Power supply unit for aerosol production device

Abstract

A power supply unit includes a controller. The controller is configured to determine whether an aerosol source and an flavor source contain menthol, a mode of discharging to a first heater in a first state in which it is determined that only the flavor source contains menthol is different from a mode of discharging to the first heater in a second state in which it is determined that both the aerosol source and the flavor source contain menthol and a mode of discharging to the first heater in a third state in which it is determined that only the aerosol source contains menthol, and/or a mode of discharging to a second heater in the first state is different from a mode of discharging to the second heater in the second state and a mode of discharging to the second heater in the third state.

1 . A power supply unit for an aerosol generation device, the power supply unit comprising:
 a first connector connected to a heater configured to heat an aerosol source;   a second connector connected to a second heater configured to heat a flavor source capable of adding a flavor to the aerosol source vaporized and/or atomized by heating the aerosol source with the first heater;   a power supply electrically connected to the first connector and the second connector; and   a controller configured to control discharging from the power supply to the first heater and discharging from the power supply to the second heater,   wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the aerosol source and the flavor source contain menthol,   wherein a mode of discharging to the first heater in a first state in which it is determined that only the flavor source contains menthol is different from a mode of discharging to the first heater in a second state in which it is determined that both the aerosol source and the flavor source contain menthol and a mode of discharging to the first heater in a third state in which it is determined that only the aerosol source contains menthol, and/or   wherein a mode of discharging to the second heater in the first state is different from a mode of discharging to the second heater in the second state and a mode of discharging to the second heater in the third state.   
     
     
         2 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the mode of discharging to the second heater in the first state is different from the mode of discharging to the second heater in the second state and the mode of discharging to the second heater in the third state, and   wherein the mode of discharging to the second heater in the first state is a mode in which a target temperature to which a temperature of the second heater or the flavor source is to be caused to converge is increased in a stepwise manner or is increased continuously.   
     
     
         3 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 2 , 
 wherein the mode of discharging to the second heater in the second state and the mode of discharging to the second heater in the third state are modes in which the target temperature is reduced in a stepwise manner or is reduced continuously.   
     
     
         4 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the mode of discharging to the first heater in the first state is a mode in which a voltage applied to the first heater is maintained constant, and   wherein the mode of discharging to the first heater in the second state is a mode in which the voltage applied to the first heater is changed in a stepwise manner or is changed continuously.   
     
     
         5 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the mode of discharging to the first heater in the first state is a mode in which the voltage applied to the first heater is maintained constant, and   wherein the mode of discharging to the first heater in the third state is a mode in which the voltage applied to the first heater is changed in a stepwise manner or is changed continuously.   
     
     
         6 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the mode of discharging to the first heater in the first state is a mode in which the voltage applied to the first heater is maintained constant,   wherein the mode of discharging to the first heater in the second state is a mode in which the voltage applied to the first heater is increased in a stepwise manner or is increased continuously, and   wherein the mode of discharging to the first heater in the third state is a mode in which the voltage applied to the first heater is reduced in a stepwise manner or is reduced continuously.   
     
     
         7 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 1 , 
 wherein the controller is configured to
 cause the aerosol generation device to operate in a startup mode and a sleep mode in which power consumption is smaller than power consumption in the startup mode and that is enabled to transition to the startup mode, and 
 start discharging to the second heater in response to transition to the startup mode so as to cause the temperature of the second heater or the flavor source to converge to a predetermined temperature. 
   
     
     
         8 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the mode of discharging to the second heater in the second state and the mode of discharging to the second heater in the third state are modes in which the target temperature to which the temperature of the second heater or the flavor source is to be caused to converge is reduced in a stepwise manner or is reduced continuously, and   wherein the predetermined temperature is lower than a minimum value of the target temperature in the second state and the third state.   
     
     
         9 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the mode of discharging to the second heater in the first state is a mode in which the target temperature is increased in a stepwise manner or is increased continuously, and   wherein the predetermined temperature is equal to or higher than a minimum value of the target temperature in the first state.   
     
     
         10 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the mode of discharging to the second heater in the first state is a mode in which the target temperature is increased in a stepwise manner or is increased continuously, and   wherein the predetermined temperature is lower than the minimum value of the target temperature in the first state.   
     
     
         11 . The power supply unit for an aerosol generation device according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein in response to the transition to the startup mode, the controller starts discharging to the second heater before executing the determination so as to cause the temperature to converge to the predetermined temperature.