JPS6324917Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an inhaler, particularly a steam-type inhaler, used for treating inflammation of the respiratory system.

[Background technology]

Since the mist particles ejected from a spray unit consisting of a steam injection nozzle and an inhalation liquid suction nozzle spread too widely to be directly inhaled, a cylindrical spray guide is provided. In an inhaler designed to restrict the spread of mist droplets, the mist droplets that hit the inner wall of the spray guide turn into water droplets. When spraying horizontally, water droplets are pushed out by the force of the spray and drip from the opening at the tip of the spray guide, staining the area below, which is a problem, especially with steam type sprayers. is hot and dangerous because the temperature of the water droplets is raised by the steam.

For this purpose, we published Utility Model Application No. 56-130745 and Utility Model Application No. 130745.
Japanese Patent Application No. 57-51545 proposes forming a protruding rib between the spray unit and the tip opening of the spray guide.

By providing such ribs, even if the mist particles that spread inside the spray guide and hit the inner wall of the spray guide condense into water droplets and move forward due to the airflow, the ribs will not disturb the water droplets. The water drips downward from its lower end and returns to the wastewater storage area.

However, since conventional ribs were installed perpendicular to the spray direction, the water droplets that reached the lower end of the rib were pushed by the force of the mist droplets, and before they became larger and fell downward, they were removed from the rib. In some cases, it was torn off from the lower end of the spray guide and popped out of the opening at the tip of the spray guide.

[Purpose of invention]

The present invention was developed in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to prevent water droplets from dripping from the opening at the tip of the spray guide without reducing the amount of spray even when the spray direction is horizontal. There are inhalers available that can prevent this.

[Disclosure of invention]

Therefore, the present invention provides an inhaler equipped with a spray unit that sucks up and atomizes inhalation liquid by jetting steam, and a spray guide with an open tip that surrounds the periphery of the spray unit in the spray direction. It is characterized by having a stepped part diagonally intersecting the spray direction on at least the upper surface, and the water droplets generated when the mist droplets condense on the inner wall of the spray guide cross diagonally with the spray direction. The spray guide moves along the stepped section and is discharged along the inner wall of the spray guide.

The present invention will be described in detail below based on illustrated embodiments. The inside of the horizontally long main body case 1, which is made of heat-resistant synthetic resin and has an open top, is divided into left and right sides by a partition wall that is integrated with the main body case 1, and the left half with the top open can be used for chemical solutions, salt water, or water. The closed space on the right half houses a water supply tank and a steam generation unit that steams the water in this water supply tank. On the front of the main body case 1, there is the above-mentioned suction liquid tank 5 made of transparent synthetic resin such as polycarbonate.
In order to see the remaining amount of suction liquid or water in the water supply tank, remaining amount display windows 13 and 14 and an operation indicator lamp 15 for the steam generating unit are provided. Lid 2 that closes the top opening of main body case 1
0 has a back part attached to the upper part of the back of the main body case 1 with a hinge 24 so that it can freely rotate backwards, and a cylindrical spray guide with the tip opening facing forward on the left upper surface. A pair of switch buttons 21 and 22 for controlling the operation of the steam generating unit are located in a notch on the upper right side of the steam generating unit and are arranged vertically and vertically around the rear end base. It is movably attached, and an opening/closing button 23 for the lid 20 is provided on the front surface.

The atomizing unit 7 that atomizes the inhalation liquid by the ventilating effect of steam injection is connected to the atomizing guide 9.
In other words, it is arranged at the base of the lid 20. Steam injection nozzle 70 and suction nozzle 7
4, as well as a drip prevention plate 78 attached to the tip of the suction nozzle 74 and a cylindrical shaft 76 facing the suction nozzle 74. Each of the above members is integrally provided on a U-shaped connecting plate 77 made of synthetic resin, and
The bottom piece of the connecting plate 77 has a steam injection nozzle 70 made of stainless steel facing forward, and one side piece has a suction nozzle 74 facing sideways.
The tip of the suction nozzle 74 is located in front of the steam injection nozzle 70. Further, a cylindrical shaft 76 is provided on the other side piece of the connecting plate 77. The cylinder shaft 76 and the suction nozzle 74 are located on the same axis, and are rotatably supported by the lid 20, so that the spray unit 7 can freely rotate up and down.

The base end of the spray guide 9 is removably connected to a connecting plate 77 by elastic engagement, so that the spray guide 9 rotates together with the spray unit 7. In other words, the direction of the spray guide 9 and the direction of the steam injection nozzle 70 are always made to coincide. Further, the spray guide 9 and the spray unit 7 are connected to the cylinder shaft 76 and the suction nozzle 7.
The lid 20 can be fixed at any angle by the sliding resistance between the O-ring fitted on the lid 20.

In order to prevent deformation due to steam injection, abrasion, and deformation of the nozzle opening during cleaning, the steam injection nozzle 70 is made of stainless steel and is integrally molded on the connecting plate 77 as described above. connected to the steam generating unit through. In addition, the connecting plate 7 is designed to ensure alignment with the steam injection nozzle 70.
The suction nozzle 74 integrally formed with the suction pipe 7 has a lower end inserted into the suction liquid tank 5.
5 is connected. The suction liquid in the suction liquid tank 5 is sucked up by the ventilating effect of the steam supplied from the steam generation unit and jetted from the steam injection nozzle 70, and is sprayed from the suction nozzle 74 in the direction of the steam jet. The drip prevention plate 78 attached to the suction nozzle 74 prevents the suction liquid, which has not been atomized and has become liquid, into contact with the steam injection nozzle 70 and is blown away by the steam, when the spray unit 7 is directed upward. Prevent large water droplets 2 from forming.

In addition, regarding the suction liquid that flows downward along the drip prevention plate 78, an opening 27 is provided at the bottom rear part of the recess 26 in the back plate 25 of the lid 20 located below the spray unit 7, and
The suction liquid tank 5 stored in the storage chamber 11 is partitioned into two chambers, front and rear, by a partition plate 51, and the suction liquid tank 5 is connected to a drainage water storage section 50 at the rear part of the suction liquid tank 5 through the opening 27.

Now, the spray guide 9 has a rectangular cylindrical shape, and the cross-sectional area on the tip opening side is smaller than the cross-sectional area on the base end side where the spray unit 7 is located, and the spray guide A rib 90 that diagonally intersects is hung down. This rib 90 forming a step is located between the spray unit 7 and the tip opening of the spray guide 9 and closer to the tip opening.

Due to the steam ejected from the steam injection nozzle 70, the suction water becomes mist droplets from the suction nozzle 74 and is ejected from the spray guide 9 to the outside.
The mist particles that spread inward and hit the inner wall of the spray guide 9 condense into water droplets 2. When the water droplets 2 attached to the inner wall of the spray guide 9 become large to a certain extent,
It falls due to its own weight, runs down the bottom of the spray guide 9, and reaches the waste water storage section 50. The presence of the ribs 90 prevents mist particles from adhering to the upper surface of the inner wall of the spray guide 9 between the ribs 90 and the tip opening of the spray guide 9. Of course, mist particles adhere to the side closer to the steam injection nozzle 70 than the rib 90 and become water droplets 2, but even if they move forward due to the airflow, they hit the rib 90 and cross diagonally with the spray direction. The water droplets 2 attached to the lower edges of the ribs 90 due to surface tension are pushed by the force of the mist droplets and move forward along the ribs 90.
It passes through the inner wall of the spray guide 9 and falls downward.
Drainage water flows along the bottom surface of the spray guide 9 and drains into the water storage section 50.
leading to.

Even if the force of the spray droplets is strong, the water droplets 2 move along the ribs 90, and before the water droplets 2 located at the lower edge of the ribs 90 become large, they are caught up in the spray droplets and flow out of the spray guide 9 together with the spray droplets. It's something that never jumps out. Moreover, the rib 90 is located on the opening side of the tip of the spray guide 9, and in this position, the force of the mist droplets is weakened, and the lower edge of the rib 90 is flat, so that the water droplets 2 are formed into large water droplets due to the surface tension. 2, the water droplets 2 do not fly out of the spray guide 9 before they become large in these respects as well.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rib 9
0 has a V-shape with the top facing the spray unit 7 side and both ends continuous with the inner wall,
As in the case of the above embodiment, the water droplets 2 are made to travel along the ribs 90 to the inner wall, and at the same time, the water droplets 2 are made to separate to the left and right along the inclination of the ribs 90 with respect to the spray direction. be. In this case, even if the inclination of the rib 90 is the same as in the above embodiment, the distance that the water droplet 2 moves along the rib 90 can be shortened, so that the water droplet 2 can move away from the rib 90 before reaching the inner wall. It is less likely to fall.

Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the shape of the rib 90 itself is perpendicular to the spray direction, but there is a rib 90 with the top facing the spray unit 7 side on the upper surface of the inner wall of the tip of the spray guide 9. A V-shaped concave surface 91 whose hem reaches the opening edge is provided as a stepped portion, and the peripheral edge of the concave surface 91 except for the opening edge side is a stepped portion 92 with an edge. Also concave surface 91
The distance between both ends of the hem and the inner wall is smaller than the diameter of the water droplet 2 generated here. This configuration prevents water droplets 2 condensed on the upper surface of the inner wall between the rib 90 and the edge of the opening at the tip of the spray guide 9 from coming out.

That is, the water droplets 2 that have condensed on the upper surface of the inner wall between the rib 90 and the tip opening of the spray guide 9 adhere to the stepped portion 92 at the periphery of the concave surface 91 due to their surface tension, and due to the force of the spray, the water droplets 2 are moved in the spray direction. It moves from side to side along a stepped portion 92 that is in a V-shape that intersects diagonally, and falls along the inner wall.
Since this part of the concave surface 91 is recessed one step below the flow of the spray particles, there are almost no mist particles that condense into water droplets 2, and when providing the stepped portion 92, it is formed by cutting out the tip of the spray guide 9. Since the fog particles are not heated, the spread of the mist droplets does not become large.

[Effect of idea]

As described above, in the present invention, even if the mist droplets on the upper surface of the inner wall of the spray guide turn into water droplets, the water droplets do not reach the edge of the opening at the tip of the spray guide due to the presence of the stepped portion located inside the spray guide. Moreover, since the stepped portion is formed to intersect diagonally with the spray direction, when the water droplets that reach the stepped portion are pushed by the force of the mist droplets, they move forward along the stepped portion, and are sprayed. The water is discharged along the inner surface of the guide, and the water droplets are not torn off from the step and splashed outside, so there is no steam in the mouth or face of the person who is inhaling. It is safe because hot water droplets do not form on the spray guide, and the presence of this stepped portion hardly causes a decrease in the amount of spray to the outside of the spray guide.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view passing through the same spray guide, Fig. 3 is a cutaway plan view of the same, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of another embodiment, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the same embodiment. 6 is a sectional view of still another embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a sectional plan view of the same.
is a water droplet, 7 is a spray unit, 9 is a spray guide, 9
0 represents a rib, 91 represents a concave surface, and 92 represents a stepped portion.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] (1) In an inhaler equipped with a spray unit that draws up and atomizes an inhalation liquid by jetting steam, and a spray guide with an open tip that surrounds the periphery of the spray unit in the spray direction, An inhaler characterized in that at least the upper surface of the inner wall of the spray guide is provided with a stepped portion that intersects diagonally with the spray direction. (2) The inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the stepped portion is located closer to the opening at the tip of the spray guide. (3) The inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the stepped portion has a V-shape with the top facing the spray unit and both ends facing the opening of the distal end of the spray guide. (4) The inhaler according to claim 1, wherein the stepped portion is formed as a concave surface.