JP2012011304A - Atomizer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an atomizer apparatus which has a function in which bubbles generated in a liquid supply chamber are discharged outside.SOLUTION: The atomizer apparatus 100 includes: an atomizer 1 which has a diaphragm 3 in which two or more holes 3a are formed and a vibration unit (piezoelectric vibrator 4) which vibrates the diaphragm 3; a liquid supply chamber 5 which supplies a liquid to the atomizer 1; a liquid storage chamber 6 which stores a liquid; a liquid supplying tube 7; and a liquid conveyor (micro blower 11) which conveys a liquid 14 stored in the liquid storage chamber 6 to the liquid supply chamber 5, wherein an air discharge hole 9 is formed at the liquid supply chamber 5, and the air discharge hole 9 is closed by a waterproofing ventilation filter 10 in which a gas is passed but a liquid is not passed.

Description

  The present invention relates to an atomizing device that atomizes a liquid, and more particularly to an atomizing device in which an air discharge hole is formed in a liquid supply chamber that supplies a liquid to the back side of a diaphragm.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, atomization apparatuses that atomize a liquid have been put to practical use in applications such as humidification, aroma, deodorization, insecticide, cleaning, and film formation.

  This atomization device, for example, vibrates a vibration plate made of metal having a plurality of fine holes (nozzle holes) and supplies liquid to the back side of the vibration plate, so that the vibration plate The liquid is sprayed on the surface side.

  And as a method of supplying the liquid to the back side of the diaphragm, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-168328), a liquid supply core made of felt or the like is used. A method of supplying liquid from the liquid storage chamber to the back surface side of the diaphragm by utilizing capillary action by making one end of the liquid crystal abut against the back side of the diaphragm and impregnating the other end into the liquid storage chamber, etc. Is adopted.

  However, the atomization apparatus using the liquid supply wick has a problem that it takes a long time after the liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber until it can be used. That is, even if liquid is injected into the liquid storage chamber, the liquid is not immediately sucked up to one end of the liquid supply wick, but for several tens of minutes until the liquid is sucked up at one end of the liquid supply wick. There was a case where I had to wait.

  Therefore, as a solution to this problem, liquid is supplied from the liquid storage chamber to the back side of the diaphragm by using a liquid distribution pipe with the power of a fan, a motor or the like instead of a liquid supply core made of felt or the like. An atomizer that sucks or pushes liquid into a liquid supply chamber is known. For example, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-63474) discloses an atomizing device in which liquid is sucked up by a fan.

FIG. 7 shows an atomizing apparatus 600 that uses a micro blower as the power to push up the liquid as an example of the atomizing apparatus that conveys the liquid with power. (Although the applicant of the present application has applied for patents for the atomizing apparatus having this structure as PCT / JP2009 / 005978 and PCT / JP2010 / 051386, both have not been disclosed at the time of filing of the present application.)
The atomizer 600 includes an atomizer 101. The atomizer 101 includes a vibration plate 102 that has a plurality of holes 102a formed through both main surfaces, and a vibration means (piezoelectric vibrator) 103 that vibrates the vibration plate 102.

  The atomization apparatus 600 includes a liquid storage chamber 105 that stores a liquid and a liquid supply chamber 104 that supplies the liquid to the atomizer 101, and a liquid distribution is provided between the liquid storage chamber 105 and the liquid supply chamber 104. They are connected by a pipe 106.

  In addition, the atomizing device 600 includes a micro blower 107 and an air distribution pipe 108 that send air into the liquid storage chamber 105, and a valve 109 that prevents a reverse flow of the air sent into the liquid storage chamber 105.

  When air is fed into the liquid storage chamber 105 by the micro blower 107, the air pressure in the air portion 105 a above the liquid storage chamber 105 rises and is stored in the liquid storage unit 105 because the liquid storage chamber 105 is kept airtight. The surface of the liquid 110 is pushed down. As a result, the liquid 110 is pushed up in the liquid distribution pipe 106 and transferred to the liquid supply chamber 104.

  When the vibration plate 102 is vibrated in a state where the liquid supply chamber 104 is filled with the liquid 110, the liquid is sprayed from the hole 102a to the surface side of the vibration plate 102.

  The atomizing apparatus 600 that uses the liquid distribution pipe 106 to push up the liquid 110 with the micro blower 107 supplies the liquid 110 to the back side of the diaphragm 102 within several tens of seconds after the micro blower 107 is driven. Therefore, compared with the conventional atomizing apparatus using a liquid supply core such as felt, the waiting time for starting the use is shortened.

JP 2009-168328 A JP-A-6-63474

  However, the atomization apparatus 600 provided with the liquid supply chamber on the back side of the diaphragm described above also has the following problems.

  First, compared to conventional atomizers that use a liquid supply core such as felt, the waiting time to start using is extremely short, but it still takes about 30 seconds and is further reduced. It is hoped to do. That is, when the microblower 107 is driven to push the liquid 110 from the liquid storage unit 105 through the liquid distribution pipe 106 to the liquid supply chamber 104, the air inside the liquid supply chamber 104 and the liquid distribution pipe 106 is used. However, the exhaust must be performed from the hole 102a having a diameter of several μm formed in the diaphragm 102, and cannot be exhausted at a stroke.

  Further, when using the atomizer 600, as shown in FIG. 8, bubbles 111 are generated in the liquid 110 in the liquid supply chamber 104 and accumulate between the liquid 110 and the diaphragm 102. Therefore, there is a problem that the liquid 110 cannot be atomized even if the diaphragm 102 is vibrated. That is, when the liquid 110 vibrates due to the vibration of the diaphragm 102, bubbles 111 are generated in the liquid 110 due to a phenomenon called a cavitation phenomenon. Since the bubbles 111 block the holes 102a of the diaphragm 102, the liquid 110 may not be atomized even when the diaphragm 102 is vibrated.

  In this case, air is continuously sent to the liquid storage chamber 105 by the micro-blower 107, the air pressure of the air portion 105a above the liquid storage chamber 105 is further increased, and the force for pushing up the liquid 110 to the liquid supply chamber 104 is increased. The bubbles 111 must be discharged to the outside air from the holes 102a of the diaphragm 102, but it takes a certain amount of time to complete the discharge of the bubbles, and the liquid atomization stops during that time. It was.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems of the atomization apparatus including the liquid supply chamber that supplies the liquid to the back side of the diaphragm.

  As the means, the atomization device of the present invention includes an atomizer having a diaphragm having a plurality of holes formed through both main surfaces, and a vibration means for vibrating the diaphragm, and the atomization thereof. A liquid supply chamber that is disposed in contact with the container and supplies the liquid to the atomizer, a liquid storage chamber that stores the liquid, a liquid distribution pipe that connects the liquid storage chamber and the liquid supply chamber, and a liquid distribution pipe And a liquid transport means for transporting the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to the liquid supply chamber, and forming an air discharge hole for connecting the liquid supply chamber and the outside air in the liquid supply chamber. The holes were closed with a waterproof ventilation filter that allowed gas to pass but not liquid.

  Since the atomizing device of the present invention has the above-described structure, the air inside the liquid supply chamber and the liquid distribution pipe can be discharged from the air discharge hole provided in the liquid supply chamber to the outside air at the start of use. After the liquid conveying means is driven, the back side of the diaphragm can be filled with the liquid in a very short time. That is, the waiting time for starting use can be extremely shortened. The air exhaust hole allows gas to pass but does not allow liquid to pass, and is closed by a waterproof ventilation filter, so that the liquid filled in the liquid supply chamber does not leak out from the air exhaust hole. .

  Further, since the atomizing device of the present invention can discharge the bubbles generated in the liquid in the liquid supply chamber due to the cavitation phenomenon to the outside air from the air discharge hole, the bubbles may accumulate between the liquid and the diaphragm. In addition, the atomization of the liquid is not stopped by the bubbles.

  Note that at least a part of the air discharge hole can be formed on the bottom surface of the liquid supply chamber and in a portion facing the hole formed in the diaphragm. Convection in the direction away from the diaphragm (downward) is generated in the liquid immediately below the part where the diaphragm hole is formed. If an air exhaust hole is formed in this part, air bubbles are exhausted. It can be efficiently discharged from the hole.

  Further, it is preferable that the liquid transport means is intermittently driven for power saving. That is, even if the liquid transport means is not always driven, after the air is sent to the liquid storage chamber, the air pressure is increased, the liquid is sent to the liquid supply chamber, and the bubbles are discharged from the air discharge hole, the air is stopped for a while. Thus, it is possible to save power used for driving the liquid transporting means. Even in this case, since the air pressure in the upper air portion of the liquid storage chamber is increased, the liquid does not flow back immediately and the liquid supply chamber is filled with the liquid, and the liquid is atomized (consumed). The liquid atomization can be continued until the liquid supply chamber runs out of liquid. Note that power saving by intermittent driving is a greater advantage when the liquid conveying means is driven by a battery.

  In addition, the air discharge hole can be formed in a region on the outer peripheral side of the region in contact with the atomizer in the liquid supply chamber. As described above, when the liquid conveying means is driven intermittently, if the distance between the diaphragm hole and the air discharge hole is small, when the liquid conveying means is stopped, bubbles are gradually connected to form a large lump. In some cases, an air path is formed from the diaphragm to the air discharge hole, and the liquid cannot be atomized. In this case, the liquid transport means must be driven again to increase the air pressure in the liquid storage chamber to send the liquid into the liquid supply chamber, and large air bubbles must be discharged from the air discharge hole to the outside air. If the liquid conveying means is stopped again later, a large lump of bubbles is immediately formed. For this reason, the intermittent drive stop time must be shortened and the power saving effect is small, or intermittent drive cannot be performed and power saving cannot be performed. If the distance between the diaphragm and the air discharge hole is sufficiently large, the bubble will not become a large lump without affecting the atomization function. The liquid conveying means can be driven intermittently to save power.

  Further, the air discharge hole may be formed in the ceiling surface of the liquid supply chamber and the ceiling surface may be inclined. In this case, the bubbles smoothly move to the air discharge hole, and the bubbles can be efficiently discharged to the outside air.

  A plurality of air discharge holes may be formed in the liquid supply chamber. In this case, bubbles can be efficiently discharged from the nearby air discharge hole to the outside air.

  Further, the liquid distribution pipe may be provided with a backflow prevention valve for preventing the backflow of the liquid from the liquid supply chamber to the liquid storage chamber. As described above, power can be saved by intermittently driving the liquid transport means, but when the liquid transport means is stopped, the liquid flows backward from the liquid supply chamber side to the liquid storage chamber side, and the vibration plate It is difficult to lengthen the intermittent drive stop time because there is no liquid in contact with the back side and there is a possibility that the liquid cannot be atomized. However, if a backflow prevention valve is provided in the liquid distribution pipe, the backflow of the liquid can be prevented, so that the stop time of the liquid transport means can be lengthened and power saving can be further achieved.

It is sectional drawing which shows the atomization apparatus 100 concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the atomization apparatus 100 concerning 1st Embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of an atomizing apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing a portion of a chain line XX in FIG. . It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the atomization apparatus 300 concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the atomization apparatus 400 concerning 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the atomization apparatus 500 concerning 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the atomization apparatus 600 for which the present applicant has applied for a patent. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the atomization apparatus 600 for which the present applicant shown in FIG. 7 applied for a patent.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
1 and 2 show an atomization apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. However, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the atomizing device 100, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the atomizing device 100. Note that FIG. 1 shows details in a simplified manner for the sake of drawing.

  The atomizer 100 includes an atomizer 1.

  The atomizer 1 has a structure in which a piezoelectric vibrator 4 is attached to a vibration plate 3 as vibration means.

  The diaphragm 3 is made of, for example, a SUS metal, and has a disk shape with a diameter of 15.0 mm and a thickness of 0.2 mm, for example. The diaphragm 3 is formed with hundreds of holes 3a having a diameter of 10 μm or less, for example, as nozzle holes.

  The piezoelectric vibrator 4 is made of a ring-shaped piezoelectric ceramic, and an electrode for driving is formed on the upper surface of the ring shape, although not shown. For example, the piezoelectric vibrator 4 has a thickness of 0.5 mm, an outer diameter of 10.0 mm, and an inner diameter of the ring of 6.0 mm. As the piezoelectric vibrator 4, a piezoelectric vibrator in which the upper surface and the lower surface are polarized in advance is used. The polarization direction may be from the top surface to the bottom surface, or conversely, from the bottom surface to the top surface. The piezoelectric vibrator 4 is concentrically attached to the diaphragm 3.

  In the atomizer 1, when an AC voltage having a predetermined frequency is applied between the electrode formed on the upper surface of the piezoelectric vibrator 4 and the diaphragm 3, the piezoelectric vibrator 4 expands and contracts in the spreading direction, for example. Then, when the piezoelectric vibrator 4 expands and contracts in the expanding direction, the diaphragm 3 is bent in the vertical direction.

  The atomizer 100 also includes a liquid supply chamber 5 that supplies liquid to the atomizer 1 and a liquid storage chamber 6 that stores liquid, and a liquid distribution is provided between the liquid storage chamber 6 and the liquid supply chamber 5. Connected by a tube 7.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid supply chamber 5 is attached to the distal end of the liquid distribution pipe 7 or integrally formed at the distal end of the liquid distribution pipe 7. It is comprised by attaching the atomizer 1 via the packing 8b. The base 5a is made of metal, resin, or the like. The lower packing 8a and the upper packing 8b are formed of rubber, resin, or the like.

  The liquid supply chamber 5 is formed with an air discharge hole 9 which is a characteristic configuration of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the air discharge hole 9 is formed on the bottom surface of the liquid supply chamber 5 and in the portion facing the hole 3 a of the diaphragm 3. Since the air discharge hole 9 is formed, the air inside the liquid supply chamber 5 and the liquid distribution pipe 7 can be discharged to the outside at once, so in a very short time after driving the liquid conveying means, The back side of the diaphragm can be filled with liquid. The shape and diameter of the air discharge hole 9 can be variously set according to the atomization conditions such as the number and diameter of the holes 3 a of the diaphragm 3 and the viscosity of the liquid 14.

  The air discharge hole 9 is closed by a waterproof ventilation filter 10 that allows gas to pass but does not allow liquid to pass. Since it is blocked by the waterproof ventilation filter 10, the liquid filled in the liquid supply chamber 5 does not leak out from the air discharge hole 9. As the waterproof air-permeable filter 10, for example, “Poreflon Mablelen” manufactured by Sumitomo Electric, “TEMISH” manufactured by Nitto Denko, “Vent Filter” manufactured by Gore-Tex, etc. can be used. The waterproof breathable filter 10 is attached to the periphery of the air discharge hole 9 by a method such as double-sided tape, adhesive, or thermocompression bonding.

  The liquid distribution pipe 7 is made of metal, resin, or the like, and an appropriate inner diameter is selected in consideration of the atomization amount per unit time of the atomizer 100.

  The liquid storage chamber 6 is also made of metal, resin, or the like. The liquid storage chamber 6 is kept airtight. Although not illustrated, the liquid storage chamber 6 may be provided with a liquid injection hole.

  The atomization apparatus 100 further includes a micro blower 11 and an air distribution pipe 12 that send air into the liquid storage chamber 6, and a valve 13 that prevents a backflow of the air sent into the liquid storage chamber 6.

  The micro blower 11 corresponds to the liquid transport means in the present invention. As the micro blower 11, for example, those described in JP 2009-97393 A can be used. When air is fed into the liquid storage chamber 6 by the micro blower 11, the air pressure of the air portion 6 a above the liquid storage chamber 6 rises and is stored in the liquid storage unit 6 because the liquid storage chamber 6 is kept airtight. The liquid level of the liquid 14 is pushed down. As a result, the liquid 14 is pushed up in the liquid distribution pipe 7 and conveyed to the liquid supply chamber 5.

  The micro blower 11 may be always driven during the operation of the atomizer 100 or may be driven intermittently. In the latter case, a separate control circuit is required, but the power for driving the micro blower 11 can be saved.

  In the intermittent driving of the micro blower 11, the micro blower 11 is driven by monitoring the state of the liquid 14 in the liquid supply chamber 5 by repeating the driving and stopping at a predetermined cycle. Then, after the liquid supply chamber 5 is filled with the liquid 14, the micro blower 11 is once stopped, and when a predetermined amount of liquid is atomized (consumed), the driving of the micro blower 11 is resumed. Can do.

  The atomizing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment having the above structure, for example, prepares parts constituting the atomizer 1 and assembles them to produce the atomizer 1. Parts such as the liquid storage chamber 6 and the liquid distribution pipe 7, the waterproof ventilation filter 10, the micro blower 11, and the like can be prepared and assembled together with the atomizer 1 to be manufactured.

  When using the atomizer 100, first, the liquid 14 to be atomized is injected into the liquid storage chamber 6.

  Next, the microblower 11 is driven, air is sent into the liquid storage chamber 6, and the air pressure in the air portion 6 a above the liquid storage chamber 6 is increased. As a result, the liquid level of the liquid 14 stored in the liquid storage chamber 6 is pushed down, and part of the liquid 14 is pushed up through the liquid distribution pipe 7 and conveyed to the liquid supply chamber 5. At this time, the air inside the liquid supply chamber 5 and the liquid distribution pipe 7 is discharged from the air discharge hole 9 to the outside at once, and the air discharge hole 9 is closed by the waterproof ventilation filter 10. The liquid filled in the chamber 5 does not leak to the outside from the air discharge hole 9, and the atomizing device 100 can fill the liquid supply chamber 5 with the liquid 14 in an extremely short time.

  Next, an alternating voltage of a predetermined frequency is applied between a pair of electrodes formed on the piezoelectric vibrator 4 to expand and contract the piezoelectric vibrator 4 in the spreading direction, and vibrate the diaphragm 3 in the vertical direction. As a result, the liquid 14 filled in the liquid supply chamber 5 is sprayed from the hole 3 a of the diaphragm 3 to the surface side of the diaphragm 3.

  At this time, the bubbles 16 generated in the liquid 14 due to the cavitation phenomenon ride on the convection generated in the direction away from the diaphragm 3 (downward) generated by the vibration of the diaphragm 3, pass through the waterproof ventilation filter 10 and air It is discharged from the discharge hole 9 to the outside air. That is, the bubbles 16 do not collect on the back side of the diaphragm 3. Therefore, in the atomization apparatus 100, the atomization defect does not occur due to the bubbles 16.

  The structure of the atomization apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the example of the manufacturing method, and the usage method have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these contents, and various design changes can be made in accordance with the spirit of the invention.

  For example, the liquid conveying means is not limited to the micro blower 11 and may be other power, for example, a motor, a pump, or a fan.

  In addition, the piezoelectric vibrating body 4 that is a vibrating means is not limited to the above-described shape and electrode arrangement, and may have another structure. Further, the vibration means is not a piezoelectric vibrator, and may be one that generates vibrations electromagnetically, for example.

(Experimental example)
The waiting time for starting the use of the atomizing device 100 according to the first embodiment (the time from when the microblower 11 is driven until the liquid supply chamber 5 is filled with the liquid 14), the inner diameter of the liquid distribution pipe 7, and It was measured after changing the height of the push-up (the distance from the water surface of the liquid 14 in the liquid storage chamber 6 to the back surface of the diaphragm 3). In addition, as a comparative example, the waiting time for the start of use of an atomizer without an air discharge hole and a waterproof ventilation filter was measured in the same manner. In addition, the other structure of the atomization apparatus of the comparative example was made the same as the atomization apparatus 100.

  Table 1 shows the measurement results.

The waiting time for the start of use of the atomizer 100 was shorter than that of the comparative example under any conditions. This is because the atomizer 100 can discharge the air inside the liquid supply chamber 5 and the liquid distribution pipe 7 to the outside air from the air discharge hole 9 and the hole 3a of the diaphragm 3, whereas the atomizer of the comparative example. This is because the air must be discharged from the holes 3a of the diaphragm 3 to the outside air.
[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 3 shows an atomization apparatus 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the atomizing device 200, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing a chain line XX portion of FIG. 3A.

  In the atomization apparatus 200, a total of four air discharge holes 19 are formed on the bottom surface (base 15 a) of the liquid supply chamber 15. Then, each air discharge hole 19 was closed with a waterproof ventilation filter 20. The other configuration of the atomizing device 200 is the same as that of the atomizing device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

In the atomizing device 200, the bubbles 16 can be efficiently discharged from the four air discharge holes 19 to the outside air.
[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 4 shows an atomization apparatus 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the atomizing device 300.

  In the atomization apparatus 300, the air discharge holes 29 are formed in the ceiling surface of the liquid supply chamber 25 in a region on the outer peripheral side of the region where the liquid supply chamber 25 is in contact with the atomizer 1. Then, the air discharge hole 29 was closed with a waterproof ventilation filter 30. Further, in the atomizer 300, a flat plate is used for the lower packing 8a 'for attaching the atomizer 1. Other configurations of the atomizing device 300 are the same as those of the atomizing device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the atomization apparatus 300, since the distance between the hole 3a of the diaphragm 3 and the air discharge hole 29 is large, the bubbles 16 do not become a large lump even when the micro blower 11 (not shown) is stopped, and the atomization is performed. Function is not hindered. Therefore, in the atomization apparatus 300, the micro blower 11 can be driven intermittently without affecting the atomization function, and power saving for driving the micro blower 11 can be achieved.
[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 5 shows an atomization apparatus 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of the atomizing device 400.

  The atomization apparatus 400 has changed a part of the structure of the atomization apparatus 300 concerning 3rd Embodiment shown in FIG. That is, in the atomization apparatus 400, the ceiling surface of the liquid supply chamber 35 is formed obliquely and inclined, and the atomization apparatus 1 and the like are attached obliquely to the liquid supply chamber 35. The other configuration of the atomizing device 400 is the same as that of the atomizing device 300 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG.

In the atomization device 400, the bubbles 16 can be moved to the vicinity of the air discharge holes 29 by using the buoyancy of the bubbles 16, so that the bubbles 16 can be efficiently discharged to the outside air. In particular, when the distance between the hole 3a of the diaphragm 3 and the air discharge hole 29 is large, there is a merit that even if the micro blower 11 is stopped, the bubbles 16 do not become a large lump, but the bubbles 16 may be difficult to escape. However, if this configuration is used, even if the distance between the hole 3a of the diaphragm 3 and the air discharge hole 29 is large, the bubbles 16 are efficiently discharged.
[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 6 shows an atomizing device 500 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the atomizing device 500.

  In the atomization apparatus 500, the backflow prevention valve 17 that prevents the backflow of the liquid is provided in the liquid distribution pipe 7 between the liquid storage chamber 6 and the liquid supply chamber 5. Other configurations of the atomizing device 500 are the same as those of the atomizing device 100 according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

  The atomizing device 500 is suitable for intermittent driving of the micro blower 11. That is, the backflow prevention valve 17 drives the micro blower 11 to send air into the liquid storage chamber 6, and raises the air pressure of the air portion 6 a at the top of the liquid storage chamber 6 to push down the liquid level of the liquid 14. When the liquid 14 in the liquid distribution pipe 7 is pushed up, it floats and passes the liquid 14. On the other hand, when the micro blower 11 is stopped and the air pressure of the air portion 6a decreases after a while, the backflow prevention valve 17 falls down by its own weight, closes the liquid distribution pipe 7, and moves from the liquid supply chamber 5 to the liquid storage chamber 6. The liquid 14 is prevented from flowing back.

  The atomizing device 500 is sufficiently long until the liquid 14 in the liquid supply chamber 5 becomes insufficient due to atomization because the liquid 14 in the liquid supply chamber 5 does not decrease due to the reverse flow while the microblower 11 is stopped. The stop time of the micro blower 11 can be set, and a large power saving effect can be obtained.

1: Atomizer 3: Vibration plate 3a: Hole 4: Piezoelectric vibrators 5, 15, 25, 35: Liquid supply chamber 6: Liquid storage chamber 6a: Air portion 7: Liquid distribution pipe 8a, 8a ': Lower packing 8b : Upper packing 9, 19, 29: Air exhaust holes 10, 20, 30: Waterproof ventilation filter 11: Micro blower (liquid transport means)
12: Air distribution pipe 13: Valve 14: Liquid 16: Bubble 17: Backflow prevention valve

Claims (8)

An atomizer having a diaphragm having a plurality of holes formed through both main surfaces, and a vibrating means for vibrating the diaphragm;
A liquid supply chamber disposed in contact with the atomizer and supplying liquid to the atomizer;
A liquid storage chamber for storing the liquid;
A liquid distribution pipe connecting the liquid storage chamber and the liquid supply chamber;
A liquid transporting means for transporting the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to the liquid supply chamber via the liquid distribution pipe,
An air discharge hole that connects the liquid supply chamber and the outside air is formed in the liquid supply chamber,
An atomization device in which the air discharge hole is closed by a waterproof ventilation filter that allows gas to pass but not liquid.   2. The atomization device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the air discharge hole is formed in a part of the bottom surface of the liquid supply chamber facing the hole formed in the vibration plate.   The atomization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air discharge hole is formed in an outer peripheral side region of the liquid supply chamber with respect to a region in contact with the atomizer.   The atomization device according to claim 3, wherein the air discharge hole is formed in a ceiling surface of the liquid supply chamber, and the ceiling surface is inclined.   The atomization apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of the air discharge holes are formed in the liquid supply chamber.   The atomization apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the liquid conveying means is driven intermittently.   The atomization device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the liquid conveying means is a microblower that sends air into the liquid storage chamber.   The atomization device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a backflow prevention valve for preventing backflow of liquid is formed in the liquid distribution pipe.