EP3638389B1 - Device for producing special effect fog - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The invention relates to a device for producing effect fog, in particular in the field of stage technology, comprising a fog generator equipped with a heating element, with a fog fluid being evaporated by means of the heating element, as well as at least one ultrasonic atomizer arranged in a housing on the bottom of a main mixing chamber generated mist can be conducted into the main mixing chamber, and wherein a baffle wall is further provided in the main mixing chamber near an outlet opening.

State of the art

Such a device is for example in the patcit0001: AT 517497 A -. described. Here, a fog fluid that has been vaporized in a fog generator by means of a heating element is enriched in a mixing chamber with a fine aerosol from an ultrasonic nebulizer in order to obtain an easily controllable effect fog for stage technology with numerous positive properties.

In most cases, conventional effect fog is based either on fog fluids evaporated by means of heating elements or on dry ice, which by rapid sublimation creates a dense fog close to the ground. Both principles have many disadvantages. Vaporizable fog fluids are sometimes harmful or flammable. The effect fog generated in this way rises rapidly in the stage area and is distributed, making it difficult to control. Condensate often forms around the fog generator, which coats surrounding equipment and the stage floor with an oily layer of condensed fog fluid, which is undesirable and can lead to accidents or damage. The vaporized fluids are perceived as annoying by singers and musicians, as they dry out the air in the stage area and are thus a hindrance to singing and making music.

The same applies to systems based on dry ice. Apart from the fact that their operation is costly due to the required dry ice, this fog can only be kept close to the ground and does not rise to higher layers. Here, too, the air is massively dried out or _{enriched with CO 2} , which can lead to massive problems in orchestra pits, for example, or requires the use of additional ventilation systems.

Already in the
patcit0002: DE 3442905 A -.
or the
patcit0003: EP 0158038 A -.
It was considered to enrich a vaporized fog fluid with an atomized water-air aerosol. The cited publications, however, only deal with the structure of a conventional ultrasonic atomizer, as it is also used for air humidifiers, and only refer to the fact that a mist generator, which vaporizes a mist fluid, is assigned to it, i.e. placed next to it. Mixing of the mist and the aerosol takes place downstream of the two machines, although it has been shown in practice that this does not lead to a satisfactory result. The two nebulae generated in this way do not combine, but with this arrangement essentially behave like each individual nebula on its own. The atomized mist from the ultrasonic nebulizer is not very stable and settles quickly, giving off a lot of condensate moisture around the machine. The vaporized fog fluid has the disadvantages described above.

For this reason a device was created like the one in patcit0004: AT 517497 A -.
is described. Here, on the one hand, the droplet size of the ultrasonic nebulizer is set to the fog particle size of the vaporized fog fluid and, on the other hand, the two fog streams are brought together and mixed at the point of origin of the ultrasonic aerosol by a forced air jet, whereby the water droplets adhere to the fog particles and a more stable and height-adjustable effect fog can be generated. In one embodiment, it is also proposed that the vaporized fog fluid is directed into the suction area of a fan for the forced air flow, which, however, leads to condensate deposits on the rotor blades of the fan and thus to problems in the operation of the machine and a poorer end result.

Presentation of the invention

It is now the object of the present invention to provide the device according to patcit0005: AT 517497 A -.
to the effect that the effect fog produced has again significantly improved properties with regard to its stability and can be produced in different quantities freely selectable by the user and at different altitudes. In doing so, the formation of condensation in the area of the outlet should be avoided. At the same time, the stage fog should not additionally dry the stage air but from the artists present, such as singers and Musicians, are perceived as pleasant or not disturbing. So that a wide range of applications with different stage sizes and different climatic conditions can be covered, the machine should have a wide range of setting options, but at the same time be inexpensive to manufacture and operate cost-effectively.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that a premixing chamber is additionally provided, into which an air flow generated by a fan and the mist generated by the mist generator can be introduced via respective access openings, and that the premixing chamber is connected to the main mixing chamber by means of an overflow opening, the overflow opening is arranged in the main mixing chamber opposite the baffle. By providing a premixing chamber, the fog fluid evaporated from the heating element is dried in the air flow of the fan and homogenized by swirling, so that it is fed with a uniform mist particle size into the main mixing chamber, where it is directed by the pressure of the air flow from the fan to the point of origin of the aerosol above the water surface the ultrasonic nebulizer is directed. The frequency of the ultrasonic atomizer is chosen so that the droplet size is adapted to the mist particle size and optimal accumulation takes place. An ideal droplet size is in the range of 2 µm and 10 µm. Excess aerosol is deposited as condensate via the baffle in the main mixing chamber and an optimally stable effect mist can be ejected via the outlet opening. The baffle wall can be installed vertically, horizontally or at an inclined angle, depending on the structural conditions in the device. The fog created in this way has positive effects on the humidity in the stage area, which is of particular benefit to the artists working there. Furthermore, this effect mist can be kept stable for longer periods of time at different altitudes on the stage and also does not lead to condensate deposits in the area around the device.

It is a further advantageous feature that the premixing chamber and / or the transfer opening are aligned with the main mixing chamber in such a way that the air-mist stream coming from the premixing chamber hits the water surface above the ultrasonic atomizer at an oblique angle. The adhesion of the water droplets from the aerosol is particularly effective when the homogenized air-mist flow is directed directly onto the water surface above the ultrasonic atomizer. Due to the air flow forced in this way, this adhesion is achieved immediately when the individual aerosol droplets are formed.

According to a further advantageous feature, it is provided that the baffle is designed as an insertable into the main mixing chamber element, which is a Has recess for the passage of the effect mist in the direction of an outlet opening, the recess being arranged in the vertical direction at the end of the baffle wall which is remote from the ultrasonic atomizer, and / or in the horizontal direction at the end of the baffle wall remote from the outlet opening. In a particularly simple embodiment, the baffle wall can be formed by two plates which can be telescoped into one another, one of the two plates having the recess on one end face. The baffle can thus be inserted particularly easily in the main mixing chamber in corresponding grooves. It is advantageous if the recess faces away from the water surface as well as from the outlet opening of the device so that the generated effect mist passes as large as possible of the surface of the baffle wall before it emerges from the device, whereby excess condensate can be effectively separated.

Another advantageous feature is that a nozzle is provided at the access opening from the mist generator to the premixing chamber, the inner diameter of the outlet opening of the nozzle being smaller than the inner diameter of an evaporator hose wrapped around the heating element, in which the mist fluid to the heating element and subsequently to can be conveyed to the access opening after evaporation. It has been found to be advantageous that a densely concentrated mist is generated in the heating element, which is achieved by the constriction in the nozzle at the access opening. This measure also leads to the fact that the adhesion of the aerosol to the mist is further improved.

It is also an advantageous feature that several, preferably between 1 and 120 ultrasonic atomizers are arranged on the bottom of the main mixing chamber, the ultrasonic atomizers being controllable individually and / or in switching groups independently of one another. By providing several ultrasonic atomizers or groups of ultrasonic atomizers, on the one hand, a large spectrum of different output quantities of effect mist can be achieved; on the other hand, by adjusting the ratio of aerosol generated by the ultrasonic atomizer to the mist generated by the mist generator, the altitude of the emerging effect mist can also be influenced .

Another advantageous feature is that a control unit is provided, by means of which the number and power of the active ultrasonic atomizers, the speed of the fan and the ejection power of the fog generator can be regulated, whereby different effects due to different mixing conditions between evaporated fog fluid and atomized water as well different total amounts of effect fog generated can be set. The more water droplets adhere to the mist generated by the heating element, the heavier the emerging effect mist, which means that it tends to linger near the ground. If this ratio is shifted to a lower aerosol proportion, then effect fog layers can also be generated at higher altitudes. If a higher output is required, all parameters can be adjusted accordingly. For example, the ejection output of the mist generator and the speed of the fan can be increased while more individual ultrasonic atomizers or ultrasonic atomizer switching groups are switched on at the same time.

It is an additional advantageous feature that the frequency of the ultrasonic atomizer can also be regulated by the control unit. In addition to regulating the number of active ultrasonic atomizers, it can also be advantageous to adjust the frequency of the individual atomizers in order to generate different droplet sizes in the aerosol and thus to influence the effectiveness of the adhesion to the mist particles. This can also be necessary, for example, if the air flow through the fan is increased and the aerosol and air-mist flow are mixed with stronger turbulence. Any incomplete adhesion can thus be counteracted, for example, by increasing the frequency of the ultrasonic atomizer. The individual ideal setting conditions are to be selected by the respective stage technician in coordination with the operating location and the desired effect.

As a further preferred feature it can be provided that the control unit has a programmable memory in which presettings for the individual adjustable parameters can be stored. In the simplest case, all of the mentioned parameters of the device are set manually by the user via individual controllers. However, it can also be provided that certain default settings are already stored in a memory of a control unit, so that the user only has to select, for example, a certain level of the effect mist or an output quantity, and the control unit regulates the individual setting parameters according to the stored specifications.

Another advantageous feature here is that a humidity sensor is provided which is coupled to the control unit, the parameters regulated by the control unit being correctable by compensation factors stored in the memory on the basis of the data received from the humidity sensor, so that a constant effect mist can be generated independently of the environment is. As a result, the device can be further automated, as a result of which different locations of use can also be recorded by the device, and the correspondingly selected pre-settings can be adjusted by means of compensation factors. In a very dry operating environment, for example at an open-air event in a rather dry climate zone, a higher aerosol output is likely to be required than in a small basement event room in moderate climates. The most important factor for the operation of the device is the air humidity in the environment. This has the greatest influence on the behavior of the emerging effect mist. It goes without saying for the average person skilled in the art that further sensors for the determination of corresponding compensation factors can be integrated if this should be necessary for a special application.

Another preferred feature is that the mist generator equipped with a heating element is arranged in a common housing with the ultrasonic atomizer, the fan and the two mixing chambers, or that the mist generator is designed as a separate module and can be coupled with its outlet opening to the access opening of the premixing chamber is. As the most compact form, the entire device can be arranged in a common housing. Depending on the area of application, the device can also be used as a retrofit kit for existing conventional fog generators, for example if they are already in use at the place of use. The fog generator, which is already present as a separate module, can then simply be connected with its outlet opening to the access opening of the premixing chamber.

Finally, it is an advantageous feature that a UV light source is provided in the main mixing chamber, which is used to sterilize the effect mist generated. In principle, both the vaporized fog fluid and the aerosol are sterile due to the high temperature at their respective points of origin. In addition, however, it can be advantageous during the mixing process in the main mixing chamber to sterilize the resulting effect mist again by means of a UV light source before it emerges from the device.

Brief description of the drawings

• Fig. 1 eine schematische Aufsicht auf eine erfindungsgemäße Vorrichtung mit abgenommener Gehäuseabdeckung zeigt und
• Fig. 2 eine seitliche Schnittansicht der Vorrichtung aus Fig. 1 zeigt.

The invention will now be described in more detail using an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying drawings, wherein

• Fig. 1 shows a schematic plan view of a device according to the invention with the housing cover removed and
• Fig. 2 a side sectional view of the device Fig. 1 indicates.

Way (s) for carrying out the invention

The one in the Fig. 1 The schematically illustrated embodiment of a device according to the invention has a housing 2 in which a mist generator 1 with a heating element is accommodated. In the fog generator 1, a fog fluid is fed via a hose to the heating element, where the fog fluid evaporates and is then introduced into a premixing chamber 8 via an access opening 14 in the form of a nozzle 13. At a further access opening 15 of the premixing chamber 8, a fan 9 is arranged, which introduces a forced air flow into the premixing chamber 8. The mist generated by the mist generator 1 is thereby already swirled in the premixing chamber 8 and thus homogenized and dried.

The resulting mist-air mixture is introduced into the main mixing chamber 4 through an overflow opening 10 and passed over the ultrasonic atomizers 5, which are covered with liquid, and which are arranged on the bottom 3 of the main mixing chamber 4. In the example shown, the ultrasonic atomizers 5 are combined into switching groups 16 of ten ultrasonic atomizers 5 each and can be switched on or off individually depending on the application. In the main mixing chamber 4, the mist-air mixture is thus mixed with the aerosol droplets generated by the ultrasonic atomizers 5, the aerosol droplets adhering to the mist particles. In order for this adhesion to be particularly effective, it is necessary to match the frequency and power of the ultrasonic atomizer 5 to the power and temperature of the heating element of the mist generator 1. Only with similar sizes between aerosol particles and fog particles does the desired adhesion occur and, based on the quantitative proportions between fog-air mixture and aerosol, the desired severity and thus height of the emerging effect fog can be set.

After mixing in the main mixing chamber 4, the effect mist generated is directed against a baffle 7. Excess condensate can still settle here before the effect mist is directed via a recess 12 in the baffle wall 7 in the direction of the outlet opening 6. The recess in the baffle wall 7 is placed in such a way that it is arranged at the upper end in the vertical direction and at the end remote from the outlet opening 6 in the horizontal direction so that the effect mist has to travel a maximum path and thus a maximum contact area with the baffle wall 7 before exiting the device.

In Fig. 2 the device is off Fig. 1 shown in a side sectional view. It can be clearly seen here that the entire premixing chamber is inclined towards the bottom surface 3 of the main mixing chamber 4 so that the air / mist flow generated hits the water surface 11 above the ultrasonic atomizer 5. The water surface 11 is always kept constant so that the ultrasonic atomizers 5 can work optimally. This of course means that depending on the number of active switching groups, the appropriate amount of liquid must be introduced into the main mixing chamber, which is achieved in a known manner by controlling a feed pump coupled with corresponding liquid level indicators. If, due to a fault in the feed pump, the liquid level above the ultrasonic atomizer 5 is too high, a corresponding alarm can be triggered. Furthermore, a pumping unit (not shown) can be provided which Excess liquid conveyed into a separation container. In principle, any water can be used as the liquid for the ultrasonic atomizer, but distilled and / or demineralized water is preferred, since the desired effects can be implemented particularly well and the device is less soiled by deposits.

Claims (11)

1. A special-effects fogger, particularly for theater use, comprising a fog generator (1) having a heating element, a fog fluid being vaporized by the heating element, as well as at least one ultrasonic vaporizer (5) in a housing (2) at the bottom (3) of a main mixing chamber (4), whereby the fog generated by the fog generator (1) can be conducted into the main mixing chamber (4), and further a baffle wall (7) being provided in the main mixing chamber (4) near an outlet port (6), characterized in that a premixing chamber (8) is also provided into which an air stream generated by a fan (9) and the fog generated by the fog generator (1) can be conducted via respective intake ports (14, 15), and in that the premixing chamber (8) is connected by a transfer port (10) to the main mixing chamber (4), the transfer port (10) being in the main mixing chamber (4) opposite the baffle wall (7).
2. The fogger according to claim 1, characterized in that the premixing chamber (8) and/or the transfer port (10) are aligned with the main mixing chamber (4) in such a way that the air-fog stream coming from the premixing chamber (8) impinges at an oblique angle on the water surface (11) above the ultrasonic vaporizer (5).
3. The fogger according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the baffle wall (7) is an element that can be inserted into the main mixing chamber (4) and has a hole (12) for passage of the special-effect fog toward an outlet port (6), the hole (12) being in the vertical direction at an end of the baffle wall (7) remote from the ultrasonic vaporizer (5) and/or in the horizontal direction at an end of the baffle wall (7) remote from the outlet port (6).
4. The fogger according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a nozzle (13) is provided at the intake port (14) from the fog generator (1) to the premixing chamber (8), an inner diameter of the exit port of the nozzle (13) being smaller than an inner diameter of an evaporator hose wound around the heating element and in which the fog fluid can be conveyed to the heating element and, following evaporation, to the intake port (14).
5. The fogger according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a plurality of, preferably between 1 and 120, ultrasonic vaporizers (5) are provided at the bottom (3) of the main mixing chamber (4), the ultrasonic vaporizers (5) being controllable individually and/or in groups (16) independently of one another.
6. The fogger according to claim 5, characterized in that a controller is provided that can adjust the number and the output rate of the active ultrasonic vaporizers (5), the speed of the fan (9), and the ejection power of the fog generator (1), whereby different effects can be set on the basis of different mixing conditions between vaporized fog fluid and atomized water as well as different total amounts of special-effect fog produced.
7. The fogger according to claim 6, characterized in that the frequency of the ultrasonic atomizer (5) can be also regulated by the controller.
8. The fogger according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the controller has a programmable memory in which presets for the individual controllable parameters can be stored.
9. The fogger according to claim 8, characterized in that an air-humidity sensor is provided that is coupled to the controller such that the parameters regulated by the controller can be corrected for compensation factors stored in the memory on the basis of the data received from the air-humidity sensor, so that a constant special-effect fog can be generated independently of the environment.
10. The fogger according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the fog generator (1) and its heating element are in a common housing (9) with the ultrasonic vaporizer (5), the fan (9), and the two mixing chambers (4, 8), or that the fog generator (1) is a separate module and can be coupled by its outlet port with the intake port (14) of the premixing chamber (8).
11. The fogger according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a UV light source is provided in the main mixing chamber (4) that sterilizes the special-effect fog produced.

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