JPH0332674A - Deodorizing and aromatic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the natural leakage of aroma and to allow the arbitrary adjustment of a discharge rate and discharge time by providing an actuator made of an electroexothermic type shape memory alloy and providing a flow rate control valve, a fan mechanism consisting of a diaphragm, and a control circuit for cooperatively controlling the flow rate control valve. CONSTITUTION:Current flows to an electromagnet 14 and the diaphragm 12 provided on an upper cap 9 of a housing chamber 7 oscillates when a switch is turned on. When the diaphragm 12 oscillator upward the air pressure in the housing chamber 7 fluctuates and a conical stop valve 10c provided in a suction hole 20a of a container body 8 is opened toward the inner side of the container to suck the air from the outside and to bring the air into contact with a deodorant and perfume. On the other hand, when the diaphragm 12 oscillator downward, a conical stop valve 10d provided in a discharge hole 10b opens toward the outer side of the container to feed the air carrying the perfume into an air flow passage 17 of the flow rate control valve 16. The current flows to a wire rod 19 made of the electroexothermic type shape memory alloy according to the value of the duty ratio set by a duty ratio control dial 23 in the flow rate control valve 16. Heat is self-generated in the wire rod 19 and the wire rod is shrink by the shape restoring effect; by which a valve plug 18 is detached from the inner end of an outflow port 17b to open the air flow passage 17 to a prescribed extent.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is a device that can be placed inside a building or a car, etc., and equipped with a deodorizer to eliminate odors or an air freshener to emit a fragrance. Regarding the deodorizing/fragrance device.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a deodorizing device has been equipped with a deodorizing agent, and an air circulation method has been used in which external air is sucked into the device, brought into contact with the deodorizing agent, and then released to the outside. These are common.

On the other hand, as an aroma device, a packaging bag, box, or bottle of a solid air freshener that is sold in a sealed manner is opened at the time of use, and the uncorked container is left in a desired location to emit a fragrance. A medium impregnated with a volatile aromatic agent is placed in a container to promote its volatilization and as disclosed in JP-A-60-186241 and JP-A-61-48366. A method is known in which a piezoelectric diaphragm is attached inside a container and air is blown by fan operation in order to guide the radiation to the air.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the above-mentioned deodorizing devices and fragrance devices usually have large inlet ports and discharge ports in order to increase the deodorizing or fragrance effect, and moreover, they are open even when not in use. It remains as it is. Therefore, there is a problem in that deodorizers and fragrances are consumed more than necessary and must be replaced at an early stage.

In particular, since the aroma device is used to further diffuse the aroma once released into the air through volatilization or evaporation as a gas, it is necessary to open the discharge port to the outside of the container as large as possible. However, if the discharge port of an air freshener is wide open, the scent will remain in the room for a long time due to the natural dissipation of the fragrance, and the indoor space, which should be comfortable, will become adversely affected by the excessive release of fragrance. You may feel disgusted.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, the present invention has been developed to prevent deodorizers and fragrances from coming into contact with the outside air when not in use, thereby preventing waste of deodorizers, etc., and to maintain the natural aroma after discharge is stopped. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a deodorizing/fragrance device that can almost completely prevent emissions due to leakage, can adjust the discharge amount and discharge time as desired, and is compact and can be installed in various locations in indoor spaces. .

[Means for Solving the Problems] The deodorizing/fragrance device of the present invention includes a housing in which an outside air intake port and a corresponding discharge port are formed at appropriate positions on an outer wall, and a A storage chamber that is connected to a mouth and a discharge port, and has a space that can store a deodorizer or an aromatic agent, and a lid member for storage and replacement; a blower mechanism disposed in a gas flow path between the intake port and the discharge port; a flow rate adjustment valve; a control circuit for controlling the blower mechanism and the flow rate adjustment valve in conjunction with each other;
It is characterized by consisting of.

[Function] In this configuration, when a deodorizer or the like is stored in the storage chamber and the power is turned on at a predetermined timing, the electromagnet and the actuator made of the energized heat-generating shape memory alloy are energized.

As a result, the magnetic member fixed to the upper surface of the diaphragm is attracted to or separated from the electromagnet, causing the diaphragm to vibrate. As a result, the air pressure inside the storage chamber fluctuates, and the umbrella-shaped on-off valves provided in the suction and discharge holes are alternately opened and closed. As a result, air from outside the device is taken into the storage chamber, brought into contact with the deodorizer, etc., and then sent into the flow control valve through the discharge hole.

On the other hand, in the flow rate regulating valve, an actuator made of an energized heat-generating shape memory alloy connected to the valve body recovers its shape in the contraction direction by the energization, and opens the air flow passage by a predetermined amount. Thereby, a predetermined amount of deodorized and aromatic air is discharged out of the apparatus via the discharge port of the housing, depending on the opening amount.

Next, when the power is turned off, the above-mentioned current supply stops, and the diaphragm stops vibrating. At the same time, the temperature of the actuator, which is made of an energized heat-generating shape-memory alloy, rapidly decreases due to the cooling effect caused by the fluid passing through contact with it, and it recovers its shape. The action stops. Therefore, the actuator returns to its original expanded shape under the elastic force of the spring and closes the outlet of the airflow passage. This completely prevents excessive discharge of deodorizers or fragrances.

[Example] Hereinafter, a more detailed explanation will be given based on an example of the present invention shown in the drawings.

In the figure, %1 is the deodorizing/fragrance device according to the present invention, 2
1 is a housing made of plastic or the like and formed into a rectangular shape as an outer box for the deodorizing/fragrance device, and is composed of a housing main body 3 with an open top surface and a lid 4 that can be opened and closed freely. Reference numeral 5 indicates an inlet port provided on one of the opposing side wall portions of the housing body 3, and 6 indicates an outlet port provided on the other side wall portion.

7 is a storage chamber for storing deodorizers, fragrances, and the like. The storage chamber 7 is composed of a top-open container main body 8 and a top lid 9, each consisting of a bottom lid 8a and a side wall 8b, and a suction hole 10a and a discharge hole lob are formed facing each other in the side wall 8b.

Here, the container body 8 may be formed by integrally molding the bottom lid 8a and the side wall portion 8b, but as shown in FIG.
These are molded separately, and the raised bottom part 8 of the bottom cover 8a
By forming a male threaded portion 8d around c and a female threaded portion 8e on the inner surface of the side wall portion 8b, and opening a mounting hole 3a of a predetermined diameter at an appropriate position on the bottom of the housing body 3, the mounting hole It is preferable that the bottom cover 8a is screwed onto the side wall portion 8b from 3a to be detachably attached to the bottom of the housing. 3b is a container mounting protrusion protruding around the mounting hole 3a, and 8f is a fixing protrusion for fixing the side wall 8b and the top cover 9 to the mounting protrusion 3b with screws. . In addition, 8g is O for sealing the gap with the upper lid 9.
It is a ring and is embedded in the upper edge of the side wall portion 8b.

With this configuration, when replacing the deodorizer, etc., it is possible to do so by simply rotating and removing the bottom cover 8a. There is no need to

Thus, the above-described suction hole 10a is connected to the suction port 5, and the discharge hole t is connected to the suction port 5.
ab is connected to an inlet 17a of a flow control valve 16, which will be described later. Reference numeral 11 denotes a gasket for sealing the connection between the suction hole 10a and the suction port 5.

On the other hand, the upper lid 9 is formed into a hollow substantially truncated conical shape,
A diaphragm 12 is fixed to the bottom of the container body 8.
It is configured to cover the top surface of the The diaphragm 1
2 has a magnetic member 1 such as an iron piece or a permanent magnet on the inner surface approximately at the center thereof.
3 is fixed thereto, and an electromagnet 14 consisting of an iron core 14a and an excitation coil 14b is attached to the inner upper center of the upper cover 9, which faces the magnetic member 13 at a predetermined distance. 14c and 14d shown in FIG. 1 are wiring terminals for the electromagnet 14.

When the electromagnet 14 is energized by a control circuit to be described later, it attracts and separates the magnetic member 13, thereby causing the diaphragm to vibrate up and down.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a flow control valve, which uses a wire rod 19 made of a shape memory alloy that generates heat when energized as an actuator for moving the valve body 18 forward and backward.

The flow rate adjustment valve 16 is a cylindrical body with openings at both ends.
As shown in FIG. 6, an air flow passage 17 having an inlet 17a and an outlet 17b is formed. Therefore, the seventh
As shown in the figure, the inlet 17a is connected to the discharge hole 10b of the storage chamber through the connecting pipe 24 and the fixing plate 25, and the outlet 17b is connected to the discharge port 6 of the housing. Note that 26 is a bulb holder, and terminals 26b, 26b at both ends thereof are electrically connected to a circuit board 21, which will be described later, via lead wires 26a, 26a. The valve body 18 has a conical shape, and is normally seated in the air flow passage 17 by being pressed against the inner end of the outlet 17b by the elastic force of the spring 2o to close the air flow passage 17. There is. Also,
This valve body 18 has a wire rod 19 made of an energized heat-generating shape memory alloy whose other end is fixed to the valve body on the inlet port 17a side.
One end of the is fixed to the sclera. As described above, this wire 19 functions as an actuator and controls the operation of the valve body 18.

The wire rod 19 made of the shape memory alloy that generates heat when energized generates heat due to its own electric resistance when energized, and when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature, it shrinks and deforms into a pre-memorized matrix shape, and then the energization is stopped. When the temperature is lower than a predetermined temperature, the wire 19 becomes relaxed and returns to its original elongated shape under the elastic force of the spring 2o.

Reference numerals 21a to 21e are IC circuits disposed on the circuit board 21 at the inner bottom of the housing main body 3, which are connected to the electromagnet 14 and the flow control valve 16 described above using the battery 22 as a power source, and serve as a control circuit for controlling the operation thereof. Function.

The battery 22 is connected to an opening/closing ff provided at the bottom of the housing body 3.
It is removable from 13c. 27 is a jack for connecting an external power source.

Reference numeral 23 denotes a dial for adjusting the duty ratio of the pulse current for the power source 1. By appropriately adjusting this dial 23, the opening area of the air flow passage 17 is changed by advancing and retreating the valve body 18, and the flow rate is adjusted. It is something. That is, by utilizing the fact that the amount of current changes and the shape recovery force of the wire 19 differs depending on the magnitude of the duty ratio value, the valve body 1 is
Adjust the amount of forward and backward movement of the slide 8, and move the air flow path 1
This is to change the opening area of 7.

The deodorizing/fragrance device having such a configuration operates as follows. First, a deodorizing agent or an aromatic agent is stored in the storage chamber 7 of this device, and the device is installed at an appropriate location inside a building, a car, or the like. At this time, by making the bottom cover 8a of the storage chamber 7 removable as described above, the deodorizer and the like can be easily stored and replaced by removing the bottom M8a.

Then, the switch of the power supply circuit is turned on at a timing appropriate to necessity. At this time, the duty ratio is set to a predetermined value in consideration of the size of the indoor space where the device is installed.

When the switch is turned on, current flows through the electromagnet 14,
A diaphragm 12 provided on the upper lid 9 of the storage chamber 7 vibrates. In response to this vibration of the diaphragm 12, that is,
When the diaphragm 12 vibrates upward, the air pressure inside the storage chamber 7 fluctuates, and the umbrella-shaped opening/closing valve lOc provided in the suction hole 10a of the container body 8 opens to the inside of the container, sucking air from the outside, and removing the deodorizer. or fragrances. On the other hand, when it vibrates downward, the umbrella-shaped opening/closing valve 1 provided in the discharge hole fob
0d is opened to the outside of the container and sends air with fragrance into the air flow passage 17 of the flow rate control valve 16.

In the flow rate control valve 16, a current flows through the wire 19 made of an energized heat-generating shape memory alloy according to the value of the duty ratio set by the duty ratio control dial 23. As a result, the wire 19 self-generates heat and contracts due to the shape recovery action, and the valve body 18 is separated from the inner end of the outlet 17b to open the airflow passage 17 by a predetermined amount. Therefore, the above-mentioned air is discharged to the outside through the outlet 17b and the outlet 6 of the housing body 3 in an amount corresponding to the opening area.

The discharge amount is adjusted by moving the valve body 18 back and forth, as described above, by adjusting the duty ratio value using the duty ratio adjustment dial 23.

That is, when the value of the duty ratio is small, the current flowing through the wire 19 made of the current-heating type shape memory alloy is small, so the heat generation temperature of the wire 19 is also low, and the shape recovery force is small.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8(A), the opening area of the airflow passage becomes small. On the other hand, as the duty ratio value increases, the amount of current also increases.
The shape recovery force, that is, the shrinkage force of the wire 19 increases, and the opening area of the airflow passage 17 also increases, as shown in FIG. 8(B).

On the other hand, when the power is turned off, the diaphragm 12
At the same time, the self-heating of the current-heating shape memory alloy wire 19 stops. Therefore, the wire rod 19 returns to its original elongated shape under the elastic force of the spring 20 and closes the outlet 17b again, so that excessive supply of fragrance due to spontaneous release of air can be completely prevented.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the deodorizing/fragrance device of the present invention, the flow rate control valve includes the following:
Since a valve body connected to a wire made of an energized heat-generating shape memory alloy is used, the amount of air discharged from the device can be easily controlled. Moreover, since it is sufficient to use only a wire rod made of such a shape memory alloy as an actuator, the device can be made very compact.

Furthermore, since it is possible to prevent the natural consumption and natural leakage of deodorizers and fragrances when they are not in use, there is no need to waste the deodorizers or cause disgust due to excessive release.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the internal structure of one embodiment of the deodorizing/fragrance device of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 11-II in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a front view of the same, and Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the same. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the container body and bottom plate of the storage chamber, Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view showing the flow rate adjustment valve, and Figure 7 is a perspective view for explaining the arrangement of the flow rate adjustment valve. 8(A) and 8(B) are partial vertical sectional views showing the position of the valve body when the conductive heating type shape memory alloy actuator has recovered its shape. 1-...Deodorizing/fragrance device 2...Housing 5...Intake port 6...Discharge port 7...Storage chamber 8... ...Container body 9...Top lid 10a...Suction hole 10b...Discharge hole 12...Diaphragm 13...Magnetic member 14. ..... Electromagnet 16 ..... Flow rate adjustment valve 18 ..... Valve body 19 ..... Actuator 20 ..... Spring 22 ..... Battery

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A housing having an outside air intake port and a corresponding discharge port formed at appropriate locations on an outer wall; and a sealed chamber disposed within the housing and communicated with the intake port and the discharge port. , a storage chamber having a space in which a deodorizer or an aromatic agent can be stored and a lid member for storage and replacement; and a ventilation mechanism disposed in a gas flow path between the inlet port and the discharge port in the housing. , a flow rate control valve disposed at a proper position in the gas flow path between the suction port and the discharge port in the housing, and comprising an actuator made of an energized heat-generating shape memory alloy; and the blower mechanism and the flow rate control valve. A deodorizing/fragrance device comprising: a control circuit for interlocking and controlling; (2) The air blowing mechanism includes a diaphragm disposed in the storage chamber, an electromagnetic vibration mechanism for vibrating the diaphragm to vary the air pressure in the storage chamber, and directing the air in and out of the storage chamber in a fixed direction. The deodorizing/fragrance device according to claim 1, comprising: an opening/closing valve for regulation. (3) The storage chamber includes a container body formed by a bottom lid and a side wall, and a top lid, and the bottom lid and the side wall of the container body are configured separately, and the bottom lid 2. The deodorizing/fragrance device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is detachably attached to the side wall through a mounting hole formed in the bottom of the housing. (4) The flow rate regulating valve includes a valve body disposed in the air flow passage, a spring that elastically biases the valve body in a direction to close the air flow passage at all times, and one end attached to the valve body. one end is fixed, and the other end is fixed to the valve body, and by applying electricity, the valve body is restored to its shape so as to slide in the direction of opening the airflow passage against the spring. The deodorizing/fragrance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising an actuator made of a heat-generating shape memory alloy.