Aerosol generating device

Abstract

An aerosol generating device is provided. The aerosol generating device includes: a housing shaped to define an insertion space and extending in an elongated manner; a first heater disposed adjacent to one end of the insertion space in a longitudinal direction of the insertion space and being configured to heat an aerosol generating substance; a color sensor disposed adjacent to the insertion space and facing the insertion space; and a second heater configured to heat at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of a stick inserted into the insertion space, wherein the color sensor is disposed relative to an upper side of the second heater along the longitudinal direction of the insertion space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aerosol generating device comprising:
 a housing shaped to define an insertion space and extending in an elongated manner;   a first heater disposed adjacent to one end of the insertion space in a longitudinal direction of the insertion space and being configured to heat an aerosol generating substance;   a color sensor disposed adjacent to the insertion space and facing the insertion space; and   a second heater configured to heat at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of a stick inserted into the insertion space,   wherein the color sensor is disposed relative to an upper side of the second heater and along the longitudinal direction of the insertion space.   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the second heater includes an annular shape and is positioned to surround at least a portion of an outer circumferential surface of the insertion space. 
     
     
         3 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the second heater is positioned at a location that is adjacent to a location at which a support portion of the stick is located, when the stick has been inserted into the insertion space. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 3 , wherein the stick comprises:
 a medium portion; and   the support portion connected to an upstream end and/or a downstream end of the medium portion, and   wherein the second heater is configured to heat an outer circumferential surface of the support portion while the stick is inserted in the insertion space.   
     
     
         5 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller,
 wherein the color sensor emits light to the insertion space and receives reflected light of the emitted light reflected by the stick, so as to output a color signal corresponding to the received reflected light, and   wherein the controller is configured to determine whether or not the stick is inserted into the insertion space and whether or not the stick is a used stick, based on the color signal output by the color sensor.   
     
     
         6 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 5 , further comprising a puff sensor configured to detect a puff,
 wherein the controller is further configured to:   determine whether or not a puff signal identifying a detected puff from the puff sensor is received from the puff sensor, after the stick has been inserted into the insertion space; and   determine whether or not the stick is a used stick based on a color signal provided by the color sensor, wherein the color signal is received during a time period between the determining of the stick being inserted into the insertion space and the receiving the puff signal.   
     
     
         7 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 5 , further comprising a puff sensor configured to detect a puff,
 wherein the controller is further configured to:   determine whether or not a puff signal identifying a detected puff from the puff sensor is received from the puff sensor, after the stick has been inserted into the insertion space; and   identify a number of puffs based on the puff signal; and   control power to be supplied to the second heater, based on the number of puffs being a defined number of puffs.   
     
     
         8 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 5 , further comprising a puff sensor configured to detect a puff,
 wherein the controller is configured to:   determine whether or not a puff signal identifying a detected puff from the puff sensor is received from the puff sensor, after the stick has been inserted into the insertion space; and   control power to be supplied to the second heater for a defined period of time, based on the receiving of the puff signal.   
     
     
         9 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 8 , wherein a color of an outer circumferential surface of a support portion of the stick is changed in proportion to a time of being heated by the second heater, and
 wherein the controller is configured to determine an extent of use of the stick based on the color signal output by the color sensor.   
     
     
         10 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 control power to be supplied to the first heater, based on the stick that is inserted into the insertion space being an unused stick; and   control supply of power to the first heater to be terminated, based on the stick that is inserted into the insertion space being a used stick.   
     
     
         11 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to control supply of power to the second heater, so that the second heater is heated at a temperature lower than a vaporization temperature of the aerosol generating substance. 
     
     
         12 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the second heater is positioned at a height relative to a lower end of the insertion space and which generally corresponds with a location at which a support portion of the stick is located, when the stick has been inserted into the insertion space.