JP2023004350A - Nebulizer - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a nebulizer allowing a user to easily mount/demount a body upper part with respect to a body lower part.SOLUTION: A body lower part 11 includes a power supply part 53, and a lower casing 11M equipped with an oscillation part 60. A body upper part 12 includes an upper casing 30 equipped with an atomizing part 40 for atomizing a supplied liquid. The body lower part 11 includes a recess 11K1 formed on an upper wall 11Mt of the lower casing 11M, and a power transmission part 61 along the upper wall 11Mt. The body upper part 12 includes a projection 30K1 formed on a bottom wall 30Mb of the upper casing 30, and a power receiving part 71 along the bottom wall 30Mb. The body upper part 12 is demountably mounted on the body lower part 11 by fitting the projection 30K1 and the recess 11K1 and bringing the upper wall 11Mt and the bottom wall 30Mb into contact with each other. In the mounted state, the oscillation output is transmitted from the body lower part 11 to the body upper part 12 via the power transmission part 61 and the power receiving part 71.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a nebulizer, and more particularly to a nebulizer that atomizes and ejects a liquid such as a liquid medicine.

Conventionally, this type of nebulizer includes a power supply unit and an oscillation unit that receives power supply from the power supply unit and generates an oscillation output, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-076243). and an upper body equipped with an atomizing section (including an ultrasonic transducer) configured to atomize the supplied liquid using the oscillation output. Are known. The document describes that the upper part of the main body is detachably fitted into the lower part of the main body.

JP 2019-076243 A

However, in the above nebulizer, after the upper part of the main body is fitted into the lower part of the main body in the manufacturing stage, it is not planned to remove the upper part of the main body from the lower part of the main body when the user uses it. The upper part is removed only when disassembled for maintenance service by the manufacturer's service department or the like.) Therefore, when a user needs to inhale a plurality of types of medicinal liquids (for example, medicinal liquids with different viscosities), the user must prepare (purchase) a whole nebulizer suitable for each medicinal liquid. There is a problem that the economic burden becomes heavy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a nebulizer in which a user can easily attach and detach the upper body to and from the lower body.

In order to solve the above problems, the nebulizer of this disclosure includes:
A nebulizer that atomizes and ejects a liquid,
a main body lower part having a lower housing mounted with a power supply unit and an oscillation unit receiving power supply from the power supply unit and generating an oscillation output;
a main body upper portion having an upper housing equipped with an atomizing section configured to atomize the supplied liquid using the oscillation output;
In the lower part of the main body, a first fitting portion including one of a concave portion and a convex portion for fitting with the upper housing is provided on an upper wall of the lower housing that faces the upper housing. is formed, and a power transmission unit for transmitting the oscillation output to the upper part of the main body is provided along the upper wall,
In the upper part of the main body, a second fitting including the other of a concave portion and a convex portion for fitting with the lower housing is provided on a bottom wall of the upper housing that faces the lower housing. a power receiving part for receiving the oscillation output is provided along the bottom wall,
The upper portion of the main body is detachably attached to the lower portion of the main body by fitting the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion so that the upper wall and the bottom wall are in contact with each other,
The oscillation output is transmitted from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body through the power transmitting section and the power receiving section in a mounted state in which the upper part of the main body is mounted on the lower part of the main body. characterized by

In this specification, the "power supply unit" may be a battery, or may be used by converting a commercial power supply.

The "upper wall" of the lower housing that faces the upper housing is typically a flat plate on which a first fitting portion including one of the concave portion and the convex portion is formed. is. In addition, the "bottom wall" of the upper housing, which should face the lower housing, typically has a flat plate formed with a second fitting portion including the other of the concave portion and the convex portion. It is a thing.

The "atomization section" of the "upper body" typically includes an ultrasonic transducer for the atomization action. The “main body upper portion” may further include a liquid supply section that supplies the liquid (liquid to be atomized) to its own atomization section.

A method of transmitting power (oscillation output) from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body via the power transmission unit and the power reception unit may be a wireless power transmission method or a wired power transmission method. good.

In the nebulizer disclosed in this disclosure, the lower part of the main body has a lower housing in which a power supply section and an oscillation section that receives power supply from the power supply section and generates an oscillation output are mounted. The upper part of the main body has an upper housing mounted with an atomizing section configured to atomize the supplied liquid using the oscillation output.

Here, in the lower part of the main body, the upper wall of the lower housing which is to face the upper housing includes one of a concave portion and a convex portion for fitting with the upper housing. A fitting portion is formed. On the other hand, in the upper part of the main body, the bottom wall of the upper housing which faces the lower housing includes the other of a concave portion and a convex portion for fitting with the lower housing. A fitting portion is formed. Therefore, the user can fit the second fitting portion formed on the bottom wall of the upper housing to the first fitting portion formed on the top wall of the lower housing. Thus, the upper portion of the main body can be easily attached to the lower portion of the main body. As a result, the user can use, for example, various types of upper body parts for atomizing different types of liquids (for example, liquid medicines with different viscosities). Therefore, for example, when a user needs to inhale a plurality of types of medicinal liquids (for example, medicinal liquids with different viscosities), the user prepares (purchases) the above main body upper part (including the atomizing section) suitable for each medicinal liquid. ) will suffice and the financial burden will be lightened.

Further, in the lower part of the main body, a power transmission section is provided along the upper wall of the lower housing for transmitting the oscillation output to the upper part of the main body. On the other hand, in the upper part of the main body, along the bottom wall, a power receiving section for receiving the oscillation output is provided. Therefore, in the attached state in which the upper part of the main body is attached to the lower part of the main body, the power transmitting unit and the power receiving unit are arranged with the upper wall of the lower housing and the bottom wall of the upper housing interposed therebetween. are facing each other. In this state, during operation, the oscillation output is transmitted from the lower portion of the main body to the upper portion of the main body via the power transmission section and the power reception section. As a result, the atomizing section on the upper part of the main body uses the oscillation output to atomize and eject the supplied liquid.

Further, when the user cleans the nebulization part (typically, the ultrasonic transducer and its surroundings) after using the nebulizer, for example, with the upper part of the main body removed from the lower part of the main body, the main body Only the top can be washed. In such a case, there is no possibility that the power supply section and/or the oscillation section will fail due to water intrusion into the lower housing.

In one embodiment of the nebulizer,
The convex portion includes a shaft portion having a cylindrical outer shape centered on a vertical axis passing through the lower housing and the upper housing, and the concave portion has an outer shape corresponding to the shaft portion. The upper body is rotatable about the longitudinal axis with respect to the lower body by including a cylindrical portion.

The "vertical axis" is not limited to an axis that actually exists as a tangible object, and may be a virtual straight line (that is, center line).

In the nebulizer of this embodiment, when the upper body is attached to the lower body, the protruding portion including the shaft having the cylindrical shape and the shape corresponding to the shaft are formed. It is stably maintained by fitting with the recess including the cylindrical portion. Further, since the upper part of the main body is rotatable about the vertical axis with respect to the lower part of the main body, it is possible to change the spray direction about the vertical axis with respect to the lower part of the main body. As a result, the flexibility of the user's posture is increased.

Many commercially available nebulizers eject an aerosol containing an atomized liquid upward along the longitudinal axis of the main body (eg, Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd. mesh nebulizer, product number NE-U200, etc.).
Therefore, in the nebulizer of one embodiment,
the atomizing portion in the upper portion of the main body ejects an aerosol containing an atomized liquid in a first direction away from the lower portion of the main body along the longitudinal axis;
It is characterized by comprising a pipe member detachably attached to the upper part of the main body and guiding the aerosol in a second direction crossing the first direction.

"Intersecting" refers to, for example, the case where the first direction and the second direction form an angle of 90°, but includes the case where they are inclined at an angle of less than 90°.

In the nebulizer of this one embodiment, the upper body is attached to the lower body, and the pipe member is attached to the upper body. In this state, in operation, the atomizing portion in the upper body ejects an aerosol containing atomized liquid in a first direction away from the lower body along the longitudinal axis. This makes it possible to employ the same configuration as the atomizing section in the commercial product, and facilitates design. The pipe member guides the aerosol in a second direction crossing the first direction. The pipe member can be rotated about the longitudinal axis with respect to the lower body part together with the upper body part. Accordingly, the second direction in which the aerosol is ejected through the pipe member can be changed about the longitudinal axis with respect to the lower body portion.

In one embodiment of the nebulizer,
The convex portion has an enlarged diameter portion protruding radially outward at a portion corresponding to a specific orientation around the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion,
The concave portion has an azimuth groove expanded radially outward corresponding to the enlarged diameter portion of the convex portion in a portion corresponding to a specific orientation on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. do.

The "specific orientation" is determined with the upper wall of the lower housing as a reference in the lower part of the main body, and with the bottom wall of the upper housing as a reference in the upper part of the main body. The “specific azimuth” may be one azimuth, two azimuths facing each other, or multiple azimuths (three or more azimuths) at equal angular intervals.

In the nebulizer of this embodiment, when the user attaches the upper body portion to the lower body portion, the enlarged diameter portion corresponds to the azimuth groove. This aligns the upper body relative to the lower body about the longitudinal axis.

In one embodiment of the nebulizer,
The enlarged diameter portion of the convex portion protrudes radially outward only from a portion of the shaft portion on the distal end side with respect to the direction along the vertical axis,
The recess is formed in a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion that is adjacent to the azimuth groove in the circumferential direction, and only a portion of the cylindrical portion that is on the bottom side with respect to the direction along the vertical axis is outside the radial direction. an engaging groove extending in a direction, the engaging groove continuing with the azimuth groove in the circumferential direction,
When the upper portion of the main body is rotated about the vertical axis with respect to the lower portion of the main body in a state where the enlarged diameter portion of the convex portion is fitted in the azimuth groove of the concave portion, the enlarged diameter portion engages the engagement. Engagement with the matching groove prevents the upper body from separating from the lower body in the direction of the vertical axis, and positions the upper body in the circumferential direction with respect to the lower body. characterized by

A “tip-side portion” of the shaft portion in the direction along the vertical axis refers to a portion of the shaft portion near the tip. Further, the “bottom-side portion” of the cylindrical portion in the direction along the vertical axis refers to a portion of the cylindrical portion near the bottom.

In the nebulizer of this embodiment, when the upper portion of the main body is rotated about the vertical axis with respect to the lower portion of the main body in a state where the expanded diameter portion of the convex portion is fitted in the azimuth groove of the concave portion, the above The enlarged diameter portion engages with the engagement groove to restrict the upper body from separating from the lower body in the direction of the vertical axis. Therefore, the attached state in which the upper portion of the main body is attached to the lower portion of the main body is stably maintained. Along with this, since the azimuth positioning of the upper part of the main body about the vertical axis is performed with respect to the lower part of the main body, for example, when the pipe member is provided, the spray around the vertical axis can be adjusted to the lower part of the main body. A direction (second direction) is determined. Therefore, the usability is improved for the user.

In one embodiment of the nebulizer,
the power transmitting portion in the lower portion of the main body having a power transmitting coil disposed inside the upper wall along a first annular region about the longitudinal axis;
the power receiving unit in the upper part of the main body has a power receiving coil arranged inside the bottom wall along a second annular area corresponding to the first annular area in the lower part of the main body;
In the attached state, the oscillation output is transmitted from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body via the power transmission coil and the power reception coil by a wireless power transmission method.

“Wireless power transmission method” broadly includes electromagnetic induction method, magnetic resonance method, and the like.

In the nebulizer of this embodiment, when the upper part of the main body is attached to the lower part of the main body, the upper wall of the lower casing and the bottom wall of the upper casing are sandwiched between the upper wall of the lower casing and the power transmission. The power transmitting coil of the power receiving unit and the power receiving coil of the power receiving unit are arranged in mutually corresponding regions (first annular region, second annular region). In this state, during operation, the oscillation output can be efficiently transmitted from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body via the power transmission coil of the power transmission unit and the power reception coil of the power reception unit by wireless power transmission.

Here, even if the upper part of the main body is rotated about the vertical axis with respect to the lower part of the main body in the attached state, the relative position between the power transmitting coil and the power receiving coil does not change. . That is, the state in which the power transmission coil and the power reception coil are arranged in the first annular region and the second annular region corresponding to each other is maintained. Therefore, the oscillation output can be efficiently transmitted from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body by wireless power transmission.

In addition, in the nebulizer of this embodiment, power transmission from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body is based on a wireless power transmission system. contact) is not required. Therefore, the user can easily attach and detach the upper portion of the main body with respect to the lower portion of the main body.

In one embodiment of the nebulizer,
The lower part of the main body, as the power transmission section, is spaced apart from a first contact provided outside the upper wall in a first circumferential area surrounding a center through which the vertical axis passes, and around the first circumferential area. a second contact point provided in a second circumferential region surrounding the ring,
The upper portion of the main body includes, as the power receiving portion, a third contact provided outside the bottom wall in a third circumferential area corresponding to the first circumferential area, and a third contact point corresponding to the second circumferential area. and fourth contacts provided in four circumferential regions,
In the attached state, the first contact and the third contact are brought into corresponding contact, and the second contact and the fourth contact are brought into corresponding contact, so that from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body, The oscillation output is transmitted by a wired power transmission system via a contact point between the first contact and the third contact and a contact point between the second contact and the fourth contact. Characterized by

The "first circumferential region" and the "third circumferential region" surrounding the center through which the vertical axis passes may each occupy the center, or may be spaced apart and annularly surrounding the center. may

In the nebulizer of this embodiment, in the attached state, the contact portion between the first contact and the third contact and the contact portion between the second contact and the fourth contact are arranged from the lower portion of the main body to the upper portion of the main body. The oscillation output is transmitted via a wired power transmission system. Therefore, transmission of the oscillation output from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body can be performed with a simple configuration (wired power transmission system using contacts).

Here, even if the upper body portion is rotated about the vertical axis with respect to the lower body portion, the third contact point and the fourth contact point are located in the first circumferential area and the second circumferential area, respectively. It moves along the circumferential area and the corresponding area (third circumferential area, fourth circumferential area). Therefore, in the attached state, the contact between the first contact and the third contact and the contact between the second contact and the fourth contact can be maintained. Therefore, the oscillation output can be stably transmitted from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body by a wired power transmission method.

In one embodiment of the nebulizer,
The atomizing section in the upper part of the main body includes a vibrating section that operates using the oscillation output and has a vibrating surface, and a mesh member that has a mesh section arranged to face the vibrating surface. A liquid supplied between the vibrating surface and the mesh portion is atomized through the mesh portion.

A "mesh part" means an element that has a plurality of through-holes and atomizes a liquid through these through-holes.

In the nebulizer of this one embodiment, the atomizing section on the upper part of the main body includes a vibrating section that operates using the oscillation output and has a vibrating surface and a mesh section that is arranged to face the vibrating surface. and, in operation, atomizes liquid supplied between the vibrating surface and the mesh through the mesh. That is, this nebulizer is configured as a mesh type nebulizer, and the atomization section can be configured to be small, and the upper portion of the main body can be configured to be small. In addition, by reducing the size of the power supply unit and the oscillation unit (suppressing the oscillation output), the lower part of the main body can also be made smaller. As a result, it is possible to realize a nebulizer that is small in size as a whole and excellent in portability.

As is clear from the above, according to the nebulizer of this disclosure, the user can easily attach and detach the upper portion of the main body to the lower portion of the main body.

1 is a perspective view showing an exploded state of a nebulizer according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a structure for detachably attaching the main body and the spray unit in the nebulizer. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the internal structure of the nebulizer as viewed from the side; It is a figure which shows the block structure of the control system of the said nebulizer. FIG. 5(A) is a diagram showing one mode in which the nebulizer is assembled. FIG. 5(B) is a diagram showing how the nebulizer assembled as shown in FIG. 5(A) is used by a user. FIG. 6(A) is a diagram showing another aspect in which the nebulizer is assembled. FIG. 6(B) is a diagram showing how the nebulizer assembled as shown in FIG. 6(A) is used by a user. It is a figure which shows another usage mode (Modification 1) by the user of the said nebulizer. As a modification of the above nebulizer, it is a diagram schematically showing a configuration (modification 2) in which an oscillation output is transmitted from the main body to the spray unit by a wired power transmission system.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Schematic configuration of nebulizer)
FIG. 1 shows a nebulizer (generally designated 1) of one embodiment of the invention in an exploded state. The nebulizer 1 is roughly divided into a main body 11 as a main body lower part having a main body housing 11M, a spray unit 12 as a main main body upper part detachably attached to the main body 11, and a spray unit 12 detachable from the main body 12. and an inhalation mask member 13 as a pipe member to be mounted on.

A main housing 11M as a lower housing forming the main body 11 has an elliptical planar shape (having a long axis 11A extending from the front left to the rear right in FIG. 1) in this example, and has a vertical axis 11C. It has a columnar shape extending in a direction (vertical direction in this example). A power switch 50A for turning on and off the power of the nebulizer 1, and display lamps 51A and 51B for indicating the operating state of the nebulizer 1 are provided on the front surface (left front side surface in FIG. 1) 11Ms of the main body housing 11M. is provided. In this example, a concave portion 11K1 is provided as a first fitting portion for detachably attaching the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 to the central portion (through which the vertical axis 11C passes) of the upper wall 11Mt of the main body housing 11M. there is This concave portion 11K1 will be described later.

The spray unit 12 includes a base housing 30M having the same oval planar shape as the main body housing 11M, and a cover member 31 that covers the base housing 30M. The cover member 31 is detachably fitted and attached to the base housing 30M in the direction of the vertical axis 11C (in this example, from above). The base housing 30M and the cover member 31 constitute a mounting housing 30 as an upper housing.

In this example, the base housing 30M has an upper housing portion 30Ma that protrudes upward in a cylindrical shape at a portion eccentric to the left front side from the vertical axis 11C. The upper housing part 30Ma houses a horn vibrator 40 as a vibrating part suitable for atomizing a liquid (in this example, a predetermined chemical solution). In this example, the mesh member 20 is mounted on the top surface 30Mt of the upper accommodating portion 30Ma so as to face the horn vibrator 40. As shown in FIG. In this example, the mesh member 20 includes a sheet 21 including a mesh portion adapted to atomize the liquid medicine, and a flange portion 22 supporting the periphery of the sheet 21 . A "mesh part" means an element that has a plurality of fine through-holes in a sheet (or a plate material) and allows liquid to pass through these through-holes to atomize the liquid. In this example, the mesh member 20 is disposable after one use. In this example, the horn vibrator 40 and the mesh member 20 constitute an atomizing section. This makes it possible to employ the same configuration as the atomizing section in the commercial product, and facilitates design.

In this example, a convex portion 30K1 is provided as a second fitting portion for detachably attaching the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 to the central portion (through which the vertical axis 11C passes) of the bottom wall 30Mb of the spray unit 12. there is This convex portion 30K1 will be described later.

The cover member 31 has the same oval planar shape as that of the base housing 30M, and has a tubular outer shape extending in the direction of the vertical axis 11C. A circular opening 31o is provided in a portion of the top wall 31t of the cover member 31 that is eccentric from the vertical axis 11C toward the left front side. When the cover member 31 is attached to the base housing 30M, the edge of the opening 31o presses the flange 22 of the mesh member 20 in the direction of the vertical axis 11C (in this example, from above). Thereby, the sheet 21 including the mesh portion is positioned with respect to the horn vibrator 40 . An aerosol containing atomized liquid is ejected through the opening 31o in a first direction A1 away from the main body 11 as the lower main body along the longitudinal axis 11C.

In addition, the cover member 31 includes a lid portion 31a that can be opened and closed by means of a hinge at a portion corresponding to the rear right side of the opening 31o of the top wall 31t, and a liquid supply portion provided at a position directly below the lid portion 31a. It has a liquid reservoir 17 as a part. With the cover member 31 attached to the base housing 30M, the user can temporarily open the lid portion 31a to fill the liquid reservoir 17 with a predetermined chemical liquid.

In the following description, the spray unit 12 is assumed to be in an assembled state with the cover member 31 fitted and attached to the base housing 30M. It is also assumed that the liquid reservoir 17 contains a predetermined chemical liquid.

The inhalation mask member 13 includes a base portion 13b fitted to the spray unit 12 (especially the cover member 31), a mask portion 13a facing the user's face and covering the mouth and nose, the base portion 13b and the mask portion 13a. and a curved portion 13c that connects the . The base portion 13b has substantially the same elliptical planar shape as the cover member 31 of the spray unit 12, and has a dimension that fits exactly to the outer circumference of the cover member 31 in the direction of the vertical axis 11C (in this example, from above). is formed in a cylindrical shape. The inhalation mask member 13 is detachably attached to the spray unit 12 by fitting the base portion 13b to the cover member 31 from above. The curved portion 13c is curved to guide the aerosol ejected in the first direction A1 through the opening 31o of the spray unit 12 in the second direction A2 intersecting the first direction A1. there is The mask portion 13a has a generally conical shape that widens gradually with increasing distance from the longitudinal axis 11C around the center line 11D along the second direction A2, and has a generally circular edge portion 13ae. . With the edge 13ae in contact with the user's face, the mask 13a covers the user's face and allows the user to inhale the aerosol through the mouth and nose.

In FIG. 1, since the opening 31o of the spray unit 12 is provided at a position eccentric to the front left side, the inhalation mask member 13 is attached to the spray unit 12 in such a manner that the mask portion 13a faces the same front left side. . This is to increase the transport efficiency of the aerosol. For this reason, the spray unit 12 (particularly, the cover member 31) and the suction unit 12 (especially the cover member 31) are designed to prevent the user from mistakenly attaching the suction mask member 13 to the spray unit 12 in a state rotated by 180° around the vertical axis 11C. It is desirable to provide the mask member 13 (especially the base portion 13b) with a known key and keyway (not shown).

(Structure and operation for attachment/detachment)
FIG. 2 shows a structure for detachably attaching the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 in the nebulizer 1. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the main body 11 is drawn with the upper wall 11Mt of the main body housing 11M directed upward, as in FIG. For ease of understanding, the spray unit 12 is drawn upside down from that in FIG. 1 with the bottom wall 30Mb of the base housing 30M facing upward.

As described above, the central portion (through which the vertical axis 11C passes) of the upper wall 11Mt of the main housing 11M has a recess 11K1 as a first fitting portion for detachably attaching the main body 11 and the spray unit 12. is provided. On the other hand, in the central portion (through which the vertical axis 11C passes) of the bottom wall 30Mb of the spray unit 12, a convex portion 30K1 is provided as a second fitting portion for detachably attaching the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 in this example. It is

The convex portion 30K1 of the bottom wall 30Mb of the spray unit 12 includes a shaft portion 30K1c protruding outward (upward in FIG. 2) from the bottom wall 30Mb and having a short cylindrical shape centered on the vertical axis 11C. Projected radially outward (indicated by arrows J1 and J2) in a portion corresponding to a specific orientation around the outer peripheral surface of the portion 30K1c (in this example, the direction in which the major axis 12A of the bottom wall 30Mb extends). It has enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2. In this example, the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 protrude radially outward J1 and J2 only from a portion (approximately half) 30K1cs on the tip side of the shaft portion 30K1c in the direction along the vertical axis 11C. As a result, the dimension (thickness) of the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 along the vertical axis 11C is approximately half the dimension (height) of the shaft portion 30K1c along the vertical axis 11C. there is In this example, the dimension by which the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 protrude radially outward J1 and J2 is approximately half the radius of the shaft portion 30K1c. Further, the dimension (width) of the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 in the direction along the short axis 12B (perpendicular to the long axis 12A) is approximately the same as the radius of the shaft portion 30K1c. In this example, the shaft portion 30K1c and the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 form a flat tip surface 30K1t.

On the other hand, the concave portion 11K1 of the upper wall 11Mt of the main body 11 includes a cylindrical portion 11K1c having a short cylindrical outer shape centered on the vertical axis 11C corresponding to the shaft portion 30K1c of the convex portion 30K1, and an inner circumference of the cylindrical portion 11K1c. A portion of the plane corresponding to a specific orientation (in this example, a direction rotated counterclockwise by an angle θ with respect to the major axis 11A of the upper wall 11Mt) corresponds to the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 of the convex portion 30K1. azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 extending radially outward (indicated by arrows D1 and D2). In this example, the radius of the cylindrical portion 11K1c and the dimension (depth) along the vertical axis 11C are set to be the same as the radius of the shaft portion 30K1c and the dimension (height) along the vertical axis 11C, respectively. ing. In this example, the dimension (depth) of the direction grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 along the vertical axis 11C is set to be the same as the dimension (depth) of the cylindrical portion 11K1c along the vertical axis 11C. there is As a result, the cylindrical portion 11K1c and the azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 form a flat bottom surface 11K1b. Also, in this example, the dimensions of the azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 expanded radially outward D1 and D2 are generally set to be the same as the dimensions of the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 projecting radially outward J1 and J2. It is In addition, the dimension (width) of the azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 in the direction perpendicular to the projecting directions D1 and D2 in the plane along the upper wall 11Mt is approximately along the short axis 12B of the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2. is set to be the same as the dimension (width) in the

Further, in this example, the concave portion 11K1 is a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 11K1c that is adjacent to the azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 in the circumferential direction (in this example, the direction in which the major axis 11A of the upper wall 11Mt extends). ) of the cylindrical portion 11K1c with respect to the direction along the vertical axis 11C, only the portion (approximately half) 11K1cs on the bottom side is expanded radially outward (indicated by arrows D3 and D4). It has 11K1e3 and 11K1e4. In this example, the cylindrical portion 11K1c and the bottom surfaces 11K1b of the azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 are expanded to integrally (flush) form the bottom surfaces (flat surfaces) of the engagement grooves 11K1e3 and 11K1e4. In this example, the dimensions of the engagement grooves 11K1e3 and 11K1e4 expanded radially outward D3 and D4 are set to be the same as the dimensions of the orientation grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 expanded radially outward D1 and D2. ing. In this example, the dimension (width) of the engagement grooves 11K1e3 and 11K1e4 in the direction perpendicular to the projecting directions D3 and D4 in the plane along the upper wall 11Mt is the same as that of the orientation grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2. In addition, it is set to be approximately the same as the dimension (width) of the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 in the direction along the minor axis 12B. As a result, the engaging grooves 11K1e3 and 11K1e4 are connected to the azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 in the circumferential direction as indicated by arrows r1 and r2. As a result, the engagement grooves 11K1e3 and 11K1e4 are covered with eave-like portions 11Mt3 and 11Mt4 of the upper wall 11Mt, respectively.

When attaching the spray unit 12 to the main body 11, the user performs the following operations i) to iii).

i) Facing and Aligning the Orientation As shown in FIG. The bottom walls 30Mb of the bodies 30M) are opposed along the direction of the longitudinal axis 11C. At this time, the user sets the directions J1 and J2 of the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 of the convex portion 30K1 to the directions D1 and D2 of the direction grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 of the concave portion 11K1 shown in FIG. correspond to each other. This aligns the spray unit 12 relative to the main body 11 about the longitudinal axis 11C. In this example, the spray unit 12 is aligned with respect to the main body 11 rotated counterclockwise by an angle θ about the longitudinal axis 11C.

ii) Fitting Subsequently, the user approaches the main body 11 with the spray unit 12 in the direction of the vertical axis 11C (in this example, from above). As a result, the shaft portion 30K1c and the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 of the convex portion 30K1 are fitted to the cylindrical portion 11K1c and the orientation grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 of the concave portion 11K1, respectively. As a result, the bottom wall 30Mb of the spray unit 12 is in contact with the top wall 11Mt of the main body 11 .

iii) Engagement Subsequently, the user moves the spray unit 12 to the main body 11 around the vertical axis 11C as indicated by the arrows L1, L2 and the word "LOCK" on the upper wall 11Mt of the main body 11. rotate. As a result, the shaft portion 30K1c of the convex portion 30K1 rotates clockwise by an angle θ within the cylindrical portion 11K1c of the concave portion 11K1. Along with this, the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 enter the engagement grooves 11K1e3 and 11K1e4 as indicated by arrows r1 and r2 and are engaged by the eave-like portions 11Mt3 and 11Mt4 of the top wall 11Mt. As a result, the separation of the spray unit 12 from the main body 11 in the direction of the vertical axis 11C (upward in this example) is restricted. Therefore, the attached state in which the spray unit 12 is attached to the main body 11 is stably maintained. Also, the spray unit 12 is positioned in the circumferential direction with respect to the main body 11 . That is, in this example, the major axis 12A of the bottom wall 30Mb of the spray unit 12 is aligned with the major axis 11A of the top wall 11Mt of the main body 11. FIG. As a result, the outer peripheral surface of the main body 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the spray unit 12 are aligned (flush), and the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 have an integral columnar outer shape.

In this manner, the user can detachably attach the spray unit 12 to the main body 11 by a simple operation (no tools required). A state in which the spray unit 12 is attached to the main body 11 in the orientation shown in FIG. 1 is called a "forward orientation state". When the spray unit 12 is to be removed from the main body 11, the user can perform the installation operations i) to iii) in reverse order. This allows the spray unit 12 to be easily removed from the main body 11 .

As a result, the user can use various types of spray units 12 for atomizing, for example, different types of chemical liquids (for example, chemical liquids with different viscosities). Therefore, for example, when a user needs to inhale a plurality of types of medicinal liquids (for example, medicinal liquids with different viscosities), the user prepares (purchases) a spray unit 12 (including an atomizing section) suitable for each medicinal liquid. ) will suffice and the financial burden will be lightened.

In the above example, when facing and aligning the orientation (i above), the orientations J1 and J2 of the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 of the convex portion 30K1 are set to the orientations D1 and D2 of the orientation grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 of the concave portion 11K1. , respectively, but it is not limited to this. As indicated by arrow B or arrow C in FIG. , the orientations J2 and J1 of the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e2 and 30K1e1 of the convex portion 30K1 may correspond to each other. Then, fitting (above ii) and engagement (above iii) are performed in the same manner as in the above example. In this case, a mounted state in which the spray unit 12 is rotated by 180° around the vertical axis 11C with respect to the main body 11 is realized. In this way, the state in which the spray unit 12 is mounted on the main body 11 in the direction opposite to that shown in FIG. . This allows the user to change the spray direction about the longitudinal axis 11C with respect to the main body 11 (details will be described later).

(Internal structure)

FIG. 3 schematically shows the internal structure of the nebulizer 1 as viewed from the side. 4 shows the block configuration of the control system of the nebulizer 1. As shown in FIG. For ease of understanding, in FIG. 3, a slight gap is provided between the base housing 30M and the main body housing 11M of the spray unit 12 to show the convex portion 30K1 of the base housing 30M. there is In FIG. 4, a gap between base housing 30M and main housing 11M of spray unit 12 is not intended.

As can be seen from FIG. 4, the main body 11 has a main body housing 11M, which is equipped with a control unit 60, an operation unit 50, a notification unit 51, a power supply unit 53, and a power transmission coil unit 61 as a power transmission unit. ing. In this example, the control unit 60 includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and controls the operation of the nebulizer 1 as a whole. The operation unit 50 includes the power switch 50A described above, and inputs instructions for turning on/off the power of the nebulizer 1 and various other instructions by the user. The power supply unit 53 includes a battery 54 in this example, and supplies power to each unit of the nebulizer 1 (including the control unit 60). The control unit 60 and the power supply unit 53 are connected by wirings 55a and 55b. Note that the power supply unit 53 may be used by converting a commercial power supply. The notification unit 51 includes the aforementioned display lamps 51A and 51B and a buzzer (not shown) to display the operating state of the nebulizer 1 and/or generate an alarm display or alarm sound. For example, the indicator lamp 51A indicates whether the power is on or off, and the indicator lamp 51B indicates the remaining amount of the battery 54. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the power transmission coil unit 61 includes, in this example, a pole piece 64 made of a substantially cylindrical magnetic material, an end plate portion 65b in contact with the lower end of the pole piece 64, and an outer peripheral surface of the pole piece 64. A yoke 65 made of a magnetic material including an outer circumferential portion 65c that is spaced apart and annularly surrounded, a power transmitting coil 62 wound around the pole piece 64 and arranged in a gap between the pole piece 64 and the yoke 65, and these pole pieces. 64 , a yoke 65 and a sealing case 66 made of a non-magnetic material that integrally covers the power transmission coil 62 . In this example, the power transmission coil unit 61 is arranged on the side facing the spray unit 12 along the upper wall 11Mt of the main housing 11M. As a result, the power transmission coil 62 is positioned on the inside (wall surface) of the top wall 11Mt forming the main body housing 11M, the first annular region 11a (the first annular region in FIG. 11a (indicated by a double arrow). The power transmission coil 62 is connected to the control section 60 by wirings 63a and 63b. The power transmission coil 62 is used to transmit the oscillation output from the control section 60 to the spray unit 12 by wireless power transmission.

The spray unit 12 mounts and accommodates a horn vibrator 40 as a vibrating section and a power receiving coil unit 71 as a power receiving section in a mounting housing 30 (particularly, a base housing 30M).

As shown in FIG. 3, the horn vibrator 40 includes a vibrating surface 43 arranged horizontally upward, an ultrasonic vibrator 41 arranged at a position spaced downward from the vibrating surface 43, and an ultrasonic wave. A horn 42 is arranged between the sonic transducer 41 and the vibration surface 43 and amplifies the vibration of the ultrasonic transducer 41 and transmits it to the vibration surface 43 . When the cover member 31 is attached to the base housing 30M, a gap 43g exists between the sheet 21 including the mesh portion and the vibration surface 43 of the horn vibrator 40. FIG. As will be described later, the chemical liquid contained in the liquid reservoir 17 is supplied to this gap 43g. The horn vibrator 40 and (the power receiving coil 72 of) the power receiving coil unit 71 are connected by wirings 73a and 73b.

The power receiving coil unit 71 includes a pole piece 74 made of a substantially cylindrical magnetic material, a power receiving coil 72 wound around the pole piece 74 and arranged around the pole piece 74, and the power receiving coil 72 and the pole piece 74 and the power receiving coil 72 integrally covered. and a sealing case 75 made of a non-magnetic material. In this example, the receiving coil unit 71 is arranged on the side facing the main body 11 along the inner side of the bottom wall 30Mb of the base housing 30M. As a result, the power receiving coil 72 is arranged along the inner side (wall surface) of the bottom wall 30Mb forming the base housing 30M, in a second annular area corresponding to the first annular area 11a in which the power transmitting coil 62 of the main body housing 11M is arranged. 12a (in FIG. 3, the outer diameter of the second annular region 12a is indicated by a double arrow).

As a result, in a state where the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 are attached, the power transmitting coil 62 and the power receiving coil 72 are arranged to sandwich the upper wall 11Mt forming the main body housing 11M and the bottom wall 30Mb forming the mounting housing 30. are respectively arranged in the first annular region 11a and the second annular region 12a corresponding to each other. Therefore, during operation, the oscillation output from the control unit 60 can be efficiently transmitted from the main body 11 to the spray unit 12 via the power transmission coil 62 and the power reception coil 72 by wireless power transmission.

Here, even if the spray unit 12 is rotated around the vertical axis 11C with respect to the main body 11, the relative position between the power transmitting coil 62 and the power receiving coil 72 does not change. That is, the state in which the power transmitting coil 62 and the power receiving coil 72 are arranged in mutually corresponding regions (the first annular region 11a and the second annular region 12a) is maintained. Therefore, the oscillation output from the control section 60 can be efficiently transmitted from the main body 11 to the spray unit 12 by the wireless power transmission method.

Further, in this nebulizer 1, since the power transmission from the main body 11 to the spray unit 12 is a wireless power transmission system, when the user attaches and detaches the spray unit 12 to and from the main body 11, the wiring (or the contact) can be attached and detached. you don't have to. Therefore, the user can easily attach and detach the spray unit 12 to and from the main body 11 .

(Using a nebulizer)
For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, it is assumed that the user 99 intends to operate the nebulizer 1 himself to inhale the liquid medicine.

In this case, the user 99 attaches the spray unit 12 to the main body 11 while aligning the direction in the forward direction (as shown in FIG. 1). Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 5A, the base portion 13b of the suction mask member 13 is fitted to the spray unit 12 from above to attach the suction mask member 13 to the spray unit 12 . In this example, the mask portion 13a of the inhalation mask member 13 faces the same direction as the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11 around the vertical axis 11C. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the user 99 brings the inhalation mask member 13 closer to the face so that the mask portion 13a covers the mouth and the nose. In this state, the user 99 turns on the power switch 50A provided on the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11 while looking at the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11 .

Then, the control section 60 works as an oscillating section to generate an oscillating output for driving the horn vibrator 40 . This oscillation output is transmitted from the power transmission coil 62 to the power reception coil 72 by wireless power transmission using magnetic coupling. The oscillation output received by the receiving coil 72 is applied to the horn vibrator 40 through the wirings 73a and 73b, and the vibrating surface 43 vibrates. As a result, the chemical solution supplied to the gap 43g is atomized through the sheet 21 including the mesh portion and becomes an aerosol. Aerosol containing the atomized liquid medicine is ejected in a first direction A1 (see FIG. 1) away from the main body 11 along the vertical axis 11C. The inhalation mask member 13 directs the aerosol in a second direction A2 that is transverse to the first direction A1, ie, the face (including the mouth and nose) of the user 99 facing the mask portion 13a. This allows the user 99 to inhale the aerosol.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 5B, the user 99 holds the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 integrally with one hand, and holds the inhalation mask member 13 in a comfortable posture with the vertical axis 11C directed substantially vertically. A second direction A2 in which the aerosol is ejected from can be directed toward the user's own face. The user 99 can know the operating state of the nebulizer 1 by looking at the display lamps 51A and 51B provided on the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11 during inhalation of the liquid medicine.

Unlike the above example, for example, as shown in FIG. 6B, a user (mother in this example) 99A operates the nebulizer 1 to cause another person (infant in this example) 99B to inhale the liquid medicine. shall be intended to

In this case, the user 99A attaches the spray unit 12 to the main body 11 while aligning the direction in the opposite direction (opposite to the direction shown in FIG. 1). Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the base portion 13b of the suction mask member 13 is fitted to the spray unit 12 from above to attach the suction mask member 13 to the spray unit 12. As shown in FIG. In this example, the mask portion 13a of the inhalation mask member 13 faces the direction opposite to the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11 around the vertical axis 11C. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6B, the user 99A brings the inhalation mask member 13 closer to the face of the person 99B so as to cover the mouth and nose with the mask portion 13a. In this state, the user 99A turns on the power switch 50A provided on the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11 while looking at the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11 .

Then, the control unit 60 acts as an oscillating unit, and as in the previous example, the aerosol containing the atomized liquid medicine is directed in the first direction A1 (see FIG. 1) away from the main body 11 along the vertical axis 11C. It is ejected. The inhalation mask member 13 directs the aerosol in a second direction A2 that is transverse to the first direction A1, ie, the face (including the mouth and nose) of the person 99B facing the mask portion 13a. This allows the person 99B to inhale the aerosol.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 6B, the user 99A holds the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 integrally with one hand, and, in a comfortable posture, faces the second direction A2 in which the aerosol is ejected from the inhalation mask member 13. can be directed to the face of person 99B. While the person 99B is inhaling the liquid medicine, the user 99A can know the operating state of the nebulizer 1 by looking at the display lamps 51A and 51B provided on the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11. FIG.

As described above, according to this nebulizer 1, when the user mounts the nebulizer unit 12 and the inhalation mask member 13 on the main body 11 while aligning them around the vertical axis 11C, the vertical axis 11C can be displaced relative to the main body 11. It is possible to change the spray direction (second direction A2) around . Therefore, the flexibility of the user's posture is increased. In addition, the user can turn on/off the power switch 50A while looking at the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11, and can see the display lamps 51A and 51B provided on the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11 while inhaling the liquid medicine. Therefore, it is convenient for the user.

After the user uses the nebulizer 1, when cleaning the atomizing portion (typically, the horn oscillator 40 and its surroundings), for example, the user removes the atomizing unit 12 from the main body 11 and removes only the atomizing unit 12. can be washed. In this case, there is no possibility that the power supply unit 53 and/or the control unit 60 will malfunction due to water entering the main housing 11M.

(Modification 1)
In the above example, the spray unit 12 is attached to the main body 11 and the inhalation mask member 13 is attached to the spray unit 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a substantially cylindrical mouthpiece 80 may be attached to the spray unit 12 instead of the inhalation mask member 13 . In this case, a substantially cylindrical mouthpiece 80 is detachably fitted to the opening 31o of the spray unit 12 (cover member 31) from the outside in a direction perpendicular to the top wall 31t of the cover member 31. is installed. During use, the user 99 tilts the entire nebulizer 1 forward, brings the mouthpiece 80 close to his mouth, and holds it in his mouth. In this state, the user 99 turns on the power switch 50A provided on the front surface 11Ms of the main body 11 . Then, the controller 60 acts as an oscillator, and the aerosol 90 containing the atomized liquid medicine is ejected through the mouthpiece 80 in the first direction A1 (see FIG. 1) away from the main body 11 along the vertical axis 11C. be done. This allows the user 99 to inhale the aerosol.

(Modification 2)
In the above example, the main body 11 (main body housing 11M) is equipped with a power transmission coil unit 61 as a power transmission section, and the spray unit 12 (mounting housing 30, especially the base housing 30M) is a power reception section as a power reception section. A coil unit 71 is mounted, and an oscillation output is transmitted from the main body 11 to the spray unit 12 by a wireless power transmission method during operation. However, it is not limited to this, and the method of transmitting the oscillation output from the main body 11 to the spray unit 12 may be a wired power transmission method.

For example, FIG. 8 schematically shows, as a modified example of the nebulizer 1, a configuration in which the oscillation output from the control section 60 is transmitted from the main body 11 to the spray unit 12 by a wired power transmission method. In addition, in FIG. 8, the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 are simplified for easy understanding. For example, a concave portion 11K1 as a first fitting portion provided on the upper wall 11Mt of the main body 11 and a convex portion 30K1 as a second fitting portion provided on the bottom wall 30Mb of the spray unit 12 are hatched. It is drawn as a circle (accurately, an ellipse since FIG. 8 is a perspective view). In FIG. 8, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

In this example, the main body 11 serves as a power transmission section in place of the power transmission coil unit 61 described above, and is provided outside (upper surface) of the upper wall 11Mt in a first circumferential region U1 surrounding the center 11Mto through which the vertical axis 11C passes. It has a first contact EC1 and a second contact EC2 provided in a second circumferential region U2 which is annularly surrounding the first circumferential region U1 with a gap therebetween. In this example, the first circumferential region U1 is set as a region that surrounds the concave portion 11K1 in an annular shape with a space therebetween. The first contact EC1 and the second contact EC2 are provided in a strip shape over the entire circumference of the first circumferential region U1 and the second circumferential region U2, respectively. The first contact EC1 and the second contact EC2 pass through the upper wall 11Mt and are connected to the control section 60 in the main housing 11M by wires 63a and 63b.

The spraying unit 12, as a power receiving unit in place of the power receiving coil unit 71 described above, has a third contact provided in a third circumferential region U3 corresponding to the first circumferential region U1 on the outside (lower surface) of the bottom wall 30Mb. EC3, and a fourth contact EC4 provided in a fourth circumferential region U4 corresponding to the second circumferential region U2. The third contact EC3 and the fourth contact EC4 are provided in a small, flat spherical shape in a part of the third circumferential region U3 and the fourth circumferential region U4, respectively. The third contact EC3 and the fourth contact EC4 are connected to the horn oscillator 40 in the base housing 30M by wires 73a and 73b through the bottom wall 30Mb.

When the spray unit 12 is attached to the main body 11 (for example, in the forward oriented state), the first contact EC1 and the third contact EC3 are brought into contact with each other as indicated by an arrow E1. Also, as indicated by an arrow E2, the second contact EC2 and the fourth contact EC4 are brought into contact with each other. As a result, the oscillation output from the control unit 60 is transmitted from the main body 11 to the spray unit 12 via the contact point between the first contact point EC1 and the third contact point EC3 and the contact point between the second contact point EC2 and the fourth contact point EC4. , is transmitted by a wired power transmission method. As a result, the horn oscillator 40 is driven, and the aerosol containing the atomized liquid medicine is ejected from the spray unit 12 .

In this example, the oscillation output can be transmitted from the main body 11 to the spray unit 12 with a simple configuration (wired power transmission system using contacts). For example, the power transmitting coil unit 61 and the power receiving coil unit 71 can be omitted from the example described above. As a result, it can be configured at low cost.

Here, even if the spray unit 12 is rotated about the vertical axis 11C with respect to the main body 11, the third contact EC3 and the fourth contact EC4 are respectively in the first circumferential region U1 and the second circumferential region U1. It moves along areas (third circumferential area U3, fourth circumferential area U4) corresponding to area U2. For example, in the reverse orientation state, the third contact EC3 and the fourth contact EC4 move to the positions indicated by broken lines EC3' and EC4' in FIG. 8, respectively. Therefore, in the mounted state (in this example, the reverse orientation state), the contact between the first contact EC1 and the third contact EC3 and the contact between the second contact EC2 and the fourth contact EC4 are maintained. As a result, the oscillation output can be stably transmitted from the main body 11 to the spray unit 12 by the wired power transmission method.

In addition, the third contact EC3 and the fourth contact EC4 do not need to be provided in the same direction around the vertical axis 11C. For example, the third contact EC3 may be provided as shown in FIG. 8 and the fourth contact EC4 may be provided at the opposite position EC4' about the longitudinal axis 11C. In that case, a short circuit (eg due to liquid) between the third contact EC3 and the fourth contact EC4 can be prevented. Further, in the attached state, the pressure with which the third contact EC3 abuts against the first contact EC1 and the pressure with which the fourth contact EC4 abuts against the second contact EC2 are easily balanced. Therefore, the contact between the first contact EC1 and the third contact EC3 and the contact between the second contact EC2 and the fourth contact EC4 can be maintained satisfactorily.

Also, the third contact EC3 and the fourth contact EC4 may be provided over the entire circumference (or the entire area) of the third circumferential region U3 and the fourth circumferential region U4, respectively.

Further, when the orientation around the vertical axis 11C of the spray unit 12 attached to the main body 11 is predetermined like the above-described forward orientation state and reverse orientation state, the first contact EC1 and the first contact EC1 The three contact points EC3 may be provided in portions of the first circumferential region U1 and the third circumferential region U3 that correspond to each other in the mounted state. Similarly, the second contact EC2 and the fourth contact EC4 may be provided in portions of the second circumferential region U2 and the fourth circumferential region U4 that correspond to each other in the attached state.

Also, the first circumferential region U1 and the third circumferential region U3 may each include the center 11Mto. For example, the first circumferential region U1 may be the bottom surface 11K1b of the concave portion 11K1 (especially, the cylindrical portion 11K1c) provided in the upper wall 11Mt of the main body 11 . Correspondingly, the third circumferential region U3 may be the tip surface 30K1t of the convex portion 30K1 (particularly, the shaft portion 30K1c) provided on the bottom wall 30Mb of the spray unit 12. In this case, the first contact EC1 is provided on the bottom surface 11K1b of the concave portion 11K1, and the third contact EC3 is provided on the tip surface 30K1t of the convex portion 30K1. Also in this case, in the mounted state, the first contact EC1 and the third contact EC3 can be brought into contact with each other.

(Modification 3)
In the above example, as a structure for attaching and detaching the spray unit 12 (base housing 30M) to and from the main body 11 (main housing 11M), the concave portion 11K1 of the main body 11 (main housing 11M) has engaging grooves 11K1e3 and 11K1e4. It is assumed to have However, it is not limited to this. For example, the engagement grooves 11K1e3 and 11K1e4 may be omitted, and the orientations D1 and D2 of the orientation grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 may be aligned with the major axis 12A of the bottom wall 30Mb.

In this configuration, when facing and aligning the orientation (i above) to attach the spray unit 12 to the main body 11, the user aligns the major axis 11A of the upper wall 11Mt of the main body 11 and the spray unit 12 with each other. The major axis 11A of the top wall 11Mt of the main body 11 and the major axis 12A of the bottom wall 30Mb of the spray unit 12 are aligned with each other. When the user approaches the main body 11 in the direction of the vertical axis 11C (in this example, from above), the cylindrical portion 11K1c of the concave portion 11K1 and the axis of the convex portion 30K1 with respect to the azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2. The portion 30K1c and the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 are respectively fitted (ii above). Thereby, the spray unit 12 is attached to the main body 11 . Therefore, the engagement operation (iii) above can be omitted, and the mounting operation can be simplified.

Once the spray unit 12 is attached to the main body 11, the attached state is maintained by the frictional force between the concave portion 11K1 and the convex portion 30K1. The spray unit 12 can be easily removed from the main body 11 if the user applies a force exceeding the frictional force to separate the spray unit 12 from the main body 11 in the direction of the vertical axis 11C.

Furthermore, instead of the azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 in two directions, the concave portion 11K1 has, for example, azimuth grooves in three directions or more (for example, azimuth grooves in three directions at intervals of 120°, or azimuth grooves in four directions at intervals of 90°). ) may be provided. Correspondingly, instead of the enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2 in two directions, the convex portion 30K1 has enlarged diameter portions in three or more directions (for example, enlarged diameter portions in three directions at intervals of 120°, or at intervals of 90°). 4 directional enlarged diameter portions) may be provided. In this case, the frictional force between the concave portion 11K1 and the convex portion 30K1 can be increased, and the mounting state can be stably maintained.

On the other hand, the concave portion 11K1 may have, for example, only azimuth grooves in one direction instead of the azimuth grooves 11K1e1 and 11K1e2 in two directions. Correspondingly, the convex portion 30K1 may be provided with only one directional enlarged diameter portion instead of the two directional enlarged diameter portions 30K1e1 and 30K1e2. Alternatively, the concave portion 11K1 may have only the cylindrical portion 11K1c without the azimuth groove. Correspondingly, the convex portion 30K1 may include only the shaft portion 30K1c without the enlarged diameter portion. In such a case, the configuration of the concave portion 11K1 and the convex portion 30K1 can be simplified.

(Modification 4)
In the above example, the first fitting portion of the main body 11 is the concave portion 11K1 and the second fitting portion of the spray unit 12 is the convex portion 30K1, but the present invention is not limited to this. Contrary to the above example, the first fitting portion of the main body 11 may be a projection (same as 30K1) and the second fitting portion of the spray unit 12 may be a recess (same as 11K1). In this case, similarly to the above example, the spray unit 12 can be detachably attached to the main body 11 and rotatable around the vertical axis 11C.

In the above-described embodiment, the main body 11 (and the spray unit 12) has an oval planar shape, but it is not limited to this. The planar shape of the main body 11 (and the spray unit 12) may be an ellipse, a circle, a square with rounded corners (a square with rounded corners), or the like.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the nebulizer 1 is configured as a mesh nebulizer, so the atomization section can be made small, and therefore the spray unit 12 can be made small. In addition, by reducing the size of the power supply unit 53 and the control unit 60 (suppressing the oscillation output), the main body 11 can also be reduced in size. As a result, it is possible to realize a nebulizer that is small in size as a whole and excellent in portability.

However, the present invention is not limited to mesh nebulizers. The present invention is a so-called two-tank structure ultrasonic nebulizer (that is, a drug tank is immersed in a cooling water tank facing an ultrasonic vibrator, and ultrasonic vibration energy generated from the ultrasonic vibrator passes through the cooling water and reaches the surface of the drug solution. It can also be applied to nebulizers of the type in which the drug solution is atomized by the action of convergence and vibration (cavitation effect).

The above embodiments are examples, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Although each of the above-described multiple embodiments can be established independently, combinations of the embodiments are also possible. Also, various features in different embodiments can be established independently, but combinations of features in different embodiments are also possible.

Reference Signs List 1 nebulizer 11 main body 11K1 recessed portion 11M main body casing 12 spray unit 20 mesh member 21 sheet 30 mounting casing 30K1 convex portion 30M base casing 31 cover member 40 horn vibrator 60 control section 61 power transmitting coil unit 71 power receiving coil unit

Claims (8)

A nebulizer that atomizes and ejects a liquid,
a main body lower part having a lower housing mounted with a power supply unit and an oscillation unit receiving power supply from the power supply unit and generating an oscillation output;
a main body upper portion having an upper housing equipped with an atomizing section configured to atomize the supplied liquid using the oscillation output;
In the lower part of the main body, a first fitting portion including one of a concave portion and a convex portion for fitting with the upper housing is provided on an upper wall of the lower housing that faces the upper housing. is formed, and a power transmission unit for transmitting the oscillation output to the upper part of the main body is provided along the upper wall,
In the upper part of the main body, a second fitting including the other of a concave portion and a convex portion for fitting with the lower housing is provided on a bottom wall of the upper housing that faces the lower housing. a power receiving part for receiving the oscillation output is provided along the bottom wall,
The upper portion of the main body is detachably attached to the lower portion of the main body by fitting the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion so that the upper wall and the bottom wall are in contact with each other,
The oscillation output is transmitted from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body through the power transmitting section and the power receiving section in a mounted state in which the upper part of the main body is mounted on the lower part of the main body. A nebulizer characterized by: A nebulizer according to claim 1, wherein
The convex portion includes a shaft portion having a cylindrical outer shape centered on a vertical axis passing through the lower housing and the upper housing, and the concave portion has an outer shape corresponding to the shaft portion. A nebulizer comprising a cylindrical portion that allows said upper body portion to rotate about said longitudinal axis relative to said lower body portion. A nebulizer according to claim 2, wherein
the atomizing portion in the upper portion of the main body ejects an aerosol containing an atomized liquid in a first direction away from the lower portion of the main body along the longitudinal axis;
A nebulizer comprising a pipe member detachably attached to the upper part of the main body and guiding the aerosol in a second direction crossing the first direction. 4. The nebulizer according to claim 2 or 3,
The convex portion has an enlarged diameter portion protruding radially outward at a portion corresponding to a specific orientation around the outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion,
The concave portion has an azimuth groove expanded radially outward corresponding to the enlarged diameter portion of the convex portion in a portion corresponding to a specific orientation on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. nebulizer. A nebulizer according to claim 4, wherein
The enlarged diameter portion of the convex portion protrudes radially outward only from a portion of the shaft portion on the distal end side with respect to the direction along the vertical axis,
The recess is formed in a portion of the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion that is adjacent to the azimuth groove in the circumferential direction, and only a portion of the cylindrical portion that is on the bottom side with respect to the direction along the vertical axis is outside the radial direction. an engaging groove extending in a direction, the engaging groove continuing with the azimuth groove in the circumferential direction,
When the upper portion of the main body is rotated about the vertical axis with respect to the lower portion of the main body in a state where the enlarged diameter portion of the convex portion is fitted in the azimuth groove of the concave portion, the enlarged diameter portion engages the engagement. Engagement with the matching groove prevents the upper body from separating from the lower body in the direction of the vertical axis, and positions the upper body in the circumferential direction with respect to the lower body. A nebulizer characterized by: A nebulizer according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
the power transmitting portion in the lower portion of the main body having a power transmitting coil disposed inside the upper wall along a first annular region about the longitudinal axis;
the power receiving unit in the upper part of the main body has a power receiving coil arranged inside the bottom wall along a second annular area corresponding to the first annular area in the lower part of the main body;
The nebulizer is characterized in that, in the attached state, the oscillation output is transmitted from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body via the power transmission coil and the power reception coil by a wireless power transmission method. A nebulizer according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The lower part of the main body, as the power transmission section, is spaced apart from a first contact provided outside the upper wall in a first circumferential area surrounding a center through which the vertical axis passes, and around the first circumferential area. and a second contact point provided in a second circumferential region that annularly surrounds the
The upper portion of the main body includes, as the power receiving portion, a third contact provided outside the bottom wall in a third circumferential area corresponding to the first circumferential area, and a third contact point corresponding to the second circumferential area. and fourth contacts provided in four circumferential regions,
In the attached state, the first contact and the third contact are in corresponding contact, and the second contact and the fourth contact are in corresponding contact, so that from the lower part of the main body to the upper part of the main body, The oscillation output is transmitted by a wired power transmission system via a contact point between the first contact and the third contact and a contact point between the second contact and the fourth contact. Characterized nebulizer. A nebulizer according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The atomizing section in the upper part of the main body includes a vibrating section that operates using the oscillation output and has a vibrating surface, and a mesh member that has a mesh section arranged to face the vibrating surface. A nebulizer, wherein a liquid supplied between the vibrating surface and the mesh portion is atomized through the mesh portion.

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