and ceramic. The power line 730 and the control line 740 may be formed of conductive metal and may include the conductor layers 731, 732, 733, 741, 742, and 743. The power line 730 and the control line 740 may be implemented in a patterned form on the insulating substrate 710. For example, the power line 730 and the control line 740 may be formed of rolled annealed copper (RA) and/or electro-deposited copper (ED). In some embodiments, the flexible circuit board may further include a coverlay (not shown). The coverlay may be applied on the conductor layers 731, 732, 733, 741, 742, and 743 to protect the conductor layers 731, 732, 733, 741, 742, and 743. For example, the coverlay may be formed of acryl and/or epoxy.

The signal line 700 may have one end connected to the controller 10 and the other end connected to some components of the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. To this end, the signal line 700 may include a first connector 721 and a second connector 723. The first connector 721 may be in electrical contact with the controller 10, and the second connector 723 may be in electrical contact with the source unit 20. The signal line 700 may transmit a power signal and a control signal bidirectionally and/or unidirectionally.

More specifically, the power line 730 may connect between the power supply 11 and the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 and may transmit a power signal from the power supply 11 to the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may operate based on the power signal.

The power line 730 may include a first power line 731, a second power line 732, and a third power line 733. The first power line 731, the second power line 732, and the third power line 733 may extend in a longitudinal direction of the signal line 700, on the insulating substrate 710, and may be spaced apart from one another. In addition, the first power line 731, the second power line 732, and the third power line 733 may be arranged parallel to one another, on the insulating substrate 710. In an embodiment, the first power line 731 may connect between the second power converter 150 and the RF signal generation circuit 210. The second power line 732 may connect between the second power converter 150 and the temperature sensing circuit 250. The third power line 733 may connect between the third power converter 160 and the power amplifier 230. When the source unit 20 does not include a separate power distribution line for distributing power supplied from the second power converter 150, the power line 730 may further include a fourth power line (not shown) that connects the second power converter 150 and the drive amplifier 220 together. The first, second and third power lines 731, 732, and 733 may provide power, at a voltage stepped up or stepped down from the power supply 11, to the components of the source unit 20 connected to the power supply 11. The components of the source unit 20 connected to the power supply 11 may operate based on the received power.

The control line 740 may connect between the controller 10 and the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 and may transmit a control signal from the controller 10 to the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. The electromagnetic wave output unit 171 may operate based on the control signal.

The control line 740 may include a first control line 741, a second control line 742, and a third control line 743. The first control line 741, the second control line 742, and the third control line 743 may extend in the longitudinal direction of the signal line 700, on the insulating substrate 710, and may be spaced apart from one another. In addition, the first control line 741, the second control line 742, and the third control line 743 may be arranged parallel to one another, on the insulating substrate 710. In an embodiment, the first control line 741 may connect between the processor 170 and the RF signal generation circuit 210. The second control line 742 may connect between the processor 170 and the temperature sensing circuit 250. The third control line 743 may connect between the processor 170 and the directional coupler 240. The first, second and third control lines 741, 742, and 743 may transmit a control signal from the processor 170 to each of components connected to the first, second and third control lines 741, 742, and 743 or transmit, to the processor 170, detection signals received from each component connected to the first, second, and third control lines 741, 742, and 743. In other words, some of the first, second, and third control lines 741, 742, and 743 may be formed as the bidirectional signal line 700, unlike the first, second and third power lines 731, 732, and 733.

As such, when the signal line 700 connecting between the electromagnetic wave output unit 171 and the processor 170 and the power supply 11, which are within the controller 10, is implemented on the flexible circuit board, its path may be easily changed. Therefore, despite the dual shielding structure as in FIG. 5, a separate path structure for arranging the signal line 700 is unnecessary, and connection between the controller 10 and the main body portion 1711 is easy. Accordingly, the aerosol-generating device 1 may achieve device miniaturization.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining a difference in mesh patterns between a first shielding unit and a second shielding unit, according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8, each of the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 may be formed as a mesh body. In an embodiment, the first shielding unit 180 may be formed as a first mesh body, and the second shielding unit 190 may be formed as a second mesh body. As such, when each of the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 is formed as a mesh body, external leakage of electromagnetic waves may be prevented while reducing the overall weight of the aerosol-generating device 1. In addition, the aerosol-generating device 1 may be miniaturized.

The first shielding unit 180 may include a metal wire 811 for forming the first mesh body. For example, the metal wire 811 may be formed of copper, aluminum, nickel, stainless steel, and brass. In some embodiments, the metal wire 811 may include a ferrite material or a conductive polymer. A plurality of metal wires may define a mesh pattern of the first shielding unit 180. For example, the mesh pattern may be formed to have a triangle shape, a quadrangle shape, a pentagon shape, and a honeycomb shape.

The second shielding unit 190 may also include a metal wire 812 for forming the second mesh body. The metal wire 812 may be formed of the same material as the metal wire 811. A plurality of metal wires may define a mesh pattern of the second shielding unit 190. For example, the mesh pattern may be formed to have a triangle shape, a quadrangle shape, a pentagon shape, and a honeycomb shape.

The mesh patterns of the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 may be the same or different from each other. Although FIG. 8 shows an example in which the mesh patterns of the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 are both quadrangular, in some embodiments, the mesh patterns of the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 may be different from each other. In addition, the mesh patterns of the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 may each be formed to have a triangle shape, a pentagon shape, and a honeycomb shape, unlike in FIG. 8. In addition, the first shielding unit 180 may be formed with a mesh pattern having any one of a triangle shape, a quadrangle shape, a pentagon shape, and a honeycomb shape, and the second shielding unit 190 may be formed with a mesh pattern having any one of the remaining other shapes.

In an example in which the mesh patterns of the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 are the same, the cross-sectional area of any one hole defined by a first mesh pattern of the first shielding unit 180 may be greater than the cross-sectional area of any one hole defined by a second mesh pattern of the second shielding unit 190. In an embodiment, when both the first mesh body and the second mesh body are formed to have polygon shapes, a first maximum length d1 of a hole defined in the first mesh body may be set to be greater than a second maximum length d2 of a hole defined in the second mesh body. Alternatively, when both the first mesh body and the second mesh body are formed to have polygon shapes, an equivalent diameter of a hole defined in the first mesh body may be greater than an equivalent diameter of a hole defined in the second mesh body. The maximum length of a hole defined in the second mesh body is set to be smaller than that of a hole defined in the first mesh body because the second mesh body is located at the outermost side of the heater assembly 500 to ultimately prevent leakage of electromagnetic waves. In other words, because the second mesh body has a greater need to ultimately prevent leakage of electromagnetic waves, the maximum length of the second mesh body may be set to be smaller than that of the first mesh body. In contrast, because the first mesh body is configured to primarily remove leaked electromagnetic waves, the maximum length of the first mesh body may be set to be greater than that of the second mesh body. As such, in the dual shielding structure, by arranging any one mesh body as the first mesh body with a lower hole density, manufacturing costs may be reduced.

In addition, even when both the first mesh body and the second mesh body are formed with the same mesh pattern but have different maximum lengths of holes defined by the mesh pattern, the maximum lengths of the holes included in the first mesh body and the second mesh body may be set to be smaller than 1/80 of the length of the wavelength of electromagnetic waves output by the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. This is to achieve the effect of the disclosure of preventing leakage of electromagnetic waves.

In some embodiments, the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 may have different mesh patterns from each other. For example, the first mesh body may have a quadrangular mesh pattern, and the second mesh body may have a honeycomb mesh pattern. As such, when the mesh patterns of the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 are different from each other, external leakage of electromagnetic waves may be effectively prevented despite deformation of leaked electromagnetic waves caused by reflection and distortion of leaked electromagnetic waves due to internal structures between the dielectric heating unit 17 and the first and second shielding units 180 and 190.

In addition, even when the mesh patterns of the first shielding unit 180 and the second shielding unit 190 are different from each other, the maximum lengths of the holes included in the first mesh body and the second mesh body may be set to be smaller than 1/80 of the length of the wavelength of electromagnetic waves output by the electromagnetic wave output unit 171. This is to achieve the effect of the disclosure of preventing leakage of electromagnetic waves.

Certain embodiments or other embodiments of the disclosure described above are not exclusive or distinct from each other. The certain embodiments or other embodiments of the disclosure described above may be combined with each other or used in combination with each other in their respective components or functions.

For example, it means that an A component described in a specific embodiment and/or the drawings and a B component described in another embodiment and/or the drawings may be combined with each other. In other words, even when it is not explained directly about combination between components, it is possible to combine unless it is explained that combination is impossible.

The above detailed description should be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the disclosure should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, not by the above description, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

An aerosol-generating device of the disclosure may more reliably prevent external leakage of electromagnetic waves, by employing a dual shielding structure.

In addition, the dual shielding structure of the aerosol-generating device is formed to cover not only a resonating unit but also an electromagnetic wave output unit, thereby preventing even leakage of electromagnetic waves during generation of electromagnetic waves and output of the generated electromagnetic waves to the resonating unit. In addition, the dual shielding structure of the aerosol-generating device is achieved by mesh bodies, thereby enabling device miniaturization and improving the ease of internal design.

In addition, the aerosol-generating device has the dual shielding structure having different mesh patterns and/or different hole sizes, thereby significantly reducing leakage of electromagnetic waves.

In addition, the aerosol-generating device eliminates the need for a bypass path design for signal transmission to the electromagnetic wave output unit because each dual shielding structure includes through-holes through which a power line and a control line pass.

In addition, the through-holes in the dual shielding structure are formed such that their central axes are misaligned with each other, thereby significantly reducing external leakage of electromagnetic waves.

In addition, the power line and the control line, which pass through the through-holes in the dual shielding structure, are formed on one flexible circuit board, thereby increasing the ease of manufacturing. In addition, when the power line and the control line are formed on the flexible circuit board, paths of the power line and the control line may be easily bent, allowing the aerosol-generating device to be further miniaturized.

In addition, the aerosol-generating device may further include an additional shielding structure in a certain space of a heater assembly, the certain space being formed by a difference in length between the resonating unit and the electromagnetic wave output unit, thereby significantly reducing external leakage of electromagnetic waves.

In addition, because the aerosol-generating device heats an aerosol-generating article by a dielectric heating method, rapid heating and uniform heating are possible compared to resistance heating, induction heating, and ultrasonic heating methods of the related art.

The effects of the disclosure are not limited to those described above, and more diverse effects are included in the present specification.