JPH0438433B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a nozzle for an inhalation type thermotherapy device,
In particular, it relates to a device that suppresses the adhesion of liquid droplets on its upper and lower end surfaces to prevent liquid from being mixed into the vapor flow and hitting the user's nose, etc., thereby preventing the user from feeling uncomfortable heat.

(Prior Art) A simple treatment device for various types of rhinitis including persistent rhinitis is disclosed in Patent Application Publication No. 61-500155. The suction type thermotherapy device will be explained below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the suction type thermotherapy device, and reference numeral 101 in the figure indicates a housing.
Water 103 is contained within this housing 101 . Hollow cylindrical tubes 105 and 107 are arranged concentrically within the housing 101, and approximately the lower halves of these tubes 105 and 107 are immersed in the water 103. Further, the tubes 105 and 107 are connected to an AC power source 113 via conductive wires 109 and 111. That is, tubes 105 and 107 function as electrodes for heating water 103.

The upper end opening 101a of the housing 101 is closed by a plug 115. The upper ends of the tubes 105 and 107 are supported by the stopper 115. A passage 1 is located in the center of the stopper 115.
17 is formed in the housing 101, and the steam generated in the housing 101 passes through this passage 117 and the nozzle 119 to the vent lily part 121 formed in the plug 115.
will be introduced in A capillary tube 123 is provided between the bench lily portion 121 and the water 103 in the housing 101.
is installed. Further, an air introduction hole 125 is formed in the plug 115.

An inhalation mask 127 is attached to the tip of the plug 115. The user uses this inhalation mask 127
The steam is sucked into the nostrils by fitting it over a part of the face, centering on the nose.

According to the above configuration, steam generated within the housing 101 flows out to the bench lily portion 121 via the passage 117 and the nozzle 119. At this time, air is suctioned through the air introduction hole 125 by the ejector action, and liquid droplets are suctioned through the capillary tube 123. Due to this action, steam adjusted to an appropriate temperature and humidity is sucked into the user through the suction mask 127.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) According to the above-mentioned conventional configuration, there is a problem that hot droplets may hit the nose or other parts of the face, and the user has no choice but to stop using the device due to the heat. This is largely due to the configuration of the suction mask 127 and the configuration in which droplets are included in the vapor via the capillary tube 123, and also due to the configuration of the nozzle 119. That is, droplets condensed near the entrance of the passage 117 flow into the passage 117,
The droplets are carried into the nozzle 119 by the steam flow, causing a phenomenon in which the flow path of the nozzle 119 is temporarily blocked, increasing the steam temperature, and the droplets and hot steam are simultaneously discharged into the nose. Or it may stick to other parts of the face. Furthermore, the liquid carried from the capillary tube 123 is not sufficiently atomized at the tip of the nozzle 119, and sometimes becomes droplets and adheres to the tip of the nozzle 119, and these droplets are mixed with steam into other parts of the nose or face. It may also stick to parts.

The present invention has been made based on these points, and its purpose is to improve the adhesion, retention, and retention of droplets.
Adhesion of droplets, especially on the upper and lower end surfaces,
An object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle for a suction type thermotherapy device that makes it possible to prevent stagnation.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, a nozzle for an inhalation type thermal treatment device according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided, in which a nozzle for an inhalation type thermal treatment device according to the first aspect of the present invention is provided. A nozzle that is integrally or removably attached to the nozzle, and has a steam jet hole in the center of the nozzle, the upper end of the nozzle protrudes above the lid, and the outer diameter of the upper end of the nozzle is directed upward. The nozzle used to have a tapered shape, and the lower end of the nozzle protruded downward from the lid, and the outer diameter of the lower end of the nozzle extended in the vertical direction.
The inner diameter of the lower end of the nozzle is tapered so as to increase in diameter downward.

The nozzle for a suction type thermotherapy device according to the second claim is the nozzle for a suction type thermotherapy device according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the nozzle at the upper end surface and the lower end surface of the nozzle is the inner diameter plus 2 mm. It is characterized by being less than or equal to the specified value.

Further, the nozzle for an inhalation type thermotherapy device according to a third aspect is the nozzle for an inhalation type thermotherapy device according to the first aspect, wherein the diameter of the steam jet hole is 0.5 to 1.2 mm.
It is characterized by being determined within the range of .

(Function) In the case of the nozzle for an inhalation type thermotherapy device according to the first claim, the upper end of the nozzle protrudes upward from the lid, and the outer diameter of the upper end of the nozzle is reduced upward. It has a tapered shape.
This is to minimize the area of the top surface of the nozzle, so that even if the steam condenses and liquefies at the nozzle outlet, the droplets will form a minimum area of the top surface of the nozzle. , it does not adhere or stay there, but quickly flows down along the outer diameter of the tapered upper end of the nozzle.
Further, since the upper end of the nozzle protrudes above the lid, the droplets that flow down and stay on the lid do not flow into the nozzle. In particular, even if the entire device is tilted, it will not flow in.

Also, the lower end of the nozzle protrudes below the lid, the outer diameter of the lower end of the nozzle extends in the vertical direction, and the inner diameter of the lower end of the nozzle extends downward. It is tapered so that the diameter is expanded. First, the outer diameter of the lower end of the nozzle is extended vertically in order to allow droplets of steam that condenses and liquefies on the lower surface of the lid to quickly flow downward along the outer diameter of the lower end of the nozzle. And, the inner diameter of the lower end of the nozzle is tapered because
This is to minimize the area of the lower end surface of the nozzle and to enhance the draining effect. Since the area of the nozzle lower end surface is extremely small, the droplets flowing down along the outer diameter part of the nozzle lower end do not adhere to and stay on the nozzle lower end surface, but quickly flow downward.

In addition, when the area of the nozzle upper end surface and the nozzle lower end surface is minimized, there is a concern about the mechanical strength of these parts. This can be solved by setting appropriately.

Next, in the case of the nozzle for a suction type thermotherapy device according to the second aspect, the dimensional difference between the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the nozzle at the upper end surface and the lower end surface of the nozzle is specified, and is 2 mm or less. When the thickness is 2 mm or less, adhesion and retention of droplets can be effectively suppressed.

Next, in the case of the nozzle for an inhalation type thermotherapy device according to the third aspect, the diameter of the steam ejection hole is specified, and is determined in the range of 0.5 to 1.2 mm. The diameter of the steam ejection hole has a large effect on the pressure and temperature of the ejected steam, the air suction effect, the degree of mixing with the sucked air, etc. That is, as the diameter of the steam ejection hole becomes smaller, the flow path resistance of the nozzle increases, so the pressure of the steam increases, the temperature also increases, and the flow rate of the ejected steam increases. In addition, the ejector action at the time of ejection is effectively performed, and air is efficiently sucked and mixed with the sucked air efficiently. Furthermore, the particles of the vapor become finer, which can enhance the therapeutic effect.

On the other hand, when the diameter of the steam jet hole is increased, the flow velocity decreases, the pressure decreases, and the temperature also decreases.
In addition, the ejector effect is also reduced, and mixing with the sucked air becomes difficult to be performed effectively. Therefore, the smaller the diameter of the steam outlet, the better, but if the diameter is made too small, problems such as heat resistance, pressure resistance, and leakage of the container will occur, and the integrity of the equipment will be compromised from the standpoint of safety and economy. is lost. Considering these points, the present invention takes into consideration the above-mentioned 0.5 to 1.2 mm.
A value was selected.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a half-cut sectional view showing the configuration of an inhalation type thermotherapy device incorporating a main nozzle for an inhalation type thermotherapy device according to the present embodiment,
Reference numeral 1 in the figure is a housing. This housing 1 has a cylindrical shape and has an opening 1a at its upper end. A water boiling tank 3 is housed concentrically within the housing 1, and a lower end opening of the water boiling tank 3 is closed by a steel plate 4 via a packing 5.

A heater mechanism 7 is installed below the water boiling tank 3.
is composed of a positive characteristic thermistor 8, a fuse (a thermostat is used in this embodiment) 10 as a temperature overrise prevention switch, and the like.
Further, a timer 9 is connected to the heater mechanism 7, and power is supplied through the timer 9. In the figure, reference numeral 11 is a setting dial for the timer 9, and reference numeral 13 is a plug.

As already mentioned, the heater mechanism 7 is provided with a positive temperature coefficient thermistor 8, and the temperature is controlled by this positive coefficient thermistor 8. That is, when a certain temperature (Kuuri point) is reached, the resistance value of the PTC thermistor 8 rapidly increases, the current value decreases, and as a result, the amount of electric power decreases. Therefore, further heating will be regulated. This is shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing time changes on the horizontal axis and power consumption on the vertical axis. When heating is started, the temperature of the water in the water heating tank 3 gradually increases, and the power consumption gradually decreases as shown by characteristic curve a in the figure. Then, due to the function of the positive temperature coefficient thermistor 8 described above, the power is stabilized at approximately 90W. As shown in the figure, this is a normal case where water is stored in the water boiling tank 3. In the case of dry heating without water, the fuse is closed as shown by characteristic curve b in the figure. 10 functions and heating stops.

Next, regarding the timer 9, the time required for one treatment is usually about 30 minutes, so if you want to start the treatment, you can set it to about 30 minutes using the dial 13 of the timer 9, and it will automatically work. The switch is turned off automatically. Note that the timer 9 in this embodiment has a maximum
Can be set up to 60 minutes and in any case
The switch will turn off after 60 minutes.

The upper opening 1a of the housing 1 is connected to the inner cap 1.
5. This inner cap 15
can be attached to and detached from the housing 1 by screwing. A seal ring 17 is installed between the inner cap 15 and the water heating tank 3. In addition, a nozzle 19 is located in the center of the inner cap 15.
is attached, and the steam generated in the water boiling tank 3 flows upward through this nozzle 19.
Above the inner cap 15 is an adjustment ring 21.
is rotatably attached, and openings 23 are formed in the adjustment ring 21 at a plurality of locations (four locations in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction. or,
An adjustment knob 25 is formed at the edge of the opening 23 so as to protrude outward. On the other hand, an outer cap 27 is installed to cover the adjustment ring 21. The outer cap 27 fits into the annular stepped portion of the inner cap 15. Openings 29 are formed in the outer cap 15 at multiple locations in the circumferential direction (four locations corresponding to the adjusting ring 21 in this embodiment), and the adjusting knob 25 of the adjusting ring 21 projects outward from the openings 29. ing. That is, by rotating the inner adjustment ring 21 by an appropriate amount via the adjustment knob 25, the opening 2
3 and 29 by a desired amount, thereby adjusting the amount of air sucked.

Next, regarding the structure of the upper end of the outer cap 27 and the nose piece 31 that is attached to and detached therefrom, the nose piece 31 has a substantially cylindrical shape as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is made of flexible material, e.g. , has a nosepiece body 33 made of silicone rubber, and the lower end of this nosepiece body 33 is open, and the lower end is tapered to reduce the outer diameter (hereinafter referred to as "tapered part"). 35). on the other hand,
As shown in FIG. 1, the upper end of the outer cap 29 is tapered so that its inner diameter increases upward (tapered portion 37). By connecting the nose piece 31 and the outer cap 29 through the tapered parts 35 and 37 in this way, airtightness is ensured, and the droplets on the inside are also ensured to flow inward, and the slope between the two is also reduced. Easily absorbed.

A pair of support parts 39, 39 are formed at the upper end of the nose piece main body 33 in a direction perpendicular to a line connecting a pair of nostrils of the user. This support portion 39 has a substantially arcuate notch shape, on which the proximal and distal ends of the user's nose are seated. The pair of support parts 39, 39 are connected via a bridge part 41.

The upper end of the nosepiece body 33,
A pair of insertion parts 43, 43 are formed between the pair of support parts 39, 39. This insertion portion 43 is formed to protrude upward and is inserted into the user's nostril by a desired amount.

Exhaust holes 45, 45 are formed in the nosepiece body 33. This exhaust hole 45 has a function of preventing steam from staying inside the nosepiece body 33 when not being inhaled, and a part of the steam supplied from inside the housing 1 is exhausted to the outside through this exhaust hole 45. be done.

Next, the structure of the nozzle 19 will be explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the nozzle 19 is airtightly installed in a hole 47 formed in the inner cap 15, and has a steam jet hole 49 in the center. This steam vent 4
The diameter of 9 is determined within the range of 0.5 to 1.2 mm,
In this example, it is 0.8 mm. As mentioned above, the diameter of the steam ejection hole 49 has a great influence on the final therapeutic effect, and for example, the internal pressure and steam temperature exhibit the following differences depending on the diameter.

First, if the diameter is made smaller, the internal pressure will be 1.1 atm.
The steam temperature will be around 103℃. Conversely, if the diameter is increased, the internal pressure will be 1 atm and the steam temperature will be approximately 100°C. In this example, as already mentioned, the diameter is 0.8 mm.
In that case, the internal pressure would be slightly higher than 1 atmosphere, and the steam temperature would be slightly higher than 100°C. This ensures a margin for pressure resistance and heat resistance, maintains structural integrity, prevents steam leakage, and does not cause unsafe conditions during use.

Further, the upper end 51 of the nozzle 19 is connected to the inner cap 1.
5, and its outer diameter portion 53 is tapered such that its diameter decreases upward. This minimizes the area of the upper end surface 55 of the nozzle 19 so that the droplets of condensed and liquefied vapor can flow onto the upper end surface 55.
This is to prevent it from adhering or staying on the surface of the 5.
In this embodiment, the nozzle 19 on the upper end surface 55
The dimensional difference between the outer diameter and inner diameter is 2 mm or less. This is a value that can effectively prevent droplets from adhering to and staying on the upper end surface 55. Further, the lower end of the outer diameter portion 53 is a flange 57, and the flange 57 engages with the upper surface of the inner cap 15 from above.

On the other hand, a lower end 59 of the nozzle 19 projects downward from the inner cap 15. The outer diameter portion 61 extends vertically downward, and the inner diameter portion 6
3 is tapered so that the diameter increases downward. The reason why the outer diameter portion 61 is extended vertically downward is to allow droplets that condense and liquefy on the lower surface of the inner cap 15 to quickly flow downward.
In addition, the reason why the inner diameter portion 63 is tapered is to minimize the area of the lower end surface 65 of the nozzle 19, thereby preventing falling droplets from adhering to and staying on the lower end surface 65. At the same time, this is to provide a draining effect and cause the droplets to quickly flow downward. Further, the difference in dimension between the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the nozzle 19 on the lower end surface 65 is 2 mm or less.

The operation will be explained based on the above configuration. First, pour a predetermined amount of water into the water boiling tank 3 and turn on the switch. As a result, heating by the heater mechanism 7 is started, and the water in the water boiling tank 3 is gradually heated.

The water in the water boiling tank 3 is heated and steam begins to be generated. Here, the user places the nosepiece 31 on his nose and is ready to use it. The generated steam flows out into the inner cap 21 through the nozzle 19, and at this time, the ejector action forces outside air into the opening 21.
3, 29 resulting in a mixed stream of steam and air. This mixed flow flows through the outer cap 2.
7 into the nosepiece 31, from which a portion is sometimes exhausted through the exhaust hole 43, and the remainder is sucked into the user's nostrils for treatment. During this time, the user only needs to perform normal breathing exercises, and the steam will circulate due to the suction force and the pressure within the water boiling tank 3.

Next, the operation of the nozzle 19 will be explained. First, there is a case where steam condenses and liquefies on the upper end surface 55 of the nozzle 19. In this case, the droplets 7
1, the area of the upper end surface 55 is extremely small, so
It does not stay there, but quickly flows down along the tapered outer diameter portion 53. Therefore, droplets do not adhere or stay on the upper end surface 55 of the nozzle 19.

Next, there is a case where the liquid droplets 73 are condensed and liquefied on the lower surface side of the inner cap 15, and in this case, the droplets 73 quickly flow down along the outer diameter portion 61 of the lower end portion 59 of the nozzle 19. At this time, since the area of the lower end surface 65 is extremely small and the inner diameter portion 63 is tapered, the droplet 73 will not adhere to the lower end surface 65 or enter the inside of the nozzle 19. It quickly flows downward.

Next, referring to FIG. 5, a case will be described in which the inhalation type thermotherapy device is used tilted. In this case, the droplets 74 accumulated on the top surface of the inner cap 15
moves in the direction of inclination as shown by the arrow in the figure, but
Since the upper end 51 of the nozzle 19 protrudes from the inner cap 15, the droplet 74 only moves along the outer diameter 53 of the nozzle 19 and never flows into the nozzle 19 or onto the upper end surface 55. It will not stick. Incidentally, this also applies to the lower surface side of the inner cap 15, and since the lower end portion 59 protrudes, the droplet 74 only moves along the outer diameter portion 61 of the nozzle 19.

According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

First, the upper end surface 55 and lower end surface 65 of the nozzle 19
It is possible to prevent droplets from adhering and staying in the container. This is the upper end 53 and lower end 5 of the nozzle 19.
9 protrudes upward or downward from the inner cap 15, and the areas of the upper end surface 55 and lower end surface 65 are minimized. This prevents droplets from flowing into the nozzle 19, which prevents droplets from getting mixed into the ejected steam and hitting the user's nose, making the user feel uncomfortable and hot. do not have.

At that time, the outer diameter portion 53 of the upper end portion 51 and the lower end portion 5
Since the inner diameter portion 63 of 9 is tapered and has sufficient wall thickness at the portion other than the tip, there is no problem in terms of mechanical strength.

Next, when using the device tilted,
In this case, since the upper end 51 and lower end 59 of the nozzle 19 protrude from the inner cap 15,
The droplets accumulated on the upper surface of the inner cap 15 and the droplets attached to the lower surface only move in the oblique direction along the outer diameter portions 53 and 61 of the nozzle 19, and do not adhere to the upper end surface 55 and the lower end surface 65. It does not flow into the nozzle 19.

Next, the diameter of the steam jet hole 49 of the nozzle 19 is 0.5~
This has been determined to be within a range of 1.2mm, which not only provides steam that enhances the treatment effect, but also provides the optimal treatment device in terms of safety and soundness, taking into consideration heat resistance, pressure resistance, leakage, etc. This makes it possible to maintain the integrity of the device and provide a comfortable treatment environment.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the nozzle for an inhalation type thermotherapy device according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent droplets from flowing into the nozzle,
It is possible to eliminate the mixing of droplets into the steam and the discomfort caused during use.

In addition, the diameter of the steam outlet has been optimized based on experiments, so it is not only possible to demonstrate a high therapeutic effect, but also to maintain the integrity of the device. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 4 are diagrams showing one embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a half-cut sectional view of an inhalation type thermotherapy device, FIG. 2 is a view taken along the - arrow in FIG. 1, and FIG. Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the nozzle, Figure 5 is a diagram showing the effect when the device is used at an angle, and Figure 6 is a diagram showing the change in power consumption over time. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the configuration. 1...Housing, 3...Kettle, 15...
...Inner cap, 19... Nozzle, 51... Upper end of nozzle, 53... Outer diameter part of upper end of nozzle, 5
5... Upper end surface of the nozzle, 59... Lower end of the nozzle,
61... Outer diameter part of the lower end of the nozzle, 63... Inner diameter part of the lower end of the nozzle, 65... Lower end surface of the nozzle, 71,
73...droplet.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A nozzle that is integrally or removably attached to the center of a lid that closes the upper opening of a water boiling tank housed in a housing, the nozzle having a steam jet hole in the center. The upper end of the nozzle protrudes upwardly from the lid, the outer diameter of the nozzle upper end is tapered so that the diameter decreases upward, and the lower end of the nozzle protrudes downward from the lid. The outer diameter of the lower end of the nozzle is extended in the vertical direction, and the inner diameter of the lower end of the nozzle is tapered so as to expand downward. Nozzle for equipment. 2. The nozzle for an inhalation type thermotherapy device according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the nozzle at the nozzle upper end face and the nozzle lower end face is equal to or less than the value obtained by adding 2 mm to the inner diameter. Nozzle for. 3. The nozzle for an inhalation type thermotherapy device according to claim 1, wherein the diameter of the steam ejection hole is determined in a range of 0.5 to 1.2 mm.