JP7770858B2 - Volatilization device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vaporization device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional volatilization device (referred to as a volatile composition dispenser in Patent Document 1). The volatile composition dispenser described in Patent Document 1 has a cartridge housed in a housing. A button is attached to the housing. The cartridge includes a membrane positioned so as to be directly pressed against the button, a substrate covering the volatile composition, and a rupture element positioned between the membrane and the substrate.

By pressing the button into the housing, the rupture element moves along with the membrane, causing the rupture element to rupture the substrate, allowing the volatile composition to wet the membrane. As a result, the volatile composition evaporates from the membrane and is dispersed into the space in which the volatile composition dispenser is placed.

Special table 2019-514495 publication

However, in the volatile composition dispenser described in Patent Document 1, after the rupture element ruptures the substrate, the rupture element returns to its original position, but the button remains in contact with the membrane. As a result, in the volatile composition dispenser described in Patent Document 1, the volatile composition that has wet the membrane may run down the button before volatilizing and leak out of the housing.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a volatilization device that can prevent the medicine inside a medicine container from leaking out of the housing along the operating part after the medicine container is opened.

The volatilization device of the present disclosure comprises a housing having a bottom that rests on a placement surface and is configured to accommodate a medicine container containing medicine; an operating unit that is movable relative to the housing between a first position and a second position and is configured to open the medicine container when the operating unit moves to the second position; and a guide that guides the movement of the operating unit between the first position and the second position. When the bottom rests on the placement surface, a first end, which is the end of the guide on the first position side, is at a lower position than a second end, which is the end of the guide on the second position side.

Furthermore, in the volatilization device disclosed herein, it is preferable that the guide be linear from the first end to the second end.

The volatilization device of the present disclosure further includes a chemical container containing a liquid chemical, the chemical container having an opening on one side and including a storage section containing the chemical, a flange section provided along the outer periphery of the opening section, a first membrane fixed to the flange section so as to close the opening section, and an elastically deformable second membrane disposed on the outer surface of the first membrane. It is preferable that the movable body have a protruding section that breaks the first membrane via the second membrane when the operating section is moved to the second position.

Furthermore, in the volatilization device disclosed herein, it is preferable that the movable part has multiple protruding parts.

Furthermore, in the volatilization device disclosed herein, it is preferable that the protruding portion be formed in a cone shape.

The volatilization device disclosed herein has the advantage of preventing the medicine inside the medicine container from leaking out of the housing along the operating part after the medicine container is opened.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the volatilization device according to the embodiment, as seen from the rear side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the volatilization device according to the embodiment, seen from the front side. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the volatilization device according to the embodiment. Fig. 4(A) is an exploded perspective view of a frame and a movable body of the volatilization device according to the embodiment, and Fig. 4(B) is an assembled perspective view of Fig. 4(A). Fig. 5(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 4(B), and Fig. 5(B) is a cross-sectional view in Fig. 5(A) when the operating unit has been moved to the second position. 6A and 6B are perspective views of the movable body of the volatilization device according to the embodiment, as seen from the front and rear, respectively. 7A and 7B are explanatory views illustrating the movement of the movable body in the volatilization device according to the embodiment, and the movement of the movable body when the operating unit is in the second position in the volatilization device according to the embodiment. 8(A) and (B) are enlarged views illustrating the function of the guide portion in the volatilization device according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of a vibration unit in the volatilization device according to the embodiment. Figures 10(A) to (G) are explanatory diagrams illustrating the movement of the vibrator and the contact portion in the volatilization device of the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a drug container of the volatilization device according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the drug container according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a drug container according to an embodiment. 14A to 14C are explanatory views illustrating a state when a hole is made in the rupture membrane of the drug container according to the embodiment.

<Embodiment>
(1) Overall The volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment is a device that volatilizes a chemical 1Y from a chemical container 4 (see FIG. 3, etc.) housed therein and diffuses the chemical 1Y in a space in which the volatilization device 1 is disposed. As shown in FIG. 1, the volatilization device 1 includes a housing 2 that houses the chemical container 4 and a movable body 3 that moves relative to the housing 2. When the movable body 3 moves relative to the housing 2, the chemical container 4 is opened and the chemical 1Y in the chemical container 4 begins to volatilize. The volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment is used by placing it on a mounting surface 1G, as shown in FIG. 2.

Chemical 1Y is a volatile liquid chemical. There are no particular limitations on the type of chemical 1Y, and examples include fragrances, deodorizers, insect repellents, and mixtures thereof. Chemical 1Y may also contain additives depending on the purpose. Examples of additives include fragrances, deodorizing ingredients, insect repellent ingredients, and coloring agents.

(2) Housing The housing 2 forms the outer shell of the volatilization device 1. The housing 2 includes a main body 21 and legs 22. The front and back surfaces of the main body 21 are inclined relative to the horizontal plane. Here, when the main body 21 is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the front surface of the main body 21 (this is referred to as the "front view" of the main body 21), the direction parallel to the left-right direction is defined as the "width direction," and the direction perpendicular to the width direction is defined as the "length direction." Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the width direction and the length direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the front surface of the main body 21) is defined as the "thickness direction." In the following description, the length direction of the main body 21 is simply referred to as the "length direction." The width direction of the housing 2 is simply referred to as the "width direction." The thickness direction of the housing 2 is simply referred to as the "thickness direction."

The main body 21 is formed in a flat box shape, and is generally rectangular when viewed from the front. "Flat" here means a shape in which the thickness dimension is shorter than the width and length dimensions. The length direction is inclined with respect to the underside of the legs 22 (sometimes referred to as the bottom of the housing 2) that rests on the mounting surface 1G. The angle between the length direction and the underside of the legs 22 (when viewed from the side) is, for example, greater than or equal to 45° and less than 90°.

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 2 includes a frame 23 that forms the legs 22 and the rear and side surfaces of the main body 21, and a cover 29 that forms the front of the main body 21. The housing 2 is formed into a hollow shape by assembling the frame 23 and the cover 29. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the housing 2, and examples include synthetic resin, metal, pulp, carbon, and ceramic.

(2.1) Frame The frame 23 is a part that forms the skeleton of the housing 2. The frame 23 is formed in a container shape with an opening on the front surface in the thickness direction. The frame 23 includes a back plate portion 24 and side plate portions 28.

The back plate portion 24 constitutes the back surface of the main body portion 21. The back plate portion 24 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and the main surface of the back plate portion 24 faces in the thickness direction. As shown in Figure 4, the back plate portion 24 has multiple ventilation holes 25 and an attachment portion 26.

The vent 25 is an opening through which the drug 1Y vaporized from the drug container 4 passes. The vent 25 penetrates the back plate 24. Multiple vents 25 are formed in parts of the back plate 24 other than the central part (i.e., the mounting part 26). The shape of each vent 25 is rectangular, triangular, trapezoidal, or the like depending on the location, but is not limited to these. For example, the vent can also be circular, elliptical, pentagonal, hexagonal, mesh-like, or the like.

The mounting portion 26 is a portion for mounting the movable body 3. The mounting portion 26 is configured in a portion that occupies the central portion in the width direction and the central portion in the length direction of the back plate portion 24. As shown in Figure 4 (A), the mounting portion 26 includes an operating portion opening 261, multiple guide portions 263, and a vibration portion 27.

The operation unit opening 261 is an opening through which the operation unit 31 of the movable body 3 passes. The operation unit opening 261 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape. The operation unit 31, described below, passes through the operation unit opening 261 from the inside to the outside of the housing 2 and is exposed from the housing 2. Within the operation unit opening 261, the operation unit 31 can move along the thickness direction.

The mounting portion 26 has an operating portion opening 261 as well as multiple guide portions 263 and a vibration portion 27. The guide portions 263 and vibration portion 27 will be explained after the movable body 3 is explained.

The side plate portion 28 is a portion that protrudes in the thickness direction from the outer periphery of the back plate portion 24. The protruding tip of the side plate portion 28 forms the opening surface of the frame 23. The side plate portion 28 forms the side peripheral surface of the housing 2. In the volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment, the side plate portion 28 does not have an air vent 25 formed therein, but an air vent 25 may be formed therein.

(2.2) Cover The cover 29 is a member that closes the opening on the front side of the frame 23. As shown in FIG. 3 , the cover 29 closes the opening of the frame 23 with the movable body 3 and the drug container 4 housed within the frame 23. The cover 29 has a remaining amount display window 291 that allows the remaining amount of drug 1Y in the drug container 4 to be visually confirmed. The remaining amount display window 291 is composed of a through-hole 294 that extends in the length direction and is formed in the main body of the cover 29, and a transparent plate 293 that covers the through-hole 294. The through-hole 294 is formed at a position corresponding to the drug container 4 housed inside the housing 2.

(3) Movable Body The movable body 3 is a member that is movably provided with respect to the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 6, the movable body 3 includes an operating unit 31 and a movable unit 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the operating unit 31 can move along the thickness direction. The operating unit 31 is configured to be movable between an initial position (a position where the movable unit 32 abuts against the back plate 24; see FIG. 5(A)) and a position where the movable unit 32 opens the drug container 4 (see FIG. 5(B)). In this embodiment, within the movement range of the operating unit 31, the initial position is defined as a "first position," and the position where the movable unit 32 opens the drug container 4 is defined as a "second position."

In this embodiment, the operating unit 31 and the movable unit 32 are molded as a single unit. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the movable unit 3, and examples include synthetic resin, metal, pulp, carbon, etc.

(3.1) Operation Unit The operation unit 31 is a part that is operated by the user. As described above, the operation unit 31 is exposed from the housing 2 through the operation unit opening 261 in the back plate 24 of the housing 2. The operation unit 31 according to this embodiment is movable from a first position to a second position along the thickness direction. When the user presses the operation unit 31 in the first position toward the housing 2, the movable body 3 can be moved.

As shown in Figure 6 (B), the operating unit 31 protrudes from the movable unit 32 toward the rear side in the thickness direction. The operating unit 31 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, but can also have various other shapes, such as a cylindrical, columnar, hemispherical, truncated cone, or truncated pyramid.

(3.2) Movable Part The movable part 32 is a part that constitutes the main body of the movable body 3. The movable part 32 moves integrally with the operating part 31. The movable part 32 is formed in an oval shape having a long axis (in other words, a "longitudinal axis") parallel to the lengthwise direction. As shown in FIG. 6A , the movable part 32 includes a plurality of (here, two) protruding parts 321 formed apart in a direction along the longitudinal axis, and a pair of guided parts 322 spaced apart along a short axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

As shown in FIG. 5(A), when the operating unit 31 is in the first position, each protrusion 321 is separated from the drug container 4. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5(B), when the operating unit 31 is moved to the second position, each protrusion 321 opens a hole in the drug container 4 and opens the drug container 4. As shown in FIG. 6(A), multiple protrusions 321 are formed at both ends of the movable unit 32 in the direction along the longitudinal axis. Each protrusion 321 protrudes from the surface of the movable unit 32 on the first position side in the movement direction. Examples of the shape of each protrusion 321 include a spindle shape (cone shape, pyramid shape), a needle shape, a rod shape, etc., but a cone shape is preferable.

As used in this specification, "pyramidal" refers to a three-dimensional shape with a pointed protruding tip. The tip of the protruding part does not necessarily have to be sharp, and may be a hemispherical tip with a small radius of curvature.

The multiple protrusions 321 are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction (i.e., lengthwise direction) of the movable part 32. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 , holes can be drilled above and below the center of the drug container 4, allowing holes to be drilled in both the gas phase and liquid phase portions of the drug container 4. As a result, the upper holes can be used as air intake holes, and the lower holes can be used as drug passage holes. This allows the drug container 4 to easily eject the drug 1Y and maintain a stable volatilization rate of the drug 1Y. Of the protrusions 321 aligned in the longitudinal direction of the movable part 32, the lower protrusion 321 is preferably drilled as close as possible to the opening edge of the container body 41. Note that "upper" refers to the upper side when the volatilization device 1 is placed on the mounting surface 1G. "Lower" refers to the lower side when the volatilization device 1 is placed on the mounting surface 1G.

As shown in FIG. 6(A), the guided portion 322 is a portion that fits into the guide portion 263 and is guided by the guide portion 263. The guided portion 322 in this embodiment is composed of a pair of concave grooves 3221 that are spaced apart in the short axis direction (width direction). Each groove 3221 extends along the movement direction (thickness direction) of the movable portion 32. The opening surfaces of the pair of grooves 3221 face in opposite directions.

The movable portion 32 has an opening 323 formed therein for the vibration portion 27 (described below) to pass through. The opening 323 is formed above the operating portion 31 in the longitudinal axis direction. The opening 323 will be explained in "(5) Vibrator, Contact Portion" below.

When the movable body 3 is attached to the mounting portion 26 of the frame 23, the operating portion 31 is positioned in the first position, as shown in FIG. 7(A). When an external force is applied to the operating portion 31 (i.e., when it is pushed into the housing 2) while it is positioned in the first position, the movable portion 32 moves in conjunction with the operation portion 31 moving from the first position to the second position, as shown in FIG. 7(B) (FIG. 7(A) → FIG. 7(B)). When the external force applied to the operating portion 31 is removed in this state, the guided portion 322 moves along the guide 265 of the guide portion 263, and the movable portion 32 returns to its original position due to the weight of the movable body 3 (FIG. 7(B) → FIG. 7(A)). At this time, as described below, the volatilization membrane 442 of the drug container 4 is made of an elastically deformable material and therefore elastically pushes back the insertion portion 321. The volatilization membrane 442 can provide the initial force for the operation portion 31 when it moves from the second position to the first position.

(4) Guide Section As shown in FIG. 4(B), when the movable body 3 is attached to the frame 23, the guided portion 322 of the movable body 3 engages with the guide 265 of the guide section 263. The guide section 263 is formed on the frame 23 and engages with a portion (the guided portion 322) of the movable section 32 to guide the movement of the movable section 32. This allows the movable section 32 to move in parallel when the operating section 31 moves between the first position and the second position. As shown in FIG. 4(A), the multiple guide sections 263 are spaced apart in the width direction and formed on both sides of the operating section opening 261. As shown in FIG. 8, each guide section 263 includes an upright wall 264, a guide 265, and a stopper 266.

The upright wall 264 rises in the thickness direction from the front surface of the back plate portion 24. The upright wall 264 is formed along both sides of the width direction of the periphery of the operating portion opening 261.

The guide 265 fits into the guided portion 322 formed on the movable portion 32, guiding the movement of the movable portion 32. The guide 265 is composed of a protrusion 2651 extending along the direction of movement of the movable portion 32. Here, the guide 265 is composed of one protrusion 2651, but it may also be composed of multiple protrusions 2651.

The guide 265 is formed in a straight line. Of the longitudinal ends of the guide 265, the end closest to the first position is referred to as the "first end 1E," and the end closest to the second position is referred to as the "second end 2E." The guide 265 is configured so that when the bottom of the volatilization device 1 is placed on the mounting surface 1G, the first end 1E is located lower than the second end 2E. The guide 265 is inclined with respect to the mounting surface 1G. When the bottom of the volatilization device 1 is placed on the mounting surface 1G, the guide 265 is inclined so that it slopes downward from the second end 2E toward the first end 1E. The angle between the mounting surface 1G and the guide 265 may be greater than 0° and less than or equal to 90°, but is more preferably greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 60°.

The guide 265 fits into a groove 3221 (guided portion 322) formed in the movable portion 32. In this embodiment, both the protrusion 2651 (guide 265) and the groove 3221 (guided portion 322) extend along the movement direction of the movable portion 32, allowing the movable portion 32 to achieve stable parallel movement when moving between the first and second directions.

However, in this embodiment, the guide 265 is configured as a protrusion 2651 and the guided portion 322 is configured as a groove 3221, but for example, the guide 265 may be configured as a groove 3221 and the guided portion 322 may be configured as a protrusion.

When the operating unit 31 moves to the second position, the stopper 266 prevents the movable unit 32 from moving further. As shown in FIG. 8(A), the stopper 266 is composed of a claw formed at the protruding tip of the upright wall 264. When the movable unit 32 moves to the second position, the stopper 266 comes into contact with a part of the movable unit 32 (restriction surface 3222), as shown in FIG. 8(B). This restricts the movable unit 32 from moving further even if the operating unit 31 is pushed in.

(5) Vibrator and Contact Portion In this embodiment, as described above, when the operation unit 31 moves to the second position, the stopper 266 prevents the operation unit 31 from moving. In addition, a sound is generated to notify the user that the movable body 3 has moved to the second position. As shown in FIG. 5 , a contact portion 324 is formed on the movable body 3, and a vibrator 272 is formed on the housing 2. The vibrator 272 is configured so that, when the operation unit 31 moves to the second position, the contact portion 324 vibrates the vibrator 272, generating a sound.

As shown in FIG. 4(A), a vibration unit 27 is provided on the frame 23 of the housing 2. The vibration unit 27 is formed above the operation unit opening 261. As shown in FIG. 9, the vibration unit 27 includes a base unit 271 and a vibrator 272 provided on the base unit 271.

The base portion 271 is the portion that serves as the base for the vibrator 272. The base portion 271 protrudes from the inner surface of the housing 2 (the front surface of the frame 23). The base portion 271 passes through the opening 323 in the movable portion 32 when the operating unit 31 is located in the first position (Figure 4(B)).

Oscillator 272 is a part that vibrates when it bounces off contact portion 324 after contact with it. Oscillator 272 is formed at the tip of base portion 271. Oscillator 272 has a fixed end connected to base portion 271 and a free end, and is formed in a cantilever shape. Oscillator 272 is formed so that the lengthwise dimension L1 between the fixed end and the free end is longer than the widthwise dimension L2 of the fixed end. Oscillator 272 is also formed so that it becomes narrower towards the free end. This makes it easier to vibrate oscillator 272.

As shown in FIG. 6, the contact portion 324 is formed on the periphery of the opening 323 in the movable body 3. The contact portion 324 is configured as a protrusion formed on the periphery of the opening 323, but may also be configured as part of the periphery of the opening as long as the periphery of the opening can be designed to contact the vibrator 272. The contact portion 324 can repel the vibrator 272 when the operating unit 31 comes into contact with the free end of the vibrator 272 slightly closer to the first position than the second position and the movable body 3 reaches the second position.

When the vibrator 272 is struck by the contact portion 324, it vibrates, producing a snapping sound, such as a "snap." Note that the vibrator 272 does not necessarily have to produce a sound; it may vibrate to produce a clicking sensation that indicates that the movable body 3 has moved to the second position.

As shown in Figure 10, when the operating unit 31 is pressed while it is in the first position, the movable part 32 moves toward the second position, and the contact part 324 comes into contact with the vibrator 272 just before the operating unit 31 reaches the second position (Figure 10 (A) → (B)). When the operating unit 31 is pressed further from this position, the contact part 324 repels the vibrator 272, generating a sound, and the operating unit 31 reaches the second position (Figure 10 (C) → (D)).

After this, when the external force applied to the operating unit 31 is removed, the weight of the movable body 3 moves the movable body 32 toward the first position. In particular, as described below, the lid 44 of the drug container 4 is equipped with an elastically deformable volatilization membrane 442, and the elastic force (repulsion force) of the volatilization membrane 442 applies an acceleration force to the movable body 3. As a result, the contact portion 324 again contacts the vibrator 272, and then the contact portion 324 repels the vibrator 272 (Figure 10 (E) → (F)). Therefore, sound is generated again, and the operating unit 31 returns to the first position (Figure 10 (G)).

As such, the volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment is equipped with the vibrator 272 and the contact portion 324, and is therefore able to notify the user that the operating portion 31 has moved to the position where the medicine container 4 has been opened. As a result, the medicine container 4 can be reliably opened.

The vibrator 272 is also positioned above the operating unit 31. Here, the vibrator 272 is positioned close to the lid 44 of the drug container 4. After the rupture membrane 441 (described below) ruptures, the lower part of the lid 44 bulges due to the drug's own weight. If the vibrator 272 is located below the operating unit 31, there is a possibility that the vibrator 272 will come into contact with the lid 44. By positioning the vibrator 272 above the operating unit 31, it is possible to prevent the vibrator 272 from coming into contact with the lid 44.

(6) Drug Container The drug container 4 is a container that contains the drug 1Y. As shown in FIG. 11 , the drug container 4 includes a container body 41, a lid 44, and a plate member 45.

(6.1) Container Body The container body 41 is the main part of the drug container 4. The container body 41 is made of a hard resin. There are no particular limitations on the hard resin, and examples thereof include polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, and laminates thereof. In this embodiment, the container body 41 is made of a laminate of polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene.

The container body 41 according to this embodiment is made of a transparent resin so that the remaining amount of drug 1Y can be visually confirmed. "Transparent" here means that the degree of transparency allows the remaining amount of drug 1Y to be visually confirmed, and includes so-called translucency. Note that in the present invention, the container body 41 may also be made of an opaque material.

The container body 41 includes a storage section 42 and a flange section 43. The storage section 42 is the portion of the container body 41 where the drug 1Y is stored. The storage section 42 is formed in the shape of a container with an opening on one side. As shown in Figure 12, the storage section 42 includes a drug storage section 421 and a plate storage section 422.

The agent storage section 421 is a section that mainly stores the agent 1Y. As shown in FIG. 13 , the agent storage section 421 includes a bottom wall 4211 that is generally rectangular in plan view, and a first side wall 4212 that rises from the outer periphery of the bottom wall 4211. The plate material storage section 422 is a section that stores the plate member 45, and is formed between the agent storage section 421 and the flange portion 43. The plate material storage section 422 includes a support portion 4221 that connects to the first side wall 4212 of the agent storage section 421, and a second side wall 4222 that rises from the outer periphery of the support portion 4221. The end of the second side wall 4222 on the flange portion 43 side forms the opening surface of the storage section 42.

The thickness dimension (internal dimension) of the agent storage section 421 is not particularly limited, but is set, for example, to 5 mm or more and 20 mm or less. The thickness dimension (internal dimension) of the plate material storage section 422 is set appropriately depending on the thickness dimension of the plate member 45, but is set, for example, to 1 mm or more and 5 mm or less.

The flange portion 43 is the portion to which the lid body 44 is joined. The flange portion 43 is provided along the entire outer periphery of the opening surface of the storage portion 42. The surface of the flange portion 43 to which the lid body 44 is joined is flat. The entire surface of the flange portion 43 to which the lid body 44 is joined is located on the same plane.

(6.2) Lid The lid 44 is joined to the flange 43 so as to close the opening of the container body 41. The lid 44 can be joined to the flange 43 by, for example, welding or adhesive. The lid 44 is flexible. The lid 44 is configured by stacking a rupture film 441 and a volatilization film 442. The lid 44 is arranged in this order from the inside to the outside of the drug container 4, with the rupture film 441 and the volatilization film 442 being the rupture film 441 and the volatilization film 442.

The rupture film 441 is configured to rupture with a smaller amount of elongation than the volatilization film 442 when an external force is applied to the volatilization film 442 from the outside in the thickness direction. The rupture film 441 is made of a liquid-impermeable material. For example, the rupture film 441 may be a thin film formed by laminating a polyethylene layer, an aluminum layer, and a polyethylene terephthalate layer.

A specific example of the rupture film 441 is a thin film formed by stacking a first polyethylene layer, an aluminum layer, a second polyethylene layer, and a polyethylene terephthalate layer in this order from the inside to the outside. In this case, for example, the thickness of the first polyethylene layer is set to 5 μm to 30 μm, the thickness of the aluminum layer is set to 5 μm to 25 μm, the thickness of the second polyethylene layer is set to 5 μm to 25 μm, and the thickness of the polyethylene terephthalate layer is set to 5 μm to 25 μm.

The volatilization membrane 442 volatilizes the drug 1Y while retaining the drug 1Y that has passed through the holes (rupture holes) formed in the rupture membrane 441. The volatilization membrane 442 is disposed on the outer surface of the rupture membrane 441 (the surface opposite the container body 41 in the thickness direction). The volatilization membrane 442 is less likely to rupture than the rupture membrane 441 when an external force is applied to the volatilization membrane 442 from the outside in the thickness direction. Examples of the volatilization membrane 442 include porous films such as Teslin (trademark) and Daramic (trademark).

As shown in Figure 14, in a drug container 4 configured as described above, when the operating part 31 moves from the first position to the second position, the plunger 321 pushes the volatilization membrane 442. The plunger 321 then pushes the rupture membrane 441. At this time, the volatilization membrane 442 and the rupture membrane 441 stretch, but the rupture membrane 441 ruptures first, creating a hole in the rupture membrane 441 (Figure 14 (A) → (B)). After this, when the external force on the operating part 31 is removed, the weight of the movable body 3 causes the guided part 322 to move along the guide 265, and the operating part 31 returns from the second position to the first position. As a result, the movable part 32 and plunger 321 move away from the volatilization membrane 442.

Then, the chemical 1Y inside the chemical container 4 is released to the outside through the lower hole. The chemical 1Y penetrates the volatilization membrane 442 and volatilizes. When the chemical 1Y is released, the pressure inside the container decreases, and air is drawn in through the upper hole. This allows the chemical container 4 to maintain a stable amount of chemical 1Y volatilized.

(6.3) Plate Member The plate member 45 is a member for partially preventing the extension of the lid body 44 when an external force is applied to the lid body 44. The plate member 45 makes it easier for the rupture film 441 to rupture when an external force is applied. As shown in FIG. 12 , the plate member 45 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape. There are no particular restrictions on the material of the plate member 45, and examples thereof include polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, and laminates thereof.

The plate member 45 has multiple (here, two) through holes 451 formed in it. The multiple through holes 451 are formed at both ends of the plate member 45 in the longitudinal direction (length direction). The through holes 451 are formed in positions corresponding to the portions to which external force is to be applied.

(7) Effects As described above, in the volatilization device 1 according to this embodiment, when the bottom of the housing 2 is placed on the mounting surface 1G, the first end 1E of the guide 265 is positioned lower than the second end 2E. Therefore, when a force is applied to the operating unit 31, causing the operating unit 31 to move from the first position to the second position, and then the force applied to the operating unit 31 is removed, the operating unit moves along the guide 265 to the first position due to the weight of the movable body 3. This causes the movable body 3 to move away from the drug container 4. This prevents the drug 1Y from flowing out along the movable body 3.

Furthermore, the movable body 3 has a protruding portion 321 that ruptures the rupture membrane 441 via the volatilization membrane 442 when the operating unit 31 is in the second position. Therefore, when the operating unit 31 moves from the second position to the first position, the repulsive force from the volatilization membrane 442 pushes the protruding portion 321 toward the first position. This prevents the movable body 3 from remaining immobile and in contact with the medicine container 4.

The movable part 32 also has multiple plungers 321, one of which opens a hole at a position corresponding to the liquid phase of the drug container 4, and the other plungers 321 open a hole at a position corresponding to the gas phase. This allows the drug container 4 to maintain a stable volatilization rate of the drug 1Y.

In addition, because the protruding portion 321 is formed in a cone shape, the volatilization membrane 442 can effectively push back the protruding portion 321.

<Modification>
The above embodiment is merely one of various embodiments of the present invention. The embodiment can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present invention can be achieved. Modifications of the embodiment are listed below. The modifications described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

In the above embodiment, the operating unit 31 is configured to be movable along the thickness direction of the housing 2. However, in the present invention, the movement direction of the operating unit 31 is not limited to the thickness direction, and the operating unit 31 may be configured to be movable, for example, along the length direction or width direction.

In the above embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the guide 265 is inclined relative to the mounting surface 1G so that it is positioned lower toward the first end 1E. However, in the present invention, the longitudinal direction of the guide 265 from the first position toward the second position may be vertical.

In the above embodiment, the movable part 32 is formed in an oval shape, but it may also be, for example, rectangular, strip-shaped, square, or disk-shaped; there are no particular limitations on the shape.

In the above embodiment, the guide 265 and the guided portion 322 were configured with a ridge 2651 or protrusion and a recessed groove 3221, but in the present invention, they may be configured with, for example, a rod and a hole, and there are no particular restrictions on their shape.

In the above embodiment, a stopper 266 was provided to restrict the movement of the movable part 32 when the operating part 31 moved to the second position, but the stopper 266 may be omitted. In other words, the operating part 31 may be configured to be able to move further after moving from the first position to the second position.

In the above embodiment, the vibrator 272 was provided only above the operating unit 31, but in the present invention, it may be provided on both the top and bottom sides of the operating unit 31, or only below it.

In the above embodiment, the vibrator 272 is provided on the housing 2 and the contact portion 324 is provided on the movable body 3, but the vibrator 272 may be provided on the movable body 3 and the contact portion 324 may be provided on the housing 2. In this case, too, the user can be notified that the movable body 3 has moved to the position where the medicine container 4 was opened.

In the above embodiment, the length direction of the main body 21 is inclined relative to the horizontal plane, but in the present invention, the length direction of the main body 21 may be parallel to the vertical direction. Furthermore, while the main body 21 is formed so that its length dimension is longer than its width dimension, in the present invention, the length dimension and width dimension may be the same, or the width dimension may be longer than the length dimension. In the above embodiment, the embodiment is described based on the "thickness direction," "length direction," and "width direction" of the housing 2, but the "thickness direction," "length direction," and "width direction" of the housing 2 can also be referred to as the "first direction," "second direction," and "third direction," respectively.

In the volatilization device 1 according to the above embodiment, the chemical container may be a cartridge-type chemical container, which allows only the chemical container to be replaced with a new chemical container. The "rupture membrane 441" and "volatilization membrane 442" can also be referred to as the "first membrane" and the "second membrane," respectively.

In this specification, expressions that include "approximately" such as "approximately parallel" or "approximately perpendicular" may be used. For example, "approximately parallel" means that the object is essentially "parallel," and does not necessarily mean that the object is strictly "parallel," but also includes an error of a few degrees. The same applies to other expressions that include "approximately."

In addition, in this specification, expressions such as "end" and "edge" are used that are distinguished by the presence or absence of "... part." For example, "end" means the end of an object, while "end" means a region with a certain range that includes the "end." Any point within a certain range that includes the edge is considered to be an "end." The same applies to other expressions that include "... part."

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 volatilization device 1Y chemical 2 housing 265 guide 1E first end 2E second end 3 movable body 31 operation part 321 plunge part 4 chemical container 42 storage part 43 flange part 441 rupture membrane (first membrane)
442 Volatile film (second film)
1G Placement surface

Claims (4)

a bottom portion that rests on the placement surface;
a medicine container containing a liquid medicine;
a housing configured to accommodate the drug container containing the drug;
a movable body having an operating unit movable between a first position and a second position with respect to the housing, and configured to open the medicine container when the operating unit moves to the second position;
a guide that guides movement of the operation unit between the first position and the second position;
Equipped with
When the bottom portion is placed on a placement surface, a first end portion, which is an end portion of the guide on the first position side, is located at a lower position than a second end portion, which is an end portion of the guide on the second position side;
The drug container comprises:
a storage section having an opening on one side and containing the medicine;
a flange portion provided along an outer periphery of the opening surface of the accommodation portion;
a first membrane fixed to the flange portion so as to close the opening;
an elastically deformable second membrane disposed on an outer surface of the first membrane;
and
the movable body has a protruding portion that breaks the first film via the second film when the operation portion moves to the second position,
When the operation portion moves from the second position toward the first position, the protruding portion is pushed out toward the first position by a repulsive force from the second film.
Volatilization device. The guide is linear from the first end to the second end.
The volatilization device according to claim 1. The movable body includes a plurality of the protruding portions.
The volatilization device according to claim 1 . The protruding portion is formed in a cone shape.
The volatilization device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .