# US 12,184,109 B2 · Power supply unit for aerosol generation device

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- Number: US 12,184,109 B2
- Document ID: US12184109B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/502,046
- Filed: 2023-11-05
- Published: 2024-03-07
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2021-05-10
- Assignees: Japan Tobacco Inc.
- Applicants: Japan Tobacco Inc.
- Inventors: Tatsunari Aoyama; Hiroshi Kawanago; Toru Nagahama; Takashi Fujiki; Ryo Yoshida
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12184109B2

## CPC

- A24F 40/90: Arrangements or methods specially adapted for charging batteries thereof
- H02J 7/865: {Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence)}
- A24F 40/465: specially adapted for induction heating
- A24F 40/50: Control or monitoring
- A24F 40/51: Arrangement of sensors
- A24F 40/53: Monitoring, e.g. fault detection
- A24F 40/57: Temperature control
- A24F 40/95: structurally associated with cases
- H02J 1/084: {for selectively connecting the load or loads to one or several among a plurality of power lines or power sources}
- H02J 7/00: Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J 7/855: {with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery}
- H02J 7/933: {the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters}
- A24F 40/20: Devices using solid inhalable precursors
- A24F 40/65: Devices with integrated communication means, e.g. wireless communication means
- H02J 2207/10: Control circuit supply, e.g. means for supplying power to the control circuit
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- A24F: SMOKERS' REQUISITES; MATCH BOXES; SIMULATED SMOKING DEVICES (inhaling appliances for medical purposes, shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes A61M15/06)
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source, the power supply unit including: a power supply; a connector electrically connectable to an external power supply; a first load; a charging IC including an input terminal connected to the connector, a charging terminal connected to the power supply, and an output terminal connected to the first load, and configured to convert electric power input to the input terminal and output the converted electric power from the charging terminal; and a discharge path configured to connect the power supply and a second load without passing through the charging IC, in which the charging IC is configured to supply electric power input from the power supply to the charging terminal to the first load via the output terminal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source, the power supply unit comprising:
a power supply;
a connection receptacle electrically connectable to an external power supply;
a first load;
a charging integrated circuitry (IC) including an input terminal connected to the connection receptacle, a charging terminal connected to the power supply, and an output terminal connected to the first load, wherein the charging IC is configured to convert electric power input to the input terminal and output the converted electric power from the charging terminal;
a discharge path configured to connect the power supply and a second load without passing through the charging IC, wherein
the charging IC is configured to supply electric power input from the power supply to the charging terminal to the first load via the output terminal, and
the first load is a microcontroller configured to control heating the aerosol source by the second load and includes a single electric element;
a first substrate; and
a second substrate different from the first substrate, wherein
the charging IC and the first load are provided on the first substrate,
the discharge path is provided in the second substrate, and
the first load and the second load operate simultaneously.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein
power consumption of the first load is less than power consumption of the second load.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 2, wherein
the second load consumes a largest amount of electric power among loads provided in the aerosol generation device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein
the discharge path is configured to step up an output voltage of the power supply and apply the step-up output voltage to the second load.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 4, further comprising:
a third load connected to a node between the power supply and the second load in the discharge path and configured to operate by electric power supplied from the node.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a voltage converter connected between the output terminal and the first load and configured to output a constant voltage.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 6, wherein
the charging IC is configured to supply electric power input to the input terminal to the first load via the output terminal, and
the voltage converter
steps up or down a voltage input from the charging IC to output the constant voltage when electric power input from the charging terminal is output from the output terminal, and
steps down the voltage input from the charging IC to output the constant voltage when electric power input from the input terminal is output from the output terminal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 6, wherein
the voltage converter is configured to step down a voltage input from the charging IC to output the constant voltage.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a thermistor arranged in contact with or close to the second load;
a power supply line connected to the thermistor; and
a load switch including a control terminal connected to the first load, an input terminal connected to the output terminal of the charging IC, and an output terminal connected to the power supply line.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein
the power supply unit is an inhaler.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein
the second load is a heater.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein
the second load is an induction heater.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 1, wherein
the discharge path includes a step-up converter configured to step up an output voltage of the power supply and apply the step-up output voltage to the second load.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 13, further comprising:
a third load connected to a node between the power supply and the step-up converter in the discharge path and configured to operate by electric power supplied from the node.

### Claim 15

A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol source, the power supply unit, comprising:
a power supply;
a connection receptacle electrically connectable to an external power supply;
a first load;
a charging integrated circuitry (IC) including an input terminal connected to the connection receptacle, a charging terminal connected to the power supply, and an output terminal connected to the first load, wherein the charging IC is configured to convert electric power input to the input terminal and output the converted electric power from the charging terminal;
a discharge path configured to connect the power supply and a second load without passing through the charging IC, wherein
the charging IC is configured to supply electric power input from the power supply to the charging terminal to the first load via the output terminal,
the first load is a microcontroller configured to control heating the aerosol source by the second load and includes a single electric element, and
the discharge path is configured to step up an output voltage of the power supply and apply the step-up output voltage to the second load,
a power supply connector to which the power supply is connected;
a first substrate;
a second substrate different from the first substrate, wherein
the charging IC is provided on the first substrate, and
the discharge path and the third load are provided on the second substrate; and
a third load connected to a node between the power supply and the second load in the discharge path and configured to operate by electric power supplied from the node.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The power supply unit for the aerosol generation device according to claim 15, wherein
the third load is a protection IC.