JP2019115598A - Aroma generator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an aroma generator that can reduce the aroma component supplied to an atomizer staying behind.SOLUTION: The aroma generator according to the present invention comprises: one or more injection units provided with a solenoid valve for injecting a liquid supplied from a liquid-storing unit that reserves the liquid; an atomization unit for atomizing the liquid injected from the injection unit; a coating layer formed on the surface of the atomization unit and having a water-and-oil-repellent property; and a control unit for intermittently opening and closing the solenoid valve of the injection unit to supply the liquid to the atomization unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a fragrance generator for atomizing a liquid.

  A virtual space that simulates the real space has been studied. In virtual space, providing olfactory information in conjunction with an image which is visual information displayed on a display has been studied. As a technique related to providing olfactory information, for example, a device for atomizing a liquid containing an odor component is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This device has a micro pump for dropping a liquid, and an atomizing unit for atomizing the dropped liquid.

Patent No. 542 9993

  The apparatus described in Patent Document 1 uses a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device as an atomizing unit. Liquids that contain low-volatility odor components have the property that even when the concentration is low, humans are sensitive to smell when atomized. The liquid containing a low volatile odor component includes, for example, a liquid having a high viscosity, and even if it is diluted with a solvent, the odor component may remain in the atomized part after atomization. When such low volatile odor components are repeatedly used in the atomizing section in which the SAW device is used, different odor components may be mixed.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a scent generating device capable of reducing the residual odor component supplied to the atomizer to the atomizer. I assume.

  A fragrance generating apparatus according to the present invention comprises an injection unit including one or more solenoid valves for injecting a liquid supplied from a liquid storage unit that holds the liquid, and an atomization to atomize the liquid injected from the injection unit. Part, a coating layer having water and oil repellency formed on the surface of the atomization part, and a control part for intermittently opening and closing the solenoid valve of the injection part to supply the liquid to the atomization part , Is provided.

  According to such a configuration, the present invention can promote atomization of a small amount of ejected liquid and reduce the liquid remaining in the atomization section.

  In the present invention, the coating layer may further be formed of an amorphous fluoride compound.

  According to such a configuration, the present invention can keep a small amount of ejected liquid in the form of droplets.

  Still further, according to the present invention, the coating layer may be formed of the amorphous fluorinated compound subjected to silane coupling treatment.

  According to such a configuration, the present invention can strengthen the coating layer and prevent the coating layer from peeling off from the atomization portion.

  Still further, according to the present invention, the atomizing unit in which the coating layer is formed may scatter the liquid in a predetermined direction.

  According to such a configuration, the present invention can adjust the scattering direction of the liquid dropped to the atomizing unit.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, the solenoid valve ejects a predetermined amount of the liquid in one opening and closing, the control unit opens and closes the solenoid valve at an arbitrary frequency, a duty ratio, and a number of times, The volume of the liquid may be ejected.

  According to such a configuration, the present invention can control a plurality of solenoid valves in an arbitrary control mode, and can supply different types of liquid having different volumes to the atomization unit.

  Still further, according to the present invention, the control unit generates a composite waveform of a first rectangular wave of a first voltage and a second rectangular wave of a second voltage lower than the first voltage at an arbitrary frequency to generate the electromagnetic wave. It controls the valve.

  The present invention uses such a configuration to control the solenoid valve by using a composite waveform of the first rectangular wave of the first voltage and the second rectangular wave of the second voltage lower than the first voltage. Power consumption of the solenoid valve and heat generated in the solenoid valve can be reduced while realizing the same control result of the solenoid valve as in the case of using the first rectangular wave of one voltage.

  In the present invention, the atomization unit further includes a SAW device that generates a surface acoustic wave.

  According to the present invention, the liquid can be atomized by the surface acoustic wave without heating.

  The fragrance generating apparatus according to the present invention includes a pressure vessel having a supply port for supplying a liquid, and the internal space of the pressure vessel for holding the liquid is pressurized to the liquid from the supply port. And an injection unit including a liquid storage unit for supplying water to the outside, and one or more solenoid valves for injecting the liquid supplied from the liquid storage unit, and an atomization unit for atomizing the liquid injected from the injection unit A coating layer having water and oil repellency formed on the surface of the atomization unit, and a control unit for intermittently opening and closing the solenoid valve of the injection unit to supply the liquid to the atomization unit; Is provided.

  According to such a configuration, the present invention can freely change the arrangement of the liquid reservoir, and can prevent the liquid from spilling into the atomizing portion and the occurrence of the residual odor.

  According to the fragrance generating apparatus of the present invention, the odor component supplied to the atomizer can be reduced from remaining in the atomizer.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the fragrance generation apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the injection | emission part. It is sectional drawing which shows operation | movement of the solenoid valve of an injection | emission part. It is a block diagram showing composition of a fragrance generation device. It is a graph which shows operation | movement of the solenoid valve at the time of inputting a square wave to a solenoid valve. It is a graph which shows operation | movement of a solenoid valve at the time of inputting a h-shaped waveform to a solenoid valve. It is a figure which shows the structure of a drive circuit. It is a table | surface which shows the signal input into a drive circuit. It is a graph which shows the signal input into a drive circuit. It is a figure which shows the state which atomizes a liquid by the surface acoustic wave produced | generated by an electrode part. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the characteristic of a liquid sample, and a dilution rate. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the atomization method of the liquid by an aroma generator. It is a figure which shows the input electric power of the intermittent sine wave input into an atomization part. It is a figure which shows the atomization phenomenon of the water atomized in an atomization part by a predetermined | prescribed repetition cycle. It is a figure which shows the atomization phenomenon of the water atomized in an atomization part by a predetermined | prescribed repetition cycle. It is a figure which shows the atomization phenomenon of the water atomized in an atomization part by a predetermined | prescribed repetition cycle. It is a figure which shows the atomization phenomenon of the water atomized in an atomization part by a predetermined | prescribed repetition cycle. It is a figure which shows the characteristic of the piezoelectric substrate in which the coating layer of the comparative example is not formed. It is a figure which shows the characteristic of the piezoelectric substrate in which the coating layer was formed. It is a figure which shows the characteristic of the piezoelectric substrate in which the coating layer was formed. It is a figure which shows the characteristic of the piezoelectric substrate in which the coating layer was formed. It is a figure which shows the atomization phenomenon in the piezoelectric substrate in which the coating layer of a comparative example is not formed. It is a figure which shows the atomization phenomenon in the piezoelectric substrate in which the coating layer was formed. It is a comparison result of the atomization phenomenon of the lavender on a hydrophilic piezoelectric substrate and a hydrophobic piezoelectric substrate. FIG. 6 shows measured residence times for different types of liquid samples. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the dilution rate of a liquid sample, and residence time. It is a figure which shows the odor intensity distribution of the orange produced | generated by the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed. It is a figure which shows the odor intensity distribution of the lavender produced | generated by the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed. It is a figure which shows the odor intensity distribution of the beta yonone produced | generated by the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed. It is a figure which shows residual intensity distribution of the odor after atomization of orange on the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed. It is a figure which shows residual intensity distribution of the smell after atomization of lavender on the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed. It is a figure which shows the residual intensity distribution of the smell after atomization of the beta ionone on the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed. It is a figure which shows the difference in the odor persistence of the orange with the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed, and the atomization part in which the coating layer is not formed. It is a figure which shows the difference in the odor persistence of the lavender of the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed, and the atomization part in which the coating layer is not formed. It is a figure which shows the difference in the odor persistence of the beta ionone of the atomization part in which the coating layer was formed, and the atomization part in which the coating layer is not formed. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the injection | emission part of the fragrance generation apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram showing composition of a fragrance generation device.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, the fragrance generator 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the scent generating device 1 is, for example, a device for atomizing a liquid having an odor component to generate a gas including the odor component. The scent generating device 1 includes an ejection unit 10 for ejecting the liquid Q, and an atomization unit 30 that atomizes the liquid Q ejected from the ejection unit 10. The injection unit 10 is disposed above the atomization unit 30. The injection unit 10 and the atomization unit 30 are controlled by a control unit 50 described later. Under control of the control unit 50, the ejection unit 10 intermittently ejects a predetermined amount of liquid Q (microdroplet M) from the tip, and places the microdroplet M on the atomization unit 30.

  The atomizing unit 30 is, for example, a SAW device that generates a surface acoustic wave (SAW). The atomizing unit 30 includes a rectangular plate-shaped piezoelectric substrate 31, an electrode unit 33 formed on the piezoelectric substrate 31, and a reflecting unit 35 formed on the piezoelectric substrate 31 adjacent to the electrode unit 33. Equipped with

The piezoelectric substrate 31 is formed of a piezoelectric material such as lithium niobate single crystal (LiNbO ₃ ). For example, a sound absorbing material (not shown) such as silicone gel or elastic resin is provided at the end of the piezoelectric substrate 31 in order to prevent generation of a standing wave when a reflected wave is superimposed when a surface acoustic wave is generated. ) Is pasted. For example, an aluminum substrate (not shown) is disposed on the lower surface side of the piezoelectric substrate 31. The aluminum substrate dissipates the heat generated in the atomizing unit 30. The liquid Q is placed on the atomization area on the upper surface 31 c side of the piezoelectric substrate 31. The liquid Q contains, for example, an odor component.

  The electrode portion 33 is provided on one end 31 a side of the piezoelectric substrate 31. The electrode portion 33 has comb electrodes 33a and 33b formed of a pair of interdigital electrodes (Inter Digital Transducer: IDT) provided on the upper surface 31c side. The comb-shaped electrodes 33a and 33b are arranged such that a plurality of comb-teeth-shaped electrodes (for example, 21 pieces) are alternately meshed with each other.

  A surface acoustic wave is generated on the piezoelectric substrate 31 by the piezoelectric effect generated by the pair of comb electrodes 33 a and 33 b and the piezoelectric substrate 31. The reflecting portion 35 includes a pair of comb electrodes 35a and 35b, and reflects the generated surface acoustic wave in the direction opposite to the propagation direction. Thus, the atomization unit 30 can move or atomize the liquid Q on the upper surface 31 c as described later.

  As shown in FIG. 2, on the upper surface 31 c side of the piezoelectric substrate 31, a coating layer P having water and oil repellency is formed. The coating layer P reduces the residual liquid Q placed on the piezoelectric substrate 31 after atomization. The coating layer P is, for example, a film formed of an organic polymer of an amorphous fluorinated compound (for example, Cytop (registered trademark)). In the formation of the coating layer P, for example, pretreatment is performed using a silane coupling agent having an amino group. When the silane coupling process is not performed, the coating layer P is easily peeled off from the piezoelectric substrate 31 in which the surface acoustic wave is generated.

  In the pretreatment, for example, the upper surface 31c of the piezoelectric substrate 31 is chemically treated to form a coating made of a silane coupling agent. In the pretreatment, for example, an aqueous solution in which the silane coupling agent is sufficiently hydrolyzed at a rate of 0.5% is generated. Thereafter, the piezoelectric substrate 31 is immersed in the generated aqueous solution for 5 minutes, and the piezoelectric substrate 31 is pulled up at a speed of 1.7 [mm / s] to form a coating of a silane coupling agent on the atomized area of the piezoelectric substrate 31. Thereafter, the surface of the piezoelectric substrate 31 subjected to the silane coupling process is washed with deionized water.

  Thereafter, the piezoelectric substrate 31 subjected to the silane coupling treatment in a 3% concentration solution of amorphous fluoride compound is continuously immersed twice for pulling up the piezoelectric substrate 31, and amorphous fluorine is applied to the surface of the piezoelectric substrate 31. Apply a solution of Thereafter, the piezoelectric substrate 31 coated with the amorphous fluoride compound solution on the surface is allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, and finally heated for 60 minutes in an atmosphere of about 150 ° C. to form the amorphous fluoride compound solution To form a coating layer P. By performing such processing, the coating layer P is uniformly formed on the piezoelectric substrate 31.

  The thickness of the coating layer P is, for example, 400 nm. This thickness is estimated, for example, by the QCM (Quartz Crystal Microbalance) method. The QCM method is to measure the frequency of each of the gold electrode before and after coating under the same conditions, and estimate the thickness of the coating layer P based on the shift of the frequency.

  Thus, the piezoelectric substrate 31 and the coating layer P are chemically bonded by the silane coupling process performed on the piezoelectric substrate 31. When the silane coupling process is performed, the coating layer P is strengthened, and the peeling of the coating layer P from the piezoelectric substrate 31 in which the surface acoustic wave is generated is prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the injection unit 10 includes a liquid reservoir 11 for storing the liquid Q, and a solenoid valve 15 for ejecting the liquid Q supplied from the liquid reservoir 11. The liquid reservoir 11 is, for example, a container of a syringe. The liquid reservoir 11 is, for example, vertically disposed to supply the liquid Q to the solenoid valve 15. The liquid reservoir 11 has a cylindrical main body 12 which is a container of the liquid Q.

  The body portion 12 is filled with the liquid Q. The volume of the main body 12 is, for example, about several tens of ml. A cylindrical discharge port 12 a for discharging the liquid Q is formed at the lower end of the main body 12. The liquid Q is discharged from the discharge port 12a by the water head pressure of the liquid Q generated from the height of the liquid level Q1. The discharge port 12 a is connected to one end 14 a on the upstream side of a pipe 14 that connects the solenoid valve 15 and the liquid reservoir 11.

  The solenoid valve 15 is, for example, a cylindrical DC solenoid valve. The solenoid valve 15 is vertically disposed to eject the liquid Q downward. The solenoid valve 15 has a housing 16 in which the flow path F of the liquid Q is formed, a cylindrical outer cylinder 17 covering the housing 16, and a circle inserted on the upstream side of the flow path F of the housing 16 A columnar magnetic core 18, a cylindrical plunger 19 sliding on the downstream side of the flow path F of the housing 16, a disk-shaped injection member 20 provided at the lower end 16a of the housing 16, and the plunger 19 are ejected. It comprises a spring 21 for urging the member 20, a coil 22 provided around the magnetic core 18, and an electrode 23 connected to the coil 22.

  The housing 16 is a cylindrically formed member. The housing 16 is molded of, for example, a resin. The casing 16 is formed with a step 16 c for forming a coil. The step 16 c is formed such that the outer shape of the housing 16 is reduced in the radial direction. A copper wire is wound around the step 16 c so as to form a plurality of layers, and a coil 22 is formed. A flow path F to be a through hole is formed in the housing 16.

  The magnetic core 18 is inserted on the upstream side of the flow path F, and the upper end 16 b of the housing 16 blocks the upstream side of the flow path F. The diameter of the magnetic core 18 is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the flow path F. Thus, a gap S is generated between the housing 16 and the magnetic core 18. The coil 22 is arranged to be located around the magnetic core 18. The magnetic core 18 is formed of, for example, stainless steel, and is magnetized when the coil 22 is energized. A conduit 18 d is formed at the upper end 18 a of the magnetic core 18. The conduit 18 d protrudes to the outside of the housing 16. The upper end 18 e of the conduit 18 d is connected to the other end 14 b on the downstream side of the pipe 14.

  The flow path 18c of the liquid Q is formed inside the conduit 18d. The flow path 18c extends from the upper end 18e of the conduit 18d to the middle of the magnetic core 18 along the central axis of the magnetic core 18, and is bent in the middle of the magnetic core 18 so as to penetrate laterally. Thereby, the flow path 18c is continuous with the flow path F, and the passage of the liquid Q is secured.

  On the downstream side of the flow passage F of the housing 16, an accommodation space R of a plunger 19 having a diameter larger than that of the flow passage F is formed. The plunger 19 is inserted into the accommodation space R. The plunger 19 is formed of, for example, stainless steel. The tip 19b of the plunger 19 is formed in a pointed shape. On a part of the outer peripheral surface of the plunger 19, an annular spring pedestal 19c which protrudes in the radial direction of the plunger 19 and extends in the circumferential direction is formed. A lower end 21 a of a coil-shaped spring 21 disposed so as to wind around the plunger 19 is mounted on the spring pedestal 19 c.

  The upper end 21 b of the spring 21 is caught by a step formed by the difference in diameter between the accommodation space R and the flow path F. The spring 21 biases the plunger 19 downward. As a result, the plunger 19 can slide up and down in the housing space R. When the coil 22 is energized, the magnetic core 18 is magnetized, and the plunger 19 is magnetically attracted and slides upward. When the plunger 19 slides upward, the upper end 19 a of the plunger 19 abuts on the lower end 18 b of the magnetic core 18. This position is the top dead center of the plunger 19 (see FIG. 3).

  An injection member 20 is disposed at the lower end 16 a of the housing 16 and blocks the downstream side of the flow path F. The injection member 20 is formed of, for example, sapphire. The ejection member 20 is formed with an orifice 20a recessed in a bowl shape so as to conform to the shape of the tip 19b of the plunger 19. At the center of the orifice 20a, an ejection port 20b penetrating to the external space is formed. The diameter of the injection port 20b is, for example, 0.076 [mm]. Here, since the orifice 20a has a simple configuration in which the injection port 20b is formed, the liquid Q can pass through the orifice 20a even if the liquid Q has a high viscosity.

  When the coil 22 is not energized, the tip 19b of the plunger 19 urged by the spring 21 is in close contact with the orifice 20a. Therefore, the position where the tip 19 b of the plunger 19 abuts on the orifice 20 a is the bottom dead center of the plunger 19. When the tip 19b of the plunger 19 is in contact with the orifice 20a, the liquid Q does not leak to the external space.

  The coil 22 is energized, the plunger 19 slides upward, and then the coil 22 is deenergized, the plunger 19 slides downward, and the tip 19b of the plunger 19 abuts on the orifice 20a again 1 When the cycle is performed, the microdroplet M of the liquid Q is ejected from the ejection port 20b. The ejection amount of the micro droplet M is, for example, a minute amount of 3 nl to 4 nl. The ejection amount of the microdroplet M can be a different value depending on the change of the configuration of the solenoid valve 15 such as the movement stroke of the plunger 19 and the change of the diameter of the injection port 20b.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the coil 22 of the solenoid valve 15 is not energized, the tip end 19b of the plunger 19 is in close contact with the orifice 20a by the biasing force of the spring 21. When the coil 22 of the solenoid valve 15 is energized to apply a voltage, the magnetic core 18 is magnetized by the magnetic field generated in the coil. Then, the magnetic attraction force directed upward acts on the plunger 19 by the magnetic field of the magnetized magnetic core 18.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, when the magnetic field of the coil 22 is further strengthened, the magnetic attraction force of the magnetic field of the magnetized magnetic core 18 acting on the plunger 19 against the biasing force of the spring 21 applied to the plunger 19 Is stronger, and the plunger 19 slides upward. At this time, the liquid Q filling the space between the upper end 19a of the plunger 19 and the lower end 18b of the magnetic core 18 moves to the space below the tip 19b of the plunger 19 which is generated by the upward movement of the plunger 19.

  When the plunger 19 moves upward, since the pressure generated by the water head pressure of the liquid Q stored in the liquid reservoir 11 is applied to the liquid Q from above, the liquid Q does not reversely flow upward. Then, when the plunger 19 moves upward, the diameter of the injection port 20b of the orifice 20a is minute (= 0.076 [mm]), and the pressure of the liquid Q moved into the accommodation space R is the external space Therefore, air does not flow backward from the outlet 20 b to the accommodation space R.

  As shown in FIG. 4C, when the energization of the coil 22 is stopped, the magnetic field of the coil 22 disappears and the magnetic field of the magnetic core 18 is demagnetized. Thereafter, the plunger 19 is moved downward by the biasing force of the spring 21 and the tip end 19b comes in close contact with the orifice 20a again. At this time, the pressure of the liquid Q moved into the accommodation space R is increased by being pressed by the plunger 19. Since this pressure is higher than the atmospheric pressure in the external space, the microdroplet M of the liquid Q is ejected from the ejection port 20b. When the plunger 19 moves to the bottom dead center, a negative pressure is generated at the upper end 19a of the plunger 19, and the liquid Q corresponding to the volume of the ejected microdroplet M is supplied from above.

  Here, when the position head of the liquid Q filled in the liquid reservoir 11 changes, the pressure in the flow path F changes, and the amount of the liquid Q supplied from above can change. However, the amount of the liquid Q consumed in the present embodiment is, for example, 1.5 [ml] or less, and the pressure generated by the change of the position head of the liquid reservoir 11 caused by the decrease of the liquid Q of 1.5 [ml]. It has been experimentally found that the influence of the change in is negligible.

  As described above, the microdroplet M of the liquid Q is intermittently ejected from the ejection unit 10 by continuously repeating energization and cutting of the coil 22.

  The ejected microdroplet M is received on the atomization unit 30 (see FIG. 1). The distance between the injection unit 10 and the atomization unit 30 is, for example, about 10 mm. As the microdroplet M continues to be intermittently ejected, the microdroplet M is sequentially atomized on the atomization unit 30 and diffused into the atmosphere.

  Next, the configuration for controlling the scent generating device 1 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the scent generating device 1, the control unit 50 controls the ejection unit 10 and the atomization unit 30 based on the information input by the input unit 60. The control unit 50 is realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program. Further, some or all of the functional units of the control unit 50 may be realized by hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). , Software and hardware may cooperate.

  First, the configuration of the injection unit 10 will be described. The solenoid valve 15 in the injection unit 10 is driven by the first drive unit 25. The first drive unit 25 is controlled by the control unit 50. The first drive unit 25 includes a drive circuit 26 for driving the solenoid valve 15, a signal generator 27 for generating a pulse signal for operating the drive circuit 26, and a pulse counter 28 for measuring the pulse of the pulse signal. Prepare.

  The control unit 50 controls the signal generator 27 based on the information input by the operator at the input unit 60 to generate a pulse signal with an arbitrary frequency and an arbitrary duty ratio. The drive circuit 26 generates a rectangular wave based on the pulse signal output from the signal generator 27. The solenoid valve 15 operates intermittently by the rectangular wave output from the drive circuit 26. The voltage of the rectangular wave is, for example, 24 [V].

  As shown in FIG. 6, when a square wave of 24 [V] voltage is applied to the solenoid valve 15, after the voltage rises, the plunger 19 ascends and stops at the top dead center (see FIG. 3). . Then, after the voltage falls, the plunger 19 descends and stops at the bottom dead center (see FIG. 3). While the plunger 19 is at top dead center, the coil 22 continues to be powered, consuming power and generating heat. When heat is generated, the resistance value of the coil 22 may increase, the magnetic field generated from the coil 22 may decrease, and the driving force of the solenoid valve 15 may decrease.

  As shown in FIG. 7, while the plunger 19 is stopped at the top dead center, the voltage applied to the solenoid valve 15 is lowered to reduce the power consumption and to reduce the heat generated from the coil 22. . In control of one cycle of the solenoid valve 15, a first voltage for raising the plunger 19 first is applied to the coil 22 to cause the plunger 19 to reach top dead center. Thereafter, while the plunger 19 is stopped at the top dead center, a second voltage may be applied to the coil 22 to keep the plunger 19 at the top dead center.

  Here, the first voltage V1 is, for example, 24 [V], and the second voltage V2 is, for example, 5 [V]. Even when control is performed to input such an h-shaped waveform, the operation of the solenoid valve 15 can be made the same as in the case where a rectangular wave of 24 [V] voltage is applied to the solenoid valve 15.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the drive circuit 26 has two inputs S1 and S2 to which a signal is input, and depending on the input mode of the signals input to the two inputs S1 and S2, three of 0, V1, and V2 Selectively output the street voltage. The drive circuit 26 is a switching circuit using, for example, a bipolar transistor, and can switch the circuit by turning on / off two inputs S1 and S2. The configuration of the drive circuit 26 is an example, and another circuit may be used as long as it has the same voltage output form.

For example, the input mode of the signal is set as follows.
(1) Input S1: On and Input S2: On
When the first signal is input to the input S1 and the second signal is input to the input S2, all the transistors T1 to T3 in the drive circuit 26 are turned on, and the drive circuit 26 outputs the first signal to the solenoid valve 15. Output voltage V1. For example, rectangular waves of 2.5 [V] to 5 [V] are used as the first signal and the second signal.
(2) Input S1: On and Input S2: Off
When the first signal is input to the input S1 and the second signal is not input to the input S2, only the transistor T3 is turned on, and the drive circuit 26 outputs the second voltage V2 to the solenoid valve 15.
(3) Input S1: Off
When the first signal is not input to the input S1, the transistor T3 is turned off, and the drive circuit 26 outputs 0 [V] to the solenoid valve 15 regardless of the signal input to the input S2.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the drive circuit 26 is a rectangular input to the two inputs S1 and S2 that has the same period and different duty ratios (ratios of pulse width and period of the rectangular wave). An arbitrary h-shaped waveform composed of a composite waveform of rectangular waves having the first voltage V1 and the second voltage V2 can be output by the signal composed of waves. For example, a first signal consisting of a rectangular wave is input to the input S1. At the same time, a second signal consisting of a rectangular wave is input to the input S2.

  At this time, when the cycle of the second signal is made equal to the first signal and the width of the rectangular wave is set narrower than that of the first signal, the drive circuit 26 can output a stepped h-shaped waveform. By performing such control on the drive circuit 26, power consumption of the solenoid valve 15 can be reduced, and heat generation can be reduced.

  The cycle and pulse width of the rectangular wave of the first signal and the second signal may be changed as appropriate based on the viscosity of the liquid Q ejected from the solenoid valve 15. The period and pulse width of the rectangular wave of the first signal and the second signal are set based on experimental data obtained in an experiment performed due to the difference in viscosity of the liquid Q. For example, the pulse width of the first signal may be set to 0.5 [ms] necessary for the plunger 19 to ascend, and control may be performed to expand the pulse width of the second signal as the viscosity of the liquid Q increases. That is, the control unit 50 can open and close the solenoid valve 15 with an arbitrary frequency, number of times, and a duty ratio, and can eject an arbitrary amount of liquid Q from the solenoid valve 15.

  Next, a configuration for controlling the atomizing unit 30 will be described.

  The atomization unit 30 includes an electrode unit 33 and a second drive unit 34 for driving the electrode unit (see FIG. 5). The second drive unit 34 is controlled by the control unit 50. The second drive unit 34 includes an RF amplifier 38 that generates a signal voltage for driving the electrode unit 33, and a signal generator 39 that supplies a pulse signal to the RF amplifier 38.

  The RF amplifier 38 amplifies a pulse signal having a predetermined period and pulse width output from the signal generator 39 to generate driving power having a predetermined period and pulse width. The atomization unit 30 moves and atomizes the liquid Q by the drive power supplied thereto by the second drive unit 34. Here, as the driving power, for example, a 10 MHz RF signal generated by the signal generator 39 is used.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the piezoelectric substrate 31 made of a piezoelectric material has a property of being distorted when an electric field is applied from the outside. When driving power is applied to the pair of comb electrodes 33a and 33b, distortion occurs in the piezoelectric substrate 31 between the adjacent comb electrodes 33a and 33b due to the piezoelectric effect, and a surface acoustic wave W is excited on the upper surface 31c of the piezoelectric substrate 31. When the intensity of the driving power is changed, the amplitude of the surface acoustic wave W changes, and there is a phenomenon that the liquid Q (M) placed on the upper surface 31c flows or atomizes the upper surface 31c at a predetermined amplitude. It occurs.

  The surface tension wave C is excited in the liquid Q at a predetermined amplitude, and the liquid Q becomes fine particles D and is scattered in the atmosphere and atomized. The phenomenon in which the liquid Q flows or is atomized by the surface acoustic wave W is called an acoustic streaming phenomenon. That is, when a surface acoustic wave W having a predetermined amplitude is generated in the piezoelectric substrate 31 by applying a predetermined driving power to the electrode portion 33, the surface tension wave C is excited by the liquid Q in which the surface acoustic wave W has propagated. The liquid Q flows or is atomized. In the present embodiment, the reflected wave of the surface acoustic wave W reflected by the reflecting portion 35 is further added to the surface acoustic wave W propagating to the liquid Q.

For example, when the electrode portion 33 applies the surface acoustic wave W of the first amplitude to the liquid Q, the liquid Q moves in a direction away from the electrode portion 33 on the upper surface 31 c. Then, the drive power input to the electrode unit 33 is raised, and when the surface acoustic wave W of the second amplitude is applied to the liquid Q, the surface tension wave C is excited in the liquid Q and atomized on the upper surface 31c. In the atomizing unit 30, the Rayleigh angle θ _R = sin ⁻¹ (c _f / c _saw )
A large amount of mist can be generated at scattering angles based on. Where c _f is the longitudinal wave velocity of the liquid and c _SAW is the SAW velocity on the substrate of the SAW device. The value of the drive power to be applied to the electrode unit 33 may be obtained in advance by experiment or the like according to the type of liquid Q.

  For some of the high viscosity alcohols and perfumes, dilution with ethanol was performed. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the relationship between the characteristics of the liquid sample and the dilution rate.

  When the liquid Q is atomized in the atomizing unit 30, the smaller the volume of the droplets of the liquid Q to be dropped, the more likely the atomization occurs. Ideally, it is preferable that atomization of the droplets of the liquid Q to be dropped is completed after each droplet is dropped and then the next drop of the liquid Q is started. Therefore, the relevance between the pulse frequency [Hz] of the electromagnetic valve 15 and the number of pulses and the duty ratio may be determined in advance by measurement in accordance with the difference in the type of the liquid Q. Therefore, in the aroma generator 1, the frequency [Hz] of the pulse of the solenoid valve 15, the number of pulses, and the duty ratio can be arbitrarily adjusted according to the difference in the type of the liquid Q to be dropped. It can be done efficiently.

  The atomizing unit 30 described above exemplifies the case where it is controlled by the control unit 50, but the electromagnetic valve 15 is used for the atomizing unit 30 in a state where the electrode unit 33 is driven with a predetermined drive power. You may control and inject the liquid Q.

  Next, the atomization method of the liquid Q by the fragrance generator 1 will be described.

  FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing the process flow of the method of atomizing the liquid Q by the scent generating device 1. The control unit 50 causes the signal generator 27 to generate a predetermined signal having the frequency [Hz] of the predetermined pulse determined according to the type of the liquid Q, the number of pulses, and the duty ratio. The drive circuit 26 intermittently opens and closes the solenoid valve 15 based on the predetermined signal output from the signal generator 27 to eject the liquid Q onto the atomization unit 30 (step S100).

  The control unit 50 controls the signal generator 39 to generate a pulse signal. The RF amplifier 38 amplifies the pulse signal input from the signal generator 39 to generate drive power having a predetermined cycle and pulse width, and drives the electrode unit 33. The electrode unit 33 generates a surface acoustic wave W based on the driving power, and atomizes the ejected liquid Q (step S110).

  Next, an experiment using the fragrance generator 1 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the input power of a sine wave is intermittently input to the atomization unit 30 at a constant cycle. When power is input in this manner, the input power supplied to the atomizing unit 30 can be suppressed to a low level as compared with the case where a continuous sine wave is input at a constant repetition cycle, and the atomizing unit 30 heats Can prevent damage. The variable related to the input sine wave is set, for example, as a peak-to-peak voltage (drive voltage) Vpp, a duty cycle c = TH / Tr, and a repetition cycle Tr. The relationship between the optimum drive voltage Vpp and the spray speed can be determined experimentally.

  As shown in FIG. 15 to FIG. 18, in the fragrance generator 1, an experiment was performed to atomize 600 nL of water at different repetition periods Tr. As illustrated, the atomization experiment by the fragrance generation apparatus 1 was performed at different repetition periods Tr, and photographs continuous in time were taken. In the experiment, the drive voltage Vpp was set to about 85 [V] and the duty cycle to 10 [%]. The active power consumed by the atomization unit 30 was calculated to be about 1.8 [W].

  As shown in FIG. 15, in the case of the repetition period Tr = 1 [ms], the atomization by the SAW streaming appeared at 33 [ms]. Thereafter, a thin and thin mist was generated until all the liquid was atomized. The entire process to atomize the liquid was less than 1 second.

  As shown in FIG. 16, when the repetition period Tr is 10 [ms], the same processing as that of FIG. 15 is performed. The generated mist was more concentrated than when the repetition cycle Tr was 1 [ms], and higher atomization efficiency was shown.

  As shown in FIG. 17, when the repetition period Tr is 100 ms, it can be clearly seen that one cycle is interrupted between two consecutive repetition cycles. The first repetition cycle started at 33 ms and stopped at the next frame (67 [ms]) since the sine signal (see FIG. 14) lasted for 10 [ms] (repetition cycle 100 [ms] × duty cycle 10 [%]). After 133 [ms], the second cycle was approached and mist was generated again. Thereafter, atomization was repeated for about 17 cycles in total. At 1.6 [s], all liquid was atomized.

  As shown in FIG. 18, when the repetition cycle Tr is about 1 [s], atomization in one cycle lasts 100 [ms] and is much more dramatic than in the case of atomization with any other repetition cycle. became. And three cycles were required to atomize all the liquid.

  In the atomization experiments of different repetition periods Tr by the above-mentioned aroma generator 1, although the average power is the same in either case, the atomization is the most frequent in the case of the repetition period Tr = 1 [s] It showed high strength. This is because, in the case of the repetition cycle Tr = 1 [s], large instantaneous power is continuously supplied for 100 [ms] in 1 [s] cycle. If the repetition period Tr is too small, such as 1 [ms] and 10 [ms], the total power is averaged into a large number of cycles in the time domain, and the spray strength is relaxed.

  In the repetition cycle in which the repetition cycle Tr is performed at 1 [s] or more, more liquid can be atomized in one cycle than in the case where the repetition cycle Tr is 1 [s], but in the continuous atomization The time interval between them was also increased.

  From the above results, in the aroma generator 1, particularly, the condition that the repetition period Tr is between 100 ms and 1 s is instantaneous and plays such that a rapid and temporal intensity change of the odor is required. It can be said that it is suitable for Furthermore, as shown in the last images of FIGS. 15 to 18, it was observed that a large number of mist-like particles having a large diameter come back on the surface of the atomization unit 30. The second atomization of these particles was not observed. When the repetition period Tr was 1 [s], the amount of misty particles having a large diameter was minimum.

  Large-scale particle generation is attributed to the pinch-off phenomenon generated at the top of the formed droplet due to the leak of acoustic radiation in the early stage of atomization, and is essential for the generation of minute particles in the later stage It is known to be. In the above experiment, it is shown that large scale particles were generated in each different repetition cycle.

  Therefore, the amount of liquid for each distribution and atomization can completely atomize the liquid in one repetition cycle Tr = 1 [s] while minimizing the amount of many atomized particles generated. In order to confirm, it was limited within 200 [nL].

  Next, the atomization phenomenon on the surface of the coating layer P will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 19, when 1 μL of ethanol is injected by the injection unit 10 onto the piezoelectric substrate 31 on which the coating layer P is not formed, the liquid spreads in a thin film due to hydrophilicity. When the liquid fragrance was injected onto the piezoelectric substrate 31 in which the coating layer P was not formed, the highly volatile solvent evaporated rapidly, and the solute remained on the surface of the piezoelectric substrate 31. On the other hand, when 1 μL of ethanol is injected by the injection unit 10 onto the piezoelectric substrate 31 on which the coating layer P having a thickness of 400 nm is formed, the spreading of the liquid is hindered by the hydrophobicity.

  As shown in FIG. 20, 1 [μL] of ethanol on the piezoelectric substrate 31 on which the coating layer P was formed became spherical droplets, and the shape was maintained at a contact angle of about 40 °.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, in the case of water, on the piezoelectric substrate 31 on which the coating layer P is formed, the shape of the droplets increases so that the contact angle is in the range of about 50 ° to 110 °. did.

  FIG. 23 shows, as a comparative example, a state in which a liquid containing 200 [nL] lavender perfume is ejected after being sprayed onto the hydrophilic piezoelectric substrate 31A on which the coating layer P is not formed. . The liquid contains, for example, lavender perfume diluted 50-fold with a solvent of ethanol (see FIG. 12). As illustrated, on the hydrophilic piezoelectric substrate 31A in which the coating layer P is not formed, the liquid spreads in a thin film in a wide area immediately after the ejection (image of 0 [s] in FIG. 23). . After that (image of 17 [ms] in FIG. 23), when driving power is applied to the atomizing unit 30A, atomization occurs along the free surface of the liquid.

  At 33 [ms], atomization occurred strongly at the center of the liquid. As shown by the encircled area in the image of 33 [ms] in FIG. 23, the mist was scattered not only above the liquid but also obliquely upward. At 100 [ms], atomization stopped. In addition, a thin film of liquid remained on the piezoelectric substrate 31A. In the thin film state in which the remaining liquid is estimated to be thinner than a certain thickness, the surface tension wave C is not excited by the liquid, and the liquid is not atomized secondarily and remains on the piezoelectric substrate 31A. As the solvent was rapidly evaporated, a lavender solute still partially remained on the piezoelectric substrate 31A, and a serious odor remained in the space around the atomizing unit 30A.

  FIG. 24 shows a state in which a liquid containing 200 nL of lavender perfume is ejected onto the hydrophobic piezoelectric substrate 31 on which the coating layer P is formed, and then atomized. In contrast, on the piezoelectric substrate 31 on which the coating layer P was formed, the shape of the spherical droplet was initially maintained (image of 0 [s] in FIG. 24). After that (image of 17 [ms] in FIG. 24), when driving power is applied to the atomizing unit 30 by the second driving unit 34, the surface tension wave C is excited in the liquid and the free surface of the droplet becomes unstable. As a result, a large amount of particles were released, and a more concentrated mist was generated upward.

  As shown in the image of 33 ms in FIG. 24, the atomizing unit 30 in which the coating layer P is formed scatters the liquid upward at a predetermined angle, as compared to the image of 33 ms in FIG. I did. Compared to the liquid remaining on the hydrophilic piezoelectric substrate 31A, as shown in the image of 600 [ms] in FIG. 24, less liquid remained in the smaller region of the hydrophobic substrate.

  By the above comparative experiment, it was found that the atomization on the hydrophilic piezoelectric substrate 31A was very unstable. On the hydrophilic piezoelectric substrate 31A, the consistency of atomization to the spray strength was not guaranteed by multiple trials. This makes it difficult to keep the initial state of the liquid perfume on the hydrophilic piezoelectric substrate 31A identical in each administration, which affects the diffusion rate and evaporation rate of the liquid when atomizing the liquid. For giving

  On the other hand, the liquid ejected onto the hydrophobic piezoelectric substrate 31 becomes droplets having a certain contact angle, and when atomizing the liquid, the droplets maintain the same initial shape in a plurality of trials. It was observed to try. With respect to the fact that droplets are easy to move due to low frictional force at the liquid-solid interface on the hydrophobic piezoelectric substrate 31, atomization occurs when the liquid volume of the liquid containing lavender perfume is less than 500 [nL] It turned out that no droplet movement occurred before.

  FIG. 25 is a comparison result of the atomization phenomenon of lavender of 200 [nL] on the hydrophilic piezoelectric substrate 31 A and the hydrophobic piezoelectric substrate 31. The same phenomenon as above was also observed for the atomization of liquids containing orange and beta yonone perfumes.

  Next, the remaining time after atomization of the liquid injected to the atomizing unit 30 will be described. In experiments it has been demonstrated that the size of the atomized liquid particles can not be uniformly distributed within a few micrometers. Large-scale particle generation in the pinch-off stage during atomization in the atomization unit 30 may result in a small amount of particles remaining on the surface of the atomization unit 30 after atomization. These particles evaporate within seconds or tens of seconds depending on the volatility of the liquid.

  Therefore, the remaining time is defined as the time from the end of the liquid atomization to the complete disappearance of the liquid on the atomization unit 30. To meet the performance required for future olfactory displays, it is desirable that the residence time be less than 5 seconds so that one odor interferes with the emission of the next.

  FIG. 26 shows the measured residence times for different types of liquid samples. The liquid amount is, for example, 200 nL. The residence time was in the range of 1 to 3 seconds due to the high volatility of the liquid perfume for all liquid samples.

  As shown in FIG. 27, for some liquids, the residence time is related to the dilution rate. Higher dilutions of the liquid are expected to increase the volatility of the liquid, such as ethanol. For this reason, diluted 1-octanol (1: 400) and beta yonone (1: 500) evaporate most rapidly, which is the reason why the remaining time is approximately 1.3 seconds (see FIG. 26). ).

  Next, the sensory test on the residual odor intensity will be described. As a preparatory step of the sensory test, 15 subjects participated in the sensory test to evaluate the odor intensity to evaluate the odor intensity and odor residue of the provided odor. In the sensory test, the odor intensity W of five levels is defined as follows. W = 0 represents that the smell is not sniffed. W = 5 is the maximum strength when the reagent bottle sniffs 1 [mL] of liquid perfume.

  The volume of each liquid ejected by the control of the solenoid valve 15 is about 100 nL. In the test, DC fans are used to generate a weak wind to speed up the diffusion and provision of the generated scent. The distance from the odor source of the atomizing unit 30 to the nose of the subject was about 50 [mm]. In order to evaluate the residual odor after atomization, the aroma generator 1 was immediately moved to another space free of the test odor. The subject was asked to smell the odor remaining in the atomizing unit 30 of the aroma generator 1.

  FIGS. 28-30 is a figure which shows the odor intensity distribution of three liquid fragrance | flavor produced | generated by the atomization part 30 in which the coating layer P was formed. In the case of orange and lavender, 12 or more out of 15 subjects selected the intensity 3 or higher (see FIG. 28 and FIG. 29). This means that the atomization mist of 100 [nL] liquid perfume gives the user a strong smell. Besides this, it was found that the smell had temporal intensity change.

  As shown in FIG. 30, for beta-nonone, there were two peaks at intensities 2 and 4 and intensity 5 was not selected. There were intervals of several seconds between two consecutive atomizations in the actual use of the aroma generator 1 for the assessment of odor retention, but more severe conditions to intentionally increase the odor retention (5 repeated cycles) were set in the experiment.

  31 to 33 are diagrams showing the intensity distribution of the residual odor after atomization of five repeated cycles on the atomizing unit 30 in which the coating layer P is formed. In the case of orange and lavender, the intensity was mainly distributed in the range of 1-3. Most of the subjects did not smell about beta yonone. This is due to the relatively weak odor intensity and the high dilution of beta yonone. The residue of the odor is mainly due to the generation of large particles during spraying.

FIG. 34 to FIG. 36 are diagrams showing differences in the odor persistence of the atomizing portion 30 in which the coating layer P is formed. In the figure, the _difference between the odor intensity W _uncoated of the atomizing portion 30A where the coating layer P is not formed and the odor intensity W _coated of the atomizing portion 30 where the coating layer P is formed is shown.
W _uncoated- W _coated > 0
In this case, the residual odor of the atomizing unit 30 in which the coating layer P is formed is improved as compared to the atomizing unit 30A in which the coating layer P is not formed.

  As shown in FIG. 34, with regard to orange, the odor remaining in the atomizing portion 30 in which the coating layer P was formed was evaluated as low in strength by 9 out of 15 subjects.

  As shown in FIG. 35, with regard to lavender, the smell remaining in the atomizing unit 30 in which the coating layer P is formed is more strongly improved by the improvement of the scent of lavender since two subjects sniff out a stronger smell. It becomes important.

  As shown in FIG. 36, with regard to beta yonone, in contrast, most subjects were able to distinguish differences in residual odor since the residual odor was weak in both the atomizing part 30 and the atomizing part 30A. It was not. However, as shown in FIG. 36, there is a tendency that the intensity of the residual odor in the atomizing unit 30 has decreased.

  As described above, according to the scent generating device 1, the atomizing portion 30 in which the coating layer P is formed for the improvement of the atomization efficiency is more atomizing efficiency than the atomizing portion in which the coating layer P is not formed. It can be improved. By the atomization unit 30 in which the coating layer P is formed, the aroma generating device 1 can maintain a stable liquid state by preventing the diffusion of the liquid perfume droplets and forming a large contact angle by the droplets. . By the atomization part 30 in which the coating layer P was formed, the aroma generator 1 can reduce the liquid which remains in the atomization part 30 significantly. According to the fragrance generation apparatus 1, the atomization part 30 in which the coating layer P is formed for the improvement of the atomization efficiency can improve the atomization efficiency more than the atomization part in which the coating layer P is not formed. .

Second Embodiment
In the first embodiment, the liquid reservoir 11 in the ejection unit 10 is disposed above the solenoid valve 15 to drop the liquid Q and supply the liquid Q into the solenoid valve 15. In order to prevent the liquid Q from spilling into the atomizing unit 30 when the liquid is injected into the main body 12 of the liquid reservoir 11, the arrangement of the solenoid valve 15 is restricted. If the liquid Q spills into the atomizing unit 30, it may be necessary to change the arrangement of the liquid reservoir 11 because it causes odor residue. Furthermore, if there are air bubbles in the flow path between the liquid reservoir 11 and the solenoid valve 15, the liquid can not be drawn into the solenoid valve 15 and the ejection can not be started. In the second embodiment, a configuration in which the liquid reservoir is disposed separately from the solenoid valve 15 is illustrated. In the following description, the same name and code are used for the same configuration as the first embodiment, and the overlapping description is appropriately omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 37, in the injection unit 10A of the scent generation device 1A, the liquid reservoir 11A is disposed separately from the solenoid valve 15. The liquid reservoir 11A and the solenoid valve 15 are connected via a flexible pipe 14A. Further, a pump (pressurizing unit) K for supplying a gas to the liquid reservoir 11A is connected to the liquid reservoir 11A via a flexible piping 14B. The pump K is, for example, an air pump driven by a motor. Other than this, a compressor or a cylinder may be used as the pump K, and any pump may be used as long as it can supply a gas.

  The pipes 14A and 14B are, for example, a fluorine resin (PolyTetraFluoroEthylene: PTFE) tube. The liquid reservoir 11A includes a bottle-like main body 12A in which a circular opening 12B is formed, and a lid H for closing the opening 12B.

  The main body 12A is, for example, a vial. A circular opening 11A is formed at the top of the main body 12A. The liquid Q is poured into the inside of the main body 12A and held inside the main body 12A. With the liquid Q stored in the container body 12A, the opening 12B is closed by the circular lid H.

  The lid H is formed of, for example, an elastic body such as rubber. The lid H may be formed in a cap shape covering the opening 12B. When the lid H closes the opening 12B, the inner wall of the opening 12B is in close contact with the end of the lid H. In the lid H, two through holes G1 and G2 are formed. A supply pipe L1 for supplying the liquid Q stored in the main body 12A to the outside is inserted into the through hole G1 without a gap. The supply pipe L1 is formed of, for example, a stainless steel pipe.

  The lower end L1a of the supply pipe L1 is positioned below the liquid level Q1 and at a position spaced upward from the bottom 12D of the container body 12A. The lower end L1a of the supply pipe L1 is immersed in the liquid Q in the main body 12A. The upper end L1b of the supply pipe L1 is positioned at a position projecting upward from the lid H. With such a configuration, the upper end L1b of the supply pipe L1 serves as a supply port for supplying the liquid Q from the inside of the main body 12A to the outside. The upper end L1b of the supply pipe L1 is connected to an upstream end 14c of a pipe 14A that connects the solenoid valve 15 and the liquid reservoir 11A.

  The other end 14 d on the downstream side of the pipe 14 A is connected to the upper end 18 e of the pipe line 18 d of the solenoid valve 15. The pipe 14A connects, for example, the liquid reservoir 11A and the solenoid valve 15 in a siphon shape.

  An intake pipe L2 for supplying gas into the main body 12A is inserted into the through hole G2 without a gap. The intake pipe L2 is formed of, for example, a stainless steel pipe. The lower end L2a of the intake pipe L2 is positioned at a position above the liquid level Q1. The upper end L2b of the intake pipe L2 is positioned at a position projecting upward from the lid H. The upper end L2b of the intake pipe L2 is connected to a downstream end 14f of a pipe 14B that connects the pump K and the fluid reservoir 11A.

  The other end 14 e on the upstream side of the pipe 14 B is connected to the pump K. Since the pipe 14A is connected to the solenoid valve 15, the main body 12A is a closed container (pressure container). An air chamber (internal space) U is formed above the liquid level Q1 in the main body 12A. With such a configuration, the liquid reservoir 11A is freely disposed apart from the solenoid valve 15. The liquid reservoir 11A is preferably disposed so that the height of the liquid level Q1 is higher than the height of the discharge port 20b of the solenoid valve 15, but this may not be the case for the reason described later.

  Next, a method of using the fragrance generator 1A will be described.

  The operator injects the liquid Q into the main body 12A, and then inserts the lid H in a state where the pipes 14A and 141B are connected to the solenoid valve 15 and the pump K into the opening 12B of the main body 12A. In this state, air remains in the flow path inside each of the supply pipe L1, the pipe 14A, and the solenoid valve 15. Here, the operator operates the pump K and operates the solenoid valve 15.

  Then, the air supplied from the pump K flows into the air chamber U of the main body 12A through the pipe 14B and is pressurized, and the air is discharged from the discharge port 20b of the solenoid valve 15. At this time, since the amount of air flowing into the air chamber U is larger than the amount of air discharged from the solenoid valve 15, the air pressure of the air chamber U becomes higher than the atmospheric pressure. In this state, when the solenoid valve 15 continues to operate, the air remaining in the flow path inside each of the supply pipe L1, the pipe 14A, and the solenoid valve 15 continues to be discharged from the discharge port 20b, and the liquid Q is supplied to the feed pipe L1. , The pipe 14A, and the flow path inside the solenoid valve 15, respectively. Then, after all the air is discharged, the liquid Q is discharged from the discharge port 20b.

  The operator stops the pump K after confirming that the liquid Q is discharged from the discharge port 20b. That is, in the fragrance generating apparatus 1A, by operating the pump K, the air remaining in the flow paths inside the supply pipe L1, the pipe 14A, and the solenoid valve 15 is discharged (hereinafter referred to as air venting of the solenoid valve 15). )can do.

  Since the pressure of the air chamber U is higher than the atmospheric pressure, thereafter, when the solenoid valve 15 is operated, the liquid Q continues to be discharged from the discharge port 20b. When the pump K is stopped in a state where the pipes 14A and 14B are connected, air does not flow back to the pump K, and the airtightness of the air chamber U is maintained. When the pressure in the air chamber U is higher than the atmospheric pressure and the solenoid valve 15 is kept operating after the pump K is stopped, the liquid level Q1 drops.

  Even when the liquid level Q1 is lowered, the air pressure in the air chamber U is pressurized in advance so as to be higher than the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the liquid reservoir 11A may not necessarily be disposed such that the height of the liquid surface Q1 is located above the height of the discharge port 20b of the solenoid valve 15. When the solenoid valve 15 is operated with the pressure in the air chamber U increased, the discharge amount of the liquid increases as compared with the case where the air chamber U is at the atmospheric pressure, but the increase can be practically ignored So small.

  As shown in FIG. 38, in the fragrance generator 1A, the pump K may be controlled by the control unit 50. The control unit 50 operates the pump K and the solenoid valve 15 to operate the pump K for a predetermined time at the start of use of the fragrance generator 1A. The predetermined time may be set by measuring the time from the start of operation of the solenoid valve 15 to the end of air removal of the solenoid valve 15, or may be set based on the count number of the pulse counter 28.

  As described above, according to the scent generating device 1A, the air of the solenoid valve 15 can be removed. According to the fragrance generating apparatus 1A, the arrangement of the liquid reservoir 11A can be freely changed, and the liquid Q can be prevented from spilling into the atomizing unit 30 to prevent the remaining of the odor.

  While certain embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in other various forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof as well as included in the scope and the gist of the invention.

  For example, in the above embodiment, although the organic polymer of the amorphous fluoride compound in which the silane coupling treatment is performed is used for the coating layer P formed in the atomizing unit 30, (1) in the atomizing unit 30 (2) having water and oil repellency, (3) not peeling off from the atomizing portion 30, (4) not being broken by surface acoustic waves generated in the atomizing portion 30, As long as each condition (1) to (4) is satisfied, another one may be used.

  In addition, the injection part 10 containing said solenoid valve 15 may be equipped with one or more. In this case, the control unit 50 may be configured to control the plurality of solenoid valves 15 and cause the solenoid valves 15 to eject different liquids.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1A ... Aroma generation apparatus, 10, 10A ... Ejection part, 11, 11A ... Liquid storage part, 12, 12A ... Main body part, 12B ... Opening part, 12a ... Discharge port, 14, 14A, 14B ... Piping, 14a, 14c: one end, 14b, 14d: the other end, 15: solenoid valve, 16: housing, 16a: lower end, 16b: upper end, 16c: step, 17: outer cylinder, 18: magnetic core, 18a: upper end, 18b: lower end, 18c: flow path, 18d: pipeline, 18e: upper end, 19: plunger, 19a: upper end, 19b: tip, 19c: spring seat, 20: injection member, 20a: orifice, 20b: injection opening, 21: spring, 21a: lower end, 21b: upper end, 22: coil, 23: electrode, 25: first drive unit, 26: drive circuit, 27: signal generator, 28: pulse counter, 30: atomization unit, 31: piezoelectric substrate, 31a ... one end, 31c Upper surface 33 electrode portion 33a comb electrode 33b comb electrode 34 second drive portion 35 reflection portion 35a comb electrode 35b comb electrode 38 amplifier 39 signal generator 50 ... control unit, 60 ... input unit, 100 ... cycle, c ... duty cycle, F ... flow passage, G1, G2 ... through hole, H ... lid, K ... pump, L1 ... supply pipe, L2 ... intake pipe, M ... Microdroplet, P: coating layer, R: accommodation space, S: clearance, T1: transistor, T2: transistor, T3: transistor, U: air chamber

Claims (8)

An ejection unit provided with one or more solenoid valves for ejecting the liquid supplied from a liquid reservoir that holds the liquid;
An atomizing unit for atomizing the liquid ejected from the ejection unit;
A water- and oil-repellent coating layer formed on the surface of the atomizing unit;
A control unit that intermittently opens and closes the solenoid valve of the injection unit to supply the liquid to the atomization unit;
Aroma generator. The coating layer is formed of an amorphous fluoride compound.
The fragrance generator according to claim 1. The coating layer is formed of the amorphous fluorinated compound subjected to silane coupling treatment.
The fragrance generator according to claim 2. The atomizing unit in which the coating layer is formed scatters the liquid in a predetermined direction,
The fragrance generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The solenoid valve ejects a predetermined amount of the liquid at one opening and closing,
The control unit opens and closes the solenoid valve at an arbitrary frequency, a duty ratio, and a number of times, and ejects an arbitrary volume of the liquid from the solenoid valve.
The fragrance generator according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The control unit generates a composite waveform of a first rectangular wave of a first voltage and a second rectangular wave of a second voltage lower than the first voltage at an arbitrary frequency to control the solenoid valve.
The fragrance generator according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The atomizing unit includes a SAW device that generates a surface acoustic wave.
The fragrance generator according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The pressure vessel is provided with a supply port for supplying a liquid, and the internal space of the pressure vessel holding the liquid is pressurized by a pressurizing unit to supply the liquid from the supply port to the outside. A liquid reservoir,
An ejection unit comprising one or more solenoid valves that eject the liquid supplied from the liquid reservoir;
An atomizing unit for atomizing the liquid ejected from the ejection unit;
A water- and oil-repellent coating layer formed on the surface of the atomizing unit;
A control unit that intermittently opens and closes the solenoid valve of the injection unit to supply the liquid to the atomization unit;
Aroma generator.