JP2005111328A - Portable ultrasonic atomizing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve problems that an atomizing apparatus capable of giving a large quantity of a fine particle has increased power consumption, a piezoelectric element receives mechanical stress by the reflection produced between air and a permeable membrane when water to be atomized is used up in the case of using ultrasonic transfer water, or the like. <P>SOLUTION: This portable ultrasonic atomizing apparatus has a structure that heat generation is suppressed by forced air cooling, the heat is cooled by the heat of vaporization of a liquid in an atomizing part and a permeable membrane is inclined to the piezoelectric element and the reflected ultrasonic wave is absorbed by an ultrasonic wave absorption body arranged above the piezoelectric element. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for atomizing a liquid using ultrasonic waves.

As a prior art example,
Spraying from the inside of a high-pressure tank through a nozzle, spraying by applying pressure to a liquid using a liquid supply pump Patent Document 1 Spraying by heating a reference liquid to generate steam Patent Document 2 Venturi effect by reference steam flow Spraying by mixing with water vapor using Patent Document 3 Reference Spraying by atomizing a liquid by applying a water-absorbing body made of a reference acrylic resin or the like to the tip of an ultrasonic vibrator Patent Reference 4 Spray by supplying liquid to atomized diaphragm and atomizing Patent Document 5, Patent Document 6, Patent Document 7 Reference Spray by liquid atomization using cavitation phenomenon by ultrasonic vibration Patent Document 8, Patent Document 9 , Patent Document 10 Reference Spraying by supplying a liquid to a horn-type vibrating body vibrating ultrasonically and atomizing Patent Document 11, Patent Document 12, Patent Document 13, Patent Document 14 Reference atomizing liquid Spray patent document 15 by atomizing concentrated ultrasound near the surface, see Patent Document 16

Although there exist the above prior arts, in order to make it absorb | suck a water | moisture content or a chemical | medical solution directly into skin or skin, the thing with a small amount of mist and the amount of mist is required.
Only the stationary type had a small amount of mist and a large amount of mist, and the portable type had only a large amount of mist and a small amount of mist. None of them were portable and had a small amount of mist.

JP 2001-161438 A JP 2001-353024 A JP 2002-125762 A Utility Model Gazette Sho 60-7731 Japanese Patent Publication No. 2698488 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-293662 JP 2000-140729 A JP-A-7-213968 JP 2002-98371 A JP 2000-271517 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-48365 JP-A-8-332425 JP 2001-149473 A JP 2001-300375 A Japanese National Patent Publication No. 6-507836 JP 2000-312849 A Junichi Miyoshi, Yoshimitsu Kikuchi, Otsuhiko Kumamoto “Ultrasonic Technology Handbook” Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun 1960 Edited by Ultrasonic Handbook Editorial Committee "Ultrasonic Handbook" Maruzen Co., Ltd. 1999 Edited by the New Ceras Editorial Committee “Application of Piezoelectric Ceramics” Gakkensha 1989 Tanikoshi Shinji “Ultrasound and its usage” Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun 1994 "Piezoelectric ceramics / elements and their applications" Fuji Ceramics Corporation 2002

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce the size of a portable ultrasonic atomizer and to reduce the amount of mist and increase the amount of mist, power consumption increases, resulting in increased heat generation and atomization. This is to avoid the mechanical stress applied to the piezoelectric element when the reflected liquid of the ultrasonic wave generated between the permeable membrane and the air returns to the piezoelectric element when there is no more liquid to perform.

The present invention cools the heat of the transmission part in which the sucked outside air is filled with the ultrasonic transmission liquid, and is then guided to the mist generation part, cooled by the heat of vaporization of the generated mist, The heat treatment is performed by exiting from the spout through the nozzle.

Also, when the liquid in the container is exhausted, an angle of about 5 to 10 degrees is applied to the permeable membrane, so that the ultrasonic waves reflected between the permeable membrane and the air in the mist generation unit are not returned to the piezoelectric element, Measures against reflection of ultrasonic waves by absorbing them in a sound absorber.

The present invention has the following effects due to the configuration as described above.
Small fog and large amount of eruption. In addition, despite the fact that the device has a lot of heat generation, the temperature of the mist from the outlet is not so different from the outside air temperature, and warm air does not come out to the outside.

In addition, when the liquid in the container is exhausted, the ultrasonic waves reflected between the air in the permeable membrane and the mist generating unit do not return directly to the piezoelectric element, so that no mechanical stress is applied to the piezoelectric element. The lifetime is extended and more electric power can be applied to the piezoelectric element.

By the above method, a portable ultrasonic atomizing apparatus that is small and light, operates with a battery, and can be carried at travel or work can be provided.

The air flow from the air inlet to the jet outlet is as follows.
The air taken from the air inlet is divided and guided to the periphery of the transmission part and the lower part of the piezoelectric element, and the periphery of the transmission part and the lower part of the piezoelectric element are cooled. At this time, by narrowing the flow path around the transmission part and the lower part of the piezoelectric element, the air flow rate is increased and the cooling effect is enhanced. Then, the fan is allowed to pass through the filter and flow into the mist generation unit. Along with the mist generated from the mist generation part, it passes through the inside of the nozzle and is ejected from the outlet.

  In addition, when the permeable membrane is tilted by about 8 degrees with respect to the piezoelectric element and there is no liquid in the container, the ultrasonic wave generated by the piezoelectric element is reflected between the permeable membrane and the air. To reach the body.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the device of the present invention.
The apparatus 1 includes a piezoelectric element 3 that generates ultrasonic waves, an ultrasonic absorber 14 that holds the piezoelectric elements 3 and absorbs reflected ultrasonic waves, a presser 18, and an ultrasonic wave that transmits ultrasonic waves to the housing unit 5. A transmission section 4 filled with a transmission liquid 19, a permeable membrane 15, a storage section 5 that stores liquid 20 that becomes mist, an air inlet 12 that takes in external air, a fan 13 that creates a flow of air, An intake passage 11, a filter 8 for preventing water droplets from entering the fan 13, a projecting portion 7 surrounding the mist generation unit 10, and a nozzle portion for guiding the mist to the ejection port 9 together with air 6, an ejection port 9 for ejecting mist and air, an electric circuit 17, and a battery 16.

The piezoelectric element 3 has a diameter of 20 mm and a resonance frequency of 2.3 MHz to 2.5 MHz, and the size of the generated mist is about 3 μm. The piezoelectric element 3 is held by the ultrasonic absorber 14, and the presser 18 holds the ultrasonic absorber 14. The piezoelectric element 3 has an electrode having a diameter of 10 mm in the center of the lower part, the upper part is an electrode on the entire surface, and the upper electrode is connected to the upper electrode around the piezoelectric element 3 and 3 mm from the lower part. . The surface of the piezoelectric element 3 is bonded to a stainless steel foil of about 25 μm. The driving voltage is applied between the lower center electrode of the piezoelectric element 3 and the lower surrounding electrodes. By using this element, 2 g per minute could be secured when the amount of mist was water.

When the transmission unit 4 employs the piezoelectric element 3 of the present embodiment, the amount of the mist is maximized when the distance between the upper surface of the piezoelectric element 3 and the liquid level of the mist becomes 20 mm to 50 mm. On the other hand, more than 70% can be secured. The distance between the piezoelectric element 3 and the permeable membrane 15 is set to 23 mm so that a sufficient amount of mist can be secured until the liquid in the container 5 is completely removed. The transmission unit 4 is hermetically sealed to suppress bacterial growth.

The permeable membrane 15 is a thin film of polytetrafluoroethylene having a diameter of 10 mm. In this example, a permeable membrane having a thickness of 50 μm is used. The reason for adopting polytetrafluoroethylene is that it is not toxic and has a high heat-resistant temperature. On the other hand, when the permeable membrane 15 is thick, the ultrasonic wave is not sufficiently transmitted to the liquid in the container 5, and the amount of mist is extremely reduced. On the other hand, if the thickness is reduced, the strength of the permeable membrane 15 is lowered.

The accommodating part 5 is in the same space as the mist generating part 10, and the diameter of the mist generating part 10 is made larger than that of the accommodating part 5 so that the mist is sufficiently generated even when the entire apparatus is tilted.

The material of the accommodating part 5, the protrusion part 7, and the nozzle part 6 was made into polytetrafluoroethylene. This makes it difficult for water droplets to adhere to the wall surface after use of the device, and even after washing with tap water, the water droplets can be removed simply by wiping with a clean cloth or tissue paper, thereby preventing bacterial growth. In addition, cleaning can be easily performed by adopting a structure in which the accommodating portion 5 and the protruding portion 7 and the nozzle portion 6 can be removed.

  Cooling of the lower part of the piezoelectric element 3 and the periphery of the transmission part 4 and the path of air through which the mist is ejected from the ejection port 9 through the nozzle part 6 together with air are shown below.

  The air sucked by the fan 13 enters from the air inlet 12, passes through the intake passage 11, and is divided into two flow paths. The two flow paths are the lower part of the piezoelectric element 3 and the periphery of the transmission part 4. The air heated here passes through the fan 13, passes through the intake passage 11, passes through the filter 8, and is cooled by the heat of vaporization of the mist in the mist generation unit 10. Passes through and spouts from spout 9. The filter 8 was a stainless steel 100 mesh. This realizes a filter 8 that allows air to pass but does not allow water droplets to pass.

The hole of the ultrasonic absorber 14 has a diameter of 10 mm, and the transmissive film 15 is inclined with respect to the piezoelectric element 3 by 8 degrees. Since the ultrasonic wave generated from the piezoelectric element 3 has a property of being concentrated on the central part of the upper part of the piezoelectric element 3, when the liquid inside the accommodating part 5 runs out, the supersonic wave that occurs between the transmission film 15 and the air is generated. The reflection of the sound wave occurs in the vicinity of the center of the transmission film 15, and the ultrasonic wave returning to the lower side hits the ultrasonic absorber 14, thereby mechanically reflecting the reflected wave of the ultrasonic wave applied to the piezoelectric element 3. It has a structure that avoids excessive stress. The material of the ultrasonic absorber 14 is rubber.

  The battery 16 is a secondary battery and uses a lithium ion battery having the highest energy density.

By installing an exchangeable cartridge connected to the storage unit 5, the liquid 20 that becomes mist can be supplied.

By connecting a device that keeps the water level constant using the principle of siphon to the accommodating portion 5, it can be used continuously for a long time.

It can be used continuously for a long time by connecting a device using a pump or the like that can continuously supply a certain amount of liquid 20 that becomes mist.

By connecting a device using a timer that intermittently sends the liquid 20 that becomes mist, it can be used continuously for a long time.

The air discharged together with the mist can be other gases.

By incorporating a negative ion generation circuit in the electric circuit 17, negative ions can be added to the mist to enhance the absorption effect on the skin.

The mesh made of stainless steel can be made of fiber, non-woven fabric or sponge.

It is also possible to use a membrane filter of 50 to 400 mesh according to the liquid.

The shape of the jet port 9 of the nozzle part 6 is a folded structure, and it is also possible to have a function such that the liquid 20 that becomes the mist of the container part 5 does not leak even when the apparatus falls.

In addition, the hole of the ultrasonic absorber 14 does not necessarily need to be 10 mm, and it is good also as only the part which a reflected wave hits.

Further, the cooling intake passage provided in the lower portion of the piezoelectric element 3 can also be provided with a convex portion for increasing the flow rate and enhancing the cooling effect.

In addition, a piezoelectric element driving circuit in the electric circuit 17 can be provided below the piezoelectric element 3 to simultaneously cool the heat generated by the circuit.

The temperature of the ultrasonic transmission liquid 19 in the transmission unit 4 is measured, and when the measured temperature is equal to or higher than a preset temperature, a circuit for stopping the supply of power to the piezoelectric element 3 is provided. When the supply is stopped, it is possible to provide a circuit that does not automatically recover even if the temperature drops, and a function that must be turned off once in order to restart.

The piezoelectric element drive circuit in the electric circuit 17 has a circuit for measuring the temperature of the ultrasonic transmission liquid 19 in the transmission unit 4 and stopping the oscillation when the measured temperature is equal to or higher than a preset temperature. You can also.

When the oscillation of the piezoelectric element 3 is stopped, the piezoelectric element drive circuit in the electric circuit 17 has a circuit that does not automatically recover even when the temperature is lowered. It can also have functions that must be done.

By installing the piezoelectric element driving circuit in the electric circuit 17 close to the lower portion of the piezoelectric element 3, it is possible to shorten the wiring to the piezoelectric element 3 and reduce noise due to ultrasonic oscillation.

When connecting the piezoelectric element 3 and the piezoelectric element drive circuit in the electric circuit 17 with a metal such as a low melting point alloy, brazing the wire, and pulling the wire with a spring, and the temperature of the piezoelectric element 3 rises By stopping the supply of electric power to the piezoelectric element 3 by melting a metal such as a low-melting-point alloy, it is possible to prevent the temperature from rising and prevent the entire apparatus from overheating.

A temperature fuse is attached in contact with the piezoelectric element 3 or the transmission unit 4, and the piezoelectric element 3 is connected to the connection of the piezoelectric element driving circuit in the electric circuit 17 via the temperature fuse. When the temperature rises, the temperature fuse is blown to stop the supply of electric power to the piezoelectric element 3, thereby preventing the temperature rise and preventing the entire apparatus from overheating.

By using only the AC adapter as the power source of the apparatus and not including the battery 16, it is possible to reduce the size and weight, and to reduce the cost and enable continuous use. Moreover, the same effect can also be acquired by making a battery removable.

The portable ultrasonic atomizer 1 was able to be implemented by combining the above functions.

According to the present invention, when the mist is small and sprayed on the skin, it directly enters and is absorbed by the skin, so that water ions can be used not only for the purpose of moisturizing the skin but also by using chemicals etc. Since the component can be absorbed directly into the skin or the skin, there is a possibility of medical use.

Further, since it is portable, it can be used for effectively spraying a fragrance, a deodorant or an insecticide not only indoors but also on the go.

The piezoelectric element 3 that generates ultrasonic waves, the transmission unit 4 that transmits ultrasonic waves, the transmission film 15 that transmits ultrasonic waves, the storage unit 5 that stores the liquid 20 that becomes mists, and the generated mists A portable ultrasonic atomizing device 1 in which a nozzle unit 6 to be ejected together with air by blowing air, a piezoelectric element 3, a drive circuit in an electric circuit 17 of the piezoelectric element 3, and a fan 13 are incorporated in a case 2.

The nozzle portion 6 is provided with a protrusion 7 having a function of separating water droplets and mist particles, and has a filter 20 that allows air to pass but does not pass water droplets that become mist particles and water droplets.

The shape of the jet port 9 of the nozzle part 6 has a function of not discharging the liquid 20 that becomes mist when falling over from the case 2.

Explanation of symbols

1. 1. Portable ultrasonic atomizer Case 3. 3. Piezoelectric element Transmitter 5. Storage unit 6. Nozzle part 7. Projection 8 Filter 9. Spout 10. Mist generation part 11. Intake passage 12. Air inlet 13. Fan 14. Ultrasonic absorber 15. Permeable membrane 16. Battery 17. Electrical circuit 18. Presser 19. Ultrasonic transmission liquid 20. Mist liquid

Claims (2)

A container for storing atomizing liquid such as water or chemical liquid, a transmission unit for transmitting ultrasonic vibration to the atomizing liquid, and a piezoelectric element for ultrasonically vibrating the ultrasonic transmission liquid in the transmission unit Ultrasonic atomization comprising: a drive circuit that drives the piezoelectric element; a mist generation unit that atomizes the liquid in the housing unit; and a fan that discharges the mist generated in the mist generation unit from the ejection port. In the apparatus, the fan sucks outside air and is disposed in an intake passage that is introduced into a mist generation unit, and the transmission portion is accommodated in the intake passage so as to be cooled by the outside air sucked by the fan. A portable ultrasonic atomizer. 2. The portable ultrasonic device according to claim 1, wherein a transmission film that transmits ultrasonic waves at a lower portion of the housing portion is installed to be inclined with respect to the piezoelectric element, and an ultrasonic absorber is disposed inside the transmission portion. Sonic atomizer.

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