# US 10,499,691 B2 · Non-combustion type flavor inhaler > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,499,691 B2 - Document ID: US10499691B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/795,420 - Filed: 2017-10-27 - Published: 2018-02-15 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-30 - Assignees: Japan Tobacco Inc. - Applicants: Japan Tobacco Inc. - Inventors: Manabu Takeuchi; Akihiko Suzuki; Takuma Nakano; Manabu Yamada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10499691B2 ## CPC - A24F 40/51: Arrangement of sensors - A24F 40/30: Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges - A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring - A24F 40/53: Monitoring, e.g. fault detection - A24F 40/60: Devices with integrated user interfaces - A61M 15/06: Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes - H05B 3/44: heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material - A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors - A24F 40/20: Devices using solid inhalable precursors - A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A non-combustion type flavor inhaler includes a housing/outer wall having an airflow path continuing from an inlet/air introduction hole to an outlet/a suction hole. An atomizing part/heat source atomizes an aerosol source without burning and sensor outputs a value that changes according to a user's puff operation. A heat source control unit controls a power supply output to the atomizing part based on an absolute value of slope formed by two or more response values derived from a value output from the sensor such that an aerosol amount falls within a desired range. The aerosol amount is an amount of an aerosol to be atomized by the atomizing part in one energization to the atomizing part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-combustion type flavor inhaler comprising: a housing having an airflow path continuing from an inlet to an outlet; an atomizing part that atomizes an aerosol source without burning; a sensor outputting a value that changes according to a user's puff operation; and a control unit that controls a power supply output to the atomizing part based on an absolute value of a slope formed by a change in a value output from the sensor over time such that an aerosol amount falls within a desired range, wherein the aerosol amount is an amount of an aerosol to be atomized by the atomizing part in one energization to the atomizing part, and wherein the control unit increases the magnitude of the power supply output to the atomizing part as the absolute value of the slope is larger. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the control unit reduces the magnitude of the power supply output to the atomizing part as an elapsed time from a start of energization to the atomizing part in one energization to the atomizing part is increased. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein when a supply duration has elapsed since energization to the atomizing part has been started, the control unit stops the energization to the atomizing part such that the aerosol amount falls within the desired range and wherein the control unit determines the supply duration based on a learning result of required time of a user's puff operation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the control unit uses a predetermined magnitude as the magnitude of the power supply output to the atomizing part when the absolute value of the slope is within a predetermined range, and wherein the control unit increases the magnitude of the power supply output to the atomizing part to be larger than the predetermined magnitude when the absolute value of the slope is larger than the predetermined range. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein an increase rate of the magnitude of the power supply output to the atomizing part is greater than 1 and equal to or less than 3. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein when a supply duration has elapsed since energization to the atomizing part has been started, the control unit stops the energization to the atomizing part such that the aerosol amount falls within the desired range, and wherein the supply duration is equal to or less than an upper limit value of a standard puff period derived from statistics of a puff period of a user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to claim 6, wherein the control unit reduces the supply duration as the absolute value of the slope increases. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to claim 6, wherein the control unit uses a predetermined duration as the supply duration when the absolute value of the slope is within a predetermined range, and wherein the control unit reduces the supply duration to be shorter than the predetermined duration when the absolute value of the slope is greater than the predetermined range. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to claim 7, wherein a reduction rate of the supply duration is equal to or greater than ⅓ and less than 1. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The non-combustion type flavor inhaler according to claim 6, wherein in a first puff operation in which the absolute value of the slope is a first slope absolute value, the magnitude of the power supply output to the atomizing part is represented by PX1, and the supply duration is represented by TX1; in a second puff operation in which the absolute value of the slope is a second slope absolute value larger than the first slope absolute value, the magnitude of the power supply output to the atomizing part is represented by PX2, and the supply duration is represented by TX2; and the TX2 is calculated according to an expression of TX2=(PX1/PX2)×TX1.