sprayer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a sprayer, which comprises: a container, a channel and a detection unit. The container contains liquid. The channel has a light-transmitting window, a first opening, a second opening and a resonator, wherein when the liquid in the container passes through the resonator via the first opening, the liquid is released in a gaseous form through the second opening. The detection unit is arranged outside the channel and comprises: a light source, an optical sensor and a processor. The light source is used to emit light through the light-transmitting window to illuminate the gas in the channel so that the gas reflects the light. The optical sensor is used to detect parameters of the reflected light through the light-transmitting window. The processor is coupled to the optical sensor and is used to stop the resonator from continuing to produce gas when the parameters of the reflected light are lower than a first threshold corresponding to a specific liquid level in the container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a nebulizer, and more particularly to a detection system for a nebulizer, wherein the detection system uses a photosensitive sensor to detect the average intensity of gas emitted by an internal resonator of the nebulizer, thereby shutting down the resonator. Background Art

[0002] In a nebulizer, a liquid container is filled with liquid to be vaporized, and the nebulizer also includes an ultrasonic resonator, which is arranged at the bottom of the liquid container. Generally, an ultrasonic resonator can be realized by a fine mesh containing many fine holes. When the liquid passes through the fine holes, the fine mesh resonates at a high frequency (such as ultrasound), which allows the liquid to be emitted in a gaseous form. When little or no liquid passes through the mesh, the ultrasonic resonator is at risk of being damaged. Therefore, the prior art will detect whether there is liquid in the liquid container, or detect a low liquid level state, and shut down the resonator accordingly.

[0003] The prior art uses two independent electrodes arranged on a grid to determine whether the liquid in the container is at a low level or zero level. When the liquid level is sufficient to cover the grid, a connection is formed between the electrodes, that is, the electrodes are conductive. When the liquid level is too low or there is no liquid to cover the grid, the electrodes will not be conductive.

[0004] One problem with the prior art is that, in the absence of liquid in the container, bubbles may remain in the resonant liquid, and these bubbles may cover the grid. This may cause the electrode to conduct electricity, even though the liquid level is not high enough to generate gas output from the ultrasonic resonator. In the absence of liquid in the container, the resonator cannot be powered off, which may cause damage to the resonator. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of this, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a detection system and method for a sprayer or a diffuser, wherein the system and method can detect a low liquid level in the diffuser at an early stage by detecting the intensity of the gas output.

[0006] The present invention is realized by a sprayer, which has a detection unit, wherein the detection unit is used to determine when the liquid level of the sprayer is lower than a specific level. The sprayer includes: a container, a channel and a detection unit. The container contains liquid. The channel has a light-transmitting window, a first opening, a second opening and a resonator, wherein when the liquid in the container passes through the resonator via the first opening, the liquid is released in the form of gas through the second opening. The detection unit is arranged outside the channel and includes: a light source, an optical sensor and a processor. The light source is used to emit light through the light-transmitting window to illuminate the gas in the channel so that the gas reflects the light. The optical sensor is used to detect the parameters of the reflected light through the light-transmitting window. The processor is coupled to the optical sensor and is used to stop the resonator from continuing to produce gas when the parameters of the reflected light are lower than a first threshold corresponding to a specific level.

[0007] The light source may be a light emitting diode located next to the optical sensor, possibly emitting infrared light. The optical sensor may be a CMOS image sensor, a CCD image sensor, or a photodetector. The parameter detected may correspond to the average intensity of particles in the gas, and / or may be proportional to the liquid level in the nebulizer. The optical sensor may be arranged to sense light of a specific wavelength, or to sense light of a range of wavelengths.

[0008] The detection unit comprises a power supply for providing power to the processor, the optical sensor and the light source, and the nebulizer further comprises a switch for turning the power of the nebulizer on or off, wherein the switch is coupled to the processor and the resonator is coupled to the power supply through the processor.

[0009] The container may be removable, and the detection unit may also be removable. When the detection unit is removable, the detection unit includes a first plug and a second plug, and the sprayer includes a third plug and a fourth plug. The switch is coupled to the processor through the second plug and the fourth plug. The resonator is coupled to the processor through the first plug and the third plug. The detection unit also includes a light-transmitting window arranged opposite to the light-transmitting window of the channel.

[0010] The processor can further compare the parameter of the reflected light with a second threshold, wherein the second threshold corresponds to a low liquid level in the container and the first threshold corresponds to a zero liquid level in the container. When the parameter of the reflected light is below the second threshold and above the first threshold, the nebulizer generates a signal, which can be a light signal or an audio signal. The second threshold can be automatically adjusted by the processor or adjusted by the user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a detection unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention attached to a nebulizer.

[0012] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a detection unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention attached to a nebulizer.

[0013] Figure 3 is a flow chart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] The reference numerals are described as follows:

[0015] 100, 200 sprayer

[0016] 110 Container

[0017] 111 Opening

[0018] 120 Main Body

[0019] 130 channels

[0020] 131 Opening

[0021] 132 Resonator

[0022] 133, 147 Light-transmitting windows

[0023] 140, 240 detection units

[0024] 141 Processor

[0025] 141a, 141b, 146b, 132a pins

[0026] 142 Sensors

[0027] 143 Light Source

[0028] 144 substrate

[0029] 145 Power Supply

[0030] 146 Switch

[0031] 148 LEDs DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention provides a detection unit for a nebulizer, which uses the particle density of the released gas to determine when the liquid level of the nebulizer is too low, which can avoid the wrong judgment of the liquid level in the prior art. In addition, the present invention provides a more flexible design, in which the detection unit is attached to the outside of the nebulizer in a removable form.

[0033] The detection unit includes a sensor, such as a CMOS image sensor or a photodetector (e.g., a photodiode), and a light source. The light source emits light to illuminate the released gas, so that the sensor can detect the density of particles based on the light intensity received by the light irradiated by the gas. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, when the liquid level in the container drops below a certain level, the released gas will include very few particles and therefore will have a low density.

[0034] Insufficient liquid level in the container can be determined by setting a particle density threshold value corresponding to the number of particles discharged by the nebulizer. The processor coupled to the CMOS image sensor in the detection unit can be operated to control all functions of the CMOS image sensor. By further coupling the processor to the resonator in a wired or wireless manner, certain operations of the resonator can be controlled, such as startup / shutdown. Further, this allows the processor to shut down the resonator when the density of particles detected in the release gas drops below a predetermined threshold value (indicating that the liquid level in the container is below a certain level).

[0035] Reference Figure 1 , which shows a sprayer 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The sprayer 100 comprises a container 110 and a body 120, wherein the container 110 is removable from the body 120, and the container 110 has an opening 111 for releasing liquid.

[0036] The body 120 includes a channel 130 for the flow of aerosol (gas) and a detection unit 140. The detection unit 140 includes a processor 141, a sensor 142 and a light source 143 assembled on a substrate 144. The opening 131 of the channel 130 faces the opening 111 of the container 110 to receive the liquid from the container 110. The resonator 132 is arranged in the opening 131 to vaporize the liquid from the container 110. The light source 143 irradiates the gas, and the irradiated gas is reflected by the channel 130 and detected by the sensor 142. The processor 141 receives light information (such as intensity value) from the sensor 142, wherein the processor 141 can be a digital signal processor, a microcontroller or any hardware capable of calculating digital or analog signals. The sensor 142 can be a CMOS image sensor or a photodiode capable of detecting the light emitted by the light source 143. The light source 143 can be a light emitting diode or a laser capable of emitting light to the channel 130.

[0037] Power supply 145 provides power (current) to substrate 144, thereby powering processor 141, sensor 142, and light source 143. Processor 141 is electrically coupled to sensor 142, light source 143, and resonator 132 to control their operations.

[0038] The switch 146 may be disposed on the outer surface of the nebulizer 100, allowing the user to turn on / off the nebulizer 100. In this case, the switch 146 is also electrically coupled to the processor 141, and when the user turns on or off the nebulizer 100, the processor 141 will turn on / off the sensor 142, the light source 143, and the resonator 132 accordingly. Figure 1 As shown, the processor 141 is also electrically coupled to the resonator 132 , and when it is detected that the liquid level of the container 110 is low or zero, the processor 141 can directly turn off the resonator 132 .

[0039] The switch 146 may be disposed on the outer surface of the sprayer 100, so that the user can turn on or off the power of the sprayer 100. The switch 146 is also electrically connected to the processor 141. When the user turns on or off the power of the sprayer 100, the processor 141 will turn on / off the sensor 142, the light source 143 and the resonator 132 accordingly. Figure 1 As shown, the processor 141 is also electrically connected to the resonator 132. When it is detected that the liquid level of the container 110 is low or zero, the processor 141 can directly turn off the power of the resonator 132.

[0040] Figure 2 The nebulizer 200 of the second embodiment of the present invention is shown, wherein the detection unit 240 and the container 110 are both removable. Since the processor 141 is disposed in the detection unit 240, it cannot be directly coupled to the resonator 132 in the body 120 of the nebulizer 200, therefore, the body 120 further includes pins 132a (coupled to the resonator 132) and 146a (coupled to the switch 146), and the detection unit 240 further includes pins 141a and 141b (coupled to the processor 141), thereby realizing electrical connection between the processor 141, the resonator 132 and the switch 146.

[0041] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the channel 130 includes a light-transmitting window 133 facing the sensor 142 and the light source 143, allowing the light emitted by the light source 143 to pass through and illuminate the released gas, so that the sensor 142 can detect the illuminated gas. Figure 2 When shown as being removable, the detection unit 240 further includes a light-transmitting window 147 facing the light-transmitting window 133 .

[0042] By illuminating the released gas using light source 143 and detecting the light information through sensor 142, processor 141 can calculate the average intensity of the light received by sensor 142, allowing processor 141 to determine the average density of the gas. Although the present invention is not limited to detecting specific gaseous suspensions, the particles suspended in the released gas should have a certain size so as to affect the density of the gas when illuminated by the light source.

[0043] When the light source 143 illuminates the gas, the light will be reflected by the gas, and the amount / intensity of the reflected light depends on the density of the gas. If the gas is very dense, the reflected light will have a high intensity. As the density of the gas decreases, the intensity of the reflected light will also decrease. At this time, at least one threshold corresponding to a specific intensity of the reflected light (in a preferred embodiment, a low intensity can be selected) can be set. When the reflected light drops below the threshold, it can be determined that the liquid level in the diffuser is low enough and the number of particles released is insufficient, so the density of the gas is reduced. At this time, the processor 141 can decide to turn off the resonator 132.

[0044] When discharged in the form of gas, different liquids will have different densities, so multiple thresholds corresponding to different liquids can be set. In this case, the specific threshold associated with the specific liquid can be detected by setting the processor to a specific mode. In addition, multiple thresholds corresponding to different densities of the same gas can also be set. As stated in the background technology, when the liquid level in the container 110 is low, the resonator 132 can still release gas and is therefore not immediately damaged; and when the liquid level in the container 110 is almost zero, the resonator 132 is immediately at risk of damage. By setting a first threshold corresponding to the first condition and setting a second threshold corresponding to the second condition, the intensity of the discharged gas below the first threshold can be used to notify the user that the liquid in the container 110 should be replaced immediately, but it will not cause the resonator 132 to be immediately powered off.

[0045] In such a case, the user can be notified that the liquid level in the container 110 is decreasing by emitting a sound or activating a visual indicator such as an LED 148 (shown as being located above the switch 146, but not limiting of the invention). The LED 148 can be controlled by the processor 141 when receiving feedback from the sensor 142.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown, the container 110 can be removed from the body 120 of the sprayer 100. Figure 2 As shown, both the container 110 and the detection unit 240 can be removed from the body 120 of the nebulizer 200, which allows for greater design flexibility. In both embodiments, the inner surface of the channel 130 should not be highly reflective, as this would lead to erroneous judgment of the light intensity of the reflected light.

[0047] In two different operation modes of setting only one threshold value and setting multiple threshold values, if the parameter of the received light is lower than the threshold value corresponding to the low liquid level, the processor 141 will directly stop the resonator 132 from continuing to produce gas, because the low liquid level represents the risk of the resonator 132 being damaged. For example, the processor 141 determines whether the intensity level of the reflected light received by the sensor 142 is lower than the threshold value, and when the intensity level is lower than the threshold value, it will be determined that the liquid level is insufficient. The threshold value can be manually adjusted by the user, or it can be automatically adjusted when the processor receives liquid information through a wired connection port (e.g., a USB connection port) or a wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth).

[0048] In one embodiment, the light source 143 is infrared light, which is invisible to the user and thus does not cause any negative impact on the user. In another embodiment, the light source 143 may include multiple light sources that can emit light of different wavelengths. Furthermore, the sensor 142 can detect different light intensity information corresponding to the light of different wavelengths, thereby allowing the processor 141 to perform a more accurate gas density analysis. In addition, in one embodiment, ultrasonic waves can also be used instead of infrared light.

[0049] The standard size of particles that can generally be detected is 5 microns. In one embodiment, the detection unit 140 / 240 can only detect particles of a certain size. In another embodiment, the detection unit 140 / 240 may be able to detect particles within a certain size range. In this case, the sensor can be set to detect particles of which size and set the detection range of the sensor accordingly.

[0050] Once the processor 141 turns off the resonator 132 and no longer releases gas, the sensor 142 and the light source 143 can be reset or turned off accordingly.

[0051] The above structure can also be applied to the detection system of air cleanliness or purity. As is known to all, the presence of particles such as 2.5 and 5 in the air represents air pollution. Therefore, the above embodiment can also be further applied to the detection system of air pollution index.

[0052] Reference Figure 3 , Figure 3 Detailed description of the flow chart of the operation of the sensor 143 and the processor 141 for the nebulizer 100 / 200. Please note that the process is not limited to the following detailed steps, other steps may be added, or some steps may be deleted, and the order may be changed, as long as the final method can detect the density of the released gas and use it to control the operation of the nebulizer.

[0053] The process is as follows:

[0054] Step 300: The process starts; if there are lights of multiple wavelengths, execute step 310; if there is only light of a single wavelength, execute step 320.

[0055] Step 310: Light source mode selection.

[0056] Step 320: Continuous light excitation.

[0057] Step 330: Receive an optical signal.

[0058] Step 340: Is the received optical signal higher than the starting threshold? If yes, execute step 350; if no, return to step 330.

[0059] Step 350: Find the maximum amplitude.

[0060] Step 360: Determine a certain percentage of the maximum amplitude; is this amount below the weak spray threshold? If yes, proceed to step 370; if no, return to step 350.

[0061] Step 370: Turn off the sprayer.

[0062] Step 380: End.

[0063] The above procedure explains in detail a detection unit for a nebulizer, which can use the particle density of the released gas to determine whether the liquid level in the nebulizer is low or zero. And, the detection unit can use the detection result to shut down the resonator, thereby preventing damage to the resonator.

[0064] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sprayer, comprising a detection unit for determining when the liquid level of the sprayer is below a certain level, characterized in that: The sprayer comprises: a container containing a liquid, wherein the container is removable; a channel comprising a light-transmitting window, a first opening, a second opening, and a resonator, wherein when liquid in the container passes through the resonator via the first opening, the liquid is released in a gaseous state through the second opening; and A detection unit is arranged outside the channel, wherein the detection unit comprises: a light source, configured to emit light through the light-transmitting window to illuminate the gas in the channel so that the gas reflects the light; An optical sensor for detecting parameters of reflected light through the light-transmitting window, wherein the optical sensor can be set to detect particles of a certain size and a detection range of the optical sensor can be set accordingly; and a processor, coupled to the optical sensor, configured to stop the resonator from continuing to produce gas when the parameter of the reflected light is lower than a first threshold corresponding to the specific level, wherein the detection unit comprises a power supply for providing power to the processor, the optical sensor and the light source, and the sprayer further comprises a switch for starting or shutting down the sprayer, wherein the switch is coupled to the processor; The resonator is coupled to the power supply device via the processor; The detection unit is removable, and the detection unit includes a light-transmitting window arranged opposite to the light-transmitting window of the channel.

2. The sprayer according to claim 1, characterized in that The light source is a light emitting diode and is located beside the optical sensor.

3. The sprayer according to claim 2, characterized in that The light emitting diode emits infrared light.

4. The sprayer according to claim 1, characterized in that The detection unit includes a first plug and a second plug, the sprayer includes a third plug and a fourth plug, the switch is coupled to the processor through the second plug and the fourth plug, and the resonator is coupled to the processor through the first plug and the third plug.

5. The sprayer according to claim 1, characterized in that The optical sensor is a CMOS image sensor, a CCD image sensor or a photodetector.

6. The sprayer according to claim 1, characterized in that The processor further compares the parameter of the reflected light to a second threshold, wherein the second threshold corresponds to a low liquid level in the container and the first threshold corresponds to a zero liquid level in the container; And when the parameter of the reflected light is below the second threshold and above the first threshold, the nebulizer generates a signal.

7. The sprayer according to claim 6, characterized in that The signal is an optical signal.

8. The sprayer according to claim 6, characterized in that The signal is an audio signal.

9. The sprayer according to claim 6, characterized in that The second threshold is automatically adjusted by the processor or adjusted by a user.

10. The sprayer according to claim 1, characterized in that The parameter corresponds to the average intensity of particles in the gas.

11. The sprayer according to claim 1, characterized in that The parameter is proportional to the liquid level in the nebulizer.

12. The sprayer according to claim 1, wherein The optical sensor is configured to sense light of a specific wavelength.

13. The sprayer according to claim 1, wherein: The optical sensor is configured to sense light within a range of wavelengths.

Images