JPH07256170A - Ultrasonic atomizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the ultrasonic atomizer capable of causing a gap capable of realizing a sufficient atomization amt. between a vibrator (spindle upper end) and a mesh member when the member is ultrasonically vibrated by the vibrator. CONSTITUTION:An annular protrusion 15 is provided around a liq. sucking hole 12 at the upper end 13 of the phone 11 of the double-phone vibrator having an ultrasonic vibrator. Consequently, a mesh member 1 is abutted on the protrusion 15 on the upper end 13 of the phone, and the gap is sufficiently secured between the member 1 and the upper end 13 by the protrusion 15.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ultrasonic atomizing device for atomizing an atomized liquid absorbed by the vibration of an ultrasonic oscillator by a mesh member.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ultrasonic atomizing device of this type is shown in FIG.
It has a schematic configuration as shown in FIG. The atomizing device shown here includes a bottle 70 containing the atomizing liquid L, a lower end 71 located inside the bottle 70, and an upper end 7 located outside the bottle 70.
Two annular ultrasonic transducers 7 are attached to a horn (shaft body) 74 which has a liquid suction hole 73 for liquid suction in the axial direction.
And a double horn vibrator 77 to which 5 and 76 are attached. The mesh member 80 has a large number of fine holes, and is formed by an elastic member (not shown) such as a coil spring, and the horn upper end 72 is formed.
Abutted against.

In such an atomizing device, when the high frequency voltage generated by the oscillator 78 is applied to the vibrators 75 and 76,
The ultrasonic vibration of the vibrators 75 and 76 causes the horn 74 to vibrate up and down. Along with this, the atomized liquid L in the bottle 70 is sucked up from the lower end 71 of the horn 74 through the liquid suction hole 73, and exits from the opening of the upper end 72. Then, the atomized liquid L is dissipated in the form of a mist by the mesh member 80 contacting the upper end 72.

[0004]

By the way, in the atomizing device for atomizing the atomizing liquid by the mesh member using the ultrasonic vibrator as described above, a metal plate such as a nickel plate has hitherto been used as the mesh member. Had been used. However,
A chemical solution is often used as the atomizing solution, and problems such as corrosion of the metal plate occur depending on the type of chemical solution.
As a countermeasure against chemicals, materials such as ceramics that are hard and resistant to corrosion are being used.

In this case, when the mesh member is directly vibrated by the ultrasonic vibration of the vibrator, the mesh member vibrates (natural vibration) having a frequency component different from the amplitude of the vibrator due to its rigidity or the like. Of this frequency component,
The swell amplitude in the low range is generated when the mesh member does not follow the vibration amplitude of the vibrator. When a low-frequency swell amplitude is generated, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the vibrator (that is, the upper end 72 of the horn 74) and the mesh member 80.
And a fine gap α is generated between the mesh gap 80 and the atomized liquid L from the liquid suction hole 73, and the gap is filled between the upper end 72 of the horn and the mesh member 80. The atomization liquid L is atomized from.

However, when the mesh member 80 is made of a hard material such as ceramic, the swell vibration of the mesh member subjected to ultrasonic vibration tends to be smaller than that of a soft material. The atomized liquid L did not spread well between 80 and 80
However, there is a problem that the filling area becomes smaller and a sufficient atomization amount cannot be realized.

Therefore, the present invention has been made by paying attention to this problem, and when the mesh member receives ultrasonic vibration from the vibrator, it is placed between the vibrator (upper end of the shaft) and the mesh member. An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic atomizing device that can generate a gap sufficient to realize a sufficient amount of atomization.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the ultrasonic atomizing device according to claim 1 of the present invention is a shaft having liquid suction holes for sucking liquid in the lower and upper ends in the axial direction. A vibrator is attached to the body, and a mesh member having a large number of fine holes is brought into contact with the upper end of the shaft body. In the vicinity of the liquid absorption hole on the upper end face of the shaft body or the upper end contact of the shaft body of the mesh member. The surface is provided with a convex portion.

Further, in the ultrasonic atomizing device according to a third aspect of the invention, a vibrator is attached to a shaft body having liquid suction holes for suctioning liquid, which are opened at the lower end and the upper end in the axial direction, and a large number of members are provided at the upper end of the shaft body. In the case where a mesh member having fine holes is brought into contact, the liquid absorption hole side (inner side) of the shaft upper end surface is located around the liquid absorption hole of the shaft upper end surface or at the shaft body upper end contact surface of the mesh member. It is characterized in that a groove extending outwardly from is formed.

Further, the ultrasonic atomizing device according to claim 4 is
A vibrator is attached to a shaft body having liquid suction holes for opening liquid at the lower end and the upper end in the axial direction, and a mesh member having a large number of fine holes is brought into contact with the upper end of the shaft body. It is characterized in that the upper end of the body and the mesh member are inclined and brought into contact with each other.

[0011]

In the atomizing device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the convex portion is provided on the upper end surface of the shaft body or around the liquid absorption hole of the mesh member or on the upper end contact surface of the shaft body. If the mesh member is brought into contact with the upper end of the shaft body, the mesh member only contacts the convex portion and does not contact the other upper end portion of the shaft body. As a result, the mesh member is supported by the convex portion, and the convex portion increases the gap between the mesh member and the upper end of the shaft body, so that a sufficient atomization area can be secured and the atomization amount can be increased. Of course, the same effect can be obtained when the mesh member is provided with a convex portion.

In the atomizing device according to the third aspect of the present invention, the liquid absorbing holes (inner side) of the shaft upper end face extend outward from the liquid absorbing holes around the shaft upper end face or the shaft member upper end contact surface of the mesh member. In each case, the atomizing liquid is spread by the ultrasonic vibration from the liquid absorption hole on the upper end surface of the shaft through the groove radially to the gap between the mesh member and the upper end of the shaft, and is atomized. The area increases and the amount of atomization increases.

In the atomizing device according to the fourth aspect, since the upper end of the shaft body and the mesh member are inclined and brought into contact with each other,
The gap between the upper end of the shaft and the mesh member is smaller on one side and larger on the other side, and as in the case above, the atomized liquid spreads radially toward the larger gap due to ultrasonic vibration, resulting in atomization. It is possible to increase the area and the amount of atomization. In addition,
The material of the mesh member used in the atomizing device of the present invention may be not only a metal such as nickel but also a hard material such as ceramic. In particular, in the atomizing device of the present invention, even if a mesh member made of a hard material such as ceramic is used, it is possible to secure a sufficient gap between the mesh member and the upper end of the shaft body, thereby increasing the atomization amount. it can. Furthermore, polymer materials (polysulfone, polyimide, polycarbonate, etc.)
The same effect can be achieved by using a mesh member made of.

[0014]

EXAMPLES An ultrasonic atomizing device of the present invention will be described below based on examples. FIG. 1 shows an atomizing device according to an embodiment.
[(A) is a side view of essential parts, (b) is a top view]. However, since the other components are the same as those of the conventional atomizing device as shown in FIG. 12, description thereof will be omitted. Horn (shaft body) 11 of a double horn vibrator 10 having an ultrasonic vibrator
Has a liquid suction hole 12 for sucking up liquid, and the liquid suction hole 12 opens at the upper end 13 of the horn 11, and the liquid suction hole 1 at the upper end 13 of the horn.
An annular convex portion 15 is provided around the circumference.

In FIG. 2, a ceramic mesh member 1 having a large number of fine holes is brought into contact with the upper end 13 of the horn 11 having the convex portion 15 by a coil spring 60, for example. Then, the mesh member 1 has
It is supported at a distance from the upper end 13 by a thickness of 5.
When the ultrasonic vibrator is vibrated in this state, the horn 11
Also vibrates at the same frequency, and the mesh member 1 also vibrates accordingly. As a result, the atomized liquid L spreads from the liquid suction holes 12 of the horn 11 to the gap between the mesh member 1 and the upper end 13 of the horn [see (a) of FIG. 2]. As shown in FIG. 2B, during ultrasonic vibration, the mesh member 1 moves toward the horn upper end 13
When separated from the atomization liquid L, the atomized liquid L and the mesh member 1
It penetrates into a sufficient gap between the mesh member 1 and the upper end 13 of the horn, which spreads to the outer periphery of the convex portion 15 through the gap between the upper end 13 and the upper end 13 of the horn. Therefore, the atomization area is expanded and a sufficient amount of atomization can be obtained. Of course,
Even when the mesh member 1 is provided with the same convex portion, exactly the same operational effects are obtained.

FIG. 3 shows a modified example of the convex portion. In this embodiment, an annular convex portion 25 provided around the liquid suction hole 22 on the upper end 23 of the horn 21 has a groove 26 passing through the center of the convex portion 25.
Are formed. The horn upper end 2 provided with this convex portion 25
When the mesh member is brought into contact with 3, the groove 26 creates a passage for the atomized liquid in the contact portion between the mesh member and the convex portion 25, so that the atomized liquid discharged from the liquid suction hole 22 and the upper end 23 of the horn. It becomes easier to spread in the gap with the mesh member. The groove formed in the convex portion 25 does not need to be linear as shown in FIG. 3B, and if the atomized liquid easily spreads from the liquid suction hole 22 to the outer periphery of the convex portion 25. Alternatively, for example, a cross-shaped groove 27 as shown in FIG. 4 may be used. Also in this case, similar effects can be obtained even if grooves are formed in the convex portions of the mesh member.

Although the above is an example in which a groove is provided on the convex portion at the upper end of the horn, an example in which a groove is formed at the upper end surface of the horn is shown in FIG.
Here, a linear groove 35 that crosses the liquid suction hole 32 at the upper end 33 of the horn 31 having a gently convex curved surface is formed. When the mesh member is brought into contact with the upper end 33 of the horn, it means that the passage of the atomized liquid is substantially formed by the groove 35 at the contact surface between the mesh member and the upper end 33 of the horn. The ejected atomized liquid easily spreads in the gap between the mesh member and the horn upper end 33 through the groove 35. The groove 35 does not have to be linear, but may be any cross groove 36 as shown in FIG. 6, as long as the atomized liquid can be easily spread.

FIG. 7 shows an example in which a groove is provided in the mesh member itself. The mesh member 2 shown here has a linear groove 3 on the contact surface side B to the upper end of the horn, which extends straightly through the liquid absorption hole at the upper end of the horn. Also, the fine holes 4 of the mesh member 2
Is tapered in cross section from the contact surface side B toward the atomization surface side A, and has a conical shape as a whole. When the mesh member 2 is brought into contact with the upper end of the horn, the groove 3 acts as a passage for the atomized liquid on the contact surface of the mesh member 2 with the upper end of the horn, and through the groove 3, the liquid absorption hole at the upper end of the horn is passed through. The atomized liquid is easily spread in the gap between the mesh member and the upper end of the horn. The groove 3 need not be linear as in the above, and may be a cross-shaped groove 5 as shown in FIG. 8, for example.

In the above description, an example in which a convex portion is provided on the horn upper end surface or the mesh member, an example in which a groove is formed on the convex portion, and an example in which a groove is formed on the horn upper end surface or the mesh member have been described. The same effect can be obtained when the members are tilted and brought into contact with each other. An example of this is shown in FIG. Here, the mesh member is tilted and brought into contact with the upper end of the horn, which is particularly effective when the end face of the upper end 43 of the horn 41 is curved in a convex shape. For example, in FIG.
The left side of the mesh member 9 is strong and the right side is weakly pressed against the horn upper end 43 by the coil spring 50 as an elastic member, and the mesh member 9 is held in a state in which the right side is raised and the left side is lowered. By doing this, the horn upper end 43
The atomized liquid L that has flowed out of the liquid suction hole 42 easily enters the right side region where the gap between the mesh member 9 and the horn upper end 43 is large and spreads easily, and as a result, the atomized area increases and the atomized amount Will increase.

In the example as shown in FIG. 9, it is important to keep the mesh member 9 in a tilted state. An example of an elastic member used in that case is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Figure 10
Indicates a coil spring 51, and when the coil spring 51 is set at a predetermined position of the atomizing device, the right side portion 5
The force of 1b pressing the mesh member becomes larger than that of the left side portion 51a, and the mesh member can be held in an inclined state.
FIG. 11 shows an annular leaf spring 52, in which the right side portion 52b has a larger pressing force than the left side portion 52a.

In addition to holding the mesh member in the inclined state by using the elastic member, the same effect can be obtained by simply making the upper end of the horn and the mesh member in the inclined state. In this case, a sufficient effect can be expected even if the end face of the horn upper end 43 is not curved in a convex shape as shown in FIG. 9, so that it can be widely applied to general ultrasonic atomization devices.

[0022]

Since the ultrasonic atomizing device of the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects. (1) In the atomizing device according to claim 1, since the convex portion is provided around the liquid absorption hole on the upper end surface of the shaft body or on the shaft body upper end contact surface of the mesh member, the gap between the mesh member and the shaft body upper end is large. Therefore, the atomized liquid from the liquid suction hole at the upper end of the shaft spreads widely in the gap, the atomized area increases, and the atomization amount increases. (2) By forming a groove extending outward from the liquid absorption hole side (inside) of the shaft upper end surface in the convex portion of the shaft or the mesh member, the contact surface between the mesh member and the shaft upper end is The atomized liquid easily spreads around the outside of the convex portion through the groove. (3) In the atomizing device according to the third aspect, the liquid is extended from the liquid absorption hole side (inner side) of the shaft upper end surface to the outer side around the liquid absorption hole of the shaft upper end surface or on the shaft upper end contact surface of the mesh member. Since the existing groove is formed, the atomized liquid easily penetrates into the gap between the mesh member and the upper end of the shaft body through the groove at the contact surface between the mesh member and the upper end of the shaft body and spreads easily. An increase in atomization amount can be realized by the increase. (4) In the atomizing device according to the fourth aspect, since the shaft upper end and the mesh member are inclined and brought into contact with each other, the gap between the shaft upper end and the mesh member becomes large on one side, resulting in fog. The area of atomization increases and the amount of atomization increases. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide a convex portion or a groove on the mesh member or the upper end of the shaft body in particular, it can be widely applied to general atomization devices. (5) Due to the above-mentioned effects, even if a mesh member made of a polymer material is used in addition to a hard material such as ceramics, a large area for filling the atomization liquid is secured and a sufficient atomization amount can be obtained. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial side view and a top view of a horn upper end showing an example in which a convex portion is provided on the horn upper end.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the action of the upper end of the horn shown in FIG. 1 and a mesh member.

3A and 3B are a partial side view and a top view of the horn upper end showing an example in which a groove is formed in a convex portion of the horn upper end.

FIG. 4 is a top view showing another example of the groove formed in the convex portion on the upper end of the horn.

5A and 5B are a partial side view and a top view of the horn upper end showing an example in which a groove is provided on the horn upper end.

FIG. 6 is a top view showing another example of the groove provided on the upper end of the horn.

7A and 7B are a plan view and a partial cross-sectional view of a main part showing an example in which a groove is formed on a contact surface side of a mesh member with an upper end of a horn.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing another example of the groove formed on the contact surface side of the mesh member with the upper end of the horn.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the action of the upper end of the horn and the mesh member in the example in which the mesh member is tilted and brought into contact with the upper end of the horn.

FIG. 10 is an example of an elastic member used in an example in which a mesh member is tilted and brought into contact with the upper end of a horn.

FIG. 11 is another example of the elastic member used in the example in which the mesh member is inclined and brought into contact with the upper end of the horn.

FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of an ultrasonic atomizing device according to a conventional example.

FIG. 13 is a view for explaining the action of the horn upper end and the mesh member in the ultrasonic atomizing device according to the conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2 mesh member 3, 5 mesh member groove 11, 21, 31, 41 horn (shaft) 12, 22, 32, 42 liquid suction holes 13, 23, 33, 43 horn upper end 15, 25 convex Parts 26, 27, convex groove 35, 36 Horn upper end groove L Atomized liquid

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Masaru Obata 24 Yamanouchi Yamanoshitamachi, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City Omron Life Science Institute Inc.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A vibrator is attached to a shaft body having liquid absorption holes for suctioning liquid, which are opened at the lower end and the upper end, in the axial direction, and a mesh member having many fine holes is brought into contact with the upper end of the shaft body. In the ultrasonic atomizing device, a convex portion is provided around the liquid absorption hole on the upper end surface of the shaft body or on the shaft upper end contact surface of the mesh member. 2. The ultrasonic wave according to claim 1, wherein a groove extending from the liquid absorption hole side (inside) of the upper end surface of the shaft body to the outside is formed in the convex portion of the shaft body or the mesh member. Atomizer. 3. A vibrator is attached to a shaft body having liquid absorption holes for suctioning liquid, which are opened at the lower end and the upper end, in the axial direction, and a mesh member having many fine holes is brought into contact with the upper end of the shaft body. In the ultrasonic atomization device, a groove extending from the liquid absorption hole side (inner side) of the shaft upper end surface to the outside is provided in the vicinity of the liquid absorption hole of the shaft upper surface or on the shaft upper end contact surface of the mesh member. An ultrasonic atomizer characterized by being formed. 4. A vibrator is attached to a shaft body having liquid suction holes for suctioning liquid, which are opened at the lower end and the upper end, in the axial direction, and a mesh member having many fine holes is brought into contact with the upper end of the shaft body. In the ultrasonic atomizing device, the upper end of the shaft and the mesh member are inclined and brought into contact with each other. 5. The ultrasonic atomizing device according to claim 1, wherein the mesh member is made of a ceramic material or a polymer material.