EP1312418B1 - Zerstäuber für manuelle Betätigung - Google Patents

Zerstäuber für manuelle Betätigung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1312418B1
EP1312418B1 EP02023179A EP02023179A EP1312418B1 EP 1312418 B1 EP1312418 B1 EP 1312418B1 EP 02023179 A EP02023179 A EP 02023179A EP 02023179 A EP02023179 A EP 02023179A EP 1312418 B1 EP1312418 B1 EP 1312418B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
nozzle
liquid
spring
piston
duct
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP02023179A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1312418A2 (de
EP1312418A3 (de
Inventor
Joachim Dr. Eicher
Holger Dr. Reinecke
Ralf-Peter Dr. Peters
Holger Hoffmann
Stephen Terence Dr. Dunne
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Boehringer Ingelheim Microparts GmbH
Original Assignee
Boehringer Ingelheim Microparts GmbH
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Boehringer Ingelheim Microparts GmbH filed Critical Boehringer Ingelheim Microparts GmbH
Publication of EP1312418A2 publication Critical patent/EP1312418A2/de
Publication of EP1312418A3 publication Critical patent/EP1312418A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1312418B1 publication Critical patent/EP1312418B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
    • B05B1/34—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl
    • B05B1/3405—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl
    • B05B1/341—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet
    • B05B1/3421—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber
    • B05B1/3431—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber the channels being formed at the interface of cooperating elements, e.g. by means of grooves
    • B05B1/3436—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber the channels being formed at the interface of cooperating elements, e.g. by means of grooves the interface being a plane perpendicular to the outlet axis
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B11/00—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use
    • B05B11/01—Single-unit hand-held apparatus in which flow of contents is produced by the muscular force of the operator at the moment of use characterised by the means producing the flow
    • B05B11/10—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle
    • B05B11/109—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle the dispensing stroke being affected by the stored energy of a spring
    • B05B11/1091—Pump arrangements for transferring the contents from the container to a pump chamber by a sucking effect and forcing the contents out through the dispensing nozzle the dispensing stroke being affected by the stored energy of a spring being first hold in a loaded state by locking means or the like, then released
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B9/00—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour
    • B05B9/03—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material
    • B05B9/04—Spraying apparatus for discharge of liquids or other fluent material, without essentially mixing with gas or vapour characterised by means for supplying liquid or other fluent material with pressurised or compressible container; with pump
    • B05B9/08—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type
    • B05B9/085—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type with a liquid pump
    • B05B9/0877—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type with a liquid pump the pump being of pressure-accumulation type or being connected to a pressure accumulation chamber
    • B05B9/0883—Apparatus to be carried on or by a person, e.g. of knapsack type with a liquid pump the pump being of pressure-accumulation type or being connected to a pressure accumulation chamber having a discharge device fixed to the container
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
    • B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
    • B05B1/34—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl
    • B05B1/3405—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl
    • B05B1/341—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet
    • B05B1/3421—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber
    • B05B1/3431—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber the channels being formed at the interface of cooperating elements, e.g. by means of grooves
    • B05B1/3447—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means designed to influence the nature of flow of the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. to produce swirl to produce swirl before discharging the liquid or other fluent material, e.g. in a swirl chamber upstream the spray outlet with channels emerging substantially tangentially in the swirl chamber the channels being formed at the interface of cooperating elements, e.g. by means of grooves the interface being a cylinder having the same axis as the outlet

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a nebulizer for a liquid whose droplets are to be deposited, for example, on a surface, and which is operated manually.
  • the atomizer is suitable for atomizing aqueous or non-aqueous liquids, emulsions and suspensions, solutions, paints, oils.
  • the atomizer can be miniaturized. It can contain microstructured elements.
  • the invention aims to provide a nebulizer that does not require propellant, which is manually operated and which can be adapted to the properties of different liquids to be atomized as well as the intended use.
  • the pressurized liquid contains a propellant gas or a liquefied propellant, with which the liquid is atomized on exiting a nozzle, optionally in cooperation with the evaporating propellant gas.
  • propellants used hitherto there are gases which are physiologically questionable, or which pollute the environment, or which are combustible.
  • the container for the liquid must withstand the gas pressure, optionally also at elevated temperature, and be tight against the gas pressure. If, during the storage period of the liquid-filled container or during the use of the nebulizer, the valve on the container is not sufficiently gastight and the gas pressure drops because of the partially evolved gas, the usefulness of the container or nebulizer may be limited.
  • atomizers are known in which the liquid is pressed by means of a manually operated by the user pump through a nozzle and thereby atomized.
  • the pressure on the liquid to be atomized and thus the distribution of the droplet size depends on the force with which the user actuates the pump.
  • the pressure with which the liquid is atomized depends on the behavior of the user.
  • the operation of such an atomizer may be difficult for inexperienced persons when the atomized liquid is to be deposited at a predetermined location, for example, on the skin of the user.
  • Another known atomizer consists of an air pump and a container for the liquid to be atomized.
  • the air pump consists of a piston that is manually moved back and forth in a cylinder. The air flows out of a hole at the bottom of the Cylinder out.
  • the liquid container is attached, which is provided with a thin dip tube, which projects into the liquid in the liquid container, the other end of the dip tube is located immediately adjacent to the hole in the bottom of the cylinder.
  • the axis of the dip tube is perpendicular to the direction in which the air flow leaves the cylinder.
  • the liquid is sucked at a sufficiently high velocity of the outflowing air from the container, entrained with the air flow and atomized.
  • the amount of liquid drawn in a stroke of the piston and the distribution of droplet size depend on the rate at which the air exits the hole in the bottom of the cylinder. Both features are difficult to reproduce.
  • the discharge rate and the average droplet size are dependent on the behavior of the user.
  • the achievable pressure is relatively low and is typically less than 0.8 MPa (8 bar).
  • vortex chamber nozzles whose outlet opening has a diameter of more than 300 micrometers, a suitable output for the purpose of use at relatively large average particle size can be achieved.
  • a miniaturized high-pressure atomizer is known, with which small quantities, for example 15 microliters, of a liquid can be atomized at a pressure of 5 to 60 MPa (50 to 600 bar), preferably 10 to 60 MPa (100 to 600 bar).
  • the (hydraulic) diameter of the nozzle channel is less than 100 microns, preferably 1 to 20 microns.
  • the mean droplet diameter is less than 12 microns.
  • the distribution of the droplet size must be set reproducibly. For example, the aerosol can enter the lungs with the breath. The liquid droplets are difficult to precipitate from the air stream on a surface impacted by the aerosol-containing air stream.
  • WO 97/19590 is a Sperrspannwerk specified, which can be used for tensioning a spring in a spring-powered atomizer, the atomizer has two mutually rotatably mounted housing parts.
  • energy storage for example, a coil spring is used, which can be manually clamped by means of a screw-thrust transmission by rotating the two housing parts against each other.
  • the locking mechanism is manually triggered by actuating a trigger button and displaces a piston in a cylinder, whereby a subset of a liquid is ejected and atomized through a nozzle.
  • US 5,662,271 be a device and a method for atomizing a Fluids described.
  • the fluid is preferably atomized at high pressure by means of a nozzle whose nozzle orifice has a small diameter.
  • Preferred is a device which generates a significant secondary flow across the main flow in the nozzle opening in the fluid.
  • a mechanical dispenser for mixing and dispensing fabrics under pressure.
  • the dispenser comprises two mutually manually rotatable housing parts. It contains several collection chambers for the substances to be mixed.
  • two pistons are present, which are displaced in opposite directions in the axis of the mixing chamber.
  • Each piston is provided on its side facing away from the mixing chamber with a piston rod whose end is constantly forcibly guided in a wave-shaped channel over both piston strokes.
  • the guide channel is arranged in the appropriate one of the two housing parts in a plane perpendicular to the housing axis.
  • the mixing chambers with the pistons are housed in the other housing part.
  • the axes of the mixing chambers lie in a plane perpendicular to the housing axis.
  • This dispenser does not contain any storage for mechanical energy.
  • the object is to provide a propellant-free atomizer, with which a subset of a liquid reservoir is atomized discontinuously, which is suitable for purely manual operation, and with the distribution of the droplet size in the atomized beam, regardless of the experience and behavior of the atomizer actuating person can be set reproducibly.
  • the swirl nozzle may be formed as a spiral housing and contain a swirl chamber, in which the liquid is introduced tangentially to the inner wall.
  • the liquid exits the nozzle through a nozzle channel located at the center of the vortex chamber.
  • the mean inner diameter of the vortex chamber is greater than the diameter of the outlet channel. In this swirl nozzle, there is an angle of about 90 degrees between the direction of the fluid introduced into the swirl chamber and the direction of the atomized jet leaving the nozzle.
  • the swirl nozzle may include a cylindrical cavity in which a cylindrical body is present.
  • a guide device in the form of a helix is present.
  • the liquid is introduced parallel to the axis of this swirl nozzle.
  • the liquid receives by the guide device circulation.
  • the liquid exits through a nozzle channel located on the axis of the swirl nozzle.
  • the discharge direction of the liquid is parallel to the direction of entry of the liquid.
  • the guide device consists of a helically wound web, which is preferably mounted on the lateral surface of the cylindrical body, and which bears tightly against the inner wall of the cylindrical cavity.
  • the bridge may be in the form of a single or multi-start screw.
  • the nozzle channel of the swirl nozzle can have a diameter of 30 microns to 300 Micrometers have, according to the invention from 50 microns to 150 microns.
  • the nozzle channel may be from 10 microns to 1000 microns in length, preferably from 50 microns to 300 microns.
  • the mean inner diameter of the swirl chamber in the swirl nozzle or the diameter of the cylindrical cavity of the swirl nozzle is twice to ten times - preferably two and a half times to five times - as large as the diameter of the nozzle channel.
  • the drive device for the piston comprises a storage for mechanical energy.
  • the energy storage may be a spring, preferably a coil spring or a plate spring, which acts as a compression spring. These springs can be made of metal or plastic. Further, a gas spring is suitable, preferably a hermetically closed rolling bellows gas spring.
  • These springs may optionally be biased upon installation in the nebulizer.
  • the coil spring and the diaphragm spring are later brought to the predetermined spring tension.
  • the gas spring is later compressed to the desired gas pressure.
  • the spring is tensioned manually.
  • the spring stores as a working spring, the energy required to move the piston within the cylinder for the purpose of ejecting and atomizing the liquid.
  • the piston For clamping the working spring, the piston may be provided with a rod which protrudes from the housing.
  • the rod is manually pulled out a predetermined piece from the housing by means of a handle, at the same time the working spring is tensioned, the piston is pulled out of the cylinder a piece, and in the space inside the cylinder liquid is sucked from the reservoir.
  • the working spring by pushing together the housing, possibly with only one hand, be stretched, since the housing consists of two parts which are interconnected and mounted in the axial direction against each other.
  • the atomizer housing consists of two parts, which are connected to one another and mounted rotatably relative to one another.
  • the drive device comprises a screw-thrust transmission via which the energy store the required mechanical energy is supplied manually.
  • the two housing parts are manually rotated against each other.
  • the working spring is tensioned.
  • a force is required because of the power transmission, which is smaller than the force that is required when pulling out the rod attached to the piston in the axial direction.
  • the energy stored in the working spring exerts on the subset of the liquid within the cylinder a pressure ranging from 0.5 MPa to 5 MPa (from 5 bar to 50 bar). is, preferably from 2 MPa to 3 MPa (from 20 bar to 30 bar).
  • the drive device may be provided with a locking mechanism which comprises a locking member and a release button, and which holds the piston in a predetermined position after tensioning the working spring. This can pass between the manual clamping of the spring and the triggering of the atomization by manually pressing the shutter button a period of time. During this period, the nebulizer may be brought into the position that is most favorable for manual tensioning of the working spring which the nebulizer is to occupy during the nebulization process.
  • a locking mechanism which comprises a locking member and a release button, and which holds the piston in a predetermined position after tensioning the working spring. This can pass between the manual clamping of the spring and the triggering of the atomization by manually pressing the shutter button a period of time. During this period, the nebulizer may be brought into the position that is most favorable for manual tensioning of the working spring which the nebulizer is to occupy during the nebulization process.
  • the drive device with locking mechanism can be designed as a locking clamping mechanism, which automatically jumps into the blocking state as soon as the piston has reached a predetermined position during the clamping operation of the working spring.
  • the sputtering process connects directly in time to the clamping operation of the working spring, if in the discharge channel for the liquid no valve or an automatically operating valve is present.
  • the effect of a drive mechanism with locking mechanism can also be achieved if in the discharge channel for the liquid a manually openable valve is present.
  • the atomizer contains at least one automatically operating valve in the intake passage. This valve opens at a low negative pressure as soon as the piston is pulled out of the cylinder during tensioning of the working spring. This valve closes as soon as the piston is pressed by the working spring in the cylinder and the sputtering process begins. This valve prevents the backflow of liquid into the reservoir during the atomization process.
  • another valve may be provided if, at a relatively large cross-section of the nozzle channel in the swirl nozzle during the suction of liquid from the reservoir at the same time air is sucked through the discharge channel.
  • This valve may be an automatically operating valve that prevents the intake of air through the swirl nozzle. The valve opens as soon as the piston starts ejecting the fluid through the discharge channel.
  • the valve in the discharge channel may be a non-automatic valve, which is not opened by the maximum pressure generated by the piston, but only opens when manually operated.
  • a valve in the discharge channel has a similar effect on the handling of the atomizer as a locking mechanism in the drive device.
  • the liquid in the cylinder between two clamping operations of the working spring in several smaller quantities one after the other atomized become.
  • the valve in the discharge channel is actuated several times in succession. The user can thus easily adjust the amount of liquid atomized in the discharge channel with each actuation of the valve to the current need.
  • the working spring is stretched again at the latest as soon as the liquid in the cylinder has been completely expelled. However, the working spring can already be re-tensioned before the liquid in the cylinder has been completely expelled.
  • the path of the piston may be shorter than the path by which the working spring is compressed during clamping.
  • the piston abuts when pulling out against a stop before the working spring is compressed in a predetermined manner.
  • the tensioned state of the working spring is located between the movable end of the working spring and the outside of the piston, a gap.
  • the working spring exerts a shock on the piston as soon as the movable end of the working spring rests on the outside of the piston.
  • a pressure surge can be exerted on the liquid in the cylinder.
  • the blocking mechanism may be provided with a stopping device which stops the movement of the piston once or more once the piston has traveled a predetermined distance and before all the liquid contained in the cylinder has been ejected.
  • a stopping device which stops the movement of the piston once or more once the piston has traveled a predetermined distance and before all the liquid contained in the cylinder has been ejected.
  • An atomizer provided with this device can be actuated several times between two clamping operations of the working spring.
  • the stopping device can stop the movement of the piston at previously fixed and subsequently unchangeable positions of the piston.
  • the stop device can be adjusted and actuated from the outside. Then, the positions of the piston at which it is stopped by the stop device can be post-adjusted and changed.
  • a device with a movable bellows may be used.
  • the bellows is pulled by a tensile force, wherein its volume increases and from the reservoir, a portion of the liquid via a suction channel and an automatically acting valve is sucked.
  • the pressure on the liquid contained therein is increased until the automatically acting valve present in the ejection channel opens and the liquid is expelled and atomized through a nozzle.
  • a sputtering nozzle is further a single-jet nozzle with a single nozzle channel, optionally with a mounted in front of the nozzle impact body, or a multi-jet nozzle with a plurality of parallel or intersecting liquid jets suitable.
  • the single jet nozzle contains a single nozzle channel having a (hydraulic) diameter of 50 microns to 150 microns, and which is from 20 microns to 1000 microns long.
  • the multi-jet nozzle may include a plurality of nozzle channels whose axes may be parallel to each other. As a result, the amount of liquid to be atomized in a given time can be increased. Further, this can increase the cross-sectional area of the atomized beam, or the shape of the spray pattern can be adapted to a predetermined shape.
  • the (hydraulic) diameter of the nozzle channels may be the same for all channels of a multi-channel nozzle and be from 50 microns to 150 microns, with a channel length from 20 microns to 1000 microns. On the other hand, it may be appropriate to choose different diameters for the channels of a multi-jet nozzle.
  • the multi-jet nozzle may include at least two mutually inclined nozzle channels, which direct the liquid jets to a point in front of the outside of the nozzle, in which the liquid jets collide.
  • the angle between two inclined liquid jets can be from 30 degrees to 120 degrees. By the impact of several liquid jets on each other, the sputtering can be favored.
  • the (hydraulic) diameter of the two nozzle channels of a two-jet nozzle is preferably less than 180 microns, more preferably from 70 microns to 100 microns, with a channel length of from 20 microns to 1000 microns.
  • a baffle body may be mounted at a distance of 0.1 millimeter to 5 millimeters, on which the liquid jet impinges.
  • a baffle body is preferably a ball or a hemisphere suitable, which has a diameter of 0.1 millimeters to 2 millimeters. In a hemisphere, the liquid jet bounces preferably on the convex side.
  • a baffle plate or a baffle cone may be used, wherein the liquid jet impinges, for example, perpendicular to the baffle plate or to the tip of the baffle cone.
  • An impact body can promote the atomization of the liquid.
  • a substantially annular spray pattern can be generated by an impact body.
  • the direction of the atomized jet may be inclined to the axis of the nozzle channel when the still un-atomized jet impacts the baffle plate at an angle.
  • the impact body can by means of at least one fastening element to the housing attached to the atomizer.
  • a stiff wire or a rod are suitable.
  • it can be fastened to the housing by means of two or three fastening elements. If the length of the fastening elements is variable, the distance of the impact body from the outside of the nozzle can be changed.
  • the mass flow occurring in the nozzle channel in the atomizer according to the invention is less than 0.4 grams per second.
  • the average droplet diameter is less than 50 microns.
  • Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal section through an atomizer without the inventively provided screw-thrust transmission.
  • a coil spring is provided which can be manually clamped by means of a handle mounted outside the housing by pulling out the handle.
  • a notch is provided, in which at the end of the tensioning operation of the coil spring engages a (spring-loaded) bolt, whereby the rod is held in the reached position.
  • the bolt By pulling the bolt out of the notch, the atomization process is triggered.
  • a collapsible bag was chosen.
  • the state of the atomizer is shown in an intermediate stage, which between the up to a first stop pulled out of the housing and the piston to a second stop in the cylinder is pressed piston.
  • the coil spring ejects the liquid from the nozzle.
  • the housing (1) made of a rigid material contains a cavity (2) in which a prestressed coil spring (6) is housed.
  • the coil spring is supported at its one end to the bottom of the cavity (2) and presses at its other end on the piston (3).
  • the thinner part of the piston (3) is slidably mounted in the cylinder and sealed against the cylinder wall.
  • the cavity (4) can be sucked into the liquid.
  • the cavity (4) is connected via the suction channel (11) to the reservoir (10) for the liquid to be atomized.
  • an automatically operating spring-loaded suction valve (13) is provided, through which the liquid can flow from the reservoir into the cavity (4) during suction.
  • the reservoir is a collapsible bag which is housed in the cavity (15) within the GeHosues (1).
  • the closed with a lid cavity (15) is provided with an opening (27) through which with decreasing volume of the collapsible bag for the purpose of balancing the pressure difference air can flow from the environment.
  • the cavity (4) is connected to the nozzle (22) via the ejection channel (21).
  • the discharge channel contains a spring-loaded valve (23), which opens as soon as the liquid to be atomized is present in front of the valve with a sufficiently high pressure.
  • the piston (3) is provided at its thicker end with the rod (31) which passes through the coil spring and protrudes from the bottom of the housing.
  • a handle (32) is provided, with which the piston can be manually pulled out a predetermined length from the cylinder, at the same time the coil spring is tensioned.
  • a bolt (33) is provided which holds the rod (31) and thus the piston in a predetermined position as soon as the piston has been pulled out correspondingly far out of the housing.
  • the rod (31) can be retracted by means of an externally accessible and manually operated lever, wherein the spring tensioned and the space (4) is filled with liquid. After releasing the lever, the tensioned spring immediately presses the liquid from the space (4) through the nozzle (22) and atomizes the liquid.
  • the bolt (35) nor the notch (34) is required.
  • the atomizer behaves similar to a hand-operated pump sprayer (Finger pump). However, the pressure acting on the liquid contained in the space (4) inside the cylinder is generated by the tensioned spring in the atomizer according to the invention, the user has no influence on it.
  • Fig. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal section through another embodiment of the atomizer without the inventively provided screw-thrust transmission.
  • the valve does not automatically open in the discharge channel when the liquid pressure in front of the valve is sufficiently high.
  • the valve in the discharge channel - preferably by pressing down - manually operated.
  • the state of the atomizer is shown in an intermediate stage which lies between the piston pulled out of the housing up to a first stop and the piston pushed into the cylinder up to a second stop.
  • This atomizer is similar to the one in Fig. 1 constructed atomizer, but he has no bolt (33) and no notch (34).
  • a manually openable valve (42) is provided in the discharge channel in this embodiment. This atomizer is operated in two steps. First, the spring (6) is tensioned by pulling out the rod (31). At the same time the space (41) is filled with sucked from the reservoir (10) liquid. In the illustrated state, the coil spring pushes the liquid against the valve (42) as long as it is closed. As and when the valve (42) is manually opened and kept open by, for example, depressing the trigger button (46), the liquid flows through the nozzle (45) mounted in the trigger button (46) and is atomized.
  • the user can let a time elapse between the tensioning of the spring and the associated subsequent operations on the one hand and the actuation of the trigger button (46).
  • the attention of the user can be undisturbed directed to the deposition of the atomized liquid on a surface to be treated.
  • Fig. 3 shows a schematic longitudinal section through an atomizer without the inventively provided screw-thrust transmission, which can be operated twice between two clamping operations of the spring, and ejects the liquid present within the cylinder in two subsets and atomized.
  • the rod (31) connected to the piston (3) is provided with two notches (34) and (35) which are a predetermined distance from each other. These notches are preferably formed like a sawtooth, the oblique edges of the notches are - viewed from the handle (32) - behind the perpendicular to the axis of the rod (31) directed flanks.
  • the bolt (33) has, for example, a sawtooth-shaped end. The bolt (33) slides when pulling the rod over the notch (34) and snaps into the notch (35).
  • the spring (6) pushes on the inside of the cylinder Liquid and pushes the first subset of the liquid through the automatic valve (23) to the nozzle (22), in front of which the exiting liquid is atomized.
  • This first operation is completed as soon as the bolt (33) engages in the notch (34).
  • the second process is analogous to the first process. The second process begins as soon as the pin (33) is manually pulled out of the notch (34); it ends as soon as the piston has reached its end position.
  • Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section through a nebulizer with a working spring as a memory for the mechanical energy.
  • the working spring is manually clamped by means of a locking mechanism, which contains a screw-thrust transmission, by rotating the two rotatably interconnected parts of the housing.
  • the sputtering process is triggered by pressing a release button for a pawl.
  • Fig. 4 represents the state of the nebulizer with already biased coil spring and engaged pawl and completely filled with liquid space within the cylinder before triggering the sputtering process by pressing a shutter button.
  • the atomizer has a cylindrically shaped housing.
  • the lower housing part (51) is rotatably connected by means of a snap connection with the upper part (52) of the atomizer.
  • the top contains a cylinder (53) and a nozzle (60).
  • the upper part is provided with a removable protective cap (54).
  • the spring (62) is held in position by a plug pushed into the end of the hollow piston.
  • the plug is provided with a channel through which the liquid flows into the space (57).
  • the upper edge (56) of the plug may act as a seal of the piston (81) against the cylinder (53).
  • the valve at the inner end of the hollow piston opens automatically when sucking liquid and is closed when ejecting the liquid from the nozzle.
  • the protective cap (54) is removed, and the release button (58) mounted in the lower housing part is manually operated, disengaging the pawl (74).
  • the tensioned coil spring (59) now pressurizes the fluid contained in the space (57).
  • the valve mounted in front of the nozzle is automatically opened, the liquid in the space (57) is ejected and atomized through the nozzle (60).
  • the valve attached to the end of the hollow piston is closed, thereby preventing the backflow of liquid from the space (57) into the reservoir (63).
  • the protective cap (54) is put back on the top of the atomizer.
  • the pawl (74) and the automatically operating valve with ball (70) and spring (71) can (analogous to the representation in Fig. 2 ) there is a trigger button that contains the atomizing nozzle and with which the valve in front of the nozzle is manually opened when actuated. This release button is attached to the top of the atomizer.
  • collapsible bag (63) can be used a non-deformable sealed container, which is provided with an automatically operating vent valve and with a projecting into the container dip tube, optionally in the form of a coil.
  • the seal of the hollow piston against the cylinder by means of the upper edge (56) of the plug can be replaced by an O-ring which is mounted in a groove in the lower end of the cylinder at the point (80).
  • the component (55) containing the hollow piston can be connected to the lower housing part, and the cylinder with the space (57) can be arranged to be movable relative to the lower housing part (51) in the axial direction.
  • a multi-toothed pawl may be provided, which is constantly engaged during tensioning of the coil spring.
  • Fig. 5 shows a cross section through a nozzle with the outside of the nozzle mounted ball as an impact body.
  • the pressurized liquid is expelled from the nozzle orifice (104) in the form of a closed jet (102) impinging on a baffle (106).
  • the liquid passes into the atomized jet (107).
  • Fig. 6 shows a cross section through a nozzle with two mutually inclined nozzle channels.
  • the two liquid jets emerging from the nozzle collide outside of the nozzle.
  • the pressurized liquid is expelled from the two nozzle orifices (108) and (109) in the form of two closed jets (110) and (111). Both beams collide at the point (112).
  • the liquid passes into the atomized jet (113).
  • Fig. 7 is shown a swirl nozzle in the form of a vortex chamber nozzle in the first embodiment.
  • Fig. 7a shows the vortex chamber nozzle in the view from its inside with the cover plate removed.
  • Fig. 7b shows a longitudinal section through the vortex chamber nozzle along the lines A - A in Fig. 7a and parallel to the nozzle axis.
  • Fig. 7c the area around the nozzle channel is shown enlarged.
  • the nozzle channel (122) is disposed in the axis of the swirl chamber nozzle, the liquid to be atomized is passed through, for example, three channels (123) tangentially into the swirl chamber (124).
  • the axes of the channels (123) pass the axis of the nozzle channel.
  • the channels (123) are shown enlarged in comparison to the nozzle channel (122).
  • the cover plate (125) for the swirl chamber and the channels contains in the region of the outer end of the channels (123) each have an opening (126) through which the liquid enters the channels (123).

Landscapes

  • Containers And Packaging Bodies Having A Special Means To Remove Contents (AREA)
  • Nozzles (AREA)
  • Special Spraying Apparatus (AREA)
  • Medicinal Preparation (AREA)
EP02023179A 2001-11-07 2002-10-16 Zerstäuber für manuelle Betätigung Expired - Lifetime EP1312418B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE10154237A DE10154237A1 (de) 2001-11-07 2001-11-07 Zerstäuber für manuelle Betätigung
DE10154237 2001-11-07

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1312418A2 EP1312418A2 (de) 2003-05-21
EP1312418A3 EP1312418A3 (de) 2003-11-05
EP1312418B1 true EP1312418B1 (de) 2008-08-27

Family

ID=7704647

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP02023179A Expired - Lifetime EP1312418B1 (de) 2001-11-07 2002-10-16 Zerstäuber für manuelle Betätigung

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US7341208B2 (es)
EP (1) EP1312418B1 (es)
AT (1) ATE406215T1 (es)
DE (2) DE10154237A1 (es)
DK (1) DK1312418T3 (es)
ES (1) ES2312516T3 (es)

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1312418A2 (de) 2003-05-21
ES2312516T3 (es) 2009-03-01
DK1312418T3 (da) 2008-10-13
ATE406215T1 (de) 2008-09-15
EP1312418A3 (de) 2003-11-05
DE50212700D1 (de) 2008-10-09
US7341208B2 (en) 2008-03-11
US20030209238A1 (en) 2003-11-13
DE10154237A1 (de) 2003-05-15

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