# US 11,304,454 B1 · Power supply unit for aerosol generation device, and aerosol generation device

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- Number: US 11,304,454 B1
- Document ID: US11304454B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/489,815
- Filed: 2021-09-30
- Published: 2022-03-31
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2020-09-30
- Assignees: Japan Tobacco Inc.
- Applicants: Japan Tobacco Inc.
- Inventors: Ikuo Fujinaga; Takuma Nakano; Hajime Fujita; Yutaka Kaihatsu; Mai Sugiura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304454B1

## CPC

- A24F 40/53: Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
- A24F 40/10: Devices using liquid inhalable precursors
- A24F 40/20: Devices using solid inhalable precursors
- A24F 40/30: Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges
- A24F 40/46: Shape or structure of electric heating means
- A24F 40/57: Temperature control
- A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06)

## Abstract

A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device includes: a power supply; a first connector connectable to an atomizer for atomizing an aerosol source; a second connector connectable to a heater for heating a flavor source; and a processing device configured to acquire a temperature of the flavor source or the heater. The processing device is configured to start second discharge from the power supply to the heater to make the temperature of the flavor source or the heater converge to a target temperature, before starting first discharge from the power supply to the atomizer, acquire an elapsed time between a start time point of current second discharge and an end time point of a later one of previous first discharge and previous second discharge, and increase power in the first discharge more and/or decrease the target temperature more as the elapsed time becomes longer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device, the power supply unit comprising:
a power supply;
a first connector electrically connectable to an atomizer capable of atomizing an aerosol source and electrically connected to the power supply;
a second connector connectable to a heater capable of heating a flavor source that adds a flavor to an aerosol generated from the aerosol source, and electrically connected to the power supply; and
a processing device configured to acquire a temperature of the flavor source or the heater,
wherein the processing device is configured to
start second discharge, which is discharge from the power supply to the heater to make the temperature of the flavor source or the heater converge to a target temperature, before starting first discharge, which is discharge from the power supply to the atomizer,
acquire an elapsed time between a start time point of current second discharge and an end time point of a later one of previous first discharge and previous second discharge, and
increase power in the first discharge more and/or decrease the target temperature more as the elapsed time becomes longer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit according to claim 1,
wherein the processing device is configured to increase the power in the first discharge more and/or decrease the target temperature more as the elapsed time becomes longer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit according to claim 1,
wherein the processing device is configured to
calculate first power that is power supplied to the atomizer, the first power being increased based on the elapsed time, and
when the first power exceeds predetermined power smaller than maximum power dischargeable from the power supply to the atomizer, only decrease the target temperature among increasing the power in the first discharge and decreasing the target temperature.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit according to claim 1,
wherein the processing device is configured to
calculate first power that is power supplied to the atomizer, the first power being increased based on the elapsed time, and a first target temperature that is the target temperature decreased based on the elapsed time, and
when the first power is equal to or smaller than predetermined power smaller than maximum power dischargeable from the power supply to the atomizer, and the first target temperature is lower than a temperature of the heater, only increase the power in the first discharge among increasing the power in the first discharge and decreasing the target temperature.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit according to claim 1,
wherein the processing device is configured to
calculate first power that is power supplied to the atomizer, the first power being increased based on the elapsed time, and a first target temperature that is the target temperature decreased based on the elapsed time, and
when the first power is equal to or smaller than predetermined power smaller than maximum power dischargeable from the power supply to the atomizer, and the first target temperature is equal to or higher than a temperature of the heater, only decrease the target temperature among increasing the power in the first discharge and decreasing the target temperature.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The power supply unit according to claim 3,
wherein the processing device is configured to
when the temperature of the heater during the first discharge is equal to or higher than the target temperature, discharge the first power from the power supply to the atomizer, and
when the temperature of the heater during the first discharge is lower than the target temperature, discharge, from the power supply to the atomizer, power obtained by adding a positive value to the first power, the positive value being equal to or smaller than a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined power from the maximum power.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising:
a command unit configured to command the processing device to activate the power supply unit, wherein
the processing device is configured to perform one of increasing the power in the first discharge and decreasing the target temperature based on the elapsed time only when the aerosol to which the flavor is added by the flavor source is generated for a first time after the power supply unit is activated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit according to claim 1,
wherein a command unit configured to command the processing device to activate the power supply unit,
wherein the processing device is configured to perform one of increasing the power in the first discharge and decreasing the target temperature based on the elapsed time only when the aerosol is generated for the first time after the power supply unit is activated and when a length of inhaling in first aerosol generation after the power supply unit is activated is shorter than a threshold value and next aerosol generation is performed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The power supply unit according to claim 7,
wherein the processing device is configured to
acquire a remaining amount of the flavor source, and
perform one of increasing the power in the first discharge and decreasing the target temperature based on the elapsed time and the remaining amount of the flavor source after the end time point and before the start time point.

### Claim 10

An aerosol generation device comprising:
a power supply;
an atomizer capable of atomizing an aerosol source;
a flavor source unit including a flavor source that adds a flavor component to an aerosol generated from the aerosol source, and a filter provided downstream of the flavor source in a flow of the aerosol;
a heater capable of heating the flavor source; and
a processing device,
wherein the processing device is configured to
start second discharge, which is discharge from the power supply to the heater to make a temperature of the flavor source or the heater converge to a target temperature, before starting first discharge, which is discharge from the power supply to the atomizer,
estimate an amount of the flavor component adsorbed to the filter, and
increase power in the first discharge and/or decrease the target temperature as the estimated amount of the flavor component adsorbed to the filter increases.