Aerosol generating device

Abstract

An aerosol generating device includes a housing including an air inlet through which air is introduced, a heater located inside the housing and configured to heat an aerosol generating material, an airflow path disposed to connect the air inlet to the aerosol generating material and allowing air introduced through the air inlet to flow toward the aerosol generating material, and a pressure sensor disposed to be connected to the airflow path and configured to detect a pressure change of the airflow path, wherein the pressure sensor is disposed to be misaligned with the air inlet, when viewed from a top surface of the aerosol generating device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aerosol generating device comprising:
 a housing comprising an air inlet through which air is introduced;   a heater located inside the housing and configured to heat an aerosol generating material;   an airflow path disposed to connect the air inlet to the aerosol generating material and allowing air introduced through the air inlet to flow toward the aerosol generating material; and   a pressure sensor disposed to be connected to the airflow path and configured to detect a pressure change of the airflow path,   wherein the pressure sensor is disposed to be misaligned with the air inlet, when viewed from a top surface of the aerosol generating device.   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is located at a position deviating from a vertical extension line and a horizontal extension line crossing the air inlet, when viewed from the top surface of the aerosol generating device. 
     
     
         3 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 2 , wherein the pressure sensor is disposed on a virtual extension line forming a preset angle with the vertical extension line and the horizontal extension line, when viewed from the top surface of the aerosol generating device. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the air inlet is disposed at an upper end of the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 4 , wherein the pressure sensor is disposed adjacent to the air inlet inside the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein the airflow path comprises:
 a first airflow path connecting the air inlet to the aerosol generating material; and   a second airflow path branching from one point of the first airflow path and connected to the first airflow path.   
     
     
         7 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 6 , wherein
 a first portion of the first airflow path is connected to the air inlet and extends along a first direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the housing,   a second portion of the first airflow path extends in a second direction crossing the first direction, and has one end connected to the first portion and the other end connected to the aerosol generating material, and   the second airflow path extends in a third direction opposite to the second direction from one point of the first portion.   
     
     
         8 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 7 , further comprising a sensor receiving chamber connected to the second airflow path,
 wherein the pressure sensor is disposed inside the sensor receiving chamber.   
     
     
         9 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 8 , wherein the pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure change of the second airflow path connected to the sensor receiving chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing further comprises an insertion space in which at least a part of the aerosol generating material is accommodated, and   the heater is configured to heat the aerosol generating material accommodated in the insertion space.   
     
     
         11 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 10 , wherein at least part of air introduced into the airflow path through the air inlet passes through the aerosol generating material accommodated in the insertion space and is discharged to outside of the aerosol generating device. 
     
     
         12 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 10 , wherein the air inlet is spaced apart from the insertion space. 
     
     
         13 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , further comprising a storage tank located inside the housing and allowing the aerosol generating material to be stored therein,
 wherein the heater is configured to heat the aerosol generating material supplied from the storage tank.   
     
     
         14 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 1 , further comprising a processor operatively connected to the pressure sensor,
 wherein the processor is configured to detect a user's puff operation based on a pressure change of the airflow path detected through the pressure sensor.   
     
     
         15 . The aerosol generating device of  claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to, when a pressure change amount of the airflow path is equal to or greater than a designated value, determine that the user's puff operation has occurred.