# US 10,863,773 B2 · Non-burning type flavor inhaler and atomizing unit calculating the amount of aerosol consumed

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- Number: US 10,863,773 B2
- Document ID: US10863773B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/941,417
- Filed: 2018-03-30
- Published: 2018-08-09
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-30
- Assignees: Japan Tobacco Inc.
- Applicants: Japan Tobacco Inc.
- Inventors: Akihiko Suzuki; Tatsuaki Iriya; Takuma Nakano; Manabu Yamada
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10863773B2

## CPC

- A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring
- A24F 40/53: Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
- A24F 40/65: Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means
- 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)
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

This non-combustion type flavor inhaler is provided with an atomization unit having an aerosol source and a resistive heating element for atomizing the aerosol source with resistive heat, and a control unit which controls the amount of power supplied to the resistive heating element, wherein the amount of power supplied to the resistive heating element during the action of a single puff is represented by E, characteristic parameters of the atomization unit are represented by a and b, the amount of the aerosol source consumed with one puff action is represented by L, and the control unit calculates L with the formula L=aE+b, or, controls E in accordance with the formula E=(L−b)/a.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A non-burning type flavor inhaler comprising:
an atomizing unit having an aerosol source and a resistance heating element configured to atomize the aerosol source by resistance electric heating; and
a controller configured to control a power amount supplied to the resistance heating element,
wherein a power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is expressed by E,
wherein an amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action is expressed by L,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate the amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action according to an equation of L=aE+b, or configured to control the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action according to an equation of E=(L−b)/a, and
wherein the coefficients a and b associated with the atomizing unit are stored in a memory.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, further comprising:
an information source providing the coefficients to the memory,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate the amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action, based on information included in the information source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 2, comprising:
a control unit including the controller,
wherein the atomizing unit further includes the information source.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the atomizing unit further includes a holding member configured to hold the aerosol source.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein a temperature coefficient a of a resistance value of the resistance heating element is 0.8×10−3 [° C.−1] or less.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein a temperature coefficient a of a resistance value of the resistance heating element is 0.4×10−3 [° C.−1] or less.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, comprising:
a battery configured to accumulate power supplied to the resistance heating element,
wherein an output voltage value of the battery is expressed by VA,
wherein a reference voltage value of the battery is expressed by VC,
wherein a correction term of the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is expressed by D, and
wherein the controller is configured to calculate the correction term based on the output voltage value and the reference voltage value, and is configured to calculate the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action based on the correction term or configured to control the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action based on the correction term.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to calculate the correction term according to an equation of D=VC2/VA2.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to control the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element, according to a power amount corrected based on the correction term.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, comprising:
an information source including a resistance value of the resistance heating element,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action based on the information included in the information source.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, comprising:
a battery configured to accumulate power supplied to the resistance heating element, wherein
an output voltage value of the battery is expressed by VA,
a time during which a voltage is applied to the resistance heating element is expressed by T,
a resistance value of the resistance heating element is expressed by R, and
the controller is configured to calculate the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action or configured to control the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action, according to an equation of E=VA2/R×T.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 11, wherein the controller uses a predetermined value T0 as T, if controlling the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action includes a designated LA and an actual LB, and
the controller is configured to first control the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action according to an equation of E=(LA−b)/a, and then calculate the LB according to an equation of LB=aE+b.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein an upper limit threshold value of the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is expressed by EMAX, and
the controller is configured to control the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element so that the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action does not exceed the EMAX.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein a lower limit threshold value of the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is expressed by EMIN, and
the controller is configured to calculate the amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action according to an equation of L=aEMIN+b, if the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is the EMIN or less.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 14, comprising:
an information source including the coefficients,
wherein the coefficients are used for specifying the EMAX.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 15, comprising:
an information source including the coefficients,
wherein the coefficients are used for specifying the EMIN.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to estimate a remaining amount of the aerosol source, based on the amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 18, comprising:
an information source including remaining amount information indicating the remaining amount of the aerosol source.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 18, wherein if the remaining amount of the aerosol source falls below a threshold value, the controller is configured to prohibit power supply to the resistance heating element or configured to notify a user that the remaining amount of the aerosol source falls below the threshold value.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 20, wherein if the remaining amount information cannot be acquired, the controller is configured to prohibit the power supply to the resistance heating element or configured to notify a user that the remaining amount information cannot be acquired.

### Claim 22

A non-burning type flavor inhaler comprising:
an atomizing unit having an aerosol source and a resistance heating element configured to atomize the aerosol source by resistance electric heating; and
a controller configured to control a power amount supplied to the resistance heating element,
wherein a power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is expressed by E,
wherein an amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action is expressed by L,
wherein the controller is configured to calculate the amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action according to an equation of L=aE+b, and
wherein the coefficients a and b associated with the atomizing unit are stored in a memory.

### Claim 23

A non-burning type flavor inhaler comprising:
an atomizing unit having an aerosol source and a resistance heating element configured to atomize the aerosol source by resistance electric heating; and
a controller configured to control a power amount supplied to the resistance heating element,
wherein a power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is expressed by E,
wherein an amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action is expressed by L,
wherein the controller is configured to control the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action according to an equation of E=(L−b)/a, and
wherein the coefficients a and b associated with the atomizing unit are stored in a memory.

### Claim 24

An atomizing unit, comprising:
an aerosol source;
a resistance heating element configured to atomize the aerosol source by resistance electric heating; and
an information source including specific values associated with the aerosol source and the resistance heating element,
wherein a power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is expressed by E,
wherein an amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action is expressed by L,
wherein the amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action is calculated according to an equation of L=aE+b, or the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is controlled according to an equation of E=(L−b)/a, and
wherein the specific values are the coefficients a and b.

### Claim 25

An atomizing unit, comprising:
an aerosol source;
a resistance heating element configured to atomize the aerosol source by resistance electric heating; and
an information source including specific values associated with the aerosol source and the resistance heating element,
wherein a power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is expressed by E,
wherein an amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action is expressed by L,
wherein the amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action is calculated according to an equation of L=aE+b, and
wherein the specific values are the coefficients a and b.

### Claim 26

An atomizing unit, comprising:
an aerosol source;
a resistance heating element configured to atomize the aerosol source by resistance electric heating; and
an information source including specific values associated with the aerosol source and the resistance heating element or identification information associated with the specific values,
wherein a power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is expressed by E,
wherein an amount of the aerosol source consumed during one puff action is expressed by L,
wherein the power amount supplied to the resistance heating element during one puff action is controlled according to an equation of E=(L−b)/a, and
wherein the specific values are the coefficients a and b.