ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH MULTI-FUNCTIONAL BATTERY HEATER

Abstract

An electronic device is provided, including: a battery, and a heater configured to heat the battery as a first heating function of the heater, the heater being further configured to perform a second heating function, the first heating function being different from the second heating function, the electronic device being configured to switch between the first and the second heating functions of the heater in dependence on a temperature of the battery, the electronic device being an aerosol-generating device, and in which heating an aerosol-forming substrate is the second heating function. An aerosol-generating system including an aerosol-generating article and the electronic device, and a method for operating the electronic device, are also provided.

Claims

1.-14. (canceled)

15. An electronic device, comprising: a battery, and a heater configured to heat the battery as a first heating function of the heater, wherein the heater is further configured to perform a second heating function, wherein the first heating function is different from the second heating function, wherein the electronic device is configured to switch between the first and the second heating functions of the heater in dependence on a temperature of the battery, wherein the electronic device is an aerosol-generating device, and wherein heating an aerosol-forming substrate is the second heating function.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the heater comprises an induction coil.

17. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the heater is further configured to perform a third function.

18. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the third function is charging the battery.

19. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the third function is inductively charging the battery.

20. The electronic device according to claim 17, wherein the third function is inductively charging the battery, wherein the heater comprises a charging coil, and wherein the first heating function is one or both of resistively heating the battery and inductively heating the battery.

21. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the heater is configured to resistively heat the battery as the first heating function, and wherein the second heating function is an inductive heating function.

22. The electronic device according to claim 15, further comprising: a heating chamber; a first susceptor in thermal contact with the battery; and a second susceptor in thermal contact with the heating chamber, wherein the second heating function is inductively heating the heating chamber.

23. The electronic device according to claim 15, further comprising a resistive element configured to additionally heat the battery, the resistive element being serially connectable to the heater based on a temperature-dependent actuation mechanism.

24. The electronic device according to claim 23, wherein the temperature-dependent actuation mechanism includes a bimetallic strip.

25. The electronic device according to claim 15, further comprising a controller configured to determine a temperature of the battery and to switch between different functions of the heater based on the temperature.

26. The electronic device according to claim 25, further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the temperature based on a temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

27. The electronic device according to claim 25, further comprising a communication unit configured to receive external data, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the temperature based on external data received by the communication unit.

28. An aerosol-generating system comprising an aerosol-generating article and an electronic device according to claim 15.

29. A method for operating the electronic device according to claim 15, the method comprising steps of: defining a minimum working temperature for the battery; monitoring a temperature of the battery; and heating the battery with the heater when the temperature of the battery is below the minimum working temperature, or performing the second heating function when the temperature of the battery is equal to or above the minimum working temperature.

Description

[0106] The invention will be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0107] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an electronic device;

[0108] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of an electronic device; and

[0109] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an electronic device.

[0110] FIG. 1 schematically shows a body of an electronic device 10 comprising a battery 12, and a heater 14 for heating the battery 12. The battery 12 and the heater 14 are mounted on a flexible substrate 16. The battery 12 forms part of a power circuit 18. The heater 14 forms part of a functional circuit 20. The functional circuit 20 further comprises a functional controller unit 22.

[0111] The functional circuit 20 can be configured for supporting multiple functions of the heater 14. The heater 14 is an induction heater comprising an induction coil. The heater 14 further comprises a first susceptor in thermal proximity to the battery 12 for heating the battery 12 as a first heating function.

[0112] The heater 14 is further configured for performing a second function, wherein the first heating function is different from the second function.

[0113] The second function may be a second heating function. The heater 14 may comprise a second susceptor being in thermal proximity to an aerosol-generating article 24 for heating the aerosol-generating article 24 as a second heating function. The first and second susceptors may be heated by the same induction coil or by separate coils. The heater 14 may additionally comprise a resistive component in thermal proximity to the battery 12 that can be switched to be electrically connected in series with the induction coil. Thereby, the battery 12 may be additionally heated. The switching may be performed by a temperature-dependent actuation component.

[0114] Alternatively to the second function being a second heating function, the second function may be a function of a receiving coil within an auxiliary circuit 26. The function of the receiving coil may be inductively charging the battery 12. The battery 12 may be inductively charged by the auxiliary circuit 26 via the receiving coil. The heater 14 may thus be configured for inductively charging the battery 12 as a second function. The induction coil used for the first heating function and the receiving coil used for the second function may be the same component or may be separate coils.

[0115] The heater 14 may be further configured for performing a third function. The second function may be heating the aerosol-generating article 24, and the third function may be inductively charging the battery 12. The induction coil used for one or more of the first and second heating functions and the receiving coil used for the third function may be the same component or may be separate coils.

[0116] The functional controller unit 22 comprises a temperature sensor and a memory storage. The functional controller unit 22 further comprises a control unit configured for determining the optimal time and parameters to operate the heater 14 for each of the different functions of the heater 14. The functional controller unit 22 may further comprise, or be connected to, a communication unit able to communicate with an external data source 28 in order to obtain additional data used to determine the optimal time and parameters to operate the heater 14.

[0117] FIG. 2 schematically shows a body of an electronic device 10. The flexible substrate 16 having thereon the battery 12 and the heater 14 is formed into a hollow cylindrical shape. Thereby, the flexible substrate 16 circumscribes a cavity of the device. The electronic device may be an aerosol-generating device and the cavity may be a heating chamber.

[0118] FIG. 3 shows a body of an electronic device 10. The electronic device is an aerosol-generating device. An aerosol-generating article 24 comprising an aerosol-forming substrate can be inserted into a cavity 30 of the aerosol-generating device. At the base of the cavity 30, stopper 32 are arranged. The stopper 32 are configured for preventing over-insertion of the aerosol-generating article 24 into the cavity 30.

[0119] The cavity 30 is a heating chamber of the device 10. The battery 12 and the heater 14 are arranged around the cavity 30 within the tubular body of the aerosol-generating device. One or both of the battery 12 and the heater 14 may be arranged on a flexible substrate 16. In addition to heating the battery 12 as a first heating function, the heater 14 is further configured for heating the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article 24 as a second heating function.