Non-burning type flavor inhaler

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10798972-B2
Application number	US-201815881410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2018
Priority date	Jul 28, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2020
Grant date	Oct 13, 2020

Abstract

This non-combustion-type flavor inhaler is provided with: a housing having a housing cavity; an atomizer that atomizes an aerosol source without combustion; a control unit that controls at least the atomizer; a sensor that detects a change in the internal pressure in the housing cavity; a first structure that causes a change in the internal pressure in the housing cavity as a result of a suction action or a blowing action; and a second structure that causes a change in the internal pressure in the housing cavity as a result of a predetermined action other than the suction and blowing actions. The first structure comprises a mouthpiece opening provided at a mouthpiece end of the housing. The control unit performs atomization control to initiate or terminate atomization of the aerosol source on the basis of at least the suction action. The control unit performs predetermined control other than the atomization control on the basis of the predetermined action.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A non-burning type flavor inhaler comprising:
a housing having a housing cavity;
an atomizer configured to atomize an aerosol source without burning;
a sensor configured to detect a change in inner pressure of the housing cavity;
a controller configured to control at least the atomizer;
a first configuration for changing the inner pressure of the housing cavity by an inhalation action or a blow action; and
a second configuration for changing the inner pressure of the housing cavity by a predetermined action other than the inhalation action and the blow action, wherein
the first configuration includes a mouthpiece aperture provided on a mouthpiece end of the housing,
the controller is configured to perform an atomizing control for starting or terminating atomization of the aerosol source, based on at least the change of the inner pressure of the housing cavity caused by the inhalation action, and
the controller is configured to perform a predetermined control other than the atomizing control, based on the change of the inner pressure of the housing cavity caused by the predetermined action.

2. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the first configuration includes an aperture allowing for communication between the housing cavity and an aerospace outside the housing, and
the aperture included in the first configuration communicates with the mouthpiece aperture.

3. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the second configuration has a configuration for increasing the inner pressure of the housing cavity by the predetermined action.

4. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the first configuration, the second configuration, and the sensor are arranged in order of the second configuration, the sensor, and the first configuration, from a non-mouthpiece end side toward a mouthpiece end side of the housing.

5. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the second configuration is provided at a non-mouthpiece end of the housing.

6. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing cavity includes a first cavity communicating from the first configuration to the sensor and a second cavity communicating from the second configuration to the sensor, and the first cavity and the second cavity are partitioned not to communicate with each other within the housing.

7. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is configured to compare an output value of the sensor with a first threshold value to determine whether or not to perform the atomizing control of the atomizer and is configured to compare the output value of the sensor with a second threshold value to determine the predetermined control other than the atomizing control of the atomizer, and
the first threshold value is larger than the second threshold value.

8. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 7 , wherein
the second configuration has a configuration for changing the inner pressure of the housing cavity so that the output value of the sensor does not exceed the first threshold value and the output value of the sensor exceeds the second threshold value.

9. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the second configuration includes an aperture communicating from the housing cavity to the aerospace outside the housing.

10. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 9 , wherein
the aperture included in the second configuration is provided on an end surface of a non-mouthpiece end of the housing.

11. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 9 , wherein
a first aperture and a second aperture are arranged as the aperture included in the second configuration, and
the first aperture and the second aperture are provided on surfaces facing directions different from each other in the housing.

12. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 9 , wherein
a first aperture and a second aperture are provided as the aperture included in the second configuration,
the first aperture is provided on an end surface of a non-mouthpiece end of the housing, and
the second aperture is provided on a side surface of the housing.

13. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the housing has a longer direction and a shorter direction perpendicular to the longer direction, and
the second configuration is arranged not to protrude externally of an outer side surface of the housing in the shorter direction.

14. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the second configuration is provided as a separate body from the housing.

15. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
a non-mouthpiece end of the housing is provided with an electrode member configured to charge a power source for supplying at least power to the atomizer, and
the second configuration includes the electrode member.

16. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 15 , wherein
the housing has a longer direction and a shorter direction perpendicular to the longer direction, and
the electrode member has a first electrode and a second electrode.

17. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 16 , wherein
the electrode member includes an aperture allowing for communication between the housing cavity and an aerospace outside the housing, and
the aperture included in the electrode member is provided to be closer to a mouthpiece end side, in the longer direction, than a non-mouthpiece side end of either one of the first electrode or the second electrode.

18. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 16 , wherein
the second electrode is spaced apart from the first electrode and provided internally of the first electrode, on a projection surface formed by light irradiated from the longer direction, the projection surface being formed on a surface perpendicular to the longer direction.

19. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 18 , wherein
the electrode member has an aperture, and
the aperture is provided internally of the first electrode and externally of the second electrode, on the projection surface.

20. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 16 , wherein
a non-mouthpiece side end of the second electrode is provided to be closer to a mouthpiece end side than a non-mouthpiece side end of the first electrode, in the longer direction.

21. The non-burning type flavor inhaler according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined control other than the atomizing control is at least any one of: control for determining whether or not a user is an authorized user; control for starting or terminating a puff action series; control for switching an operation mode of the non-burning type flavor inhaler; control for resetting a value counted in the controller; and control for notifying a value managed by the controller.

Assignees

• Japan Tobacco Inc

Inventors

• Takeuchi Manabu
• Nakano Takuma
• Yamada Manabu

Classifications

• H05B3/44

  heating conductor arranged within rods or tubes of insulating material · CPC title

• A61M15/06 Primary

  Inhaling appliances shaped like cigars, cigarettes or pipes · CPC title

• A24F40/51

  Arrangement of sensors · CPC title

• A24F40/40 Primary

  Constructional details, e.g. connection of cartridges and battery parts · CPC title

• A24F40/30

  Devices using two or more structurally separated inhalable precursors, e.g. using two liquid precursors in two cartridges · CPC title